BACKYARD GREEN

You don’t have to put in real grass – and then spend the rest of your days keeping it healthy and alive – to have your own

By Karen Lotts

The Beaverton Valley Times, Feb 7, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Scott Imbach of Synlawn in Beaverton stands on a green his company recently installed at a Sherwood home.

Jaime Valdez / Times Newspapers

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Your dream home. If you love sports, it might include a basketball court, a bowling alley and maybe recently you’ve added a putting green to the wish list.

The popularity of backyard putting greens has grown recently, and with the advancements of synthetic lawns, they have become more of a reality for those wanting to improve their swing and for homeowners seeking lawn alternatives.

“In golf, what wins tournaments is on the putting green,” said Sean Foushee, a home builder for Accent Residental Homes. Foushee not only has his own putting green but also installed a 7,000-square-foot grass putting green in a home featured in the Street of Dreams. “Any avid golfer . . . will tell you what matters is how good you are from 70 yards in.”

Having a space in your back yard to practice putting improves your game, and many golfers see these benefits.

“I think there are a lot of people who want putting greens,” said Foushee. “You will probably have more that are putting in synthetic greens because of the maintenance required.”

Or the lack thereof. Real greens require a significant amount of maintenance. Many professional golf courses need daily mowing, a lot of chemicals and fertilizers and a lot of consistent watering to maintain their healthy appearance. For a typical homeowner footing the bill, these costs add up.

Synthetic lawns may cost more initially – on average about $10 to $12 per square foot – but with less maintenance, they help make the dream more feasible.

“In the end, it may not be what a real grass green is, but it’s the next best thing,” said Simon Dubiel, a sales executive for Varsity Communications, the company hosting the Portland Golf Show taking place Feb. 8-10 at the Portland Expo Center. “It’s pretty legitimate, and it doesn’t involve much upkeep,”

Four synthetic lawn companies will appear at the Golf Show, including the show’s sponsor, Synlawn, an international company with a location in Beaverton.

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