Level hitting turf for back yard practice?

[hack2scratch]

Is it crucial to level the back yard surface for practicing? I want to do some back yard practice and warm up this year but no matter how hard i tried, i couldn't get it to be leveled.

I probably need to get some leveling sand.

You never actually get a level surface on the course, so should i level the platform or use it as is?

[dennyjones]

Why does it need to be level?  

4 minutes ago, hack2scratch said:

You never actually get a level surface on the course

I believe you've answered your question.   You'll adjust to an uneven lie.

[Hacker James]

a lot has to do with the type of soil you have. A soil that consists of a lot of clay will be susceptible to expansion and contraction, water levels, and the surface will move around. It has to be compacted to be able to assume any degree of uniformity. Sand is not generally a good idea as it simply moves around without being compacted. Grade II road base of DG (decomposed granite) is best, as once leveled, it stays put.  That being said, since you have a small area, it probably is not that much of a concern. Dig it out a little, compact down with tamping tool (the big square metal plates) and just stomp it down, lay in a thin layer of rock and place your paver base on the top, then the turf. Granted, course conditions are not level either, but for a practice area, you don't want your ball to roll into little hollows either, as its a real pain to continually be replacing your "lie".  When I did my back yard in artificial lawn, I did not lay in the base, but I did take great pains to rake, level, roll out, rake again and again, rinse and repeat.. Lots of work!  If I were to do it again, I would spend a couple hundred more and lay in a proper base, rent a power compactor e.t.c. 

YES, I can hit off it, but it leaves a thin "film" on the club soles. (like those cheap driving range mats).

Edited April 4, 2017 by Hacker James

[Lihu]

14 hours ago, hack2scratch said:

Is it crucial to level the back yard surface for practicing? I want to do some back yard practice and warm up this year but no matter how hard i tried, i couldn't get it to be leveled.

I probably need to get some leveling sand.

You never actually get a level surface on the course, so should i level the platform or use it as is?

Use it as is, but flip the target position around to get the other lie positions. You can put the target on all 4 sides of the paving stone arrangement. Might have to move the wood pile for uphill lies. I would also recommend that you get a larger mat so your feet aren't on those paving stones, and it will be easier to change the lie by just moving the target.

I put my mat on pea gravel, so I can always change the lie by shoveling more pea gravel under one side or raking it flat for a standard lie. Although, I haven't used my mat for a quite while. I have donation junk like a ping pong table and old computer desks in my hitting area which are getting removed this week, finally.