Below are written step-by-step do-it-yourself instructions show how to build and install a great outdoor putting green in your backyard. We recommend watching our 10-minute video showing how to make a putting green that has detailed info on the exact kind of gravel to use under your outdoor green. Click to watch on YouTube: How To Make A Backyard Putting Green Video.
Download a PDF: StarPro Greens – Backyard Putting Green Installation
1. Gather Tools You’ll Need
- Hand Tamper
- String Trimmer
- Safety Glasses
- 2×4
- 3 Foot Level
- Yard Rake (with flat metal side)
- Leaf Rake
- Square Nose
- Shovel and Hand Trowel
2. Level the Site
Select a level site or create one by reading “How To Level A Slope for Putting Green Installation.” Greens should not be placed in a depression or drain way.
3. Roll out green & check grade
Use a level to make sure the grade goes not exceed a 2” rise over a 10’ run.
4. Outline edge of green with weed eater, or edger
Always wear eye protection.
5. Roll up green
6. Weed eat grass inside the outline down to the dirt or roots
7. Rake or blow cuttings from outlined area
Cut ridges or roots if necessary. Fill any indentations.
8. Add 12 lbs. of base for every square foot of green
Add 2″ of 3/8″ minus gravel screenings, meaning your gravel supplier has passed gravel through a 3/8″ screen so only the smallest pieces pass through. This mix has small particles as well as gravel up to 3/8″ and every size in between. You’ll need about 12 pounds of gravel per square foot.
9. Create a gentle raised crown in the center for drainage
Use a leveling rake or 2×4 and rake the area smooth. No indentations should be present.
10. Compact the base
Compact with a water-filled roller or a plate compactor (preferred) rented from your home store. For smaller areas use a hand tamper. Helpful Hint Do not compact in rows, use a random pattern.
11. Check the base for levels and smoothness
The 3/8″ gravel holds contours much better than sand, so contouring is best done within the gravel base. Use as little sand as possible for final smoothness.
12. Roll out green and check smoothness and contours
13. Dig in cups with hand trowel or 4 ¼” hole cutter
OPTIONAL: If drainage may be an issue, dig 2-4 inches deeper than the length of the cup and add gravel. Top of the cup should be 1/8” below surface of the green. Keep dirt off green.
14. Soil too hard to dig cups with a hand trowel?
If digging is hard due to roots or rocks, mark hole and roll up green at hole. Then, chop up area by hole with a pick or round nosed shovel. Compact area flat and dig in hole.
15. After the cup is set in the ground.
In the ground, roll up green at hole. Finish and compact soil around the cup with a level, trowel or brick.
16. Roll out green and inspect contours and level cups
Cups can be leveled by stepping gently on their edges.
17. Clean and add optional markers or flags
Surface can be cleaned with dish soap, gently blown off, hose off, or vacuumed with a shop vac but do not use rotating brushes. All abrasive tools, beater bars, rakes and brushes will slow down the green.
18. To change the contours to add new challenges
Add 3/8” minus gravel base to keep the green challenging and fun for years to come.
I would like to have a 25 ft circular putting green. Is that possible? 4 holes max are all I need. Please let me know if that is possible. Thanks.
Bryce,
Thank you for your interest in StarPro Greens! Please give our engineer, Dan, a call at 404-295-0601. He is great and will assist you!
Happy putting,
Barbara Kunkleman
404-295-0152
Please call our engineer Dan, at 404-295-0601. He is awesome and will help you!
I am interested in a 6′ x 12′ putting green and want to add the edging. How do you add that and do you need to nail or tack down the edges for the outdoor installation to last. We get a little wind in Colorado and I’m concerned eventually it might get blown up. Thanks
The fringe is attached with our seam tape and construction adhesive. You can nail down the out side edge of the boarder (not the 6×12) with 20 penny galvanized nails or landscape spikes.
Regards,
Dan Selton
StarPro Greens, Inc.
404-295-0601
I am interested in buying a 6′ x 12′ putting green and am interested in adding the fringe trim. Do you need to nail the trim down to last outside–concerned about wind.
Thanks
Thanks very much for the response–will be ordering soon.
Pam
I’m looking to install an approximately 15′ x 20′ putting green but the area that is available
is in a teardrop shape.Can more fringe be added on the long end to open up a chipping area? How can I let you know the size of the fringe and what necessary tape to combine the two surfaces. Also is the green able to be cut to fit my situation?
We sell chipping boarder grass from our 15′ wide rolls any length. You can send me a rough drawing with dimensions danselton@yahoo.com and i’ll do a take off. Greens can be cut with a razor knife using a new blade.
What is the difference from top rated putting green turf and less quality putting turf?
Sorry for the delay, we had a glitch with the web site. The answer to your question is a book and the most important stuff is proprietary. I would recommend getting samples. Our current run is 10.7 stemp with less then 0.4 redirectionality.
How much would it cost to do 15×30 some what rectangular green cost with two feet of chipping on one side of the 15 side and two feet chipping on one side of 30 side
About $2,500.00
When you are cutting away the grass and area for the green do you also cut away the area if you are installing a border
Install the boarder just like it was putting turf, except round down or taper off the boarder. The green and boarder should sit up above the surrounding soil.
I’m looking to install an approximately 15′ x 20′ putting green but the area that is available
is in a teardrop shape.Can more fringe be added on the long end to open up a chipping area? How can I let you know the size of the fringe and what necessary tape to combine the two surfaces. Also is the green able to be cut to fit my situation?
How does your green stack up against the turf put out by Peltz, as far as playability and
true grass feel.
Ours is the Worlds best, his is second best unless he is using our turf. Get samples.
