PGA Tour professional Daniel Berger recently partnered with Tour Greens and Carlton Marshall Golf Design to create a professional quality putting green and short game practice facility at his family home. The goal of this project was to replicate the playability and performance of professional golf courses using synthetic turf. Due to its low-maintenance requirements, effective drainage features, and year-round accessibility, synthetic turf was the ideal choice for this waterfront project.

Carlton Marshall Golf Design selected two Tour Greens products for this project, including Short Game Elite for the putting green surface, and Luxury First Cut for the fringe. With its unique ability to accept iron shots from long distances, Short Game Elite performs exceptionally well in this installation, which is located approximately 85 yards from the hitting area, with a pond separating the two.

The Tour Greens Short Game Elite product offers the following specifications, designed to provide a realistic ball reaction:
- 1.125” pile height.
- 4400 denier texturized polypropylene construction.
- RQS infill and nylon top dressing.

The design of the green—which was a collaboration between Berger, Carlton Marshall Golf Design, and Tour Greens—features naturally-curved edges that complement the existing waterfront and landscape, as well as gentle contours in the surface of the green to provide the desired ball reaction and a variety of putts and lies. Two sand bunkers were included on the back of the green, built into a taller contoured area to help keep shots from rolling off the back of the green when hit from a distance.

Tour Greens’ Luxury First Cut product was chosen for its natural resemblance to transitional zones on top-tier courses, and provides a seamless aesthetic as well as a functional chipping area. Luxury First Cut features a 1.25” pile height with polyethylene fiber construction and a summer blend color combination that provides a natural grass appearance.

An important part of any synthetic green is the construction of the base under the grass. Berger’s green required a great deal of construction to provide a level, solid surface in a waterfront location. The base construction consists of four inches of 3/4” minus stone, one inch of compacted stone dust, and an optional 5mm foam pad.

The seaming of the synthetic turf for this project was performed carefully, and due to the quality of the Tour Greens Short Game Elite product, combined with the expertise of the installation
and seaming methods, the seams are virtually invisible.

While Berger utilizes his high-performance practice area to keep his game sharp, he also enjoys a fun space for entertaining friends and family. The picturesque green situated among the mature vegetation and appearing to float on the pond, provides a pristine view from the home and backyard.

The collaboration between Berger, Tour Greens, and Carlton Marshall Golf Design has resulted in a beautiful, high-performance short game space that Berger and his family will enjoy for years to come.