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BACKYARD INSTALLATION
If you are installing the green in the backyard, or other natural outdoor areas,
we have a few techniques that will speed up the installation. The Tour Links®
panels are designed to flow over the existing ground slope that is naturally
created in the earth.
If a particular valley is too severe then some filling with finely crushed stone
in these areas is recommended. If a hill is too severe, a little digging may be
required.
Remember most golf greens are not dead flat.
1. Place your pre cut turf, green side up, on the grass in the desired location.
It is important that your turf be allowed to relax in a warm environment
for several hours to assure the best fit.
2. Walk around the edge of the turf with a bottle of baby powder or chalk
and mark the grass around the pre cut turf creating an outline of the
green.
3. Remove the synthetic turf.
4. Use a weed whacker to scalp the grass as low as possible within the
outline of the green. This will give you a great base to start with.
5. Now follow your “Tour Links Design Sheet” and begin to layout the
panels.
6. Assemble the panels per the Tour Links Assembly Instruction Manual. Be
sure to build your panels to the dimensions of the pre-cut turf, due to the
natural shrinkage that occurs in all textiles. There should be about 1/16”
gap around the edge. This gap will vary as temperatures and natural
shrinkage occur. You must only use the provided screws & washers for all
INSTALLATION TIPS
When placed on sloped ground, Tour Links panels are designed to flex
and mimic the underlying sloped ground creating a realistic putting
green. When placed on a flat and level surface, Tour Links panels will
remain flat and level.
The easiest method of installation of the Tour Links®system is indoor
or outdoor on a hard surface. Whether it is tile, carpet, or a wooden
deck, this installation requires nothing more than sliding the panels
together and tightening the provided screws and washers. Almost
immediately the space is transformed into a professional putting
green.
installations and DO NOT over tighten the screws. Use just enough force
to snug the screws down and then back off a quarter turn. You will only
need to insert the screws in the holes of the outer panel as shown on
page 3. There are a few additional screws provided to be used in areas
of the green that are following a severe contour. Use these screws to
insure proper alignment in necessary. If you are installing over sand or
soil areas a layer of commercial polyester fabric weed barrier cloth should
be laid out under the panels to prevent sand or dirt from interfering with
assembly of the panels. This weed barrier cloth should also be used if you
are installing over grass. It is believed that this cloth will help minimize
any uneven settling of the panels. Be sure to either weed wack the
grass down to bare dirt or kill the grass with a liquid weed killer prior to
installation of the weed control cloth and the panels.
7. As you are laying out the panels and you come to a panel with a hole
make sure the hole is positioned in the correct location. The center panel
is designed to allow for 4 different hole locations depending on which
way the panel is installed.
8. If you are installing on a contoured surface, water may tend to settle in
some low areas along the bump rails of the curved panels.
9. Locate the low areas by flowing water over the panels and watch where
it collects. Rolling a golf ball on the panels will also indicate the low
areas.
10. At the identified low area, 1/2” away from the bump rail, drill a 3/8”
hole through the deck material. This will allow any collected water to
funnel out of the low area. Repeat the drilling at all identified low water
collection areas. This step may not be necessary depending on your
location.
11. Your green may seem a little spongy at first, but as the panels settle,
the green will become very stable. A solid base could be achieved
immediately by spreading and compacting a 1” layer of finely crushed
rock, such as decomposed granite or crushed limestone. Pack down the
rock and lay out the panels. This is where a layer of commercial polyester
fabric weed barrier cloth is required to keep the new gravel or sand
from getting caught in the panel teeth, disrupting the expansion and
contraction of the panels. NOTE: Polyester weed barrier cloth is available
at most home centers.
12. Install the turf as described in step 4 on page 9 of this manual.
13. Periodic vacuuming of the turf is recommended, as well as washing the
bump rails. To clean the bump rails, use any automotive black bumper
conditioner found in any auto parts store.
BACKYARD INSTALLATION
