It’s hard for me to imagine it was nearly 25 years ago when I first became interested in synthetic grass. The world of synthetic turf putting greens was just emerging and, to be honest, many didn’t think an artificial grass putting green would ever be a replacement for a natural grass green. For the golf purist, it just couldn’t be so. “Putting greens are meant to be real grass, and that’s the way it is going to be!” Boy were they wrong! Admittedly, the synthetic turf world has greatly improved over the last 15 years, and installation techniques have evolved dramatically from the early days of rock base greens with slow, shaggy turf to the superior product we have today. The home putting green industry, as well as the indoor teaching facilities, has come to rely on the constancy and quality of a well built synthetic turf green. Synthetic turf greens are here to stay!
Mini Fields– the New Craze
Now, jump ahead 20 years and take a look at the home and small facility recreational and sports areas. Those of us in the synthetic turf industry certainly know the value of a synthetic turf field as compared to natural grass. Let’s be clear, I love a beautiful grass field. I grew up in the left field bleachers of Memorial Stadium in Baltimore watching Orioles stars Don Buford, Paul Blair and Frank Robinson strut across the picture-perfect outfield. What a great memory. However, most schools do not have the luxury of a top notch professional grounds keeping team which is the same exact issue with folks who tried to build a natural grass putting green in the backyard; you just couldn’t keep it alive.
Many of us live in places where land is a premium and schools and public recreational areas are simply land locked. There is no room for additional fields hence the fields are played on to death. From football practice to band practice, flag football to gym class, there are too many feet on the field and not enough recovery time. Safety issues and constant maintenance are also things to be considered. It is no wonder why synthetic turf fields are all the rage!
With the acceptance of professional synthetic turf fields now in full swing, the home owner and small facility operators are catching the synthetic turf fever. Our company, alone, has been involved in 4 projects this month where the homeowner or small charter school have educated themselves on the benefits of artificial grass and have made the leap from a worn out backyard or schoolyard to a beautiful green oasis. And why not? If it is good enough for the Dallas Cowboys, it is good enough for everyone.
Here is the really cool part. It is relatively easy to achieve this safe, well draining lush green pasture. In many cases, it is as easy as stripping the existing organics, grading the field to the desired degree of flatness, laying out the appropriate stabilization fabric and installing a structural base system like UltraBaseSystems® or TourLinks®. Add the turf and wow…you have Met Life Stadium outside your back door.
I have synthetic turf in my backyard and wouldn’t trade it for all the free sod you could supply me. It is always perfect, drains amazingly well and looks awesome. And here is a real bonus… when you build a field using the UltraBasePanel system, you can take it with you if you move or remove it all together when Jr heads off to college.
From coast to coast, dealers and homeowners alike are turning to synthetic turf as the answer to their kids’ practice/play areas. No matter if it is golf or lacrosse, the home filed sports arena is growing fast across the country. Schools with small land mass recognize the wisdom in creating a perfect recreational area that will last for years and can hire their local landscape contractors to complete the project. Don’t get left out of this new wave of synthetic turf opportunities. We welcome you to visit www.ultrabasesystems.com to see for yourself just how easy it is to convert your backyard in to the envy of the neighborhood. The four projects attached will, without a doubt, prove to you and the industry that UltraBaseSystems is the key to project success and is making small recreational areas the next big thing in the artificial turf market place.
