Choosing a professional for installing outdoor putting greens...might be the single most important decision in the process.

There's no doubt that outdoor putting greens are no small investment. There are many decisions that must be made during the planning of your home putting green project.

Perhaps, the most important decision is who will install your green. Who will you trust with your hard-earned dollars?

It is always better to get more than one estimate and viewpoint from companies before you make your final decision.

RPGM recently interviewed the CEO of TourGreens, Mike Gross. Mike is certainly passionate about making sure that homeowners are educated about every step of the process.

TourGreens is a successful putting green installation company with dealers in several states specializing in installing outdoor putting greens...

Mike Gross: Our company was founded by three-time PGA Tour winner Kenny Knox in 1996. He was known for his short-game and held several Tour putting records. He had a synthetic green installed at his home to help him practice but found that the materials being used and the methods for installation did not produce an adequate product that would help his game. So, armed with a little knowledge of construction from his family he went about trying to find turf and experimenting with construction methods that would produce a Tour-quality synthetic putting green. I became involved with Kenny and the synthetic turf business in 2000 as a result of my searching for someone to install a putting green in my backyard.

RPGM: TourGreens was founded before outdoor putting greens began to really take off. What is the biggest change you have seen in the market and in synthetic turf for outdoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: As for the market, if you were to do a Google search for putting greens or artificial putting greens, you would have over a million hits. There are so many companies and so much information out there that it is very difficult for the consumer to really get good information. This is probably the main reason you started your magazine. There are generally three kinds of companies that will try to sell you a home putting green. They are:
1. Turf manufacturers. They are selling the raw materials, primarily rolls of artificial turf. These suppliers largely promote home putting greens as a “do-it-yourself” project.

In our opinion, a home putting green is no more a do-it-yourself undertaking than, say, pouring a new driveway, or building out an addition to the house.

2. Companies who see the potential but whose expertise lies somewhere else.

3. Companies that have long-term experience in putting green installation and are committed to providing optimal solutions for their clients.

As for the turf, the two basic turf types that are used for the putting surface (nylon or polypropylene) are the same now as they were 10 years ago. While there are various pile heights and stitch rates and those may have changed over the years (and the quality of the yarns have improved), those two basic materials are still in use today for the putting surface. The introduction of polyethylene and the blending of all three yarn types has mostly impacted the landscape and sports field part of the business which does include the fringe, chipping, and tee materials used for golf applications.

RPGM: The two major types of synthetic turf are polypropylene and nylon. What do you believe our readers should know about each of these? Which turf do you use primarily for outdoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: We do not push one type over another to the consumer. Both have their benefits and weaknesses. We ask our customers a lot of questions about what they are looking for in their completed project and then explain those benefits and draw-backs in a way that lets us make the decision about which type to use in a particular project jointly with our customers. Sometimes it gets down to a personal preference of the customer. Although, we will not undertake a project if we feel the application of a particular turf type is not going to produce the desired results. For example, you need a certain amount of in-fill on greens that are designed to accept approach shots from more than just a couple yards. The in-fill deadens the impact of the ball hitting the green and allows for the ball to spin like on a natural turf green. So, we will not use a non in-filled turf type on greens where that is important.

RPGM: When your customers do install their own outdoor putting greens…what seems to be the most common installation mistakes they make during the process?

Mike Gross: Base materials, compaction rates, surface water handling, in-fill materials, seaming and shaping the turf, and creating realistic undulations and hole locations are all things that require know-how and experience and thus are usually the sources of installation mistakes by in-experienced people. As stated above, we do not believe that home putting greens lend themselves very well to do-it-yourself type installations. It requires skill and experience to do it right and there is just too much that can go wrong. I have probably sold as many greens by taking prospective customers to look at greens installed by in-experienced people as I have by showing them some of our completed installations. It looks easy on the internet and it is really hard for some folks to imagine how bad it can come out if you do not know what you are doing.

