You know that you would be a much better golfer if you could simply practice more. If only there were a way to sneak in practice time in little snippets: before and after work, while waiting for dinner to cook, that one free hour that you sometimes have on a Saturday afternoon. The answer, of course, is to install your own private putting green.
Before you protest on the basis of space, cost or upkeep, consider the pros and cons of the two basic options for private putting greens:
- Natural putting green grass must be watered and mowed several times per week, and requires fertilizers, pest control and periodic rolling.
- Natural grass is relatively inexpensive to install.
- Synthetic putting greens are more expensive to install.
- Synthetic turf is much easier to maintain than real grass.
- Synthetic greens use much less water, because they don’t need to be irrigated.
- Synthetic putting green installation is not limited to the outdoors.
Even though the initial cost of a natural, bentgrass green may be lower than that of an artificial one, it will cost you more in the long run because of the time and money spent on irrigation and maintenance.Also, if you have the space for it, there’s nothing more convenient than an indoor, synthetic green for use all year round.
If you are handy, you can purchase sustainable, recycled synthetic grass and install it yourself, thus saving some money up front. If you choose this option, make sure that you are working with a reputable dealer that guarantees their product to be free of lead. A good dealer will also provide thorough, easy-to-follow directions and some guidance about which product to purchase.
A synthetic putting green is one of those things that feels like a luxury but is easily attainable. You won’t regret installing one inside or outside your home.
