Always wanted a backyard golf green in Miami? Artificial putting greens are just like the real thing you'll find at any course in West Palm Beach

There is nothing ‘artificial' about artificial putting greens anymore. You are going to have to completely reprogram your view of what it really means to have a backyard golf green at your home. Artificial putting greens are not your run-of-the-mill, cheap outdoor deck covering. This can now be a part of your landscape, and you can practice your putting and chipping on greens that can be described in no better way than to say - just like the real thing!

The research has been done, and the surface and construction of artificial putting greens has been refined to the point where you may not be able to tell the difference between the real bent grass at your local Broward golf club, and the backyard putting green you just installed. Here's why:

The artificial turf used for today's artificial putting greens has provided a surface that virtually duplicates the surface that you will find at any golf course. Each tuft of synthetic turf emerges from the surface of the carpet the same way that a sprig of grass would poke its way from the earth below.

The woven pattern of the artificial putting greens surface is similar to that of real grass. So, it not only provides the look of real grass, but it also offers the golfer the ‘feel' of a natural putting surface.

There is a crushed rock base underneath the synthetic turf that allows for contouring and sloping the putting green. The offers a ‘real green' feel and it also allows for excellent drainage and fantastic stability and support for the artificial putting greens surface.

Even the construction is similar to that of a real grass green. With the crushed rock base you can have all of the natural contours, slopes and speed that comes with a natural putting surface. In fact, you can even have your backyard putting green contoured in the same way as your favorite putting green. Now you don't have leave your Miami home to make a few practice putts and chips in your spare time. It acts like a real green, too.

If you want your ball to ‘hold' - artificial putting greens can do it. If you want the contours and speed of your favorite golf holes, then put together a custom design for your backyard golf green and make it a part of your exterior landscape. The advances in technology have taken year-round putting light years ahead of your local minigolf course. Now, you can have the real feel and the natural beauty - all in a synthetic grass surface.

Aside from the obvious convenience of having artificial putting greens in your backyard, the latest turf technology makes them more durable, longer-lasting, and playable year round. It is an all-weather surface that can be played on even when wet, but it doesn't need water at all - because it isn't real grass.

Sure, artificial putting greens are become more popular at golf courses across the country. In fact, the commercial opportunities for artificial putting greens are growing rapidly. It makes sense for clubs that can't operate year round on real grass, to offer their members the chance to practice their putting and chipping on 2,000 to 4,000 square foot synthetic greens.

This is especially true for practice greens and driving ranges that experience high traffic and use. Studies have shown after about five years, the total cost of maintenance and re-sodding natural grass equals or exceeds the total cost of an artificial turf green. On a cost-per-use basis, the benefits of synthetic turf look more compelling.

Natural turf greens require constant maintenance, overseeding, fertilizer, pesticides, aeration, weed treatment, and regular mowing and watering. There is also the investment in equipment, equipment maintenance and added labor costs to keep it all going. A synthetic grass tee line or putting green has little to no downtime so it is always available for use. When you add it all up, artificial turf putting greens and tee lines make a lot of sense.

Even though you can find artificial putting greens at your local golf club, it doesn't mean you can't take out the garden in the backyard to make way for your new artificial putting green. You too can enjoy the benefit of having the convenience and comfort of being able to walk out after a cup of coffee in the morning to practice your stroke for this weekend's match. Here's what you can expect from your artificial putting green:

Features of Artificial Grass Greens

Lifespan expected to be greater than 15 years
Most synthetic turf warranties are for 8 years
Just an occasional quick sweep - that's almost maintenance-free
Quick dry and playable even if it's wet
Resilient to traffic and wear - even from golf carts
Sloping, contouring and shaping available
Speed can be changed and adjusted by top dressing and rolling green
You can put it inside, too!
Integrity of playing quality does not diminish
Sold and made across North America
Natural grass look and feel for the duration of the artificial putting green
Holds the ball just like chipping on real turf
Pin placements can be changed and pre-set to change regularly
UV treated polypropylene - resilient to extreme temperature changes

The pros use it and so do some of the top clubs in the country. Artificial greens are not what they used to be - their construction is superior; the blades of grass are as close as they can be to natural, without being natural. The same approach seeding, shaping and providing a firm foundation is done when construction of your backyard golf green is underway.

