There are a lot of different companies producing quality artificial putting green surfaces so it is worth getting an idea of exactly what is available for someone who is looking to install one in their backyard.

Firstly, not all putting greens are made from the same materials. The grass fibers are made from either nylon or polypropylene with the difference being not only the look of the surface but also in the way the ball reacts on it. The different types of putting green grasses will also require a different amount of infill which will also have an effect on the way the ball reacts.

ProGreen has been producing artificial putting surfaces since 1987 and the company has a range of different models of grass available. This should ensure that you will be able to choose a green that looks like a real green as well as perform like one.

Here are the various types of grasses available from ProGreen

Progreen PG Augusta

This is a polypropylene putting surface that is more likely to be used as a chipping green. When the putting surface is installed over aggregate base it is possible to chip to the green from up to 40 yards out. This putting green requires 3 lbs of infill sand which will make the surface more receptive to the ball. The height of the pile is 9/16” and the height may vary +/- 1/8”. The grass comes in 15’ widths and the color is limited to Verdent Blend

ProGreen PGN Tournament Multi-Blend

As the name of the grass suggests this is a high quality nylon surface that is ideal for putting and close chipping. The grass may be installed either over an aggregate base or glued over a concrete surface. The point of a nylon artificial grass green is that the ball roll will be true and it will continue to be true for years to come. The pile height is 7/16” and the color options are Primavera/ Forest Green.

ProGreen PG 2500

This is an outdoor putting green surface but has been made with a yarn called olefin. This is a design that allows more fibers to touch the ball than any other comparable turf. The yarn is a fibrillated yarn and is the softest yarn available. This artificial grass should be installed over an aggregate base and it will perform well as a putting surface or you can chip to it from a distance of up to 040 yards.

ProGreen PG 4000

This is another putting green surface that uses olefin fibers that has been woven at 7600 denier. It should be installed over an aggregate base and it is should be infilled with a silica sand and fine crumb rubber mix. It is possible to chip to this type of green from up to 150 yards out.

As can be seen from the above ProGreen covers all of the different types of putting green surface s required. It also provides an indoor grass with the name ProGreen Patio Turf and this has been specifically designed for indoor use as a surface that has been glued to a hard surface. It is the sort of artificial grass that would be used on a miniature golf course.

When you come to buy an artificial putting green from ProGreen you should be aware that the company has a minimum order size of 12′ x 15′. This doesn’t mean that you can’t buy a smaller putting green, it just means that if you want one that is smaller you will have to buy the artificial grass from the remnants section.

For lots more information about what ProGreen can offer someone looking to buy and install a backyard artificial putting green, visit the ProGreen website.

For an artificial putting green in particular, the presence of moss growing over the surface is a problem that must be dealt with quickly because it is crucial that the surface is smooth and allows the ball to roll without impairment.

The process of removing moss from the surface of artificial grass is a straightforward one, the main requirement is that you are vigilant and deal with the problem as soon as possible.

Brush Your Artificial Grass

Frequent brushing of your artificial grass will be beneficial for a couple of reasons. The first is that it will allow the grass fibres to stand upright in cases where they may have been squashed down. Brushing the grass will dislodge trapped dirt and grit and will allow the air to reach deeply into the pile. The brushing process will also remove any early growth making it a quick and cheap method of controlling moss.

The problem with the presence of moss on the surface of your artificial grass is that it is very likely that the spores are present below the surface within the shockpad or base below. In this case you are going to have frequent problems with the moss quickly returning after the surface moss is removed. This is where a chemical solution is going to be necessary.

Fungicide and Herbicide Removal

If you have let things go for a number of weeks or you find that moss has taken hold still go through the brushing or raking process. This will be a first step in a chemical removal process.

Purchase a recognized moss and algae killer, there are a few good ones available around the world. You will need a window of dry weather to perform the task. Starting with a dry surface, spread the moss and algae killer over the surface of the artificial grass and then simply leave it in place. A moss killer such as Batimoss CR or TerraCyte will continue to work until it is rinsed away by rain and will kill the existing growth plus the spores that would otherwise allow regrowth to take place.

