Putting Greens News & Blog

A (Very) Brief History of the Backyard Putting Green

Wednesday, September 20th, 2006

In one form or another, backyard putting greens have existed since the advent of golf. Yet, until recently, the prospect of having a practice space on one’s own property was greatly hampered by the cost and upkeep. As authentic putting green surfaces require daily mowing and treatment, only the most committed (and wealthy) golfers could enjoy their own putting greens. However, technological developments in artificial surfaces have significantly altered this trend in recent decades.

As the first major development in artificial turf, Astro Turf™, saw extensive application on baseball and football fields in the early 1960s. The possibility of a maintenance-free surface for training allowed the product to quickly make the jump to the golf world. Though the injuries that came to plague athletes performing on Astro Turf didn’t affect backyard golfers, it was immediately realized that the surface could not properly replicate the nuances of a real green. However, variants of Astro Turf can still be seen on many practice putting surfaces and driving ranges today.

College football was at the forefront of the next major development in artificial turf. The 1980s and early 1990s saw the implementation of a process involving artificial turf with padded backing laid on a concrete surface and then filled with sand. Much like Astro Turf, the surface proved to be an injury risk for athletes because of a slippery surface and a hard base, resulting in numerous career-ending knee ailments. When this process was tested for putting greens, it was realized that surface would harden over time, eventually becoming a very poor surface for chipping and pitching.

Unlike previous decades in which golf was the follower, the technologies currently utilized in the putting green industry are now finding applications in regular lawns, commercial developments and other sporting industries. More and more, the previously unattainable dream of having a realistic backyard putting green is becoming a viable reality.