Buying an entire 18 holes is a big commitment; for those who want to start smaller, there’s the backyard putting green. The newest breed—made from synthetic turf—takes as little as a day to install and just a monthly blow-dry to maintain.

Size: Anywhere from 200 to 5,000 square feet. (The average green on a full-size course measures about 5,500 square feet.)

Material: Outdoor synthetic greens are typically composed of polypropylene blades. The turf is infilled with silica sand; after installation, a special machine is rolled over the “grass” to bend the tips an eighth of an inch in different directions, so the ball lands and rolls as though it’s on a bent-grass green. Prices range from about $13 to $20 per square foot, depending on the market, says a spokesperson from Southwest Greens, which has 65 offices throughout the U.S.

Installation time: Requires as little as a day for a small putting green to several months for an elaborate multihole minicourse.

Extras: Duffers can also install synthetic fairways ($7 to $10 per square foot), which now come in a wide variety of grass options such as Bermuda, rye, and fescue. The grass comes in many different colors, textures, and lengths. Sand traps (around $15 to $18 per square foot) and tee boxes are also popular. Home Green Advantage, based in Larchmont, New York, will even install indoor or rooftop greens.

Maintenance time:  About 15 minutes a month. Blow off leaves and have the surface rolled when necessary, especially on high-traffic greens.