With training and play often interrupted in the area due to the monsoonal conditions that dominate for a few months of the year, the synthetic turf gives the players the opportunity to continue to play on. Where this ground differs from the only other artificial turf ground in Mumbai is the fact that this ground is a dual-use ground. The other ground is the artificial turf hockey ground at the Mumbai Hockey Association in Churchgate.

It is believed that one of the factors that has hindered the development of hockey as a sport in India is the lack of artificial turf facilities throughout the country. While other countries have access to synthetic turf grounds at all levels, Indian hockey is not quite so lucky. With the introduction of this new ground things are looking positive for the future of the sport.

The fact that the surface will become available to a wider range of hockey players, not to mention the fact that the footballers will also benefit, means that more players will become accustomed to playing on the more predictable surface.

This new development follows the encouraging news last year of the FIFA synthetic grass initiative in India and the grounds that were going to be developed as a result.

A Dutch company called Desso will be artificially enhancing the pitches of two stadiums in Nelspruit and Polokwane. This is a little different to the usual artificial turf pitches that are more like artificial carpets laid out over a specially prepared surface.

In this case the company will be enhancing the existing natural turf pitches by injecting artificial grass fibres every two centimetres. The process will eventually involve the inclusion of something in the order of 20 million fibres and they will reach a depth of around 20 centimetres. This system is called Grassmaster and it results in a turf surface that is made up of 97 per cent natural grass and 3 per cent synthetic grass.

The Grassmaster system is yet another new technology in the synthetic grass field that is improving the playing conditions as well as the look of the stadia in which it is used. It is a process that is quite expensive and is only suitable for those grounds that are dedicated to a single sport such as some of the home grounds that currently use it in the English Premier League. It would be very difficult to justify the use at grounds where the grass is temporarily removed for other events.

The CEO of Desso has explained that the Grassmaster system makes the pitche sin which they are installed many times sturdier because the natural grass roots intertwine with the artificial fibres and so there is less damage to the surface and the act of sliding across the surface is less devastating.

Not all surfaces are suitable for the procedure to be used with the manufacturer preferring to sow the artificial grass in a bare surface before the real grass is sown in. Similarly not all types of grass are suitable to have the injection procedure take place.

There is already preparations being undertaken by the company to prepare for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The best results are achieved when the ground is injected with the artificial fibres a year in advance to give the grass roots a chance to properly intertwine with the artificial fibres.

If synthetic grass surfaces were becoming increasingly difficult to detect before, it is becoming even more difficult with products like Grassmaster injecting strands in between the natural grass.

You can find further reading of the full story of synthetic grass at the World Cup here.

Following the video is a discussion that involves people from a few different fields such as homeowner in the video and Mark Radeke from Easy Turf. The article takes another run at the pros and cons of synthetic grass with the same old arguments rearing their heads.

Predictably the gardener feels the synthetic grass is simply an outdoor carpet and makes a case for planting a ground cover instead of either a synthetic or natural grass surface. I’m sure owners who enjoy the feeling of walking on their grass lawn, whether it is synthetic or natural, would be completely underwhelmed by that suggestion.

While I think most of us would acknowledge that replacing every single patch of natural grass with synthetic grass would prove to becompletely detrimental to the environment, the opponents have to accept that some people would like a low maintenance yard that can be walked on, enjoyed andbe pleasing to look at.

You can see the piece in its entirety by visiting the KPBS San Diego Week webpage.

Understandably there was a lot of concern voiced about synthetic grass and its application in light of what the poor drainage was doing to the surrounding ground. Not only was it dangerous for those who was using the surface but it was also dangerous for the organisms that depended on good airflow to survive.

Synthetic grass drainage solutions were required and the synthetic grass manufacturers provided them. They come in a couple of forms, the first in the manufacture of the synthetic grass itself and the other in the preparation of the ground before installation takes place.

Firstly the way synthetic grass was constructed had to change to make it more closely like natural grass. The mesh matting system to which the grass fibers are attached had to change so that it replicated the way grass roots work. These days the grass backing is sufficiently perforated to allow any moisture to drain straight through to the ground below.

