Purdue News

Putting a putting green in backyard not for casual putterers

Personal putting greens are the chichi backyard accessory of 1997.

But unless you have the money, time and inclination to care for one-eighteenth of a golf course, Zac Reicher, co-director of Purdue University's Turfgrass Diagnostic and Research Center, suggests that you leave this highly specialized turf to the professionals. "What most people end up with is a big mess," he says.

"Too many people think all you have to do is to mow your grass really short, but that doesn't work. Unless you have a mower made for cutting putting greens, you won't be able to get the grass short enough, and if you do cut the grass that short, you're inviting all sorts of turf problems."

For one thing, as with all real estate, location is everything, and most backyards just don't have what it takes, which is plenty of sunshine and proper air circulation. "The worst thing you can do is locate the green in a shady area bordered by trees," Reicher says. "Unfortunately, that describes a lot of backyards."

A good alternative to the real thing are putting greens that use an artificial surface. Serious outdoor putting greens are much different from the surfaces found at roadside miniature golf courses.

Specialized fabrics are top-dressed with fine sand to give the surface a feel that is close to the real thing. The greens are typically installed over a contoured concrete slab that is covered with material to give the surface the same bounce as a putting green. Putting Greens International, Indianapolis, (317) 842-9430, and Murray Golf Green Systems, Howell, N.J., (908) 938-4267 both offer such systems. About a dozen such companies exist nationwide.

Jerry Carr, a graduate of the Purdue turfgrass management program and owner of Putting Greens International, says the specialized artificial greens are preferred by such golf luminaries as Ben Crenshaw, Payne Stewart, and short-game guru Dave Pelz. All have artificial greens at their homes.

According to Carr, an artificial putting green professionally installed by a contractor averages $15 per square foot, with most putting greens running between 400 and 600 square feet.

More information about artificial putting surfaces can be found at the Putting Greens International company's web site at www.putting.com

For those who are inclined to install a real backyard putting green, or have one already, the experts at the Purdue Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center offer these guidelines:

Construction

• Drainage: The green should be contoured so that water drains off rapidly. "Don't create any pockets or low areas where water will stand," Reicher says. "Water should drain off the green in more than one direction."

• Soil: Here's where the homeowner gets a break: Unlike a real green at a golf club, the amount of traffic and wear on a backyard putting green is limited, so there is little need to haul in sand or other material to create a special rootzone mix. "Almost any soil is suitable for building a backyard putting green, but a sandy loam soil would make an ideal rootzone," Reicher says.

• Grass: Creeping bentgrass is the recommended grass species for putting greens, seeded at one-half pound of seed per 1,000 square feet of putting green. Creeping bentgrass seed can be purchased from seed supply houses.

Maintenance

• Mowing: The green should be mowed at 3/16 to 1/4 inch four or more times per week.

• Fertilization: Fertilize the green with 0.5 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet on May 1 and June 1. Fertilize again with 1.0 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet on Sept. 15 and Nov. 15.

• Irrigation: Water the green in the early morning hours before 7 a.m. The green should only be watered when it shows signs of drought stress.

• Pests: Several insects and diseases are potential pest of creeping bentgrass greens. "The first step in controlling pests is to produce a dense, actively growing stand of grass," Reicher says.

• Topdressing: Topdressing is the application of a thin layer of soil or sand on top of the putting surface. Apply a topdressing of screened soil approximately 1/8 inch thick to putting surface. Use a push broom to work the topdressing down through the turf canopy. Apply topdressing in early May and late September.

Sources: Zac Reicher, (765) 494-9737; e-mail, zreicher@dept.agry.purdue.edu
Jerry Carr, (317) 842-9430
Writer: Steve Tally, (765) 494-9809; e-mail, tally@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

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