Landscape and Sport Blend for Putting Harmony

Most golfers will agree that although they may be able to drive the ball off the tee, it’s the putts and chips that require the most practice.

“It’s all about the short game,” said Prolinks Putting Greens owner Neil Robertson, a longtime Wilton resident. Robertson’s company installs synthetic putting greens on personal properties throughout Westchester and Fairfield Counties and even up to areas such as Lyme, Connecticut.

Whether installed inside a home or outdoors, a main benefit of owning one of these putting greens is that it allows for practice time whenever you want, even in the middle of winter.

“I have clients who shovel a path in the snow,” admitted Robertson.

Since each individual’s backyard is different, the putting greens that Robertson installs are completely custom designed. Anywhere from one to four cup locations can be built on the green and tee boxes and bunkers are popular features. Even custom flags can be made.

Robertson began a general landscape design company back in the mid 1980s. After a long day at work, he came home to relax and sat down with a trade magazine.

The backyard putting greens in the publication appealed to Robertson and he began building them on the side.

Robertson’s timing was impeccable because simultaneously the world was being introduced to child golf prodigy Tiger Woods at the same time as the technology in turfs was progressing with the use of synthetics.

Word about Robertson’s company spread and the business grew. Today he has built three hundred personal putting greens, a dozen of which are in Wilton.

Robertson begins a project by first designing the green. Since the cup locations of a personal putting green can’t be moved like the ones at a course, the cup locations are picked and graded to be challenging, but not too difficult. They are also graded for watershed purposes.

To make the roll of the synthetic grass as closely mimicked to the real thing, Robertson adds silica sand in between faux blades of grass on greens that he says are virtually indestructible. The sand used in the bunkers is approved by the United States Golf Association and in the spring Prolinks Putting Greens comes out to spruce it all up.

The design options are endless and the putts and chips don’t have to stop when the sun goes down. Prolinks can add lighting for night time play.

“When I arrive at a property I often look up to see which trees I can add lighting to,” Robertson explained.

And let’s not forget about the indoor putting greens that Robertson installs.

“Some clients have golf simulators and we have done golf rooms with murals of courses on the walls,” said Robertson.

The length of time that it takes for Prolinks to build a personal putting green is dependent on the size of the project; a 15-by-25-foot green generally takes only a week, where as a par three green can take up to six weeks.

Robertson said that his putting greens are generally built for serious golfers but families seem to enjoy the activity much like a personal tennis court or swimming pool. In fact, he has one of his own, which he often uses when his family has company over.

“I’m not a big golfer,” Robertson admitted, “but I enjoy building them.”