DIY Backyard Putting and Chipping Green

It’s always been a dream of ours to have our own putting and chipping green. We’ve wanted to put one in our backyard for years but never thought it would come to be. After lots of research and quotes from contractors and landscapers, we decided to do it ourselves. Through research we discovered there’s a lot of incomplete, incorrect, misleading and conflicting information out there on doing this. We decided to use the best possible information we found and make it our first big family DIY project. This video isn’t meant as a complete DIY guide, but rather shares and lays out some of the steps we took along the way.
Since we already had a good base to work on, we built the project on top of it instead of digging out the area first. This should also make for less of a drainage problem. The artificial turf we selected is from PreGra and is sold thru Costco. We chose them because the price was reasonable and they assure great customer satisfaction. All of the rest of the supplies were bought thru Amazon, Home Depot, a golf supply house and local rockeries.
A lot of planning went into the best way to minimize the amount of turf needed for cost savings as well as limiting waste since the green would be over 1000 square feet. We chose the PreGra nylon Bent Grass for the putting green and the PreGra Fescue for the surrounding chipping area. Both come in 15 ft. rolls so it was a no-brainer to make the putting green 15 ft. wide. By making the front 2.5 ft. and the back 5 ft. wide, we were able to cut one 15 ft. piece into four strips and have no waste with only a single seam along the length of the front and back (45 ft.). This method also made it easy and possible to keep the grain going the same direction.
The first step was to level the existing ground and framing. This was done mostly with a laser level. We built up a base of about 3 inches using recycled base rock from a local rockery that supplies material to most of the golf courses in the region i.e. Pebble Beach. Leveling the base was done with a string apparatus I made that would connect to the framing. We added about ½ inch of fines on top of that. We tried to create a surface with a variety of (undulations) breaks for the 5 holes and still have a general slope for drainage (mostly back to front). The desire was to have a challenging, yet realistic putting and chipping surface that was much more than a miniature golf surface.
A plate compactor is strongly recommended for this large of a surface. Watering down the base during compaction will greatly help as well as controlling the dust. We also used a hand tamper for some final touchup later.
We decided to round the corners of the putting green (hockey rink pattern) to give it a little shape, but didn’t add any other design that would sacrifice putting surface. This meant just a few extra cuts/seams though. Also, for these small inserts we used both adhesive and nails. The remainder of the turf is secured only with the 60D nails. A significant amount of time was spent on cup placements: marked by Frisbees, checking breaks, digging, setting, cementing and cutting the green for maximum play.
About one pound of sand per square foot was applied to the turf to keep it down and keep the grass blades standing up. We’re planning on adding some more, especially on the fescue to make it a little more consistent for chipping from both directions.
Our final task is to finish the landscaping around the putting and chipping greens. We included some low profile perennial flowering plants but still need to decide on the type of ground cover for additional aesthetic enhancement.
The contractors estimated it would take about 6 days with a full crew to complete the project. We completed it over a period of 15 days but we didn’t work full days in the 90-100 degree heat. The three of us did all of the work with a small amount of assistance from a couple of friends.
This DIY project was quite the challenge but worth all the time, savings, sweat and research. It gave us the opportunity to work closely together as a family on a project that would give us enjoyment, exercise, entertainment and practice. This addition also enhances our back yard and increases our home value.
We enjoyed sharing our project with you and hope you enjoyed it as well. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them and we will respond back as soon as we can.
Accompanying music used in this video:
Let’s Get It Started by Black Eyed Peas
Hard Workin’ Man by Brooks & Dunn
Dreams by Van Halen

[@magncity1817]

Nice job! My observations on how to convert your idea to me rectangular space. Similar on under turf ground prep. 1). Maybe buy the compactor from harbor freight instead of hourly rental then sell online after. 2) Just buy 6’ wide fescue from box store for border turf, cut in half length wise and install first around edges, no need to curve corners as with the length and width doesn’t really add much to the putt/putt. 3) sink cups, and install putting turf putting edges of putting turf under fescue (scrape a little bottom surface under underlay of fescue for the even look of interface). As for the preparation of the ground bore install of fescue & putt putt turf. (1) I have mostly hard clay dirt already, so just level that out (2) dry pour 1.5” of dry fill concrete over putt putt surface, make sure to install putting cups. This eliminates the expense of all that back fill rock and weed blocking.

