Turf Material
Natural turf costs less, but is more complex to install. Plus, it requires continual maintenance to keep it in tip-top condition. Synthetic turf is more costly, at up to $40 per square foot. But it's faster and easier to install and is virtually maintenance-free.
You can also purchase synthetic mats that cost between $460 and $1,360, depending on the size, but you won't get much choice of design, hole placement, or cuts.
Labor
Labor costs vary significantly, depending on the size of your putting green and how much work is required. If, for example, your lawn isn't smooth or appropriately sloped, you'll need to regrade your lawn, which costs $975 to $3,000.
Installing sod costs $0.50 to $1 per square foot in labor alone. You'll also need to account for delivery fees, which are typically $65 to $230 per truckload of sod.
Oddly shaped greens, slopes, hills, bunkers, curves, and other features can add an additional 20% to your labor costs. Hiring a landscaper costs $50 to $100 per hour, on average, but they may give you a per-job price.
Indoor vs. Outdoor
Indoor putting greens will run you anywhere from $160 to $400, or more than $4,000. You could spend the minimum or the maximum—it all depends on how into golf you are. Costs run $15 to $30 per square foot for an outdoor green.
Design Time
Hiring a landscape designer costs $50 to $150 per hour. How many hours you'll pay for depends on how long it takes you to agree to a putting green layout that you're happy with.
Hiring a local landscape designer lets you more effectively plan your project. You can talk through ideas, must-haves, nice-to-haves, and any extra features you'd like to incorporate into the green itself or the surrounding landscape.
Number of Cuts
If you want to practice more than just your putting, you'll likely want additional turf cuts. This increases installation time and, in the case of real turf, ongoing maintenance costs. Multiple cuts of fringe and fairway turf can increase labor costs by up to 10%, but lets you practice all shot types, rather than just putting.
Site Prep
Alongside sodding and regrading, site accessibility can significantly drive up the labor cost. The distance between the parking area and the job site, for example, can increase the time it takes to do the job.
Similarly, if the access is severely limited so that the contractor cannot get large equipment to it easily, the installation team will be working with shovels and wheelbarrows, which can double labor costs.