Backyard Putting Greens in Jacksonville, FL

Size and shape

A green can be a small oval with one cup or a larger shape with several holes and a chipping area. The space you have, the slope of the yard and the trees around it set the limits.

Curved edges take more cutting and fitting than straight ones, and sloped ground takes more work to prepare. Both can raise the price.

The base decides how it rolls

A green is only as true as the ground under it. The base is graded for drainage and made smooth and firm, with the contours of the green shaped into it before the turf goes on.

Under the state standard, the base has to be permeable and graded for positive drainage, with no pooling and no added runoff toward a neighbor. A green in a low spot needs a drainage plan before anything else.

Fringe and surroundings

Many greens have a fringe of longer turf or a border around the putting surface. Ask what turf each part is and where the transitions fall.

HOA and trees

A green in a back yard that cannot be seen from the street, a neighbor's lot, a common area or a golf course is covered by the Florida law that bars an HOA from restricting artificial turf there. A green in a front yard is an association decision.

Trees matter too. Turf cannot go inside a drip line unless a certified arborist certifies that it will not hurt the tree.

Questions to ask

• How big and what shape fits my yard, and how many cups?
• How is the base graded, and what does the slope do to speed?
• What is the green's turf, and what is the fringe?
• How are the edges anchored and finished?
• How will the green drain after a heavy storm?
• Does the price include shaping and a base, or only turf?