If someone asks if you would like an artificial practice green mailed to your house as you are stuck at home for weeks on end during a global pandemic, say yes.
That’s what I did in mid-April after a representative from SYNLawn emailed and asked if I wanted to try one of the company’s artificial greens. The company has designed, manufactured and installed artificial grass surfaces for years. In February, SYNLawn updated a 280,000-square-foot practice area at Carl’s Golfland in Plymouth, Michigan, and it has made synthetic turf areas for much smaller facilities and sells practice putting greens for home use.
While basic, portable putting mats are available, the Dave Pelz GreenMaker Putting Green System is among the Cadillacs of indoor greens. Options range in size from a manageable 6 feet by 12 feet ($1,199) to a mammoth 12 feet by 18 feet ($3,499), and all of them are much easier to assemble than might be expected.
After accepting an invitation to try a Dave Pelz GreenMaker, two packages arrived at my home a few days later. One was a box that contained heavy foam squares that interlock and form the foundation of the green. The other was a big roll that looked like a carpet.
After connecting the foam pieces like a giant Lego set in my basement, then fastening them using dozens of plastic bolts that look like AAA batteries, I opened the roll and saw the artificial grass. The turf laid on top of the foam foundation, with the holes matching up with the cutout hole locations. After about 24 hours, the previously rolled turf flattened under its own weight, then I dropped in the cups and added the flags.
Presto, my practice green was ready for use.
The largest greens have four holes, but my compact model had two. According to SYNLawn, the green rolled to a Stimpmeteter measurement of 10, which is slower than PGA Tour standards and more typical for upscale public courses.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started forcing people around the United States to stay home, putter training aids have exploded in popularity. Even as courses in more states have reopened, golf lovers may have a hard time practicing safely, so anything that can help people improve their skills and have fun at home is going to be popular.
Several things separate the Dave Pelz GreenMaker from some other training aids or mats.
The roll. Putt after putt, the ball rolled smoothly and straight over the artificial grass. While the putting surface is elevated about 8 inches above the floor, it genuinely felt like I was on a real practice green.
The clean look. Many putting mats are covered with markings, lines and other training aids to help improve your alignment, ball position and address. Sure, you can use mirrors and other devices on the Dave Pelz GreenMaker, but you also have the option to practice without those things.
The size. While it was not hard to assemble the Dave Pelz GreenMaker, building it is the start of a commitment. It requires space and could dominate a room in your home. It certainly is not something that you would want to build and disassemble every day or even every week. Setting it up on a deck and enjoying it for an outdoor season, then taking it apart and rebuilding it in a basement before cold weather arrives would be fine, but there’s no getting around the need for space.
The price. For most golfers, this is a serious, long-term investment. It’s one thing to buy a $75 training aid and stop using it after a few months, but spending more than $1,000 means you are making a commitment to use the Dave Pelz GreenMaker not only when you are staying home during the pandemic but for years to come.