San Marco Jacksonville Putting Green Design

We recently completed this 40×18 backyard putting green in the San Marco area.

What was once an under-utilized area of this client’s backyard is now a space that will be enjoyed for many years to come. As a low handicap golfer (Jon Tasch here, owner of Grass!365  Jacksonville), I rely on my years of experience in how I shape the green and where I place the cups. I’ve also been trained by veteran Grass!365 designers, adhering to our corporate standards, which makes our installations uniform across all of our locations.

One of the most important factors in designing a backyard putting green is cup placement—to make sure that the putting space is maximized. Notice how the holes are tucked in the corners in the above photo. This is by design. With a 550 square foot green, you want to ensure that you are getting the most out of your usable space. The idea is to give our clients the longest putts possible, as well as chip and pitch shots. We also place the cups in a way where none of the long putts are obstructed by another hole getting in the way.

At Grass!365, we are golfers who design putting greens for the casual weekend player, all the way to 2-time major championship winners. While we install turf for lawns and playgrounds and amenity centers, we will always be a golf-centric company. It is a big part of our DNA.

Shaping is also very important. We never want water to flow directly onto the green, and we take careful steps to ensure that water positively flows off the green in all directions. We are able to incorporate undulations and give the green a good amount of character and challenge at the same time. The end result is a playing surface that plays and looks like a championship bent grass green.

Not only is this green going to be a major hit at barbecues with friends and family, but as a golfer, this homeowner is going to see his handicap go down in a short amount of time. We’re thinking we should have included a clause that gives us a portion of his winnings from his weekly game at his golf club!

Also attached are some other examples of how we go about designing golf greens.  These backyard putting greens many times have the outside edge and area defined.    This differs from a golf course in many ways since the outside shape is already set but even more importantly the outside elevation is locked in and cannot be changed.  Only through experience and a great knowledge of the game of golf can you deliver excellent backyard putting greens for your clients.  Grass!365 has done just that for many years on many properties all across NE Florida.