A few chemicals that may be useful to consider include chlorothalonil (brand name Daconil Ultrex), copper hydroxide (brand name Junction) or carfentrazone (brand name Quicksilver). Make sure the instructions on the label are followed closely.

If you want to prevent moss from returning to your putting green there may be some changes to the conditions that will have to be made. Given that it is unlikely that the putting green can be moved to a sunnier spot, you might have to find a way to remove the source of the shade. Failing that, more frequent maintenance in which the grass is brushed or raked will have to take place.

So what makes synthetic turf a 3rd generation synthetic turf?

• Grass fibres are 55mm or longer
• Fibres made from polyethylene
• Infill consisting of rubber granules, a combination of rubber granules and sand or a thermoplastic compound such as Ecofill
• A sports grass that more closely approximates natural grass

The grass fibres of a 3rd generation synthetic turf are much longer than those of the earlier products. They are greater than 55mm and they are spread further apart with infill, either an EPDM rubber and sand combination or a more advanced infill such as EcoFill. These grass fibres are usually no longer made using polypropylene but the rather softer polyethylene. The combination of the longer grass fibres, the addition of infill and the space between the fibres means it is safer to play on, football studs will sink into the surface putting less stress on player’s joints.

The use of the term 3rd generation artificial turf originally referred to artificial turf that was used on football fields. These days it is applied to any of the newer types of artificial grass that uses the polyethylene yarn that provides the more lifelike appearance that is helping to carry the industry forward in popularity.

The Role of Infill In 3rd Generation Artificial Turf

The important factor of 3rd generation artificial turf is not only the way the surface responds to a player’s feet hitting the ground, but also the way the ball responds as it rolls along the surface. It should roll freely but it should not skate away from the person trying to control it. In other words the grass should be long enough to have an effect on the ball and the infill should act in a similar fashion to the dirt or sand that occurs naturally under the grass.

One of the newer innovations that is being used by a few of the companies producing top quality synthetic turf is the use of EcoFill. This is a manufactured product that is used instead of the rubber and sand combination. It is a product that is completely free of the risk of heavy metals or carcinogenic substances and it reacts in a manner that is far more closely related to earth.

The purpose of synthetic turf infill is primarily to ensure the grass fibres stand up in much the same way that dirt promotes the trajectory of real grass. What it should not do is provide a rebounding effect for the foot. When laying rubber granules down as an infill the effect was one of tremendous energy return when the foot struck the ground. This energy return had the effect of putting muscles and joints under tremendous stress making the body feel more tired as a result.

Pictured above is a cross section representation of one of the premier types of 3rd generation synthetic turf, MondoTurf.

One of the noted problems with earlier synthetic turf surfaces has been the high temperatures that are reached due to the turf and the rubber infill. Tests have shown that artificial turf surfaces that use EcoFill infill experience 50% less overheating than that of a surface that has been filled with black rubber granules.

Although 3rd generation synthetic grass was initially developed for the sport of football it has become so successful in its mimicry of natural grass that it is proving to be very valuable as a domestic grass. The fact that they are non-abrasive, tend not to overheat and that they provide you with a surface that can be mistaken for the real thing has led to a growing acceptance towards using it in the backyard.

First of all there are two types of synthetic grass yarn to choose from: nylon and polypropylene and they provide you with different properties. A good way of working out whether you want a nylon or polypropylene putting green might be to figure out how you are more likely to use the green. If you are planning on using the green to hit short to mid-range chip shots into, it might be best to go with a polypropylene green. For a small green that is going to be installed in the backyard, you would be better to install a nylon putting green.

A polypropylene golf green will hold a ball that has been chipped to it from a distance much better than a nylon green. The reason is due to the amount of infill that a polypropylene surface uses. Polypropylene allows more room for infill which has the result of being more receptive to a bal landing on it at speed. A nylon surface will also handle balls hit to it from short distances but you would have to add extra infill to the surface.