[@LegolasFan69]

Looks great guys

[@kjelsone]

Thanks. It’s still doing good 8 years later.

[@mikeschaefer3197]

Awesome work! So well done and creative. Very impressive.

[@tafkamberlin]

That is awesome! Well done! Hope it still looks that great!

[@adalbertov.gonzalez4223]

What a tremendous amount of work and thought you put in to this project! This results came out really nice. Congratulations!!!

[@kjelsone]

Thanks Tito. We're enjoying it almost daily.

[@kjelsone]

Luke, For some reason, there's no REPLY selection on your comment. The putting green and chipping turf were purchased thru Costco. It's made by PreGra. You can look on either of their sites for the specs. We used the BentGrass Putting Green and the Fescue. Thanks for the comments. Feel free to contact me for any questions you may have.

[@lukereynolds3812]

Thank you for the input, I appreciate it.

[@larryzimmerman1898]

Would you mind giving a ballpark cost for this project? I'm getting ready to retire and have plenty of space to do a project like this. Great job btw!

[@kjelsone]

@@larryzimmerman1898 We had local contractors quote on it and they came in between $15-20K. However, they did provide some ideas that we implemented. Using Costco for the artificial turf and an area rockery that provides base and cover materials for many of the area golf courses, and doing all of the work ourselves we came in around $5K. That was about 7 years ago, so I’m sure it’d be more now. Good luck!

[@kjelsone]

The putting has been tested a lot this winter with all of the rains. The water in my backyard was up to 5" deep in some places. The water was right to the top of the frame boards. Still looks great though.

[@claymorgan183]

Well done, lady and gentlemen!

[@stephenadkins1391]

nice job fellas, looked like a lot of work but I'm sure it's paying off now. enjoy

[@kjelsone]

Stephen Adkins Five years later and it still looks good.

[@geraldfitzgerald5889]

That is a beautiful green, I would kill to have something like that.

[@jimkjellsen6452]

Thanks, but no killing please.

[@MrPholding]

Awesome green and great video!

[@jimkjellsen6452]

Thanks Ray.

[@brianmoore8172]

I'm installing one my self for a customer I'll send pic later,great job. from Unique Lawn Care Service LLC...

[@mrgoodtime87]

DO YOU MIND SHARING THE COST?

[@familyphoneguru]

Well documented process and inspirational! Bravo!!!! How long from start to finish did it take? Do you mind sharing the cost for supplies?

[@guycharles]

Excellent job...

[@cesarmedrano3344]

Very helpful , this for sharing.

[@diederichabels8119]

My works too. Used Avasva handbooks and build it with no problems.

[@NowhereFast12]

Great Job! Very Inspiring

[@saldesalvatore9825]

Super nice

[@brianjohn9333]

well done looks awesome

[@ILUVGOLF]

Freaking awesome dude! It looks like you know what you're doing. I have an indoor putting green that I ordered online. It's on my channel. It's great but I want one similar to yours. It'll be possible soon when I move to a bigger house.

[@southsidetrojans5232]

Should add a bunker to the right of it as you have the space like a little links pot hole bunker would be perfect

[@alexmarshall7909]

very impressive

[@lukereynolds3812]

Hi, great video, but can you please tell me Where this turf was purchased and what are its specifications? Looks great by the way one of the best I've seen, and very informative.

[@WWLadytigers]

Cost is always the big question... Can you give a ball park...

[@joshuaschuyler8673]

Great job. Thanks for the detailed video. What type of cups did you use? Were the final cups cemented in place with a dry mix? Could you detail how you got the cups level with the turf? I am going to do a very similar project in my backyard in a few weeks. Thanks

[@andyyoung814]

That looks fantastic. Could I be cheeky and ask what it cost? Thanks you all did a great job.

