Greens give neighbors the blues

True golf nuts spare no expense to hone their games. They shell out serious cash for titanium drivers, graphite shafts, and country-club memberships, but the $12,000 price tag of a backyard, natural-grass putting green–plus $10,000 in annual maintenance costs–freezes most duffers in their FootJoys. However, new technological advances in synthetic turf have made artificial greens an increasingly attractive–and inexpensive–alternative to real grass.

According to The Wall Street Journal, installations of home greens have risen dramatically from last year to bring the number of American yards sporting putting surfaces to approximately 250,000. And contractors anticipate demand for synthetic greens to grow this year by 20% or more.

While golfers rejoice at their lower handicaps, some neighbors complain that the putting surfaces are eyesores and fear errand chip shots raining down on their homes as well as sliding property values. However, unless a homeowner association or community regulation prohibits such landscaping, neighbors rarely have recourse.

But home-putters should remember that if their houses go on the market, it’s unlikely that Greg Norman will swing by the open houses. Like any custom feature, putting surfaces aren’t for everyone and could deter potential buyers. Watching a qualified homebuyer walk out the door because of some AstroTurf in the yard could be more frustrating to a golfer than lipping out a three-foot putt.

Photo © PhotoDisc.

Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.tar.org.