No more putting into a glass on the living room carpet; no more shaving your real lawn down to create a ‘putting surface' - now you can have the benefit of a putting green in your own backyard. This truly is next-generation technology. This has far surpassed that vision of cheap outdoor carpet and replaced it with a product that provides golfers the luxury of having the ‘real-feel' of their favorite golf green an artificial putting green right outside their door.

Copyright © 2006 South West Greens of Florida. All Rights Reserved.

By: Santiago Caicedo
This article is provided by www.swgreens.com - Builders of the best artificial putting greens in Miami, Broward and Palm Beach.

Featured by the Golf directory in the lifestyle section at Resources For Attorneys, a Legal and Lifestyle resources directory.

So you're approach shot to the green has landed in a bunker? This need not result and yet another bogey on your card. In fact, ask any professional golfer and they will tell you that it most cases they would prefer to be in the bunker than the greenside rough. Unless, of course that bunker is at the Road Hole at St. Andrews but there are always exceptions.

How, then can you ensure you get out of the bunker first time, every time and not only that but give yourself a good chance of achieving par? Assuming you have a decent lie there are some simple rules of bunker play which if you follow should ensure consistent and accurate results. I've listed the key points of successful bunker play below:

1. You must have a decent sand-wedge club. By this I mean the underside of the club, or flange, should be smooth and well-sloped to allow the club head to slide under the ball and lift it out nicely from the trap.

2. The first thing you should do is to open the club face a little and then take your grip. It is important to do this the right way around. If you grip the club as normal and then try to open the face it will feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable and will lead to less accurate results.

3. Now you take your stance and address the ball. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart and pointing slightly left of the target. Also you should try working your shoes into the sand to allow for better stability. Ball position is forward in the stance.

4. We now come to the swing. Take a full and confident backswing, along the line of the feet and then a full follow through. People often wonder how far behind the ball to hit the sand. Around 1 to 4 inches is fine but the important thing is to make a confident follow through rather than trying to stab the ball out.

So, keep in mind to open the face, place the ball forward and then make a full and confident swing along the line of the feet and getting down in 2 from the bunker should be within your reach.

By: Andrew McNaught
Andrew McNaught is a successful webmaster and keen golfer. His website Golf World Online helps golfers with bunker shots and all other aspects of the game.

Featured by the Golf directory in the lifestyle section at Resources For Attorneys, a law resource and lifestyle directory for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.

Often having been considered an elite sporting activity in the past, golf is now an increasingly popular sport across all segments of society. Golf is a ball game that does not use a fixed playing area. Instead, it is played on a tract of land known as the golf course. There are over 25, 000 golf courses all around the world.

The holes. The purpose in the game is playing a ball into the hole, therefore the holes are the most essential elements of the golf course. They are also referred to as cups. Hole also refers to the total distance from the tee to the green. The regular number of holes on a golf course is nine or eighteen. The cups are always found on the green and they have a diameter of 4.25 in. and a depth of 3.94 in. their position may be changed from day to day. The cup has a flag in it so that it can be seen from the distance.

The green. The grass of the putting green, also called just the green has to ensure the easy-rolling of the ball over long distances. This is why it must be constantly cut very short. The grain is the direction of growth of the blades of grass, which can affect the roll of a golf ball. The brake(the slope of the green) also influences the roll of the ball. The quality differs from one putting green to another. A green is considered to be fast if even a light stroke of the ball makes it roll a long distance. On the contrary, a green is described as slow if the ball needs a strong stroke in order to roll a specific distance on the golf course.

The tee. This is a pre-determined area from where a ball is first hit. Officially, it is called teeing ground because here the player can use a tee(a small peg made out of plastic or wood). Putting the ball on with a tee makes the shot much easier. On most of the golf courses, there are tee boxes having names associated with degrees of competence or with sex and age. There are professional and amateur tees, and also Men’s, Ladies’ or senior tees.

Fairway and rough. The fairway is the part of the golf course where the grass is cut short between the tees and the putting greens. After teeing off , the ball might stop on the fairway or on the rough. The player has to hit the ball towards the green from the position it came to rest. After the ball gets on the green, it is putted towards the hole until it gets into the cup. Playing the ball from the fairway is much easier than from the rough., because the grass on the rough is much longer than on the fairway.

