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Why would you choose an artificial putting green?If you have reached this page, you are questioning natural turf greens. An artificial putting green is a somewhat different beast, but it is very similar to hardscaping, which refers to the non-living part of landscaping. In the case of an artificial putting green, the construction methods and maintenance is not very different from laying paving stones or pouring a concrete surface. Why would you want an artificial surface? There is really one very good reason; a real turf putting green is not possible in your situation. Probably the two main reasons that a real grass green would not work is that either the conditions are not right (shaded area, no air movement) or your do not have the time or money to maintain a putting green. From an environmental standpoint, it really does depend on your particular site as to whether natural or synthetic is better. Obviously putting a fossil fuel based non-biodegradable product on the ground may not be seen as environmental, but if you live in the desert with huge water conservation pressures, natural turf will certainly leave a larger negative environmental footprint. Now that you have decided to go the artificial route, there are still decisions to be made between the different types of artificial turf out there. Particularly if putting is the most important aspect of the green, you need to be looking at ball roll and how well the green simulates natural turf. Another aspect to synthetic turf types is how to blend it into the rest of your landscape and natural turf. Often an artificial putting green will be built with natural turf surrounding it to create the effect of the rough and blend the green into the rest of the garden. The actual installation of an artificial green may be much easier than a natural green, and certainly requires fewer specialized tools for installation and maintenance. In some areas, artificial turf is very popular and full kits are available for self-installation. Naturally, if you do not have the time or inclination, there are many landscapers willing to do the installation for you. A search on EBay will even bring listings of synthetic putting greens for sale.
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