For the golfer, his own place to putter

A Lutz man markets synthetic turf putting greens for back yards and businesses.

By LOGAN D. MABE

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 12, 1999

LUTZ -- What do you get the golf nut who already has every gadget and gizmo ever invented?

Mark Newman suggests a personal putting green.

Newman, owner of Mirage Putting Greens of Tampa Bay, specializes in designing and building synthetic turf putting greens, suitable for any back yard. That is where he built his floor model for potential clients to try out.

"It certainly is a crowd pleaser at parties," said Newman, whose neighborhood on Lake Moss is big on backyard social affairs.

Up until about a year ago, Newman was a national sales manager for a lighting manufacturer. But after 25 years in that line of work, he decided to try something new and start his own business.

Newman found himself in a Barnes & Noble bookstore one day, browsing through the entrepreneur magazines when he saw something about Mirage Putting Greens, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company that makes the patented turf.

For less than the price of a good used car, Newman bought the rights to sell Mirage greens in Tampa Bay.

"Our easiest sale is to somebody who has a real grass green," Newman said. That is because real grass requires more attention than a rose garden, he said.

The Mirage putting surface is a synthetic fiber, a more refined version of Astroturf, that replicates the feel of real bent grass greens.

"It putts just like a real green," Newman said.

One of his first customers was the Play It Again Sports store on Fletcher Avenue in Carrollwood. Play It Again sells used sporting goods equipment, including golf clubs and putters.

"It's nice because the customers get to try out a putter before they buy one," said manager Dustin Myers. "That's the main reason why we did it. If someone's going to spend $60 on a putter, they want to make sure it putts straight."

Other places where Newman markets the putting green include restaurants, auto dealerships, hotels, driving ranges, condominiums and retirement communities.

Recently, Newman said, he installed one at the Greens of Carrollwood development.

Prices range from about $1,400 for a 12-foot by 12-foot green to more than $3,000 for larger models.

The lighted, three-hole version in Newman's back yard runs about $4,700.

Oddly, Newman is not much of a golfer.

"I used to golf, but I wasn't any good," he said. "I never took lessons, but people said I looked good swinging the club."

Now Newman lives by the golfing adage "You drive for show, but you putt for dough."

-- To reach Logan D. Mabe, call 226-3464 or e-mail him at mabe@sptimes.com.

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