Public golf courses on the other hand have a somewhat more dubious reputation in many parts of the world. The landscape is certainly not maintained to quite the same level of care, partially due to the increased traffic passing over it and hacking at it. The experience also lacks the general serenity of the average country club. Public courses are often in the middle of bustling cities as opposed to be being out in the country, and the increased volume of players doesn’t help.

This isn’t to say public courses have no merit though, in fact far from it. Even if you’re the proud member of one or more private courses, you may want to hit some shots at your local public golf course. Below are some of the reasons why, as well as some handy tips for getting the most out of your trip to the public course.

Walk, Don’t Drive – Blasting around the course in a golf cart is loads of fun, but there’s a time and a place for it. That place is usually not on the public golf course, and the time is certainly not during peak hours. Play will likely be congested enough that speeding from shot to shot in a golf cart would simply lead to you sitting at your ball for 10 minutes waiting for the group ahead of you to finish. Use your trip to the public course as a chance to walk the course, get some exercise, and enjoy the day, your company, and the environs.

Put Those Smokes Away – Yes, in some parts of North America, smoking in public places is banned, and this includes public golf courses. Now this may of course appear to be a negative in the eyes of golfing smokers across the continent, but consider it a chance to take a forced respite from the deadly habit, and maybe even turn over a new leaf. If you’re a voracious golfer, you could actually cut back on the amount of smoking you do considerably. Who knew golf could function as such a handy stop smoking aid.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life – This old refrain applies to the golfing world as much as anything else. You may have an absolute favorite course in your area. Heck it may be the most amazing golf course in the entire world hands down. Even so, playing it exclusively will limit your golfing experience, and probably lead to boredom of the course and apathy at its brilliance over time. There may not be a public course in the world that will ever top your favorite, but the sheer experience of exploring the nooks and crannies of a new course, and challenging your game in different ways, will be far more rewarding than playing the same, albeit technically superior course, day after day.

These are just a few of the reasons why your public course may not be quite as bad as you feared. There are many other factors to consider, such as cost, distance from your home, clubhouse amenities, and more. Public courses have their share of cons, but they also boast plenty of pros, and should not be dismissed by golfers from any walk of life.

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Making The Most Of Your Rounds At The Local Public Golf Course

The Legacy Golf Course in Granite City, Illinois is a one of a kind course. The course is one of the more recent ones in the area, having opened in 1990 to quite a bit of fanfare. The course is expertly designed, catering to both experienced golfers, and average hackers. From the front tees the course is of very modest size, while from the back tees it provides a much sterner challenge. The area tends to be windy as well, which always adds an element of uncertainty to play.

Even from the back tees though, there is plenty of opportunity for longer hitters to set themselves up in prime position. Utilizing the modern sentiment of designing holes with the risk/reward concept in mind, many holes will tempt players to go for risky shots with the potential for great rewards present. There are numerous shorter par 4’s that have the potential to be reached by longer hitters even from the back tees. Par 5’s also rest in that middling distance for the most part, not so long as to be an automatic 3 shots to the green hole, but not so short as to leave an easy second to the green. In keeping with the risk/reward concept, there are numerous areas where your ball will go for a swim if hit off line, though days at the beach are few and far between.

The Legacy Course is proud to present numerous leagues, which run on most days throughout the season, with multiple league events held on certain days. There are leagues dedicated to seniors (or as the professional golfing association now likes to call them, champions), as well as a couples league and a women’s league. In addition to regular leagues, there are numerous tournaments held each month during the season with various themes, sponsors, and prizes.

One of the most impressive aspects of the course is their very affordable greens fees and membership fees. These fees truly open up the course to just about anyone who loves the game. Fees during tournaments and league games are similarly competitive. The course complements the fair rates with great amenities, including a fully stocked pro shop, banquet facilities, and a driving range.

The summer season at the Legacy Course typically runs from early March until late October. If you’re in the area during the season, or have plans to travel to the area, make sure to pay the course a visit and play a round. Just be sure to call ahead, as the course is often booked for the various events they hold throughout the season. I can say with certainty that you won’t regret a round of golf played at The Legacy.

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The Legacy Golf Course Provides A Classic Test Of Golf

When it comes to actual golfing though, putting is likely right near the top of the list of golfer’s pet peeves. The seeming simplicity of the act of putting, and yet its inherent difficulty is no doubt what drives most golfers insane. Spraying drives and miss-hitting irons out of the bunker is at least somewhat understandable, as these tasks require complex motions and maneuvers.

Putting on the other hand is about as simple as golf can get, at least on the surface. There are no complicated motions requiring perfect harmony and synergy between more body parts than you can shake a stick at, or name. Putting is almost entirely shoulders, as they get swung back and forward in a classic pendulum motion.

Of course while golfers do have troubles even with this simple motion (most notably represented by the classic terminology ‘The Yips’, denoting in golf a player who has particular trouble with short putts because of a jerky stroke), there are other facets to putting which may also be causing or contributing to the inability to drain a putt, namely reading the greens and lining up your shot. For correcting all of these issues, or to simply have some fun putting without the pressure of filling in a scorecard, indoor putting greens make a great purchase.