The second change has seen the creation of a standard drainage system put in place before the synthetic grass is laid down. The ground is first laid with a crushed stone aggregate sub-base that is capable of removing just about any reasonable level of water that is to flow through the synthetic grass. Inventions such as stone tiles that are laid beneath the artificial grass surface to increase the speed in which the water can get away.

Because all synthetic grass lawns that are installed these days have specifically had special drainage techniques used before the grass is put in place the chances are the artificial grass will drain more effectively than the natural grass that has been replaced.

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There are a number of products around making good use of synthetic grass in their ideas that can be used as temporary means for the dogs to relieve themselves in comfort and safety while awaiting the return of reasonable conditions.

The first is known as the PottyPatch, a product made of synthetic grass that is also endorsed by the American Kennel Club. The PottyPatch has three layers to provide the maximum comfort and functionality possible. The top layer is synthetic grass which the dogs will find comfortable to walk on. The second layer is a mesh grate that allows liquids to drain quickly away. The bottom layer is a collection tray that is large enough for multiple uses. It is also simple to empty and clean when required. The PottyPatch comes in two sizes to suit small and large dogs.

Also available is another synthetic grass-based product called The Pup-Head which is a product that makes use of Pup-Grass. Pup-Grass is one of the most well known forms of synthetic grass for dogs. The Pup-Head provides an area that looks and feels like a patch of grass. The Pup-Grass is scented to encourage the dogs to use it. It’s portable enough to take with you ehn you travel so if you are going to be in an RV or traveling by boat, the Pup-Head might come in very handy.

Or how about the Porch Potty and its up-market buddy the Porch Potty Premium? Now the standard version is a patch of synthetic grass measuring 28” x 52” that sits atop a catch basin. The whole thing comes apart for easy cleaning and waste removal. The premium version comes complete with a mini fire hydrant to help the dogs with the hint as to what they should be doing on it. After your dog has done its business you can turn on the hose and a mini sprinkler system will pop up and clean the grass clean. A 14 foot drain hose that comes with the premium then allows the dirty water to drain away. In almost no time the water will have left your piece of synthetic grass odor free and ready for the next use.

These products are not only appropriate as a short term alternative to going outside during inclement weather they can also be useful when potty training a puppy or for apartment or high rise building living. The links above will take you to the company home pages so you can get a little more information.

One of the ways in which you may be planning on saving some money in the purchase of your new artificial grass is to do the installation yourself. Whilst this may be a great idea in theory, it might be worthwhile to run some numbers just to work out whether you will be saving money or paying more.

To do a comparison of the cost of installing synthetic grass yourself and getting a professional synthetic grass installer to do it we can look at some rough price guides. The cost of a DIY synthetic grass installation can range anywhere from $2 - $8 a square foot depending on how many tools you already own and how many you have to hire or buy. The kinds of tools that you might require include a sod cutter and a compactor. A professional installation job can cost between $8 and $20 a square foot. The wide range is due to the variations in the actual work that may be required. If the installation involves many tight corners and unusual shapes, the time and work require will increase which will increase the costs.

Something important to note, the smaller the area that is to be covered by artificial grass, the higher the per foot installation costs are going to be. The reason for this is the equipment supply is going to be the same regardless of the size of the installation.

When you buy synthetic grass you should be supplied with an installation guide that will list all of the steps involved in the installation. This is a necessity for someone who has never done the job before because it’s not as simple as rolling out the grass and nailing it down. A lot of preparation work is required and there are a number of layers to be put down to ensure drainage and shock absorption is done properly.

It is critical that the surface onto which the artificial grass is going to be laid is flat without any bumps or potholes. Any slight deviation in the surface of the ground is going to translate into a permanent mound or hole in your new artificial lawn.

Following the installation there will also be some extra costs if you are going to prolong the life of your grass and give it the care it requires. Synthetic grass maintenance requires tools such as stiff brushes and brooms to regularly remove loose debris and to revive crushed or flattened grass. A leaf blower or vacuum will also come in very handy to shift dirt and grit that has become lodged deeply between the grass fibers. A yearly clean with a liquid cleaner will also revive and sanitize the synthetic grass for the year ahead.

