Backyard Redo - Alfieris' Photos- powered by SmugMug

Following the completion of our remodel, we decided to enlarge the backyard so that the kids have more room to play, as well as add golf hole. We started planning this mid-May 2008, but didn't actually get the plans completed until August 2009 (oops). The golf hole will be about 80 yards long with a 2500 sq-ft Softrak artificial green. The backyard grass will initially be rye but we will plant Bermuda in June 2010.

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Alfieris > Step 0 - Mess Before Landscaping - this is looking at the right side of our backyward (or what's left of it). The dirt/rock pile on the left is from our remodel grading. That's Adam's hitting net on the right. An elevated green will go behind and to the left of that hitting net and we'll hit up at it from way back and left so that we're hitting away from the house. The sand trap will be on this side of the green so that we'll be hitting away from the house. The green needs lots of sunlight, water, and air, so we'll be taking down a number of trees around it. Much of the sunlight will be coming from the cleared-out fairway straight ahead. The huge rocks will find their way into walls around the green, hazards, or rock gardens.

Alfieris > Step 0 - Mess Before Landscaping - again, these are the dirt/rocks left over from the remodel grading. That flat graded area behind our basement will be a patio. What little is left of our backyard in the foreground will be graded down to the same level as the patio area and will become mostly fairway that hits into the green from a different angle. The windows will still look out at trees. The trees that are coming down are more on this side of the backyard.

Alfieris > Step 1 - Mark Trees - yellow markers are hardwoods more than 12" in diameter - they need to get drawn on a plan for the Chapel Hill Landscape Architect to review. The pink markers are trees that will come down. I have already cleared a few tiny trees so that we can plot out the area more easily. The goal is to keep as many large trees as possible and line the cleared area with them.

Alfieris > Step 1 - Mark Trees - these are trees behind Adam's hitting net (right of backyard) that need to come down so that the green will have enough light, water, and air. We have a permit to dig a well close to this area so that we can water the green and fairways as much as we want. Wells in this area do not steal from any lakes or rivers.

Alfieris > Step 1 - Mark Trees - this is looking up at our driveway from our backyard. Those two small trees will need to come down so that we can get heavy equipment in the backyard. Also, we'll be putting in a new garage and lanai at some point around there, so they will eventually need to come down anyway. We'll probably cut into that hill and put in a retaining wall that goes all the way over to the left and behind the green.

Alfieris > Step 0 - Mess Before Landscaping - looking from end of patio toward what's left of our backyard. That backyard area will get graded down to the same level as the patio. The elevated green will be somewhere on the other side of that dirt/rock pile.

Step 0 - Mess Before Landscaping - this is looking at the right side of our backyward (or what's left of it). The dirt/rock pile on the left is from our remodel grading. That's Adam's hitting net on the right. An elevated green will go behind and to the left of that hitting net and we'll hit up at it from way back and left so that we're hitting away from the house. The sand trap will be on this side of the green so that we'll be hitting away from the house. The green needs lots of sunlight, water, and air, so we'll be taking down a number of trees around it. Much of the sunlight will be coming from the cleared-out fairway straight ahead. The huge rocks will find their way into walls around the green, hazards, or rock gardens.