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Get Your Own Putting Green
No, not just a color in your Crayola Box, it is now possible to
have your own private putting green in your own yard. For the
avid golfer it might seem like a dream come true to have your
own green. Do they know what is involved? Let's look at some
facts.
Greens are expensive to build and need special maintenance. If
you are determined to have one then we will fill you in on some
facts. The first thing you ought to know is that taking care of
greens will need a great deal of work. One of the first items to
be considered is drainage. To maintain a green in good putting
condition, the water has to be able to drain off properly. It
does need to be watered, but in watering, it also should be well
drained. If you want to have your own green, you should be able
to spot disease, insect problems, and fertility issues. One
thunderstorm can tell you if you have enough drainage. Some
greens need to be surrounded by perforated pipes to carry the
water to a distance away from the green or to a private stream.
Seeding is a problem, knowing what seed to plant for your
location and making it look great is another problem. If you
consider using sod, you should know that it is expensive. Seeded
greens have to be pampered while the grass is taking hold. There
is a fine line between waiting too long to mow and weakening the
turf, making it open to blight, and mowing it too soon. The
grass could be so young and tender that a regular mower will
mash it down.
Green mowers are also an important cost factor to consider. New
mowers can cost $5000 or more and used mowers are known to be
priced as high as $1000. Toro makes a special mower just for
greens.
Controlling such diseases as pythium, sod webworm and cut worm
as well as algae and moss has to be done consistently. Regular
treatment needs to be applied and if a treatment is missed, you
could find your green overrun by disease in the space of one
week.
Building a green can be done either by USGA specifications or by
using less expensive material and less elaborate drainage
designs. USGA specifications can make the cost of your green
anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000. A good design is one where the
green is above the surrounding lawn area with sandy loam
topsoil. It also requires about a one-percent slope for
satisfactory drainage. Many experts also recommend an irrigation
system so you won't have the inconvenience of watering the green
by hand.
What grass do you want for you own backyard green? Again that is
going to depend on where you are located. You have to consider
if you are in the warm season zone or the cool season zone.
There are many basic grasses that are used on nearly any golf
course and there are also grasses that have been specifically
developed for golf courses.
In the cooler climate, these seeds are suggested for your green.
For one hole of golf, in the tee areas it is recommended that
you use bentgrass while roughs and fairways require bluegrass.
Hazards can also be planted with rough bluegrass and other
ground covers.
In the southern or warmer zone, the recommendations are as
follows. Tee areas should use Hybrid Bermuda, for fairways
Bermuda, Ryegrass, and Zoysia is recommended. Roughs require
Bahias, St. Augustine, Common Bermuda, and Ryegrasses.
Another question that you will need to answer is; do I need a
special lawn mower? A standard rotary motor is not the right
mower for keeping a green. It is important that you use a mower
that pinches off the grass rather than chopping it. Look around
for the best deal on these mowers.
Maintenance time should not be so time-consuming that you can't
enjoy your private putting green. It can give you hours of
enjoyment and practice in the comfort of your backyard and if
you especially enjoy gardening, it will be well worth the
effort. Landscaping and preserving a golf green can be fun and
relaxing, and you have the added benefit of being able to
improve your game at home instead of going to a course to
practice.
About the author:
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online
and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16
year old son. For custom golf club
sets go to http://www.customgolfclubsets.com
Written by: Gregg Hall
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