Blackstone Country Club is a private club inside Vistancia, at 12101 W Blackstone Drive in Peoria. Its course, which opened in 2005, was Jim Engh's first Arizona design. Homes around a golf course raise turf questions you don't get elsewhere, mostly about putting greens and how turf looks next to real fairway grass.
Putting greens for golfers
For golfers, a backyard green is often the first idea. On a Blackstone custom lot, plan it as part of the rear-yard turf allowance covered in the questions below, and use our putting green guide for how a green is built and laid out.
When the yard backs onto the course
If your yard sits behind a view fence on the course, your turf will be seen next to real grass. Ask for samples and look at them outside, in the same light, before choosing a color. Some turf looks very green next to a dormant winter fairway, and very blue-green next to a summer one.
Golf balls land in yards on a course. Turf handles that better than gravel, but ask about the edge along the fence, where balls and debris tend to collect.
Design review
Homes around the club are part of Vistancia, and Blackstone's own Design Review Committee has published rules for custom lots, including where artificial turf may go, as the questions below explain. The HOA approval guide covers putting a request together.
Practice hours in summer
In summer, early morning and evening are the comfortable times to practice. Turf in direct sun gets very hot, so put the green where it gets afternoon shade if you can, or plan to use it early and late. The heat guide explains how much shade changes things.
Lines and leaks under a green
A green is shaped carefully, so you don't want to dig it up to reach a leaking pipe. Before its base goes down, find out what runs under the green and settle what gets capped or replaced; our irrigation guide covers how.
The rest of the job, from removal to infill, follows the same order as any yard; see how a turf installation works.
Questions to ask for a Blackstone yard
Around a golf course, the questions shift toward how the turf plays and how it looks from outside the yard.
- Can I see turf samples outdoors, next to the course grass, before choosing a color?
- How will the edge along the view fence be finished?
- Does my lot fall under the custom-home guidelines, and how much rear-yard turf do they allow?
- How many cups fit the space without crowding the putts?
- What approvals does my association need for anything visible from the course?
Nearby and next steps
Blackstone sits within Vistancia, close to Trilogy at Vistancia. Tell us about the yard and the green you have in mind, and we'll set up your estimate.