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Golf pros and enthusiasts are known for bringing their love of the game home; installing a high-quality putting green on your property is a great way to perfect your game. Plenty of golf aficionados opt for artificial turf putting greens because they’re easy to maintain, attractive, and they perform well. With the right knowledge, you can install a putting green that feels great to play on and perfects your swing!
What should you take into consideration when planning a putting green in your backyard? Well, that depends on whether you’re a leisure golfer or a professional golfer. Pro golfers will require a different level of play and system than a hobbyist. They will typically require premium installation skills, so remember to choose an installation partner that has experience in creating the type of artificial putting green system you desire. So, let’s start with a simple question: what type of golfer are you?
Recreational artificial turf putting greens are different from professional greens in a few key ways. Check out the four differences between professional and recreational level artificial grass putting greens.
Recreational artificial turf putting green: The chipping distance is much shorter on this type of green because there’s less sand and less cushion layer for the ball to grab. The result is a ball that bounces off of the green if you are chipping from too far away.
Professional artificial turf putting green: The chipping distance on a professional-style putting green can extend up to 50 or even 100 yards whereas a recreational green will mostly be used for practice immediately around the green.
Recreational putting green: Synthetic turf putting greens used for leisure are easier to maintain than professional-level greens because the turf fibers are crimped (textured). There’s no routine maintenance to roll the turf since you can’t adjust the turf fiber on this type of system.
Professional putting green: On professional-style greens, the turf will need to be rolled extensively before completing the system. You can do this by using a flat roller filled with water over the putting green surface. Ask your installation provider for the proper technique.
Competitive players are usually more meticulous and the green will endure more usage, so professional-level greens require more surface grooming, brushing, and leveling out of the infill layers over time. Additionally, more maintenance, rolling, and ball play on your putting green will create a tighter and smoother surface.
Recreational putting green: When it comes to speed, the average ball speed will likely be 8-11 stimp on a recreational putting green.
Professional putting green: On professional-style greens, the stimp rating is likely to increase to 10-13.
Professional artificial turf putting greens often cost between 20-50% more than ones made for leisure. The amount of infill, labor, and overall detail on professional-style greens makes them more costly.
We’ve got the technical nitty-gritty for creating the best artificial grass putting green for professional-level and leisure golfers. If you aren’t concerned about manipulating or adjusting the ball speed and you’re more interested in golfing for fun play and socializing with family and friends, this is the best artificial grass putting green for your yard.
This type of artificial putting green turf system should be texturized and have a short pile (height of turf blade) with slit film turf fiber. The pile height should be 3/8” to 5/8” (or 1/2”) pile height. Leisure golfers require less Envirofill for their artificial grass putting greens than professional golfers. Plan to use 2-4 pounds of Envirofill per square foot, which is the best turf infill for artificial grass putting greens.
Application Rates | Turf Pile Height | Turf Spec | Infill Depth | LBS. Per SQFT |
---|---|---|---|---|
Envirofill 30-50 | 1/2″ | Leisure Putting Green | 7/16″ – 1/2″ | 2-3 LBS |
Envirofill 30-50 | 5/8″ | Leisure Putting Green | 9/16″ – 5/8″ | 3-4 LBS |
Envirofill 16-30 | 1 – 1 1/4″ | Professional Putting Green | 1/4″ (Top Dressed) | 0.5 -1 LBS |
Set yourself up for success by vetting your installer; a knowledgeable installation team with the right specifications are critical to the longevity and quality of your putting green.
Where can you find Envirofill? Find out using our distributor map.
If you have questions about the technical details, reach out to a turf expert at Motz. We’d love to guide you through the process and make your putting green as enjoyable as possible.
You might also request a sample of Motz infill perfect for at-home putting greens for leisure golfers or download our CAD drawing.
If you’re a competitive golfer, you’ll want to install a putting green at home that allows you more control and a faster level of play. This type of system can be manipulated to adjust how fast the ball rolls, based on the amount of infill installed and how the fibers are positioned and groomed. For instance, you can slow down the stimp by brushing the turf fibers upright to create a “grainy” surface.
Professional-style putting greens require a ballast, 5-7 pounds of turf infill per square foot. We recommend installing clean-washed, kiln-dried, subangular sand underneath the Envirofill turf infill, and a top dressing of 1 pound per square foot of Envirofill 16/30 a blend of black and green colored sand.
*A note about using subangular sand underneath: be sure to have an installer loosen up the infill layer after 2-4 years, so that your putting green does not become rock hard over time.
Check out the second installment of this two-part blog series on creating the best synthetic turf putting green. We’re talking about the ideal surface for your putting green, keeping mold at bay, drainage and so much more.
As always, we encourage you to reach out to the team at Motz with all of your putting green-related questions or use our map to find your nearest Envirofill distributor.