[@kjelsone]

Thanks. It's still looking good after over 5 years. We're using it more frequently now during the Covid-19 quarantine. The costs for materials (turfs, base rock, fines, framing, turf nails, cups, flags, etc.) came out to around $5000. I had quotes for the completed project from over $15k to $20k but decided to do it ourselves.

[@andyyoung814]

That’s a good price! Hard work but best keeping the £10-15 in your pocket.

[@imrankhan-ln6ef]

nice vid, makes me want to install

[@Cheeky_Hamburg]

Hi kjelsone - your video inspired me to undertake a similar project in my garden in north germany! Thanks very very much for such a great vid. I have got a point where I am not sure how to continue. The base is laid and Ive got a 2-3 inch loose layer of fines on top - but it won't compact! Maybe my expectations are wrong or Ive got the wrong materials (Its been hard to find the right translation for crusher fines but I think i got it in the end). I wet the fines and compacted them with a vibrating plate compacter but as soon as they dried they became very loose again - if I walk on them then the nice flat surface is disturbed. Help!!! How did you overcome this? I would really appreciate you feedback as right now I feel like giving up :-( Danke Schön! Chris

[@kjelsone]

cheekymonkeyHH I’m not sure if it’s a case of too thick of a layer of the fines or not. I did a much thinner layer, wetted it down, compacted it and repeated this cycle. With a 2-3 in layer, I’d guess that you may have a difficult time getting it properly moistened to compact correctly for the entire depth. He amount of vibration (and compression) that you’d need may be too much for the vibrating compactor to accomplish. This is just my personal opinion though. I’ve no experience that indicate that my thoughts are correct. Good luck and let me know if it helps and if you’ve got additional questions.

[@Cheeky_Hamburg]

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I believe you are right. I think I badly miscalculated the top layer :-/ I will start raking it back and then I'll slowly compact it and then decide whether to add more layers or not. What a pain - my area is 150sqmeters - ca. 1500sq Feet so thats a lot of work coming up :-)) Once again thanks for your input. Chris

[@Cheeky_Hamburg]

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I believe you are right. I think I badly miscalculated the top layer :-/ I will start raking it back and then I'll slowly compact it and then decide whether to add more layers or not. What a pain - my area is 150sqmeters - ca. 1500sq Feet so thats a lot of work coming up :-)) Once again thanks for your input. Chris

[@magicmike1122]

Now charge your neighbors and host weekly tournaments to help make the money back! Then add a bunker!

[@badapplegarage9639]

Good job. I am going to install one myself and wondering the overall cost of installation? Even a rough estimate would be helpful and estimate of man hours to complete? God loves the working man Happy 4th of JULY!!

[@kjelsone]

The turf cost around $3700. Other materials will vary based on your application. Our total materials cost was around $5000. We did all the work ourselves, which saved between $10-15k for the project from the bids we got.

[@johnnelson5997]

wow i feel your pain, i did a tiny area and nearly died moving that rock

[@ehoh3246]

1 second in... Let's not get it started. I almost watched the video

[@komalsinghsingh3958]

it is greatwork

[@Adammac35393]

bay area california? Those hills in the back look like fremont

[@idanjarous120]

Did you nail the putting green? Or just the fringe? How is it holding up with all the rain we got recently in the Bay Area?

[@jimkjellsen6452]

I end up nailing both the chipping and putting green. I could only find recommendations on green-to-green seams (glue). I don't have any of those. The nails on the edge aren't really noticeable unless you are really looking for them. It's held up well.

[@wilsorjg]

7:25 More wrist hinge needed.

[@derfelalternate4857]

If I wanted to raise parts of my fringe, say, a foot from the middle of the green, how would you recommend I go about that? I was thinking of just adding more dirt to the areas I wanted before putting down base rock, but I wanted a second opinion.

[@kjelsone]

That would be quite a rise unless it's over a wide distance. The base rock and fines could form it OK, but I don't know that I'd rely on it maintaining the steep rise. Maybe you'd want to add concrete mix or something to make sure it holds better.

[@derfelalternate4857]

kjelsone OK thanks! Yea, the middle of the green is 6 yards from the fringe. I'm planning on making it so that I can practice chipping from an upslope.

