An old suburb with old trees
Kirkwood is the region’s original railroad suburb, and its streets show it. Platted in 1852 and named for Pacific Railroad engineer James P. Kirkwood, it was the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi River. Kirkwood Station, built in 1893, is still an Amtrak stop, and Kirkwood Park has hosted the Greentree Festival since 1961. The city counted 29,461 residents in 2020 and has won the Arbor Day Growth Award four times.
That history means mature trees, established beds and lots laid out long before anyone planned a putting green.
Putting greens, front and back
A putting green works in a Kirkwood front yard if it’s built to look like part of the landscape. The green in our photo sits in front of a brick house, framed by lawn turf so it reads as a finished yard rather than a patch. Backyard greens are simpler, and we often add a fringe for chipping.
Two putting surfaces fit most yards. Pro Putt 42 is a texturized polypropylene green for practice and chipping. Premier Putt is tight-gauge nylon for a truer roll, but it’s non-permeable, so we pitch the base to shed water off the edges.
Working around trees
Mature trees shade and compete with grass, and they matter when you dig. We mark large trees at the estimate and lay out the turf to stay clear of their root zones where we can. Leaves come off turf with a leaf blower, and there’s no mower for twigs to jam.
Water bills in Kirkwood
Kirkwood runs its own water system, and watering a lawn here has gotten more expensive. The city is the only one in St. Louis County still running its own water distribution, buying treated water from Missouri American Water and delivering it through city mains. First Alert 4 reported in June 2026 that Kirkwood water rates had climbed more than 50% in four years and that a consultant estimated about $90 million in system upgrades. MU Extension says a summer lawn may need 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week. Turf takes that line off the bill.
No mowing to the 7-inch rule
FOX 2 reported in 2024 that Kirkwood requires grass to stay at or under seven inches. A turf green and lawn never get there.