RPGM: What is the most difficult mistake to overcome when installing outdoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: It depends on many factors including the type of turf being used. But I think base construction problems are the most common and most difficult to overcome for the in-experienced person. Most pot holes in asphalt paved roads are not caused by problems with the asphalt but by problems with the base. If you do not adequately deal with surface water in constructing the base and it therefore erodes or settles on a sand-filled green, you can’t just roll the turf back to fix the base and then roll it back out. If you use an inferior in-fill material to fill a sand filled green and it therefore becomes hard after a short period of time, you can’t just take it out and put new in without a lot of trouble and expense. If a seam is not done correctly the first time on a nylon green you can’t just take it apart and do it again without impacting the other edges that have already been shaped.

RPGM: Do you see continued improvement of synthetic turf in the future for oudoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: Most of the research and development that is being done now by the synthetic turf manufacturers involves the turf used in the landscape side of the business and I do see continued improvement in this area. Most of our TourGreens Certified Installers are seeing an increase in the amount of synthetic turf they install for non-putting green applications and I think the manufacturers see the landscape part of their business as having higher growth potential and thus focusing their efforts in this area. We feel the products we have available to us now to create putting greens are excellent. However, our experience has shown us that the single biggest factor in creating Tour-quality, aesthetically pleasing putting greens is not the turf but rather the care, skill, and experience of the people doing the installation.

RPGM: Where will the outdoor putting greens market be in 5 years?

Mike Gross: As an industry, we need to do a better job of educating the consumer. Most people still do not know how great a synthetic turf putting green can look and play. There are still a lot of in-experienced people doing poor quality installations out there whether it is homeowners or some company or individual that is in the business one day and out the next. The barriers to entry of this business are not great. It doesn’t take a lot of money to download an installation manual and buy some turf off the internet then rent some equipment and go install a green with your buddies. And, as I mentioned, professionals need to do a better job of educating the consumers. If we are successful in this education process, I think the residential market will flourish. I also see the market expanding to include more commercial opportunities for synthetic turf for both golf and landscaping. Maybe even entire golf courses being built out of synthetic turf in parts of the world where the availability of water is a serious problem

RPGM: Any idea of the affect of outdoor putting greens on the resale value of homes?

Mike Gross: There really is no empirical data out there that would support an answer. However, many of us in the business wished we had the answer to this question and I have even had prospective customers tell me that there are those that are making wild claims about this. Anyone in the real estate business will tell you that it is hard to predict what features of a particular residence will help to sell it or hinder its sale. One thing that most realtors will agree on is that a swimming pool in most parts of the country is most likely to reduce the number of potential buyers because there are some folks that just don’t want the potential danger to young children or the maintenance hassle. A home putting green will not eliminate potential buyers because they can more easily be removed if the buyer does not want it. Our focus in this business is not the putting green but rather the entire picture of our customer’s backyards. We create high quality “golfscapes” that often times include the putting green, fringe and or chipping areas, water features, tee boxes and the surrounding landscaping and hardscapes to fashion the look and feel of a private country club in their backyard. We have had many clients tell us that they loved what we did in their backyards and ask us if we could also do something to their front yard. If this is the focus of the home putting green project, then it will surely increase the property value. By how much is anyone’s guess.

RPGM: What size of the outdoor putting greens your average homeowner or dealer installs?

Mike Gross: I am not sure there is something like an average sized green for us. You really can not take a cookie cutter approach to this business as every property and every homeowner’s needs and desires are different. It does vary by region and lot sizes of the particular market. We have some of our dealers that work in areas where the average lot size is smaller and thus tend to do a greater number of smaller projects. We also have dealers that focus on doing a fewer number of larger projects. The other thing that is important is that the green must match the intended purpose. Some folks will want to hit a 100 yard approach shot to a 500 square foot green but after we flag that size green on the ground and then go back 100 yards and see how many times they can even get close to the target we often times will end up increasing the size of the green or reducing the length of the approach shot. An average green on a regulation golf course is around 4,000 to 5,000 square feet and sometimes people have a hard time keeping things in perspective and scale when a backyard green that is much smaller is installed. We do have more folks say they wished they would have done it bigger than wished they would have done it smaller.

