Chipping Green Cancel The title field is required!

1. Ryan Leach

   

   6 posts
   
   1/23/2014 4:01 AM

   We are looking to build a driving range with a chipping green and bunker. I have suggested an artificial chipping green as our crew consists of 4 guys year round and we do not have the time to maintain another ball mark riddled green. I was thinking of using Perennial Rye as the green bank and was looking for some links or suggestions on the construction of the green to meet the needs of the artificial.
   Or is artificial not the way to go here?

   
   
   
   
2. Matt Dutkiewicz

   

   0 posts
   
   1/23/2014 9:01 AM

   Artificial greens were constructed on my Driving Range/Junior Course in 2003. They are a nightmare. Maybe technology has corrected all the wrongs, but with the "greens" I have, weeds, algae, putting surface, and changing holes are all constant problems. The weeds and algae can be handled but the surface needs to be brushed/dragged/rolled all the time, and after a few years it stops being effective. The holes for cups were pre-cut, and again, after a few years the area around the holes just caves in, and they become useless. You can't really go out and cut another hole so it becomes useless. I could go on-and-on.... this might just be my experience and maybe other people have had great luck with them, but I would say while it sounds like it would work, in my case, it does not. Good Luck!

   
   
   
   
3. Ben Ellis

   

   0 posts
   
   1/24/2014 9:01 AM

   Ryan,
   
   Something you may want to consider with your chipping area is do the green at Tee height. I've seen this done in the past at a course and it worked for them in their case with a small crew. You can look at the green as exactly wat it is, a Chipping Green. It gets people able to swing a club and practice their technique as well as hit balls out of the sand with little or no damage to the green. This will also help in that you will not have to mow the green as often or change the cups since you will most likely not have people putting around the cup.
   
   I know some may this is totally crazy, and it wont work for everyone but it may be something to think of.
   Hope this helps.
   
   Ben Ellis
   Golf Course Superintendent, South Course
   The Courses at Andrews

   
   
   
   
4. Larry Robinson_2

   

   0 posts
   
   1/29/2014 12:01 PM

   Agreed. We mow our targets tee height 3-4X per week and burn lines into the green and create contrast to the rough height around it. The bunkers we have are exactly like the ones on the course, but I would recommend white crushed marble if no one was going to be practicing out of them.

   
   
   
   
5. Jon Kindlesparger

   

   0 posts
   
   1/31/2014 9:01 AM

   Can you do bermuda or zoysia mowed at tee height? Might have to cover it in the winter but sure holds up to ball marks a lot better than bent.