Answers

As a builder I could tell you there is no right answer. I built my home on the water and I have switched from eal grass to artificial . My reasoning was to conserve water and time. Now I can also focas my time on other things. I've addded a complet creek that runs down my entite property into the lake and addded palm tees and other floweers and tees. The amazing thing is hoe green my yard always appears from lake and now I have installed over 20 other homes with the same product. For me the switch was completely worth it as well as all the new clients I've gathered from it. It's a personal decision for sure. www.greenbuiltwa.com

Hi John, 

Turn on your sprinklers for the zone your leak is on and let it run. The area where the leak is will cause the ground around it to be soaked and water logged more so than any other area. There is your leak.

Good luck!

The biggest issue we run into is not having enough black dirt (quality soil) on on hand. Trucking in more soil can add thousands of dollars, and it's not often evident at the start of construction or remodeling.

Drainage is a common issue that clients don't anticipate. 

You night try Pine straw instead of wood mulch. It's less prone to washing.

Check out this Houzz site for ideas http://www.houzz.com/outdoor-basketball-court

Do you have a budget? This would be the first question I would ask which also relates to your potential. You are looking at 15-20k typically.

Then are you looking at concrete or a rubber base?