Backyard putting green

[fishinFamily]

I have a question - I know there’s some Greenskeepers on here….

i really want to have a putting green my backyard.

I’m starting slow…. Right now I have an old manual reel mower… I sharpened it up, and I turned down the wheels and the rollers on my lathe so now it cuts at about 3/8”.

I just mowed down my lawn (common Bermuda and zoysia mostly) in the shape of the green I want. It’s very bumpy obviously. But it’s good to chip in to. I know at best it will be slow, but it gives me something until I can pull the trigger on a proper greensmower.

I’m near St. Louis, Missouri, so we are in the southern end of the northern zone.

Questions:

what should be my next step? Aerate, top dress, seed, all of the above? Something else?
Should I put in bent grass? Bermuda hybrid? Something else? If bent grass, can I just overseed?

Any advice is appreciated. As you can probably tell - I’m heavy on ambition and light on knowledge!!

[ring fry]

As a retired golf course superintendent my only advice is. DON"T DO IT!! Seriously, it is way more a PITA than it will be worth.

Retired grass grower

[fishinFamily]

Fair enough. I could always save up a couple of years and go synthetic. :)

[Rebel1]

I agree. I went with a Pro Putt Systems green.

[ring fry]

Fair enough. I could always save up a couple of years and go synthetic. :)

By far, your best bet.

Retired grass grower