I have a 6×12 green on my concrete patio and would like to do a permanent installation in my backyard, my main concern is the wind blowing the green away is is currently does on my patio. I Is there any solution to stake it down?
Easy if it’s a “Pro Green”, just follow the instructions on the web site.
Is the border precut? If not do you provide a stencil for making the cuts?
YES IT IS PRECUT WITH THE SAME PROGRAM AS THE GREEN.
The four cups on my putting green need changing. It appears they were inserted into the existing 4.25 in. diameter pvc tubes. They are very snugly attached. The green is over 10 years old. Can you suggest how I might be able to remove them and insert new cups? Thanks
It sound like they may have been concreted in place. You may have to cut the turf on the back side of the hole (streight line 6 to 12 inches and seam it back when done) to open up an access point to bash them out. This is better than damaging the turf around the hole. Please call me to discuss.
Thanks,
Dan Selton
404-295-0601
I have a custom project that I would like to cover is there a way to create this? We will have a pool table dead center in the room – I have a pano pic that may help describe it, I can install it if its cut to spec.
David,
Good morning. Thank you for your interest in StarPro Greens! Please contact our engineer, Dan, at 404-295-0601. He is great and will tell you MORE than you ever wanted to know about our turf and spacing layouts. Thank you!
You don’t use the 6″ staples to keep the putting turf down? I was told to use 1′ spacing inside and 6″ spacing on the perimeter and along the putting green turf and the fringe seam.
You never stake or staple our putting green. You can stake the outside of the boarder turf, but never the putting green.
Thanks,
Dan Selton
I’m planning on getting the 15 x 20 without the border but do plan to buy additional turf to complete the are around the green. I plan to outline the green with 1’ border of decorative stone. My question is: the area we are putting this in is oddly shaped. Can you cut the additional turf to fill the surrounding area if we provide a layout and exact dimensions?
Yes, but it is very expensive. It takes: a CAD drawing, conversion of the drawing to the water jet cut file, and water jet table cutting time, freight to and from, etc. It is much better to just cut and seam the turf on site.That is how it is typically done. I can help with the basic layout if you email me the file. danselton@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Dan Selton
I am interested in installing your product on a concrete slab outdoors (former garage building). Can it be done satisfactorily without a lot of expense………
Sorry for the long long delay, we had a glitch with the web site. The answer to your question is yes, roll it out with the StarBall cups. Game over. There can be some issues; contouring, cracks in the slab, wind condition forcing glue down, and coring holes. In general though it’s a typical install.
Thanks,
Dan Selton
would lying the turf on the ground without gravel base ruin the turf? I have the money to order the turf now and plan to do the gravel next year. thanks
I would hold off. You can damage the turf if it is put on a bad surface for a year.
I read the instructions that you provide online. You don’t mention how the turf stays down on windy days. Though, you do mention no stapling, nailing, etc…
Thanks
The rubber base bonds with the 3/8″ stones so it will not move under normal situations. If you are in a high wind area you need to get the boarder which can be nailed or staked around the out side.
Are these putting greens dog friendly? Thank you
You can hose them off and they do not typically stain, but it is not one of our flow through dog turfs.
I have installed your large putting green. There are wrinkles that have not settled out. how do I deal with these? Stretch and staple?
Does the putting surface need an infill of sand?
Thanks. Robert Hendricksen
Infill is not needed. The putting turf is heavy enough and supple enough to lay flat. You can sand fill if you want to speed it up to 12-13. The green should relax flat. If it does not please call me at 404-295-0601 Dan.
Do you have to put inlay sand on the putting surface once it is permanently installed outside?
Sand is not needed. The putting turf is heavy enough and supple enough to lay flat. You can sand fill if you want to speed it up to 12-13.
I live in northern Wisconsin and I’m think about put a putting green in my yard. How does your product hold up to the snowy Wisconsin winters?
The winter is not a problem. Do not cover or take inside. The snow insulates the turf like real grass.
How come you never answer the phone?
As you know my order was “picked up by Fedex” but lost.
I have been trying to confirm that it will actually be shipping out today/tomorrow.
People spend a lot of money with this company, you can at least have the decency to answer the phone/emails from your customers..
Sorry Phil. My direct line is 404-295-0601 (DAN)
3/8 Minus is hard to find in my area. Can I use 3/4″ Modified Stone instead for the base?
3/4″ is to big, that is road base. A 3/4″ stone can dimple the surface. If you can not find 3/8″ gravel to mix with 1/4″ minus than put 1″ of 1/4″ minus (DG or 1/4 decomposed granite) over the 3/4″ and compact.
Hello, I’m interested in purchasing the 19×24 putting green. I was wondering if I need to place sand over the green once installed like most putting greens require?
Sand is not needed. The putting turf is heavy enough and supple enough to lay flat. You can sand fill if you want to speed it up to 12-13.
How do your secure the putting green from having loose spots. Don’t you have to put sand on top of turf ?
Sand is not needed. The putting turf is heavy enough and supple enough to lay flat. You can sand fill if you want to speed it up to 12-13.
how does the green stay in place?
The back of the green has a natural rubber base coat that bonds with the 3/8th minus gravel base which holds it in place. If the green is to be in a high wind environment we recommend one of our kits with a boarder. The boarders can nailed (20 penny galvanized)or staked with 6 inch; plastic, galvanized, or aluminum stakes.
I’m ready to order the 19×23 but like everyone, the silica sand would seem to help hold the green down with weight, and help with any other areas. Why not do it?
Silica sand is not needed. If you want to speed up the green 12+ on the stimp meter use regular washed medium grit sand. It cost less works better. If you are in a wind area spike the out side of the boarder every 12 inches.