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Finishing a putting green can
take on many forms. It can take an ordinary installation and
turn it into an award-winning product. There are many ways
to finish an installation. In this section a few of the unique
things that can be done to turn any green into a showpiece
are discussed. There are many ways to finish a putting green.
No matter how you choose to edge your green, if your putting
green rises above the surrounding ground the first step is
to taper the edges of the green with soil. This will allow
you to gradually bring the putting green to grade with the
surrounding land.
Fringe
 There
are several ways to produce a fringe on a synthetic putting
green. You may choose one of PGD CHICAGO’s synthetic turfs or
use sod around the edge of the green. This produces a very
sharp look and is very easy to install. The main thing to
remember when installing sod is, for a period of time after
the installation, an ample amount of watering is needed to
root the sod. Many different varieties are available and we
recommend a different variety of grasses than is presently
planted in the surrounding areas. This will give the fringe
around the putting green a different look. One word of caution,
stay away from "creeping" grass that will produce "runners".
Varieties such as Bermudas and others produce stems that shoot
off and will find there way onto the green. These varieties,
if used, will have to be trimmed back from the edge of the
putting green by weed whacking or other methods.
The next method of placing fringe
around an existing green is to choose one of our
to install around the synthetic turf. Planning
on your part will be necessary before you set your base size
to ensure that you will have ample base extending beyond the
edge of the green to give you a base on which to install.
This material must be installed in the same manner as the
putting green turf. It must be seamed in the same manner
as the putting green turf and done before you begin using
any sand-fill in the putting turf. The fringe material
will not need to be as tightly seamed as the putting green
turf. As a rule of thumb we always suggest to get your seam
as close as possible. It will however need to be within a
1/4 of an inch.
Stone
 Stone
is a very common material that can be used to "frame in" putting
greens and comes in a variety of sizes and colors. These stones
can be placed up to the edge of the existing turf to enhance
the contrast of the putting green area.
When placing stone around the
putting green area the first step is to bring the sloping
edge up to grade. The next and most important step is to place
a vegetation retarder tarp on top of the area that you intend
to place the stone. This will retard the growth of future
vegetation and save you from a potential weed problem. Once
that is accomplished you are ready to lay your chosen stone.
Mulch
 Mulch
is also an attractive framing material and is used in a very
similar manner to stone. The primary drawback to using mulch
is the potential for tracking and kicking the material onto
the putting surface. Also mulch has to be replaced after a
period of time due to the fact that it is a biodegradable
product. That being said, mulch can still be used to produce
an attractive result.
Many additional special features
can be used in and around the green and a person is only limited
by their imagination. Water falls, rock walls, stone berms
and many, many other creative landscaping features can be
incorporated in your design.
Once a green has been installed
properly, it is virtually a maintenance free landscape item.
It can be maintained by using a leaf blower or a light soft
broom.
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