PUTTING FOR DOUGH

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- "Buck" Schott's quest to be a better golfer led him to a business opportunity he calls Buck's Backyard Putting Greens.

Schott, who has been a golfer for 2 1/2 years, was looking for a way to improve his game around the greens. In the back of Golf Magazine, he found an ad for All-Pro Putting Greens, a product that sounded interesting enough to him that he drove to Ringold, Ga., to check out the manufacturer.

"I was thinking of just having one for myself," he says.

Instead, he bought a franchise.

Despite the name of his business, Schott's own green is in his front yard. It is an experimental model with more than the usual number of cups. The green consists of a synthetic turf "groomed" with a sand mixture to make the fibers stand up. Schott has tried different sand mixtures. He settled on brown and black sandblasting sand.

But compacting the soil underneath is the crucial step in putting in a green, Schott says. If it isn't done well, ripples can appear. "The sub-base needs to be as smooth as glass," he says.

Another patch of turf can be placed near the green to practice short pitches or chips. Practicing on the green definitely has improved his own game, Schott says. "It helps me see the ball release and shows me what's going to happen when I get on the course."

Dave Pelz, a well-known short-game guru, has a synthetic putting green in his own yard.

Customers can either buy the kit from Schott and put the green in themselves or Schott will install it for $8 a square foot. The putting green kits range from 196 square feet -- $607.60 -- up to 1,836 square feet -- $5,330.20.

The greens can be customized by the buyer and can be accessorized with a bunker if desired.

According to information provided by the company, the green can withstand all kinds of weather. It comes with a warranty and requires no maintenance.

The putting greens are a sideline for Schott, who works at Mobile Homes Super Center in Scott City and does some subcontracting.

His customers are both serious golfers and people who want to get their kids involved in golf, Schott says. "It's an affluent market," he said.

His 7-year-old son, Stephen, is learning to play golf with the help of the green. Last week, Stephen was off to play his first official round.

The greens are fast, registering a 9 or 10 on a Stimp meter.

"I don't recommend a lot of slope," Schott says.

But the greens also have a grain similar to Bermuda grass. He said the green will accentuate breaks and bring out the flaws in your putting stroke.

"It is real picky," he said. "If you're not getting your putting stroke right it will tell you."