[@bolind2]

do you know what the total cost ended up being?

[@brodygoalie]

What was your final cost to this project?? THX

[@junohernandez696]

no drain system?

[@davidsmith2850]

Love the music

[@florichi]

sooooo..... it´s totaly flat? no chance of practicing how to read the brakes?

[@kjelsone]

No, it is definitely not flat. It was designed first, for drainage and second to have breaks or rise/fall on most of the putts. We tested these breaks before putting down the turf with a mini basketball.

[@Budrosgolley]

How long from the time finished, to the first blind flop shot from the other side of the fence? Would have been mission 1a for me lol

[@kjelsone]

Rob, not too many from over the fence, but from all locations around the yard including over and around trees and over the pool.

[@batoradovic7329]

What was the total cost?

[@xgcsnowking]

How dose it hold up after a rain.

[@kjelsone]

Tim Arellanes Since we're going through a record drought here in California, that's a little bit difficult to answer. However, since we put this in (Oct 2014) we did have a couple of significant days of rainfall. We used special care to try to give the putting green some drainage slopes to avoid standing water issues. I checked the green during/after the rains and it appeared to have ho problems at all. It may be different in an El Nino year though. Maybe we'll have one this year so I can report back on it then.

[@bloodofthetyrant]

Super Mario 64 music? :D

[@EliasFieldIA]

can you just put concert with terf over it

[@joeykaesbauer4522]

How much did it cost in total to make the green?

[@kjelsone]

joey kaesbauer The cost of both the putting green and chipping turf by PreGra thru Costco was about $3700. The cost of the base rock and fines will vary on where you get them. If you're in my area (south Silicon Valley) I can suggest providers. We did all of the labor ourselves so that saved us a lot of money. Let me know if you need more info.

[@f3band668]

kjelsone We live in Silicon Valley. Please provide installers. You can email me at [e-mail].

[@Kraft5000]

Who’s dream

[@mattfranks2612]

How much did that cost????

[@kjelsone]

See my comments below to Bad Apple Garage.

[@Nathanc6308]

Step one buy a house with a big backyard

[@kjelsone]

Yes, that does help.

[@coopermacy8243]

Where did you order the turf

[@kjelsone]

I ordered it thru Costco.com. It's made by PreGra and sold in a 15 ft roll by the linear foot. There are multiple choices for density and turf length.

[@coopermacy8243]

+kjelsone Thanks, what turf density and length did you use?

[@kjelsone]

+Cooper Macy I believe it's in the video description.

[@roycebi]

Nice

[@graciesmith4149]

i need money that mean change

[@davidsikes5579]

The filler music / background noise ended it for me. Don't know why people do that.

[@kjelsone]

Sorry if you don't like the music. There is no voice, so try hitting mute.

[@garynickel648]

Music sucks, can't finish

[@mikebishoff9060]

diy?...lol. you need a full crew and special equipment and skill set for this project

[@kjelsone]

Mike, yes I have had a fair amount of construction experience, but the rest of my crew was mostly my son and wife. The only equipment I had to rent was the compactor and the power broom. Lot of sweat and hard work though.

[@bandit8745]

$$$$$$$$$$

[@stang393]

Most annoying use of music In a youtube video goes too...

[@pinnhead3p]

its a foto-show. no video=no like

[@junohernandez696]

no drain system?

[@jimkjellsen6452]

No specific drainage system. Since this is built above ground level, we didn't think we'd need it, we tried to design it so that there weren't any low areas for the rain to puddle. Plus the water will flow thru the turf to dissipate too. We'll see if El Niño causes any problems this winter.

[@rtisor]

+Jim Kjellsen Hi Jim, How did things go during the rains this month? I am in San Jose and planning to get started on my green as well, re-grading the area this weekend and trying to decide on drainage. Anything you would change now that you are a year+ in? Looks great. Thanks.

[@jimkjellsen6452]

+rtisor we made sure that there were no lie areas in the green for water to accumulate. There was always a little slope to one of the sides to drain. We've had no problems with our rains causing any issues. Having it built above ground level helps too.