Home Putting Greens

Every golfer's goal is to consistently lower their score. Professional golfers utilize minor swing changes to increase their ability to manipulate the golf ball. By changing the swing plane or location of their hands on the club, these highly skilled players will hit better golf shots. However, pros place a premium on putting and chipping and will devote a large amount of practice time to the short game.

Amateurs generally tend to focus on just their golf swings when practicing. They will buy a bucket of golf balls and go to the driving range. Amateurs will usually walk right by the practice green to hit the bucket of balls and walk past it again when they leave the driving range. They will focus on hitting better drives and approach shots without a thought to the most valuable part of the game--the short game.

Putting makes up 50 percent of par for a golf course. A well played par four will include one drive, one approach, and two putts. Add it up over 18 holes and you get 36 of the 72 strokes that equal par are putts. Yet, most amateurs tend to only "warm up" on the practice green before a round. Few amateurs will devote the amount of practice time it takes to become proficient at putting.

Becoming a Better Putter

Practice is the best way to become a better putter. A smooth and balanced putting stroke will ensure putts will be on the correct line when the ball leaves the club face. Unfortunately, practicing putting takes a lot of time; something most of us to don't have a lot of. Traveling to the golf course or practice facility, waiting for space to open up on the practice green, and the practice itself are all time consuming activities.

A handy way for a golfer to be able to practice putting more conveniently is with a home putting green. Home putting greens are no longer for the wealthy as advances in synthetic putting surfaces has made home putting greens affordable for everyone. Synthetic turf surfaces have been designed to match the speed and playability of traditional natural putting greens.

Having a putting green in your backyard definitely makes practicing more convenient. Families can practice any time, any day without the need to travel to a local golf course. One can take the time to go through practice drills without the pressure of other people waiting to use the green, or hole location. The backyard putting green can become a place for friendly competition between family members or when friends come over.

Synthetic or Natural Home Putting Green

If you want a natural turf putting green for your home keep in mind they require a lot of maintenance. There is a lot of work that goes into your local golf course's putting greens; and there will be a lot of work for your home putting surface as well. A natural turf putting green isn't out of the question, but they are expensive and labor intensive to build and maintain.

For most individuals, a synthetic putting surface will be the right solution for their home putting green needs. Synthetic surfaces require very little maintenance--generally removal of debris like twigs and leaves is the most common regimen. Not only is maintenance minimal, the initial investment for building a synthetic putting green will be considerably lower than a natural putting green.

Synthetic Putting Surfaces

Long gone are the days when a fake putting surface is made out of Astroturf. Astroturf is not a viable putting surface as it gets matted down and does not even come close matching the playability of a real green. Playability is probably the single most important aspect of a synthetic putting surface. The goal of practicing putting is to be able to utilize a solid putting technique while playing a round of golf. If the practice surface does not match the playability of a real green, all the effort and practice will be wasted.

Technological advances in the design and material of synthetic putting surfaces has dramatically increased the playability of fake greens. Modern materials no longer get matted down like Astroturf. Instead, they have a "memory" where they spring back to their original forms after being stepped on. This memory gives the synthetic surface better playability and longer durability than Astroturf.

Advances in the design of the surface itself have increased the playability of synthetic greens. The use of sand and rubber mixed into the synthetic turf has created a surface that will hold chip shots like natural greens. Sand can also be used to manipulate the speed of a fake green. This gives the owner an opportunity to practice putting at various green speeds. With the advances in playability and the increasing affordability, home putting greens are becoming a popular sight in many backyards.