These putting greens can come in various sizes, but all are easily portable. Different models can come with a variety of different features. One nice touch is the chute or alley, which transports your ball back to your putting area when you knock it in the cup (think bowling ball at a bowling alley). Some will also give you the ability to raise up parts of the green to allow yourself different reads and putts each time you play. Putting greens may also come with side walls around the hole area, to prevent balls from scooting off the green and rolling places they shouldn’t.

Indoor greens are made from material that delivers a very consistent ball roll similar to what you would experience on a real green. They’re light and easily transported, yet very durable. While we don’t recommend practicing chips off them, they’ll certainly take the beating of some poor putting attempts snagging on them and keep on ticking. Their ease of portability makes them perfect for moving between rooms in your home, or between your home and the office.

Help bring the joy of putting back to your game with one of the many great indoor putting greens on the market. They make for a great practice tool and stress reliever. If you set one up in the office, just don’t forget to get some work done during the day as well.

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An Indoor Putting Green Is A Fun Way To Improve Your Game

While many owners of backyard putting greens tend to air on the side of simplicity in their designs, the many options available are almost staggering. You can add any number of mounds and contours to your green to increase its difficulty, visual appeal, and variety of putting opportunities available. You can add fringe areas around the edge of your green to simulate the real feeling of playing on a green and putting from the fringe. You can even add extensions that replicate fairways, bunkers, rough, and tee boxes, giving you the ability to do far more than just putt if you desire, and put your whole game to the test. Depending on the size of your yard, you could even turn your green into a veritable par 3 hole, with a tee box at the other end of your yard.

The best part about backyard greens is that they’re a great way to get your family and friends involved in the game. Kids absolutely love putting the ball around, and even those people typically not interested in golf as a whole, due to its actual or perceived difficulty, usually enjoy the putting aspect of the game. Depending on the size of your green you can have multiple holes set up for great practice opportunities, and even turn it into a mini-golf course of sorts, by adding obstacles or other fun quirks into the design. If you really wanted to get creative, you could even set up hoops and contest golf croquet matches on your green, which tend to emphasize both the skill and strategy of golf. Golf croquet is seeing resurgence in popularity of late, and is generally enjoyed by all who play it.

Of course, having an elaborate backyard green professionally installed can be a pricey endeavor. If you feel confident in your landscaping abilities, many synthetic greens companies now offer do-it-yourself kits in various sizes, which can be used to design and create your own backyard green. While the standard kit sizes are relatively small, custom kits can usually be ordered in the event your ambition (and backyard) demands more.

On the course, putting can be one of the most frustrating experiences in the sporting world. Getting the ball 400 yards to the green in two shots, only to take 3 more shots to get it the final 30 feet into the hole is a humbling experience to say the least. Away from the course and the pressures of scorecards though, putting is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game, and one that everyone can enjoy, young or old. Practicing on a backyard putting green has the potential to limit your frustrating experiences on the course, while increasing your enjoyable experiences off of it.

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Backyard Putting Greens Are Great For The Whole Family

The most notable added benefit of an outdoor green as opposed to an indoor green is the added variable of weather conditions, which you’ll face when actually out on the course. This can include faster and slower putting surfaces, as well as the added difficulty that blustery conditions can have on your putting. Many artificial greens allow for you to adjust the putting speed yourself as well, which allows for practicing under various conditions.

Another added benefit is the ability to hit chip shots or even sand shots onto your artificial green, which is all but impossible indoors. You can easily set up a small bunker near your green for bunker play, as well as a felt board or similar device to hit chips off of. Just be mindful of where you set up your bunker and/or board in relation to your neighbors, especially in regards to the bunker, as bunker play usually requires a good full swing, and even the pros will occasionally catch it flush and blast it well past their intended target. If you’re overly worried about the potential for causing damage with your bunker practice, you can always have some form of portable netting available to catch errant shots while you’re playing, while also keeping it out of sight when you’re not.

For anyone concerned that outdoor artificial putting greens may clash with their existing landscaping, there are many different options available to help seamlessly integrate these greens into their existing outdoor décor. This can include things such as rock pathways weaving their way through the greens, and shrubbery or other visual landmarks set within areas of the green. All of these concerns can be discussed with any local companies which offer these services.

While many will likely want to have these greens professionally installed, many artificial green companies also offer self-installation options for the do-it-yourselfers among us. This can certainly save you money on some of the costs of professional installation, which may not be financially feasible for many of you.

While the term artificial greens usually refer to outdoor greens, there are different forms of artificial greens available for inside the house as well. These differ slightly from other forms of indoor putting greens in that they usually aren’t quite as portable, and would typically be set up in a spot where they’ll remain permanently, whether it is in a basement or a vacant room.

Not everyone will have the space to have an artificial green installed inside or outside of their homes, but for the ones who do, they’ll be able to sample a small taste of the joy it would be to have your own private golf course. Just don’t be surprised if you notice your friends are popping by more often.

