Backyard Putting Greens

What goes into a backyard putting green

A backyard putting green looks simple: a patch of short turf with a few flags. Getting it to roll true is the work. The ball has to run at a consistent speed, break where the slope says it will, and drop into a cup that sits flush with the surface. All of that is decided underneath the turf.

1. Design. Where the cups go, how big the green is, which way it breaks, and whether there's a fringe or chipping area around it. Most backyard greens are between 200 and 500 square feet with two to four cups.
2. Excavation and base. The soil comes out and a crushed stone base goes in, as for a lawn, but finer on top and compacted harder, because any soft spot shows as a wobble in the roll.
3. Shaping. The installer shapes gentle slopes and breaks into the base. Too much slope and the ball won't stop; too little and it's a flat practice mat.
4. Cups. Cup liners and sleeves are set into the base before the turf goes over, then cut out.
5. Turf and infill. Putting turf is a short, dense fibre, often with sand infill brushed in to control the speed. A fringe of slightly longer turf around the edge gives somewhere to chip from.

What it costs

Published installed prices in the Toronto area run $20–$35 per sq ft. Small greens cost the most per square foot because the cups, shaping and edging are spread over less area. The putting green cost guide lists every figure by size, along with what the base and the green each cost on their own.

The price usually includes excavation, the base, shaping, cups and sleeves, turf, seams and infill. Fringe turf, chipping areas, sand bunkers, lighting and flags are worth asking about separately.

Choosing the turf

Putting turf comes in nylon and polyethylene, textured and straight fibres, with or without infill. The differences show in speed (how far a ball rolls for a given stroke, which golfers measure with a stimpmeter), how the green holds a chip shot, and how much brushing it needs to stay consistent. If you're serious about practice, tell the installer roughly what speed your course plays and ask for a turf that matches.

Indoor and deck greens

A green doesn't have to be in the yard. Basements, garages and decks take putting turf over a level subfloor or a foam pad, without excavation or gravel. They're popular in Ontario precisely because they work in January. The indoor putting green guide covers the floor, the pad and the space you need.

Common putting green mistakes

• Too much slope. A break that looks gentle can make a fast green unplayable. Most backyard greens need only slight contours.
• Landscape turf instead of putting turf. It looks green but the ball skips and stops short.
• A soft base. Any spot that settles shows up as a wobble in the roll within a season.
• No room to chip. If you want to chip, plan a fringe and a place to stand at the start.

Winter

An outdoor green is a three-season practice area. Snow can sit on it; clear it with a plastic shovel or blower if you want to putt in March, and brush it up in spring. A well-built base handles freeze-thaw the same way a lawn base does.

Pair it with a simulator or tee line

Plenty of golfers who put in a green also want somewhere to hit full shots. A hitting mat or tee line, or a simulator bay in the garage, uses different turf. See golf turf for tee lines and simulators.

A typical backyard green takes two to four days, most of it base work and shaping.

Getting a quote

Sketch the space, note any slope that's already there, and say whether you want a fringe to chip from. One local putting green installer gets back to you to design and quote it.