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Back yard putting green - design input wanted


VMAN
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I've been lobbying my wife to let me convert the hardly used swimming pool  (aka money pit) into a putting green for some time now- alas, sadly to no avail....

however I would hope that any of the putting green contractors would have pre-fab blueprint models that best exploit your available space for the greatest variety of putting challenges..No?

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Originally Posted by mtsalmela80

I don't see how it can be so difficult. I mean greens go all winter without maintenance, they don't die or anything. They just need to be mowed. Once the green is going, how can it be so hard to maintain?


Trust me as someone stupid enough to have built and maintained a putting green in my backyard there is a ridiculous amount of work to be done if you actually want to be able to putt on it. If I was to guess I would say that for every hour I used the green there was at least 2 or maybe 3 hours of maintenance. The only thing that I still maintain is the bunker. The green while still there is just a really well drained patch of lawn which every once and a while I cut short for chipping practice.

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Originally Posted by VMAN

I think we're getting a little off topic regarding grass greens.  I'm not installing once of those for the many reasons mentionned above.

The tough part about this design is the limited space.  With 800sf you can do two tiers which makes the design a lot easier.  With around 400sf this limits the possibilities.  So what do you guys think of a kidney shape that takes adavantage of as much of the corners as possible (like an elongated triangle sort of) with a slope coming from the right side boundary of the green.  This should allow for 3 to 4 pin placements, give it some slope for putting and chipping and still allow for a straight putt to practice a pure stroke.

That's the general idea above, the drawing is a bit sketchy but what do you think?



In my experience the less slope built in the better. Slope done wrong cuts down on your actual putting area. One gently sloped green is better than two tiers and a steep slope between them. My original design used the the two tier method which didn't work quite like I imagined. When I went to the gentler slope that encompassed basically the whole green I found the green much more usable and realistic. Keep it simple and don't try and recreate all types of putts.

Sun Mountain carry bag

Driver: Titleist 910D3*

Woods: Titleist 910F 13*, Alpha 18* Hybrid,

Irons: Titleist 681

Wedges: Vokey TVD 54* and 58*

Putter: Some Odyssey Anser Style.

Balls: Pro V1x,

 

 

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Another reason for making a continual slope is that its easier to grade the sub-surface in one slope than it would be to make a properly compacted and stable tiered sub-surface.

If its going to be in a corner, you can use the corner barriers for your highest level and grade from there.  If my memory serves me correctly, a 2 inch fall over 10 feet would give you a 2% grade and a 4 inch fall should give you obviously..a 4% grade.

A 2% grade in that span would mean that there would be about an inch of rise in a 5 foot uphill putt.

In the end though..I think that worrying about slope and break and all that for a practice putting green at home is useless...especially if all you're wanting to do is work on your stroke.  Without going full out scientific, you aren't going to get the subsurface completely level, anyway..

My philosophy on golf "We're not doing rocket science, here."

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Originally Posted by Paradox

If its going to be in a corner, you can use the corner barriers for your highest level and grade from there.  If my memory serves me correctly, a 2 inch fall over 10 feet would give you a 2% grade and a 4 inch fall should give you obviously..a 4% grade.


No, 2 inches over 10 feet is 2 inches over 120 inches, so that's only a 1.67% grade. A better approximation is to take it over eight feet because 8 feet is 96 inches, and that's close to 100.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
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Originally Posted by Putridgasbag

In my experience the less slope built in the better. Slope done wrong cuts down on your actual putting area. One gently sloped green is better than two tiers and a steep slope between them. My original design used the the two tier method which didn't work quite like I imagined. When I went to the gentler slope that encompassed basically the whole green I found the green much more usable and realistic. Keep it simple and don't try and recreate all types of putts.



Definitely going for a gentle slope from one corner.  I am not planning on a tier, though I can see how my drawing would show that.  The purpose of having some slope is to have some breaking putts and make it slightly more interesting for the eventual backyard putting and chipping games with my buddies.

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Originally Posted by Paradox

Another reason for making a continual slope is that its easier to grade the sub-surface in one slope than it would be to make a properly compacted and stable tiered sub-surface.

If its going to be in a corner, you can use the corner barriers for your highest level and grade from there.  If my memory serves me correctly, a 2 inch fall over 10 feet would give you a 2% grade and a 4 inch fall should give you obviously..a 4% grade.

A 2% grade in that span would mean that there would be about an inch of rise in a 5 foot uphill putt.

In the end though..I think that worrying about slope and break and all that for a practice putting green at home is useless...especially if all you're wanting to do is work on your stroke.  Without going full out scientific, you aren't going to get the subsurface completely level, anyway..



I agree that a continual slope makes the most sense, especially given the surface area constraints.  But I don't think it's useless to think about it and design it as best as I can.  I do want at least a 10' putt that is flat but I also want to include a left to right and right to left. The slope will also create opportunity to chip down hill or uphill.  Also, we are going full on scientific, laser levels and everything.  As in my work I expect that the level part of the green will be just that...level.  It's not that hard to make something level, people do it all the time.

