8 Tools Needed to Build an Indoor Putting Green

by DoItYourself Staff

Building an indoor putting green can be a fun project. You get to reap the benefits of your hard work and enjoy year-round putting regardless of the weather outside. If you have a large enough indoor area, like a conservatory or spare bedroom, you can adapt it as your personal putting room. You will need to make an inventory as to what you will need in order to build your indoor putting green.

Artificial Putting Surface and Cups

Hunt around for a good surface before you buy anything. Because technology has changed so much over the last few years, there are quite a few different styles, brands and makes of artificial putting surfaces which look and feel like real grass. You will also need gold putting cups so you can retrieve your ball.

Tape Measure

You will need to measure all your materials to make sure they all have the correct widths and lengths.

Lumber

You will create the frame for your putting surface with 2-by-2-inch lumber, cut to the required length. You will need two identical long lengths and two identical short lengths to make the rectangular frame. The two short lengths will be the top and bottom ends, and the long lengths will form the sides. Before you buy the lumber, make sure it is straight and plumb. Check the lengths of the wood from all angles, the way you would check the straightness of a pool cue. Any curves or bends in the wood will affect the putting surface.

Plywood

You'll use plywood to create the top of a frame which you can use as your putting surface. Once you have created the base frame with the lumber, you will need to cut the plywood to the exact same dimensions and place it on top. The plywood should also be bend-free and not buckled in any way.

Metal Brackets

Use metal brackets to attach the four pieces of lumber together to assemble the base frame for your indoor putting green. Placing a bracket on each join, make sure the two pieces of lumber to be joined are completely flush with each other. Any overhang will result in a warped putting surface.

Nails

Once you have assembled the putting frame and placed the plywood on top, you will need to nail it down to the frame. Use the right-sized nails for the plywood and lumber, and space the nails about 6 to 8 inches apart along the long and short ends of the frame.

Jigsaw

You will need a jigsaw to cut your putting holes for your indoor putting green. Some people choose just one hole, but you can opt for a line of holes along the whole width of the indoor putting green to give you a wider range of targets to aim for. All that will depend on the ultimate width of your green. The average size for a golf hole is 4 inches in diameter, so you might get three or four holes from your entire width.