Be careful with choosing to do your own installation. Check the warranty to see what a self-installation means. In some cases the act of not using a professional installation expert may void the warranty, which would leave you high and dry if something were to happen and you wanted some after sales support. Make sure you find out from the manufacturer what it means if you choose to do your own installation.

The price of synthetic grass is already expensive enough without running the risk of doing a poor job of installing it. If you are not proficient at performing landscaping work it would be much more advisable to get an installation professional to do the job, pay the extra costs and finish up with a yard that looks spectacular.

Indoor sporting facilities in particular make use of temporary synthetic turf solutions with the arenas required for a multitude of different events. We often watch tennis tournaments take place after a synthetic turf carpet has been laid down to form the centre court. Similarly indoor soccer courts may be assembled and disassembled quickly and efficiently when other events are being held in the facilities.

There has been work done in bringing the possibility of creating an outdoor synthetic turf system that can be installed over the top of a natural grass field for a short period of time before being packed away and put into storage. The idea is that the grass field could be turned into a multi-sport venue that is suitable for a wider range of sports, creating a hockey surface that can be placed on top of a football ground.

One of the attempts to produce a temporary synthetic turf surface was a modular system that can be assembled, moved around and taken up again when finished. The modular system would include the standard synthetic turf grass fibers that would then be infilled with a layer of particulate materials. The problem with the system is devising a way to keep the turf tiles from moving around under the pressure of heavy contact during game conditions.

To date these systems have met with only limited success with greater results having been achieved with removable natural turf systems that have been able to be brought in to replace damaged turf as needed. Work is still required to provide a solution that will be able to withstand the rigors of competition successfully.

In order to meet the safety standards synthetic turf installed in playgrounds must be soft but it also must be soft enough so that it is not abrasive if a child falls while running on it. A product such as FieldTurf’s FallSoft synthetic turf is installed with a water permeable safety pad that sits under the infill. This pad gives the surface a fall height safety of up to 9 feet which exceeds the ASTM requirements. It is possible to install different thickness shock pads depending on just how padded you need the surface to be.

There are quite a lot of underground base materials that are laid down before the actual synthetic turf is laid. The following cross section of the playground synthetic turf from Southwest Greens Grass Solutions gives you an idea of what is involve.

You can see the where the shock absorbing pad lies underneath the synthetic turf, the depth of the pad in this image is .75″ but this pad can be thicker if required.

When you’re looking for a suitable synthetic turf surface for any playground it’s the G-max score that is important. The G-max score of a synthetic turf system can be altered by adding or removing rubber granules on the surface. The shock pad underneath provides the base protection upon which to build the rest of the impact attenuating properties.

When you hear that golf professionals are also using and promoting the fact that they use these artificial putting greens you begin to get the idea that it is becoming a genuine resource. That’s obviously why there seems to be more and more of them being installed around the country. Installing a reasonably sized putting green with variations in slope, speed and hole settings are a possibility that will enable your game to move ahead in leaps and bounds.

Not Just For Putting

Many of the designs that are available from specialist artificial green companies are not merely restricted to putting. You can also choose to have a small bunker included in the design so that you can practice your bunker play as you blast out onto the synthetic green. Similarly a small chipping area from slightly longer grass can be set up to help the greenside short game. All of this can be squeezed into a surprisingly small area and will be easily suitable for the backyard.

Some companies are even able to offer you the choice of installing a green based on a specific course. Because tournament golf courses have been so exquisitely crafted, the grass used on the greens are already extremely similar to artificial grass anyway. It is not a stretch by any means to consider synthetic grass will be a close match. With improvements in artificial grass blade technology it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between real grass and fake grass.

The maintenance involved with keeping the artificial grass on the putting greens looking its best is constant although not demanding. Tasks such as lifting the pile of the artificial grass on a regular basis to keep the grass blades upright are required. This would be done with an artificial grass pile lifter, a rotating brush that passes over the grass, agitating the grass fibers and fluffing them up from their compressed state.