Also, I spoke with the southwest greens franchise owner for my part of the world.  He is there for every job, and he absolutely wants me there when they grade and compact the base for the green as we'll have the opportunity to roll some balls and adjust both for size and slope prior to the subsurface mat being rolled out and then covered with the synthetic green.

I'm not sure what a correct slope would be?  2% isn't much but 5% is probably too much.  Our practive green at my club definitely has too much, but I'm not sure how much that is, I'll measure it next time I'm out.  There's even an app for that.  :)

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No, it isn't hard if you're using a laser...but most people wouldn't bust out the laser level, haha

When I said it was useless..I was just referring to getting really intricate and trying for a very complex design.  Like I said, putting a continual slope on the green will not only help with water drainage but also give you breaking putts both ways from differing angles and allow you to chip up or down if you chose to.

My philosophy on golf "We're not doing rocket science, here."

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Quote:
i know a lot of people advocate practicing straight putts..but how often do you come up with a truly straight putt?

Every putt you hit should be straight.  While the ball curves due to the contour of the green, your putting should seek to hit the ball straight on every putt.  You shouldn't push or pull breaking putts, you should just change your aimpoint.  Practicing breaking putts works because you are practicing both reading the putt and hitting a straight putt at your target (that is "taken" the right way by the green).  If you know the break, there isn't an advantage to practicing the breaking putt over the straight putt.

I actually think putting breaking putts on the same green over and over is worse than not practicing.  You are ingraining a stroke that would work really, really well on that particular green with that particular break, but not other greens.  In other words, the hard part about breaking putts *should not be the stroke* but the read (as your stroke should be straight).  After a while (like, what, two weeks?) you won't have to read this green anymore.  Bigger practice greens, fine, but you can learn the breaks of a 400sqf green pretty easily and quickly.

I do think the uphill / downhill matters for pace practice, though.  Just not break.  I'd have a part that is totally straight and  totally flat at least 4-5' around a cup, and then have a series of slopes and valleys of differing degrees.  I don't think the break matters nearly as much on a 400sqft putting green you will know inside and out as much as being able to practice uphill/downhill.

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All that said John, you can find putts straight uphill or straight downhill or double-breaking putts that cancel out and practice "straight" putts on putting greens, too.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Originally Posted by lostmyballs

Put a sand trap next to it!



I thought about that, but really it would become just another place for the next door neighbor's cat to fill with poop.  We'd need a rake and a scoop.  ;)

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Originally Posted by VMAN

I thought about that, but really it would become just another place for the next door neighbor's cat to fill with poop.  We'd need a rake and a scoop.  ;)



Make a cover. I had some left over mesh fencing and put it on a light frame, 1"x1" cedar. The bunker doesn't have to be too big. just enough for you to comfortably stand and hit. If I was to guess mine is about 4' x 6' total. Really helped with my bunker play.

Sun Mountain carry bag

Driver: Titleist 910D3*

Woods: Titleist 910F 13*, Alpha 18* Hybrid,

Irons: Titleist 681

Wedges: Vokey TVD 54* and 58*

Putter: Some Odyssey Anser Style.

Balls: Pro V1x,

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Wow...this is an awesome thread!

So here's my plan. I own a house in Port St. Lucie, FL. Presently have renters in there. I live/work in Orlando, about 2 hours north. When I retire I am moving back into the house in PSL.

It is a quarter-acre lot with a huge backyard. Presently it's a bank canvas - just a crapload of grass to mow. My plan is to put up a privacy fence, build a pool & have a synthetic putting green advacent to one side of the pool. Something like this with landcaping & foliage -

putting-green-picture001.jpg

So that will be my retirement - fix up my back yard the way I want it!

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Originally Posted by VMAN

We are considering putting in a synthetic lawn and putting green in our backyard by Southwest Greens.  Mainly due to the high cost of water in our area.  The area is about 1,800 sf and the putting green will be 375 to 450 sf.

I'd like some design input on the green from those who have them and those that would like to give this some thought.

The area is rectangular and approximately 25' deep by 75' long.  We'd like to keep the green to the right side of this rectangle.

You just don't go ahead and lay the synthetic turf down.

You have to consider drainage etc.

I don't know if this site allows links to commercial establishments but if you google this you will get a you tube video on how it's done.

diy synthetic putting green installation

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Wow...this is an awesome thread! So here's my plan. I own a house in Port St. Lucie, FL. Presently have renters in there. I live/work in Orlando, about 2 hours north. When I retire I am moving back into the house in PSL. It is a quarter-acre lot with a huge backyard. Presently it's a bank canvas - just a crapload of grass to mow. My plan is to put up a privacy fence, build a pool & have a synthetic putting green advacent to one side of the pool. Something like this with landcaping & foliage - [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/image/id/251564][IMG]http://cdn.thesandtrap.com/4/4f/640x400px-LL-4f8691ff_putting-green-picture001.jpeg[/IMG][/URL] So that will be my retirement - fix up my back yard the way I want it!

Awesome idea! Quite the water hazard they have. :-)

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Note: This thread is 3129 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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