In this article we're going to go over what should be done for the golf fanatic who just has to have a putting green in his garden. Having a putting green in your garden is certainly a luxury and not something that you'll commonly find in a garden. But if you're married to a golf nut or are one yourself and just have to have one of these babies in your backyard, there are a few things that you should know before embarking on this rather eccentric project. The first thing you're going to need is plenty of garden space, especially if you want to place more than just a couple of holes. And even though professional golf course designers strongly discourage homeowners from doing this, there are still going to be those who forge ahead at the speed of light. Nothing is going to stop them, in spite of the fact that the maintenance and hassle involved is beyond what they can imagine. See, putting greens aren't just lawns with finely cut grass, though that's how it would appear. A putting green's ecobiology (a nice fancy word for makeup) is manufactured from the bottom up. There are some things you just can't overlook, even for a garden course. First there is putting green drainage. You have to make sure that the water can be drained easily after a heavy rain or even after just watering. Poor drainage will cause a boat load of problems not the least of which is pools of water which will make your green unusable and likely to develop disease. The best way to assure proper drainage is to build your putting green above the level of your garden. That way you are assured, just from the laws of gravity, that the water will drain properly. Also, the surface of the green itself should also be sloped so that the water will drain off easily. The reason that putting greens are so sensitive to water in the first place is because the rooting soil of the green needs to be very sandy and sand is very porous. Water won't sink into a normal lawn. The reason the green needs to be sandy is so it can maintain its shape and withstand the heavy foot traffic that it's going to get. Also you better love doing maintenance work because putting greens require a lot of it. Not many people fit this profile. You not only have to be a lover of golf but a lover of your garden. If you're not up to this task it is best to not attempt it. An alternative to installing a natural putting green is to install a synthetic one using fake grass. Companies that manufacture this fake grass are quite confident that it will blend in quite naturally with your natural grass. If you're a real golf nut and not quite a nut about mowing the lawn, this may be the option for you. Understanding what is involved with putting in a green to shoot a few holes after a long hard day at work will save you a lot of grief in the long run. Forewarned is forearmed. |
