Sand Bunkers For Putting Greens

Discover what sand bunkers are and why they're an option when building a putting green. Hear how this affects golf gameplay. Learn why sand bunkers are beneficial and decide if this add-on will work in your space.

Sand bunkers are often seen as the enemy when you’re golfing. So why would you want to install one for your own personal backyard golf green?  Adding a sand bunker to your synthetic putting green allows you to practice chipping, provides a challenge, and also makes your at-home putting green look more authentic.

Not Sure What a Sand Bunker Is?

Sand bunkers are a depressed area on a golf course normally filled with sand and act as a sort of hazard to the course. It isn’t dangerous if your golf ball lands in one, but it does make your game a lot more challenging and affects your score.

Before we discuss the design of the sand bunker with our clients who are installing a putting green, we first make sure that a sand bunker will work in their yard. Then we talk about their playing needs. It’s also important to make sure that when you install a sand bunker, it's the right size for the client. If it takes up too much space it’ll make the green very difficult to play on. If it’s too small and raises no challenge, it can seem like a waste of money. 

Sand Can Be Messy!

Remember that if you’re using your sand bunker for practice, it can become messy quickly. It must be maintained. If you don’t have time to commit to regular maintenance, we’d recommend opting out of this add-on. It would be a waste of money to install and not use it because it doesn’t get properly cleaned. You will have to regularly add sand and brush the area for best results.

*Please note that silica sand should NOT be used in sand bunkers for putting greens because it compacts easily, especially when wet. You want something that will act similar to regular sand, but that’s more fine and fluffy.

Consider Sand Bunker Pricing

Price should also be considered when thinking about installing a sand bunker. Having a sand bunker installed will cost more because there's added labor and materials. To give you an idea of price, at Install Artificial we charge $640 for an average-sized sand bunker. To learn more about the price of putting greens, check out our 2022 Putting Green Cost article! 

The excavation and building process of adding a sand bunker to an artificial turf putting green is a bit more complicated than a regular install. We have only our experienced team members install putting greens and sand bunkers to ensure a quality installation. Because the process of building a backyard putting green is more detailed, make sure you work with an expert team and you know what to expect. Contact us below to receive a quote, we look forward to hearing from you!