FAQs - Putting green surfaces - pros and cons

The terms synthetic grass, artificial grass, synthetic turf, and artificial turf are essentially interchangeable. These products have an interesting history, as the development of synthetic turf began in the 1950s in response to the perception that residents in urban areas were not getting enough exercise. It was imagined that synthetic grass would provide soft, safe surfaces to play on year-round. Though the idea was good, the product was not so good, and the results were less than satisfactory. Two major complaints were that the synthetic grass was not soft enough and that it did not look real. It's not surprising, therefore, that talk of synthetic grass may bring to mind images of those unnatural looking, unnatural feeling products of the past.

In contrast to the first synthetic grass products, today's artificial grass products are innovative, functional, and natural looking. The materials used in the manufacturing process of synthetic grass products, including the yarns and backing, along with improved methods of installation have resulted in much more impressive results: synthetic grass surfaces that look and feel like real grass.

Superior synthetic turf products and improved installation techniques have made the use of artificial turf increasingly popular, particularly for sport applications. Certain sports are especially dependent on the quality of the grass on which they are played. For instance, golf is always played on grass, and the quality of the golf course is dependent on rigorous maintenance schedule for an extensive area of well-tended grass. There are three distinct areas of grass on a golf course, including the fairway, the rough, and the putting green. Each is maintained in a particular way to affect how the ball is played. Fairway grass is kept short and even, allowing the player to connect with the ball more precisely. The grass in the rough is generally much longer, negatively affecting the precision of play. Putting greens characteristically have the shortest and most even turf, allowing the ball to roll smoothly over the putting surface. An entire industry centers around the development and marketing of grasses for golf courses. Likewise, as synthetic grass products have improved, and as greens keepers look for reduced-maintenance, drought-resistant alternatives to real grass golf greens, the synthetic grass industry has grown considerably.

In addition to the availability of superior synthetic turf products and improved installation techniques, environmental concerns have contributed to expanded use of synthetic grass. Caring for a natural grass lawn contributes to air pollution, noise pollution and water pollution. In contrast, synthetic grass eliminates the need for lawn mowing, edging, fertilizing, watering, aerating, and pest control.

These environmental benefits also translate to personal benefits when you consider how much extra personal time you will have given the minimal maintenance required for synthetic grass. In today's fast-paced society where people commonly bemoan their lack of leisure time, lifestyle has also played a part in more widespread use of synthetic grass surfaces. Minimal maintenance means less work and more play.

synthetic grass is more frequently being used as an alternative to real grass, and it is the ideal solution for areas where you simply could not have real grass. It can be used as carpeting in trade show booths, in showrooms to provide a ‘green’ setting for displaying everything from cars to garden furniture, on television and movie sets, for rooftop gardens, for pet runs, at residences where allergies would otherwise keep the kids indoors; the possibilities are limitless.