Hazards. There are two types of hazards on a golf course: water hazards( rivers, lakes) and bunkers. There are special rules that apply in playing when the balls come to rest in a hazard. For instance, the player is not allowed to touch the ground with his club before playing a ball. If the ball cannot be played from the hazard, the player can remove it by hand and put it outside the hazard within two club lengths from its position in the hazard, but this brings on a penalty of one stroke. If the ball can not be found in the hazard it has to be replaced by dropping another one outside the hazard. There are strict rules that govern where exactly the ball may be dropped.

Borders and obstructions. Beyond the borders of the golf course we have the out of bounds . If the ball gets out of bounds, it must not be played. If the ball rests on an area referred to as ground under repair, it may be lifted and played from the border of that area. Obstructions are different man-made objects to be found on the course, and there are applied specific rules when the play is impeded by them.

The practice range. This is an additional facility and it is not part of the golf course itself. Par. Each hole on the golf course is assigned a par, which is the number of strokes needed to complete the hole by a skilled golfer.

These are the most important factors regarding a golf course. It might seem boring when explained in theory, but golf is an exciting sport and it’s worthwhile testing your ability when you’re on a real golf course.

By: Chip Enrunn
Author - Chip Enrunn - Chip often writes for and with Golf Schools where there is far more information, news and resources.

Featured by the Golf Course directory in the lifestyle section at Resources For Attorneys.

Keep your eye firmly on the ball for every shot and watch your handicap drop like a stone.

Mystery writers know they must grab the readers attention right off and hold it until the very end. You must do the same with the ball - keep your attention focused on it through the entire shot, until the natural movement of body and shoulders pulls your head away.

You think you already do, right? Try this little exercise:

Drop six balls in the rough very close to the edge of a bunker, within one shot of the green. Chip the ball over the bunker and on to the green without watching the flight or run of the ball. Look at the ball, make your shot and do not lift your head to watch it. The first few shots will be easy, the next few almost impossible.

It's actually quite funny how difficult it is for a golfer to keep their eye on the ball.

Your attention comes in two flavors - spontaneous and voluntary. Spontaneous attention is the kind of attention given without thought, very effortlessly. For example, when boarding a bus or subway you will pay attention long enough to put coins or card in the slot. You do this without thinking, probably even talking at the same time.

The second type is voluntary attention. You willfully focus on something and give it all of your mental concentration. This is hard to do for more than a few seconds. But it is this kind of concentration you must give to the ball during your shot.

The way to do this is to first decide what kind of shot you are going to make - distance, wind, club type and so on. But once decided move directly to the ball, give it your full attention - that is, eyes on the ball - and make your shot. Do not take your eyes, and hence your concentration, off the ball until the movement of your body naturally pulls your head away.

Don't believe it? Try this little experiment. The next time you're at a vending machine take a quarter out of your pocket. Stand right in front of the machine, quarter in hand, ready to put it in the coin slot. Close your eyes. Now put the quarter in the slot directly, on the first try, the same as you would do with your eyes open. You can't do it. You come close, sure. But you hit to the side of the slot, or just above it, but not exactly dead center right into the slot.

Your mind controls your actions based on what is directly in your field of vision.

Now try it again. This time leave your eyes open until the coin is about two inches away from the slot - almost in. Close them at the last second. You still can't do it.

Apply this to the golf ball. What happens if you take your eyes off the ball just a fraction of a second early. The club is still a few inches away. How much of a difference in your shot will a quarter of an inch make when the club hits the ball? A huge difference. Very huge difference. But you know you can't control your hands and arms precisely without looking directly at what you are doing. So keep looking.

It takes practice, for sure, but now that you know you should keep your eye on the ball, and exactly how to do that, practicing it becomes much easier.

Combine this simple tip of keeping your eye on the ball with a halfway decent swing and your handicap will fall to scratch in no time.

By: James Vincent
Improve your game! Get great golf tips, golf lessons and more from the Online Golf School. Complete lessons on the science of every golf shot, the psychology of the game and your opponent and match play from world champions.

Featured by the Golf Course directory in the lifestyle section at Resources For Attorneys, a legal resources and lifestyle directory.