Possibly the best gift that can be given to an avid golfer is the ability to practice their game more often. The natural assumption would be that this means that your special person should just be allowed to go to the golf course more often to play, but believe it or not there is something even better. Going to the golf course is a process and takes time to get everything together, so the actual amount of time that you may get to practice is limited by how long it takes you to commute each way and get ready. A better solution is to make it so that you can actually practice elements of your game right in the comfort of your own home, and for putting practice that means the installation of a backyard putting green. When the putting green is located right outside your back door, you will easily be able to get in an extra hour or so of practice, and because you don’t have to drive to the course you will practice more often. Not only is the game of your special person going to improve, but it is going to add value to the home as well. When giving a gift to that golfer on your list, improving their home values and their game at the same time is a win win.
The process of installing a personal putting green in your backyard generally involves the removal of existing grass and the replacement of that grass with artificial turf that is specially created for putting greens. This turf is formed to resemble the closely cropped and manicured nature of the putting green areas of golf courses, and is installed with specialized procedures to allow for a perfectly smooth look and feel. This extra level of grooming before installation will assure that the ball rolls straight and in a natural way, as opposed to dealing with the small divots and inconsistencies that would accompany a typical turf installation. The feel of a putting green is different than artificial turf that is installed for sponginess and comfort, and without the expertise to install for this purpose you very well might end up with a personal putting green that feels un=natural. While the choice of artificial turf over natural grass makes sense in that you will not have to provide the levels of maintenance that you would for real grass, believe it or not you actually will probably enjoy the action of the ball on artificial turf more as well.
Since artificial turf is being installed there is a good chance that you may qualify for rebates or programs which can help to lessen the costs of the job, as artificial turf qualifies for water savings benefits in many counties. Check with your local water authority to see if there are any drought programs that can benefit you before you move forward with your installation. This step could save you hundreds of dollars while also improving both your game and your property values.
