Unusual idea. unusual request.

I live on a few acres and had a somewhat silly idea of constructing a two hole golf course. I don't even play golf on any regular basis but thought it might be an interesting project. But how does one go about making a green? If it's too complicated or expensive I'll think up another silly project but thought I would pose the question anyway. Anyone?

Reply to
James
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I bet if you went to the nearest country club and talked with the person in charge of that course, you'd learn more than you care to about green construction and care. It is a particular type of grass which has to be kept extremely short to survive. Then there's the matter of watering requirements as well as nutrition. If I recall, golf course turfgrass is chemically treated and daily maintained to achieve its outstanding appearance. To cut the grass short will require a specialized mower, one which is thus designed.

So, have your chat with the local golf course keeper and then post when yours will be ready to do some putting. We'll all be right over. Beer and sandwiches will be adequate.

Reply to
WiGard

You're not going to turn up (IMHO) many sympathetic suggestions in a gardening group. Golf courses are high-maintenance, water-hog lawns on land that can be better used for veg, trees, and flowers. I would be more sympathetic to a smaller area made into a croquet lawn. A 2-hole golf course seems kind of limited. A carefully-maintained croquet patch could be the focus of somewhat uncommon social activity.

Reply to
Frogleg

Not true. Greens are either creeping bentgrass (in the northern 2/3 of USA) or dwarf bermudagrass. Mowing height has nothing to do with survivability.

Then there's the matter of watering

Not necessarily true.

To cut the grass short will require a specialized mower, one

The only thing you have said which is true

Reply to
PeeJoe

Even if you built the two holes, you'd need a very specific type mower to keep the greens as short as they do on a course. They sell very dwarf varieties of grasses for greens, depending on where you live, but you have to mow them daily. It's a ton of fuss.

Reply to
cheshirecat

As other people pointed out, the grass and mowers are readily available. The constant watering, feeding, and mowing is up to you to provide. Here in Pennsylvania, the county agents provide Turf Management seminars where you can learn more than you want to know about the grasses.

However, 2 holes would be very boring. They would be the same length.

3 holes would be more interesting. You could have a short and medium length holes going one way and a long one coming back. In fact you could have one fairway with any number of holes on it so you could have whatever length hole you wanted.
Reply to
Stephen M. Henning

And the sand traps are frequently treated with total vegetation killers, IIRC.

J. Del Col

Reply to
J. Del Col

You do not rember correctly.

Reply to
Promethus

Zowwy. I wonder if there isn't a class-action suit in there somewhere for old duffers suffering from chemical exposures & heightened risk of illnesses, out there trying to do something active & "healthy" but in reality scattering sand to the wind with their mighty slices, & breathing in dust particles slathered in toxins.

-paghat the ratgirl

Reply to
paghat

Even if you go jump all the hoops on the way to green construction, have you decided on greens fees yet? They are important so you have enough income to support your greenskeeping endeavors. Next will be the expense of a pro shop and someone to run it. Pretty soon you'll have to consider a clubhouse or at least a stand so duffers can buy their libations and talk smart.

Reply to
WiGard

You don't sprell colectly.

Reply to
Mrs. Fricker

Come to think of it, you don't need two holes, just one, the 19th.

Reply to
Stephen M. Henning

Now if you were going to set up for Field Archery it would be so much easier

Reply to
David Hill

You bring the arrows. I'll supply the rabbits.

Reply to
WiGard

I'm a fan, but errant arrows can be a real pain for neighbours...."Mrs Smith, remember that dog you used to have...........

Reply to
Bill Spohn

I don't play golf, but it seems to me the greens are the most work of your whole project. They have to be kept short and very uniform. Rolling them and mowing them is a 3-4 times a week job. The roller and greens mower are probably the most expensive part of the project.

You will probably attract a lot of friends to your course. If you try to charge for your services you may run afoul of local zoning regulations, but you might get your new friends to pitch in on the maintenance (buying an interest in the mower and doing the greens maintenance on Tuesdays or Thursdays or something like that.)

Everyone needs a project to keep them out of the house. Go for it.

Reply to
Dwight Sipler

I think I've been talked out of it. There was nothing commercial in mind and the maintenance sounds prohibitive. Maybe the croquet court would be more manageable.

Reply to
James

The message from Dwight Sipler contains these words:

At various times in years past our kids made themselves a golfcourse, football pitch, croquet lawn, badminton court and a swing-ball stance, all on less than 4 acres. A child-propelled push-mower played a major part in turning rough hill grazing into lawn. We encouraged their interest in sports turf maintenance as much as possible, even going so far as to save dogfood tins which they sunk in the grass as putt-holes, and helping them find golfclubs in jumble sales. You'd be surprised how many of our adult friends spent hours playing in our garden.

Go for it; you don't need to look for golfcourse standards, you can work the drives and greens around plantations of trees and shrubs etc, and you and your friends will have a lot of fun.

Janet. (Scotland)

Reply to
Janet Baraclough ..

The maintenance really depends on just how uptight you are about your greens. You can do a test patch with a push mower and see how much work it is. Get some friends to help out. Probably worth a try for a year at least, then you can decide.

Croquet courts also need rolling. Hardcore croquet players get really uptight about it, but the garden variety lawn game is much less formal. There's a really big difference between the lawn croquet and the competitive brand. We had a croquet team at work for a while: whites, handmade mallets, cast iron wickets, etc.

Reply to
Dwight Sipler

Golf greens are high maintenance. Bentgrass and bermudagrass are the two most popular grasses used. Which you use is dependant on the zone you live in. Bentgrass is a cool season grass that stays green all year, but if temperatures reach 85 degrees you must syringe (spray with water) the green 3 or more times in a day to keep it alive. Bentgrass is used as far south as Pinehurst, NC (zone 7b). At the Pinehurst golf courses they use huge fans for air circulation on certain greens and syringe all greens throught the summer months. By August the root system is so shallow that they have to use liquid fertalizer just to provide enough nutriant to get to the next cool season. Bermudagrass(hybrid is best) is a warm season grass that will grow as far north as zone 7a. It goes dormant in the winter and must be overseeded with rye. It is extremely heat tolerant(less watering) and durable but poor in shade. Both bent and bermuda must be cut with a real mower at least 4 times a weak to prevent burning of the foliage. If you really want to get fancy excavate soil and replace with 85% peat 15% sand(PGA specs). I strongly advice against a golf green.

Reply to
barrett

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