Build a Putting Green Blog

Professional Installation vs. DIY Putting Green Project

I could write about this topic for the next 20 pages, but this is the Internet and nobody
wants to read a 20 page article online. That said, I will try to just hit the down and dirty pros and cons of having your putting green professionally installed as opposed to making it a DIY putting green project.

Professional Putting Green Installation:

Pros

Experience: an experienced crew that has done many installs and knows what to do and what not to do to make sure you have a well thought out and built backyard putting green.

Time: this project is not something that will get done in an afternoon or a whole saturday. A professional installer will have a crew that can work faster and get more done than you will in a DIY project...even if you have some buddies to help out, the professionals will still get it done quicker. What is your time worth?

Workmanship Guarantee: any putting green professional worth his or her salt is going to have a guarantee on their work. Of course lengths of the guarantee will vary. Even if it is 90 days...that's 90 days more than you get if you do it yourself. If you build your own putting green, then there are no "do-overs."

Cons

Money...plain and simple. It costs a lot to have a professional come to your house and install a golf green.

What you have to decide is if the pros outweigh the money issue.

DIY Putting Green Project:

Pros

Money...again, plain and simple. You will save a lot of money by building your own putting green. I don't mean that you will save a couple of hundred bucks. Rather, you will save several hundred to several thousand dollars doing it yourself.

However, you must take into consideration the Cons:

Cons:

Time: Depending on the size putting green you are planning, this project could take a whole weekend or multiple weekends. That means ALL day saturday and Sunday times multiple weekends...again, depending on the size of the putting green.

Now, if you are experienced as a landscaper or with construction...then it will be a mitigating factor in the time it takes. The more friends you have helping, the better. I promise you that there will be no time to sit around and chat...this project requires your (and their) full attention.

Skill level and physical ability: Building a backyard putting green requires a lot of digging, lifting, pulling, etc. It is even going to require the use of a plate compactor that you will need to rent from the local contractor rental store.

This is not for someone with physical ailments like back problems.

Even if you are without back problems or the like, you still must be prepared to run a plate compactor...which most of us just don't do everyday...or at all for that matter. It has to be done and it has to be done right...if you think you can't, then you should think before you leap at a DIY project like this.

Ok, there are some down and dirty pros and cons on whether to use a professional installer or to do it yourself.

Let me say this...what I am talking about here is for backyard putting greens that require this type of construction. If you are considering a panel system, the pros and cons will be different and I will write about those in my next post.

Just remember, this all comes down to making sure you get a wonderful backyard putting green...and also one that fits your budget. There are gives and takes for those that don't have a large budget to play with.

Just weigh all the options out...and feel free to click on the comment link below and you can ask questions or leave a comment.

 

Why Compacting Is So Important When Building a Golf Green

This is not a part of the process to take lightly…quite the opposite. This will probably be the least favorite and the trickiest part of building your own putting green.

First off…how many of us work with a plate compactor every day? Not many I bet…and it isn’t the easiest piece of equipment to use. Compacting the sub-base correctly is very important to how your green will not only roll, but also look.

It’s not figuring out how much sub-base to use. Instead, it is making sure that the top surface is completely stable and smooth. Remember, once you lay the turf over the sub-base…then you are going to in-fill it. I used 1,300 pounds of in-fill on my putting green.

You can’t just go back after you do that…you couldn’t lift that if you wanted to.

So take your time during this step…you will be anticipating the end of the project by the time you get to this step and want to move through it as quickly as possible…fight that urge…you will be very happy you did when you finally have it completed.

Why Replacing Your Golf Green Can Be a Real Pain.

I always go out of my way to let people know that building your own golf green is a doable project, but that it isn't for everyone. Mainly, the reason this is an important point is due to the fact that the process is labor intensive and requires some pretty substantial physical work.

Another reason, and one not to be taken lightly, is that if you mess something up (build a poor foundation which causes unnatural breaks in the turf, for example), you can't just simply pick the turf up or roll it back.

Let's take a look at my personal backyard putting green for an example...

My golf green is a 12 x 20, so 240 square feet. This is a pretty good size...I have 4 holes and can practice anything up to 18 foot putts easily and can practice chipping inside 15 or 20 yards.

The turf I used was a polypropylene and was in-filled with thirteen 100 lb. bags of a fine sand called coal slag. They use the stuff for sandblasting, so I had to actually have it delivered from one of the only two sandblasting supply shops in our area. The good news is that it isn't very expensive.

The point is that my putting green turf has 1,300 lbs of sand on it...so it weighs 1,300 lbs! Can you lift or roll back turf that weighs 1,300 lbs? I can't either. You would have to get a small bobcat to do that job...time and money...that can be avoided by building a proper putting green foundation in the first place.

That is why building a golf green is something you want to research and make sure you really are up for the project before you jump in with both feet.

None of this is meant to deter you from a DIY putting green project. Rather, I just want you to have all the important points in your head as you decide between building a golf green yourself or hiring a putting green installation professional.

If you have a question or comment...please click on the comment link below.