How to install an artificial grass putting green

Did you know that our MD Josh used to be a professional golfer? If anyone knows how to install the perfect artificial putting green, it’s our Josh!

Putting greens are a great way to improve your golf skills, pass the time and get some exercise. Having your very own putting green at home or at work will make it super easy and convenient to become a golf putting pro, without having to visit the golf course.

Artificial grass is an ideal material for creating domestic and commercial putting greens, and our Pro-Putt grass is literally made for the job. Pro-Putt’s short, curly yarn is designed to give you a high quality surface that will let your ball run true, without any annoying bumps, lumps and tufts to knock it off course. Unlike real grass, you can install it indoors, allowing you to enjoy your hobby come rain or shine.

In this article, we’ll go over the basics of creating your own putting green.

How to install an artificial putting green

Before you get started, take a look through our installation guide. This will fill you in on the basics of installing artificial lawns. Please note that before installing your putting green, you will need to prepare your sub-base as described in this guide.

Install your putting cups first

For an outdoor installation, use concrete to secure your putting cups in place. Use ready-mix mortar or manually mix ballast and cement.

Use a spirit level to make sure your cups are level before applying concrete. Each cup should be surrounded in concrete. The putting cup should sit proud of the concrete by 2-3mm so that the grass will be flush with the top of the cup.

If you’re creating an indoor putting green, you can use timber to build a raised frame to house your putting cups. Check out this guide for a full walk-through.

Let your artificial grass rest before installing

Our artificial grass comes tightly rolled, so we recommend unrolling it and letting it rest on a flat surface for about 24 hours before you start your installation. This will give the grass a chance to relax into its natural shape, and for the pile to spring back up.

If you find any wrinkles, simply walk them out with your feet.

Lay the grass before cutting the putting holes

Fit (but don’t fix) your artificial grass before cutting in the holes, otherwise you may end up cutting the holes in the wrong place.

Make a note of the position of your putting holes before laying the artificial grass over the top.

You should be able to find your holes by tapping on the grass in the general area and feeling if it’s hollow. You can use a sharp knife to make an incision to check - if there’s no resistance, you’ve found a hole.

Carefully cut the grass around the cup rim and discard the cut-out grass. Voila, your hole is ready!

Use a sharp knife

A sharp knife will give you a cleaner finish and reduce mistakes when cutting your grass to size. It also makes life a lot easier.

You may need to change the blade in your knife a couple of times to ensure it stays sharp, depending on the size of your grass area.

Secure your grass at the edges

It’s important to secure your grass along each edge so it doesn’t become a trip hazard. Edging your putting area will also make it look neater and protect the edges of the grass.

Check out our edging products, which are designed for artificial grass. You can also use a material like eco lumber to create your edging - this is especially useful if you’re creating an irregular or curved edge, as you can cut it to suit your needs.

More information about installing edging can be found in our installation guide.

Hire the right equipment

Hiring some equipment will make your installation fast and easy. A turf cutter, wacker plate and mechanical brush will massively cut the time and labour required. We’re all here for an easy life, right? Get in touch to find equipment in your area.

Be creative

Artificial turf is super versatile and easy to work with, which means it gives you loads of scope to design really interesting and eye-catching putting greens. Why not throw in some different shapes, or add inclines and declines to give yourself more of a challenge? Just because it’s a synthetic putting green doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful.

Costs of installation

One of the biggest advantages of artificial grass over real grass is how easy it is to install. There are factors that will affect how costly the installation process will be (whether you hire a pro or not), and it’s worth considering all of these when working out your budget.

• Size of area. The bigger the area, the higher your overall costs. That said, the larger the area, the cheaper it is to install per square metre due to the spreading of costs of materials, equipment and labour. It’s a balancing act!
• Equipment hire. Speaking of equipment… We recommend hiring some heavy-duty equipment to make your installation easier. If you’re hiring a professional, they should bring their own equipment.
  But if you’re going DIY, you’ll want to hire a turf cutter, wacker plate and mechanical brush to get a really good finish. (On top of this, you’ll need basic equipment such as protective gloves and a Stanley knife. A complete shopping list is available in our installation guide.) 
• Excavation. You will need to excavate to a certain depth under your planned putting green area in order to make room for the sub-base (see our installation guide).
  Depending on the type of ground you’re working with (soft soil vs concrete), this part of the process can be time-consuming and costly. You may need to hire additional equipment to dig the excavation, and you may need to pay to dispose of the waste materials.
• Access. How easy is it to access your planned putting green area for ferrying materials? Will a delivery lorry be able to access the area easily? Is there easy access for an HIAB to drop materials in? Or will you need to make several trips with a wheelbarrow? This may affect costs, and certainly time.
• Amount of grass. The bigger the area, the more grass you’ll need. You may also need to join multiple rolls of grass, which will require you to purchase joining tape and glue. Although not expensive items, they will need to be accounted for in your budget.

Costs of maintenance

Artificial grass requires minimal maintenance. Versus a real grass putting green, you’ll barely need to put in any work to keep it trim and tidy. As such, you’ll make real long-term savings in terms of time and money by choosing artificial grass for your putting green.

For tips on how to clean artificial grass, check out this other blog we wrote. There are additional maintenance tips in our installation guide.