RPGM: Can someone install a backyard putting green with very little yard space?

Mike Gross: Size does matter. Besides, what did a lawn ever do for your game? Seriously, you can’t just slap a putting green down in someone’s yard without determining how the flow of the existing landscaping will be impacted. Or, if new landscaping is going to be considered, how that will impact the functionality of their yard. That is why I said above that we train our dealers to focus on the entire yard and not just the putting green. So, if you have very little yard space you need a very little green. On the other hand, it is often more difficult trying to position a small green in a large yard as it will not look right unless you know how to adjust the landscaping to not make it look out of proportion.

RPGM: What seems to be the most popular size of outdoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: We try to help folks get the biggest bang for the buck if you will. The customer’s budget is very important to consider when designing their putting green and the surrounding areas. There are ways to minimize turf waste in designing the layout and sometimes certain aspects of the total project can be phased in over time. Also, as stated above, the size needs to be in proportion to the space available. So, the most popular size is the one that will give the customer a green that is beautiful, playable, proportional, and within his budget.

RPGM: What is the single most important thing to consider before installing outdoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: As mentioned already, our experience has shown us that the single most important thing to consider is the care of the people that will be doing the work. Look for passion in what they do. See if they take pride in their work. Look at some of their completed projects. Talk with some of their customers and see how they were to work with. Did they do what they said they were going to do in the time frame they said they were going to do it in and for the money they said it would cost? We can teach new installers how to do great work. But, if we don’t have people that care to be the very best and have a passion for the game of golf and the quality of their work and relationships with their customers, then they will not be successful. Our approach to this business requires us to do this same due diligence before we appoint a new installer.

RPGM: How much maintenance is involved after outdoor putting greens are installed?

Maintenance requirements vary by type of turf used and the environment where it is placed. A sand-filled green requires a little more than a nylon green but it should not be a significant difference. The main thing is to keep organic material off the surface (grass, leaves, pine needles, pollen, dirt, seed pods, etc.) by using a leaf blower on a regular basis. A green in a shady spot in some areas of the country with high humidity will likely be susceptible to mold and/or mildew. In these environments we recommend annual application of a specialty turf care chemical made specifically for this purpose.

RPGM: Any maintenance tips for homeowners with outdoor putting greens?

Mike Gross: Basic maintenance as explained above (leaf blower) should be performed weekly. If that doesn’t do it and problems arise, contact your professional as soon as possible. Most maintenance type problems can be solved fairly easily by experienced installers if addressed early. We provide a no-charge follow up service to our customers after about 6 weeks of initial installation. After that, we try to see each of our greens at least once per year. It is usually nice to apply new top dressing to sand-filled greens on an annual basis to maintain the beauty and appearance. This is usually enough to assure optimum performance and customer satisfaction if the homeowner takes responsibility to do the things instructed during our initial follow up visit. Some folks want us out to check on them more than once a year and we provide quarterly maintenance contracts for them.

RPGM: How long should correctly maintained outdoor putting greens last before they need replacing?

Mike Gross: Again, the type of turf used, the environment, and its usage will all have an impact on the longevity. If it was installed correctly to begin with, there should not be major problems for many years. The type of in-fill used on sand-filled greens can cause premature performance issues. Folks shouldn’t use the cheapest sand they can find. If they do and it is not very uniform in a particle size or contains extremely angular particle shapes, it will compact over time and become very hard and fast and basically unplayable. If the base was not constructed properly, the right materials weren’t used, the compaction was inadequate, or if groundwater was not sufficiently dealt with during the initial installation, this will also lead to premature performance issues. Extreme exposure to the sun can cause fading and degradation of the turf fibers. We have numerous greens down in areas like South Florida and the desert west that have been there for 10 years or more. I believe that a 10 year life is a reasonable expectation in all but the harshest environments and a 5 year life should be the minimum in all environments. And, if constructed correctly, when you do need to replace the turf, that should be all that is needed as the base should still be in good shape.