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Add Value To Your House And Game With Artificial Putting Greens

What Is A Putting Green?

If you are a golfer you probably already know what a green is but in case you don’t or if you’re searching for artificial greens as a present to someone else, then let me briefly explain.

Basically the “green” is the last part of the golf course and the part where you have the flag and the hole that you must get the golf ball into. The green is often one of the places where most golfers will spend the most strokes because they have a hard time aiming and focusing on getting the ball into the hole.

That is also why someone developed the so called “putting green” which is basically a training area where you can practice putting again and again until you get good at it. If the problem isn’t in the putting but rather in the “driving” part (the long strokes), these is also something called a “driving range” where you can practice your golf swing.

Before we move on to talk about the artificial putting green let me just make it clear that “normal” greens on golf courses are made of high quality, high maintenance natural grass. Because the greens we’re talking about here are manmade it will not be exactly like its natural cousin.

Where To Find Artificial Putting Green Turf

There are several ways that you can go about locating places to buy these synthetic putting turfs but the two overall ways are offline and online. Out recommendation is to search online because you are more likely to get a wider variety and better prices. The disadvantage of the online search is that live human communication is limited and the best way to go about it will probably be to find an offline dealer in your local area that you can seek guidance with and then go home and do an online search to see if you can get a better price.

There are 4 websites that we recommend you take a look at before deciding on where to purchase your new putting green. We are in no way affiliated with any of the 4 websites and we do not recommend any of them above the other as the fit of their products and services will depend on your individual needs and wants as well as your geographical location.

LawnStar.org

The LawnStar Company makes artificial grass putting greens from two different materials. One is nylon and the other is polypropylene. Both of these materials are used by most makers of artificial grass. The difference is in the price and the authentic feel of the grass. Nylon will generally be cheaper but will be easier to install and will have a better durability. It will be perfect for a home golf putting green to practice on.

Their cheapest product is the Poly 12’x10’ putting green which sells for $699 and the cheapest Nylon green is the 15’x10’ at $749. However you will be able to order products in any shape or size and the prices will naturally be adjusted accordingly.

The Company is based in Texas and can be reached at 972-618-0300.

Positives: 16 year warranty on turfs
Negatives: REALLY poorly designed website

ActionSportsCompany.com

The ASC Company sells a variety of products and one of them is the artificial golf putting green. They also offer both the nylon and the polypropylene versions. One concern that you can have when reading their website is that it seems like both the nylon and the poly version is called out to be “the best” and that makes you wonder which one is in fact the truth.

Both products is claimed to give you a natural putting roll when you strike the golf ball and our conclusion is that it must be the golfers individual opinion on what is most “real”. The great thing about the nylon version is that you don’t need to add sand fillings like you do with the poly green.

We weren’t able to see where the company was based but their phone number is: 800-580-0307.

Positives: Good website info, functional webshop
Negatives: 5 year warranty, claimed specialist in several areas

Synthetic-Turf.com

Now where the two companies mentioned about might be both knowledgeable and produce high quality products, this company’s website has a much better design and functionality and it makes it look professional in comparison.

The offer artificial putting greens just like the other two and will provide both nylon and polypropylene turfs. What is great about their website is that you will instantly see testimonials for professional golfers that have playing on their turfs and enjoyed it. That is a huge plus when you as a customer is trying to decide who to do business with.

The offer a ton of pictures and examples of what they are capable of and again this is something that gives you comfort as a potential customer. Installing nylon or poly putting greens in your garden, your home or anywhere else will be an expensive investment and you want to feel comfortable that you’re making the right decision.

The company is based in Jupiter, Florida and can be reached at 561-743-8512, 877-784-8873 (Toll free) or by email at info@synthetic-turf.com

Positives: Great website, many pictures and customer testimonials
Negatives: 5-10 year warranty, no prices

SouthWestGreens.com

This company is by far the most professional looking of the four we have listed. Not only do they have great professional golfers give testimonials on the front page, but they are also servicing almost all of the US as well as several other places around the world.

Not only will they provide artificial turfs in the two materials we have discussed above but they will also give you the options to choose between several different sorts of grass. We’re talking sorts like bluegrass, fescue, rye and Bermuda amongst others.

The company is located in Scottsdale, Arizona but has more than 90 franchises all over the world and is considered (according to themselves) the global leader in designing and installing state-of-the-art synthetic putting greens for residential and commercial use.

You can contact them by calling 770-642-2273, 877-260-7888 (Toll free) or by email at info@southwestgreens.com

Positives: very professional looking company, great FAQ
Negatives: no prices, no warranty mentioned

Conclusion

Even though we have found some of these companies to look better and more professional than their competitors we would like to remind you that this is solely based upon their website. This might not always be a fair way to present a full picture and we would therefore like to encourage you to contact the individual companies and speak to their representatives.

If might require more work on your part but since installing artificial putting green turf can be a pretty large investment you do not want to make the wrong choice. We also suggest that you study that FAQs of each website as you will find the answers to most of your questions in those pages and it will make you better prepared before calling the companies.

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Artificial Putting Greens