Before getting on how to build a sand trap in your backyard, it would be wise to know why backyard golf sand trap becomes necessary.
We, who are golfers or fan of the golfers, know that the golf course has a number of hazards and sand trap is one of the toughest one to overcome. Whereas the master golfers find it challenging, the novice and duffers need prolonged practice to face it. To make overcoming a golf course sand trap possible, you need to practice a lot. That is when and where sand trap in backyard comes essential for both master golfers and those who want to master this craft.
A sand trap is advisable for space is limited in your patio but properly built backyard sand trap will help practice leading to overcoming the hole’s hazard condition. Above all, building a backyard sand trap is a great way for practicing chip shots in the green. Here you go with the several steps to build your backyard sand trap.
How To Build A Sand Trap In Your Backyard?
Building a sand trap in the backyard is definitely challenging but not impossible for even a novice if he/she is guided by experienced directions. That is why, we have broken the entire process down into seven steps so that you may follow them with ease.
Locate your sand trap position
The crucial step is to select the location where you can have the best space to practice. For a clue, the location should be relative to the putting green and so the surrounding with rough grass should be the location in your backyard green. This should be 10–15 ft from your putting green and certain a level field. To your ease, that distance will be effective to keep the green from the reach of the sand spray. Your sand trap in the backyard is a backyard putting green with sand trap as sand traps in golf without putting green is no use.
Determine the size of the trap
You need an extension cord or a water hose will better help to determine the shape and size of the sand trap. You may need to go through an experiment with shapes and sizes given you are quite new in the task. Before finally marking the area, take time to chip several shots from this location to the green to see if it will do or not. If it is okay, mark the perimeter of the shape with spray paint can. This demarcation will help you accurately remove the existing grass to make the sand trap area bare.
Remove the grass and make the needed slope
You now need a shovel to remove all the grass from the marked area. You just go by the inside of the perimeter and keep on shaving the area off the grass until it is fully bare.
Once the grass is removed to the last strand, it is time to create a slope just from the middle of the area meant for trap. The general rule is that you should make the incline 2 ft from the middle of the trap to the tip of the grass. However, the slope may be more or less depending on your need so that you may overcome the challenge thrown by the sand traps in golf courses.
Dig A drainage Trench
A sand trap should not stay wet or marshy but you cannot resist rain falling on it though you can stop water from other sources. So, the smart way out in this case is to dig a drainage trench along the width of the trap and the depth can be 10–12 inches. Sand cannot hold water and so the liquid will trickle down to the trench below and the sand above will not remain wet.
Fill in the trench
You cannot keep the trench vacant to fill it up with sand. Rather, you should fill it up with gravel and put gravels until the surface of the trench rise to the bottom of the sand trap. Small rocks or pea gravel are the choice in this case.
Put weed killer
Weed can sprout and to stop further growth of the weed, you should spray weed killer across the trap hole. Now, spread the weed barrier all over the area to bar weed from germinating in the sand trap. To secure the weed barrier, hammer down landscaping nails that will keep the barrier tied in place when putting the sand. These are mock sand trap but they should not differ much with an actual golf sand trap.
Put sand in the trap
Fill the trap hole with sand and all the sand will go to the middle of the trap because of the incline. Keep adding sand until they make a 6” deep sand trap. Do not forget to distribute the sand evenly over the slope.
Now, you are all set and can start practicing your critical shots to achieve the needed skill to overcome hazard posed by the golf course sand trap.
Takeaway
By now, you have learnt how to build a golf sand trap in your backyard. However, this is not that tough to enquire a veteran sand trap builder but you must abide by the local zoning laws so that you are not violating any landscaping code.