As a backyard putting green surface the best material to use would be a nylon-based artificial grass. Nylon will give you a truer ball roll and this would be the case over a longer period of time, too. It is a durable material so it is going to withstand adverse conditions very well. The maintenance requirements are lower with nylon, mainly because of higher proportion of infill that is required with polypropylene.

The only caution with installing a nylon artificial grass putting green is the possibility of a characteristic known as “moisture regain”. This is something that can be mitigated by putting the grass through a pre-shrinking process but otherwise it will result in the turf expanding and contracting depending on the humidity level. For this reason it is recommended to only use nylon for putting greens that are less than 30’ x 30’.

When looking for a suitable artificial grass surface you might notice a figure for something called denier. Denier is a textile term that refers to the density of a fiber or fibers that comprise a cloth or, in this case, artificial turf. The standard way that denier is calculated is to weigh nine thousand meters of the material with the figure being the weight in grams. The higher the denier of an artificial grass for putting greens the bulkier it is and the longer it will take to soften. An artificial grass denier might start at around 5700 and the highest you might look for at 7600 denier. This figure will give you an idea of the durability of the surface.

For most people who are planning on installing a backyard putting green the durability of the grass fibers is not going to be a big issue. The most likely scenario is that you will want to buy a nylon-based artificial grass because it requires less maintenance, there is less infill and the ball will roll truer.

Another factor that is going to have to be taken into consideration when choosing the product that you are going to buy is the issue of the backing that is going to be used on your grass. In order to get the best results with a nylon artificial grass you will need thick rubber backing to support the fact that it is most likely going to expand and contract with the weather. You don’t want your puting green to develop wrinkes and inconsistencies in the surface and the weight of a thick rubber backing will help in this situation.

Make sure you do your research when buying an artificial grass putting green and understand why you might need nylon over polypropylene or vice versa.

Thought will also have to be given to the position of the backyard putting green, particularly where shade is concerned. A putting green that is placed in an overly shady spot may develop a problem with moss growth which is going to require a great deal of regular maintenance. Although positioning the green in a sunny spot won’t mean there will be no moss problems, it will certainly inhibit the growth.

The point is, if the distributer is able to sell as a particular brand of artificial turf at 70 or 80% less than anywhere else there has to be a risk that the product quality is going to be low as well. The synthetic turf might look okay when it is first installed but after a few months it may start to deteriorate rapidly.

In an industry that is expanding at a rapid rate there is going to be a number of businesses and manufacturers whose quality is not up to the standard of the top-end of the market. They may have cut costs on the manufacture, they may have used raw materials of a lower quality or perhaps they have cut out an ingredient that means the difference between a 10 year lifespan and a 5 year lifespan.

Remember that although the thought of saving a few hundred or thousand dollars up front might be tempting, going for the artificial turf that is of inferior quality could cost you big time down the track. Similarly if part of the reason the artificial turf is cheap is because you will be performing the installation yourself you had better be very confident that you will be able to perform the job properly.
Just as the quality of the artificial grass is vital to how long it will last, the way the turf is installed is also going to determine how long it will last too.

If you are responsible for a major artificial turf installation you should invite suppliers to tender for the installation. Make sure you get to know who the major artificial turf companies are in your area and then visit sites where they have completed work in the past. You definitely want to see the type of turf you will be buying as well as the way in which it looks when it has been installed.

Do not be lured into the purchase of a particular synthetic turf product based on the price. Cheap synthetic turf will more than likely turn out to be far from the cheap solution you originally thought it was going to be.

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.

It has been pointed out that many of the arguments surrounding factors such as the safety of artificial grass and the possible effects on the environment have been proven to be largely unfounded. There is still some concern about the ground temperature on particularly warm days and this should be addressed by the industry because the current solution of watering the artificial grass before use is not a viable long-term solution.

For many people there are a lot of reasons why natural grass is no longer desirable and rather than being a synthetic grass argument it is leaning more towards a natural grass argument instead.

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.

Related Articles

The Synthetic Grass Argument Continues
Synthetic Grass Surface Temperature Research
How Synthetic Grass Is Made

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.