SolveYourProblem
Lawn Care Article Series
Practical
Tips For The Perfect Lawn
Your
Own Private Putting Green In Your Yard?
No, not just a color in your Crayola Box,
it is now possible to have your own private putting green in
your own yard. For the avid golfer it might seem like a dream
come true to have your own green. Do they know what is involved?
Let’s look at some facts.
Greens
are expensive to build and need special maintenance. If you are determined to have one then we will fill you in
on some facts. The first thing you ought to know is that taking
care of greens will need a great deal of work. One of the first
items to be considered is drainage. To maintain a green in
good putting condition, the water has to be able to drain off
properly. It does need to be watered, but in watering, it also
should be well drained. If you want to have your own green,
you should be able to spot disease, insect problems, and fertility
issues. One thunderstorm can tell you if you have enough drainage.
Some greens need to be surrounded by perforated pipes to carry
the water to a distance away from the green or to a private
stream.
Seeding
is a problem, knowing what seed to plant for your
location and making it look great is another problem. If you
consider using sod, you should know that it is expensive. Seeded
greens have to be pampered while the grass is taking hold.
There is a fine line between waiting too long to mow and weakening
the turf, making it open to blight, and mowing it too soon.
The grass could be so young and tender that a regular mower
will mash it down.
Green
mowers are also an important cost factor to consider.
New mowers can cost $5000 or more and used mowers are known
to be priced as high as $1000. Toro makes a special mower just
for greens.
Controlling
such diseases as pythium, sod webworm and cut worm as well
as algae and moss has to be done consistently. Regular treatment needs to be applied and if a treatment is
missed, you could find your green overrun by disease in the
space of one week.
Building a green can be done either by USGA specifications
or by using less expensive material and less elaborate drainage
designs. USGA specifications can make the cost of your green
anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000. A good design is one where
the green is above the surrounding lawn area with sandy loam
topsoil. It also requires about a one-percent slope for satisfactory
drainage. Many experts also recommend an irrigation system
so you won’t have the inconvenience of watering the green by
hand.
What
grass do you want for you own backyard green? Again that
is going to depend on where you are located. You have to consider
if you are in the warm season zone or the cool season zone.
There are many basic grasses that are used on nearly any golf
course and there are also grasses that have been specifically
developed for golf courses.
In the cooler
climate, these seeds are suggested for your
green. For one hole of golf, in the tee areas it is recommended
that you use bentgrass while roughs and fairways require bluegrass.
Hazards can also be planted with rough bluegrass and other
ground covers.
In the southern or warmer
zone, the recommendations are as
follows. Tee areas should use Hybrid Bermuda, for fairways
Bermuda, Ryegrass, and Zoysia is recommended. Roughs require
Bahias, St. Augustine, Common Bermuda, and Ryegrasses.
Another question that you will need to answer is; do I need
a special lawn mower? A standard rotary motor is not the right
mower for keeping a green. It is important that you use a mower
that pinches off the grass rather than chopping it. Look around
for the best deal on these mowers.
Maintenance time should not be so time-consuming that you
can’t enjoy your private putting green. It can give you hours
of enjoyment and practice in the comfort of your backyard and
if you especially enjoy gardening, it will be well worth the
effort. Landscaping and preserving a golf green can be fun
and relaxing, and you have the added benefit of being able
to improve your game at home instead of going to a course to
practice. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
> Home
> Lawn Care
Articles: Main Page
|
