I always wondered if using an indoor putting green would benefit my game . . . and just how realistic were they, as well? After searching the web and checking out reviews on several indoor putting greens, I came across a company called BirdieBall.
BirdieBall offers practice putting greens in many sizes and configurations – greens are available as long as 30’ and as wide as 8 feet. With the many packages and options the company offers, there is definitely a size to fit your space.
BirdieBall’s standard greens are about a ½ inch thick in depth. The company does have an optional double depth version which is a full 1 inch in depth. In addition, BirdieBall offers different speed options for their greens, from a slow 9-10 (on stimpmeter), to medium 10-11, to a very fast 11-13 . Putting green options include holes placed in various positions, end and side bumpers so the balls stay on the putting surface, and the option for a custom logo placed on the putting green.
I have BirdieBall’s 4 ft x 14ft putting green, and it is a good size for my basement. It was easy to set up; simply roll it out, place the plastic cups in where the holes are, attach the bumpers and you’re ready to start putting. My putting green is a medium speed, which is similar to a private club, and I must say that the speed was very accurate to what I normally play on. Although the green doesn’t feel like grass, the ball does roll true. You have the option of setting up some breaks in the green if you want to and make putting even more challenging.
I found myself practicing on my BirdieBall putting green for hours at a time. I know how important putting is and how it can really help improve my score every round. Spending time in the basement with the T.V. on and just putting to different hole locations was a lot of fun. I continue to use the BirdieBall putting green every other day, and as the weather gets cold, I can see myself being in the basement practicing every day.
Here’s what the company says about their greens…
The Specifics
Our Classic Indoor Putting Greens are ½” thick, light weight, and easily rolled away. This state-of-the-art putting surface features two stimp speeds so you can practice putting both into the grain and against the grain on the same surface.
Customize your speed and practice relative to the grain
Ball drops into the cup without a contrived ramp
Roll up the green at any time and store it away
Easily create breaks and contours
The BirdieBall Difference
Why is our putting green so different from our competitors? At BirdieBall, we believe that having a true-rolling green is everything. This starts by understanding how a natural putting green works. A natural putting green surface is comprised of short, supple, randomly distributed nubs of grass that allow the ball to be supported on the spongy sub-base of the putting green. The mown nubs of grass then control the speed of the putt. BirdieBall indoor putting greens are engineered in the exact same way. We roll the sub-base perfectly flat, and then are able to extract grass-like nubs from the surface of the spongy base, which controls the speed. This radically new and authentic approach and has been awarded US Patent 8,979,663! Competitor greens are made on a loom using a woven pattern of long, rigid strands of plastic, which is nothing like a natural green. Check out the BirdieBall difference today!
Each Green automatically comes with the following (If you choose extra cups/flags, side rails, or any other accessories, those items will be included in addition to what is listed below):
* Cups and flags for as many as you choose in the “Number of Cups & Flags” section
* Up to 3 cups and flags for free
* 1 high-back cup will be included to practice extra firm putts
* Hole Plugs for all holes
* Heavy Rubber Bumpers/Trim for both ends of the green (you can choose to add side bumpers or side trim if desired)
* Hole Deepening Shim to make any hole a full 1” deep
* Hole Reduction Insert to reduce the size of the hole to 2 ½” in diameter
* Please note: All BirdieBall Putting Greens are measured in nominal inches. In order to get the green packed in a box for shipping, along with the hand crafted nature of our greens, the measurements can vary slightly. See below for the nominal range of measurements depending on which width you order.
* 2′ wide greens: 23-25 inches wide
* 3′ wide greens: 34-36 inches wide
* 4′ wide greens: 46- 48 inches wide
* 8′ wide greens: 94-96 inches wide
The company website is www.birdieball.com. The putting greens start at $65.00 for a space saver version and go up to over $700 for an 8 x 18 with all the bells and whistles. I suggest calling the company before ordering to go over what space you have and they will help you determine which is best for you.
The company also offers a shuffleboard style putting green game, called ShufflePutt which looks like a lot of fun! This fun game combines the age old favorite, shuffleboard, with golf! Take turns putting your colored balls down the mat, trying to land your balls in one of the scoring areas. Make it interesting by going for the cup to make 4 points and keeping your ball safe from being knocked out of the scoring zones, but be careful! If you miss the cup, you’ll be in the ZERO zone, and score no points.
I really like my BirdieBall putting green and it’s being used on a regular basis. I imagine my handicap will definitely be going down because I’ll be sinking more putts each round.
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