Artificial Putting Greens can provide both an attractive low maintenance landscape solution as well as being something that can be more actively used for entertainment or for golf skill development.
However the whole area doesn’t need to be installed with Artificial Putting Green lawn. In fact it looks better if the shorter putting grass is bordered with a more real longer length Artificial Lawn. Typically we cut the Putting Green into a wavy kidney bean type shape with a longer ‘Fringe’ Artificial Lawn around the outside.
More Materials are used in the Installation
The process of completing an Artificial Putting Green with a Fringe, instead of a standard landscape artificial lawn, involves using more of the following materials:
- Lawn: Overall, typically an extra 10-15m2 of artificial lawn is required. This comes from the wastage of achieving the wavy look between the shorter putting green and the longer lawn fringe. The fringe also helps to slow down the ball if your put goes astray! Each panel of Fringe (the longer artificial lawn) must be cut at the longest length for each panel even though to create the attractive shape some straggly shaped pieces will be cut out. The same applies for the Artificial Putting Green, to create the kidney shape. There are many small oddly shaped sections which are cut out and contribute to material wastage.
- Joining Tape: On a typical 6-8m long Artificial Putting Green, around an extra 20m of joining tape is required to join together the the Putting Green Artificial Lawn and the fringe Artificial Lawn.
- Turf Pegs: Where the two lawns meet, turf pegs are carefully hammered in to avoid creating a dimple. These pegs are hammered in every 20cm along the perimeter of the intersection of the short and longer fringe lawn. Around 100 extra turf pegs are needed on a typical Artificial Putting Green.
- Putting Cups: 2 or more Putting Cups can be installed on a typical green. Usually at opposite ends, placed approximately 0.5-1.0m in from the longer fringe lawn perimeter.
Installation requires Skill and Time
To install an Artificial Lawn Putting Green requires more care and attention in designing the shape, cutting, and joining. A typical 7-8m long Artificial Putting Green can take around half a day longer to install than installing a section of normal landscape artificial lawn. The process involves the following:
- Base Preparation: Use knee pads and a spirit level to hand screed the blue metal dust base to higher standard level finish (instead of using a less accurate lawn leveller). After this is complete we then add a half to a full wheelbarrow of extra base in 1-3 carefully chosen locations. This creates some smooth hills to incorporate into your putting shots. Creating these hills involves repeating the process of hand sculpting, wetting and compacted several times to both ensure a good final shape, but also to ensure the hill is compact all the way through.
- Laying out the Artificial Putting Green: the lawn comes in a 3.7m width, the first step is to cut the preferred length of Putting Green, and position to allow room for fringe lawn around the edges. Then to carefully draw out the kidney bean shape with a chalk pencil and slowly cut it out using a sharp Stanley knife.
- Laying out the Fringe: the fringe panels of grass are 3.7m wide too and must be cut at the longest length for each section. Often the two sides of the Putting Green are positioned first (this is typically the longest panel), using the same panel of grass cut down the middle. Then each side of the Putting Green has the panels roughly positioned, it’s always best to start from one side and work your way to the other side.
- Cut off the big excess: it makes it easier for cutting in, to cut off the biggest bits of wastage first, so your left with just 10-20cm of actual grass that needs cutting in.
- Trim the longer Fringe Grass: this requires a lot of care and attention, to cut the longer grass in, to meet the shorter putting green without overlapping.
- Joining: Firstly join the fringe grass panels together, keeping 10cm short of meeting the putting green. Then lay out 1-2m lengths of joining tape halfway between the Putting Green and the fringe lawn. These smaller lengths of tape make it easier to follow the wavy shape of the Putting Green. Taking care to avoid sticking the fringe lawn fibres on the joining tape
- Turf Pegging: Hammer in turf pegs along the fringe perimeter and the fringe lawn as normal, pegging every 0.3-1.0m and then turf peg all along where the fringe and Putting Green lawn intersect. Care taken to have one side of the turf peg very close to the edge of the Putting Green to avoid creating a dimple.
- Install Putting Cups: Place out Putting Cups, rotate cup whilst pressing into the putting green, remove and cut out the shape with a sharp Stanley knife, following the indention mark. Cut 1-2mm wider than the indention so the cup can slide past the grass into the hole. Dig out the hole with small hand digging tool, taking care to only disturb the base where the cup will be placed. Tap cup in to the right height with a mallet.
- Apply Silica Sand Infill: spread silica sand on top of the green using a sand spreader, brush in slowly with a power broom and repeat until the manufacturer required infill rate of silica sand is met.
- Blow and wet down: use the blower to remove any sandy spots left by the power broom and to remove any sand that’s fallen in the putting cups. Wet down the lawn to help the silica sand settle in.
Expert Installation of Artificial Putting Greens
The guide above doesn’t include all the tips and tricks and things to be aware of that you pick up after having the experience of installing many putting greens.
We recommend to have your Putting Green installed by an expert team who regularly install Putting Greens.
Typical Cost Of Artificial Putting Green Vs Standard Artificial Lawn
Whilst size and other factors can affect the price of an Artificial Putting Green, you can typically expect to pay $1650-$2200. Above the cost for a Standard Artificial Lawn Installation, because of the extra materials and time involved.
Further Reading: What is the Typical Cost Range for a Standard Artificial Lawn Installation?
Further Photos: Text Putting Green to 0432 359 339 for more photos of our completed jobs.
I’m Matthew Branson, I’m the Company Director, Sales Rep, Installer and Office Administrator all rolled into one! I started Simply Synthetic Turf back in October 2012 as a sole trader. Today we are now a registered company and provide professional artificial grass installations throughout Perth & Surrounding. Get in touch with me today!
