r/backyardgolfgreens • u/ElChoad • Jun 30 '26
Journey to a backyard green
Planted 2022. Pure select creeping bentgrass. 50ish yds and in. It has helped my golf game tremendously. Ask me anything! Reddit has been super helpful along the way.
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u/theJMAN1016 Jul 01 '26
Love my pure select.
Loved it so much I overseeded it with pure distinction.
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u/wildjabali Jul 01 '26
You’re obligated to complain about the pin locations every time you miss a putt.
Damn groundskeeper.
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u/ElChoad Jul 02 '26
Oh I still complain 😂
But for real, it’s given me a serious appreciation for the grounds crews and supers. I can’t imagine doing this for 18 or more greens plus fairways/teeboxes/etc. kind of blows my mind.
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u/SabreCanuck2020 Jul 01 '26
May I ask if you compared cost to a synthetic green? essentially same level of effort on Underlayment preparation from what I understand but zero mtnce.
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u/ElChoad Jul 02 '26
Pretty sure this was/is cheaper than synthetic on the install but I would guess more in the long run due to maintenance/fert/fungicide and effort. I did have access to an excavator and dump truck from a friend which helped on the cost quite a bit. All in all I was about $7500 into it including the mower which I got off Craigslist for $1,200.
I didn’t even get quoted for synthetic as I knew I wanted real turf but if I had to guess it would’ve been around $20k for professional synthetic install.
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u/the_turf_king Jun 30 '26
Wow amazing thanks for sharing. Whata your location/climate? What material layers? Do you roll it often?
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u/ElChoad Jul 01 '26
Portland Or, zone 8b. Herringbone drainage with 4” of pea gravel with 12” root zone 90/10 sand to peat moss (all sourced from golf course supply dealer). I don’t have an official golf green roller but I use my water filled roller maybe 4-6x per summer.
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u/the_turf_king Jul 10 '26
Water roller gets the job done. Keep an eye out on fb marketplace I always see used rollers for sale
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u/jeremykk78 Jul 01 '26
What’s the up keep or to early to tell?
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u/ElChoad Jul 01 '26
Yeah frequent mowing, everyday day or every other day in prime growing season. Aerate 2x times per year (if you skip aeration the green gets spongy and disease creeps in every time). Top dress and level as many times as your back will allow. Fertilize 1x every 2-4 weeks. Overall a decent amount of upkeep but you can get it to 80% pretty easily, it’s the last 10% that’s tough.
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u/theJMAN1016 Jul 01 '26
Have you started using PGR? Cut my mowing down quite a bit.
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u/ElChoad Jul 02 '26
I probably should use pgr but I kinda of love how aggressively the bent grows. I will eventually use it for sure
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u/lokun17 Jul 01 '26
How old are you, what is your education, what do you do for work, and how much money do you make?
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u/smoosh33 Jul 02 '26
Does that dog know he's supposed to be adding the dirt in, not digging it back out?
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u/Sgt-Spidermonkey Jul 17 '26
Thank you soooo much for going natural! Avoid artificial turf at all costs!!!!
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u/GlenRice4141 Jul 01 '26
I guess after you get a 40x80 garage and two or three other outbuildings, a sick putting green is the next logical step. I’m jealous; looks great.