Landscaping Ideas: How to Embrace Your Lawn and Garden

If you love to golf and live in a drought-stricken area, installing a putting green in your backyard is an excellent choice. The putting green area won't need any watering and will allow you to exercise and improve your golf game. 

For the best results, artificial turf installation is better left to professionals. However, if you decide to make a go at it, then follow each of these essential tips:

Tip: Lay Out the Putting Green with the Artificial Turf's Width in Mind

Artificial grass is sold in rolls of material with a fixed width. It's a good idea to select the turf you wish to install before laying out your putting green. Doing so allows you to work within the measurements of the material and reduce the number of seams in the final design. This is important because the fewer seams you have, the better. 

Tip: Let the Artificial Grass Lay Unrolled in the Sun Before Installation

When you first unroll artificial turf, it tends to want to curl back up. To ensure a flat and straightforward installation, unroll the grass and let it sit in the sun. As the sun heats the turf's plastic material, it will relax and lay flat.

It may take an hour or more, but once the turf lays flat, you will know it's ready to install.

Tip: Use a Plate Tamper to Ensure the Putting Green's Base Is Compacted Flat

The better you prepare the surface under your new putting green turf, the flatter and nicer the result. 

The best way to prepare the subsurface is to lay down crushed marble rock and tamp it down using a plate tamper. You can rent a plate tamper at a local home improvement center. 

You will know when the subsurface has been adequately tamped down when you can walk across it and no longer leave your footprints behind. 

Tip: Install Artificial Turf with the Grain All in the Same Direction

If your putting green design requires creating seams where two pieces of artificial grass come together, ensure each piece is installed so the grain runs in the same direction.

While the material may look like an expanse of green, once it is installed and the light hits it, you will be able to tell if the grain isn't all going in the same direction. Mismatched grain will make the seams visible and negatively affect your putting by making the ball roll unevenly.

For more information about installing artificial turf, contact a local company.