Designing Chipping Areas, Fringe and Sand Bunkers Around a Putting Green

This page is for golfers turning a putting green into a short-game practice area. It covers layout, turf heights, landing zones, mats and bunker construction, so you can plan the space around the green rather than just the green itself.

How should you lay out chipping zones?

Start from the cups and work outward. Every chipping spot needs three things: a lie to hit from, a landing area on the green, and enough rollout space before the cup.

• Distance: 15 to 40 ft from the target cup covers most real chip and pitch shots. Under 10 ft is more of a long putt.
• Landing area: on a sand-filled green, the ball needs several feet of putting surface beyond the fringe before reaching the cup. A cup closer than 6 ft to the edge you chip over leaves no room to land and roll.
• Angles: place two or three chipping spots on different sides so you practice uphill, downhill and sidehill rollouts.
• Safety: keep chip lines away from windows, doors and seating, or install a ball stop net behind the green.

What fringe height should surround a putting green?

Fringe (also called the collar) transitions from putting surface to surrounding turf. On a real course it is mown slightly higher than the green.

Our rule: fringe width should be at least 2 ft, and 3 ft if you plan to chip from it often. A 1 ft collar looks neat but gives too little room for a lie, and the ball will often sit on the seam.

The join between green and fringe needs a clean seam on common tape, with fibers brushed away from the seam. See building a putting green for the installation sequence and seaming for technique.

How do you practice full pitch shots without damaging turf?

Hitting full wedge shots directly off putting turf or fringe will wear it. Clubs dig into infill, scatter sand, and repeated strikes in one spot crush fibers.

Options:

• Hitting mats: a dense practice mat over a firm base takes repeated strikes. Mats range from thin and hard (which can jar wrists) to thicker, softer mats that allow a more realistic strike.
• Tee line turf: some builders install a strip of very dense hitting turf at a tee spot, glued or seamed into the surrounding turf.
• Rotate locations: if you chip off fringe, move your spot a few feet every session.
• Padding underneath: a shock pad under a hitting area helps both feel and turf life.

Can you build a sand bunker with artificial turf?

Yes. A turf-framed bunker is one of the most realistic features you can add, and also the one most likely to cause problems if drainage is skipped. Sand that stays wet becomes hard, heavy and green with algae.

Bunker construction steps

1. Excavate the bunker shape 8 to 12 in deep, with sloped sides and a shallow floor.
2. Drain the floor: grade it to a low point with a perforated pipe in gravel leading to an outlet, or into a gravel sump on fast-draining soil. See sub-surface drainage.
3. Install a liner of geotextile or a bunker liner product to keep soil and stones from mixing with sand.
4. Wrap the turf of the surrounding fringe or rough down over the bunker lip and fasten it below sand level, so the edge looks natural and does not fray.
5. Fill with bunker sand to a depth of about 4 to 6 in on the floor, less on the faces.
6. Rake and firm the sand, then test drainage with a hose.

Where should a bunker go?

Place the bunker beside, not in front of, the main approach line so you can still chip without hitting out of sand every time. Leave at least 4 to 6 ft of green between the bunker edge and the nearest cup so splash shots have room to land. Sand will spray onto the green; on a sand-filled green that is manageable, but keep bunkers downwind of the prevailing breeze where possible.

How do you keep bunker sand off the putting surface?

• Rake bunker sand back to the center after each session.
• Brush splashed sand off the green the same day, before it is ground in.
• Use a sand that is close in color and particle size to your green's infill, so stray sand blends in.
• Keep the bunker face lip slightly raised so rolling balls and runoff do not carry sand onto the turf.

Our silica sand guide explains particle size and why rounded sand behaves differently from angular sand.

Our checklist for a short-game area

Budget for these features in putting green cost, and estimate turf areas with the roll layout calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What wedge shots can I practice on a backyard green?

Bump-and-run chips, standard chips and short pitches are all realistic on a sand-filled green with fringe. Flop shots and full wedges need a hitting mat and more space. The limit is usually landing room and safety, not turf. Practicing several clubs to the same cup is a great way to learn carry and roll ratios.

Does fringe turf need infill?

Usually yes. Fringe and rough turf are taller and benefit from sand or another infill to stand upright, hold the turf in place and give a realistic lie. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation. Fringe infill is typically different from the putting surface infill depth, so plan quantities separately.

Will chip shots damage my putting green?

Normal chips land and roll without harm on a well-filled green. Problems come from thin or fat shots that strike the turf with the club, especially in one spot. Rotate chipping positions, fix any displaced sand after each session, and avoid hitting full shots directly off the putting surface.

What sand should I use in a backyard bunker?

Use a dedicated bunker sand or a clean, washed sand with angular particles that firms up but does not pack hard. Avoid play sand, which is fine and soft and can hold water, and avoid sand with a lot of silt. A light color looks traditional and stays cooler than dark sand.