Companies are able to help their customers in the design of their residential putting greens, lending their experience to give advice on what design might work better than others. When you are installing a putting green in the backyard you want to make it one that will not only be challenging but also versatile enough to give you practice in all kinds of different situations.

As mentioned at the start of this piece, it has recently been revealed that Justin Timberlake has installed an artificial turf putting green in his house. That’s IN his house, not in the backyard of his house. Apparently the installation cost him $800,000 to convert a room. We mere mortals don’t necessarily have to take it to this extreme with an outdoor artificial grass putting green costing significantly less than this.

Install Artificial Putting Grass With A Putting Green Kit

It is possible these days to buy backyard putting green kits with artificial turf companies eager to make it as easy as possible to get an artificial putting green into your backyard. The competition is fierce as well so there is definitely room for you to make a deal on the installation costs if not the price per foot.

Buying your own backyard artificial putting green kit means that you will be able to do the installation yourself if you feel confident in your abilities. Installing an artificial turf putting green is a much simpler task than attempting to install a real grass putting green with the maintenance tasks that would be required simply a nightmare to even contemplate.

One of the things about artificial putting surfaces that differ slightly from a more conventional backyard synthetic grass installation is that the putting green can have a certain level of unevenness about it. As a golfer, you would want to practice on a green where there are a few little slopes and rolls that emulate a real putting green more closely.

When you are looking for a type of artificial grass for your putting green you should look for a type of grass that emulates Bent grass or Bermuda which is used for just about all greens on golf courses. The artificial putting surface that you use won’t need the cool season survival capabilities of these natural grasses but it will have to allow the golf ball to react in the same way. Artificial grass companies these days have put in sufficient technological work to ensure that the products they sell produce quality artificial putting surfaces.

Artificial grass putting greens are a great way to allow yourself the opportunity to relax with a hobby that you love in your own backyard. It will save you time, it will help to improve your game and it will help you enjoy a game that you love even more.

Golf is a popular sport the world over although over 50% of the world’s golfing participants come from North America. It is a traditional sport that has always been played on a natural grass surface, but the way in which golf courses are managed and the amount of water and chemicals used to keep the grass looking lush and green has meant that they have come under attack from conservationists and environmentalists. The high maintenance costs and the onset of water restrictions in certain areas have meant that there has been quite a lot of interest in the introduction of synthetic grass golf courses.

The important factor that must be studied before artificial grass on golf courses becomes a reality is the behaviour of the grass compared to natural grass. That doesn’t mean whether the grass looks like grass but how the grass interacts with golf equipment such as the golf clubs and golf balls.

Factors that have been tested to compare the mechanical properties between natural grass and artificial turf have been the rotational resistance, divot hole strength, green speed, distance after bounce and angled ball rebound. The idea is that in each case the expectation is that artificial grass must react in the same ways as you would expect natural grass to react under perfect conditions.

The perfect condition requisite is quite important because the reality is it is quite difficult to keep natural grass at its peak condition. Or at the very least, it takes a lot of work to keep natural grass at its peak condition not to mention quite a lot of water.

It has also been identified that there are three main areas to a golf course: the tee, the fairway and the green. In each of these areas the type of grass and the length of the grass blades would be required to be different in terms of height and thickness. A type of synthetic grass that would be suitable for the tee is different to the synthetic grass needed for the green, just as it is with natural grass. The studies that have been conducted have had to determine factors such as the optimum grass height, the best grass density, suitable drainage rate and, for the fairways and greens, the correct ball roll after it bounces.

As of right now the initial studies have been done and it is now possible to determine what type of artificial grass will be most suitable for each part of a golf course. There is no doubt that synthetic grass for golf courses is a realistic chance of becoming a reality, it will depend on how the players themselves come to accept it. Factors such as player comfort and the ever present question over how hot the course would get when the sun hits the artificial turf are still big factors that must be taken into account.