WHY SYNTHETIC TURF FOR GOLF?
From club to club and green to green, there is one thing that every course, putting surface, and driving range has in common; it’s constantly well-maintained. When it comes to natural turf, this requires A LOT of maintenance. It’s no easy achievement. Natural turf demands frequent watering, trimming, fertilizing, and insecticide treatment. Artificial turf frees up a lot of time, whether you are looking to add it to your personal or commercial property. Here are some important advantages of artificial greens for you to take into account.
LOWER MAINTENANCE
Synthetic golf greens are a simple option for those who are searching to reduce the amount of time and resource spent on green maintenance. Chemical herbicides and pesticides won’t be necessary. Watering and mowing will be no longer necessary. This will save money in the long run because| you won’t have to invest as much into grass maintenance equipment. You’ll be able to spend more time on the things you care about - like enhancing your golf game!
EASE SEASONAL ALLERGIES
Do you experience seasonal allergies? If you do or know someone who suffers grass-specific allergies, you know how annoying it can be. Installing synthetic grass can help decrease the free-floating pollen and alleviate frequent symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, and sore throat. Check out our article on how artificial grass can decrease your symptoms here.
HIGHLY DURABLE
Synthetic greens are crafted to manage any weather that comes their way. It will enable you to have fun while practicing your game throughout the year in some cases. When you install a superior-quality turf like Southwest Greens, products are durable to UV exposure, foot traffic, and play. Our turf products are designed and tested for the best aesthetic and results.
FEELS NATURAL
Moreover, as long as you choose a top-notch grass, you can trust it will feel like organic turf. We’ve partnered with Nicklaus Design to get you the highest quality golf surface in the industry - Golden Bear. This turf is guaranteed to give you the finest bounce, aim, and roll and a world-class overall golf experience.
CONSISTENCY
While the turf itself will not change your swing, you can bet on artificial turf to give more consistent practice. It will always be the correct length and hold up to years and years of play. There’s virtually no downtime once the turf is installed, so you can keep working on your game all year long (weather permitting).
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TYPE OF TURF
We offer green systems specific to your application. Our golf greens are manufactured to look and behave like natural grass; the design of the product replicates a traditionally rolled putting green. It's the same with our tee surfaces and fairway/ fringe material; as they soak up shock and mimic natural club to ground interactions. Here are some other factors to take into account when trying to select synthetic turf.
BACKYARD GOLF GREEN OR COMMERCIAL LOCATION?
Location, location, location. Are you seeking to install a putting green in your Detroit and all of Michigan backyard? Upgrading sections of a commercial golf course you administer? This will hugely affect the style of grass you'll need.
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU WANT TO PRACTICE?
The skills you need to work on will considerably impact which turf will be the right choice. Are you looking for a putting surface? Driving range? What about a chipping area? Bunker escapes? We have different types of grass looks, lengths, and colors to satisfy your objectives.
WHICH USEFUL CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU WANT?
Do you want regular synthetic turf to go around the golf greens? How about installing a tee box? Will there be any trees or live plants nearby that the grass will have to be installed around? These are good questions to contemplate when planning for synthetic golf turf.
GOLF GREEN INSTALLATION
Installing golf greens is something we greatly suggest you leave in the hands of experts. Some DIY projects end up being more difficult than their worth, plus you can face issues early on, like edges peeling up, lumps appearing in the green - the list goes on. Here’s a quick glimpse of what setting up artificial turfs looks like.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
A turf expert should set up a time to look at the site where you’d like to place synthetic golf greens. They can guide you on what kind of digging will need to be done, which grass is a great pick, and what your investment estimate will be.
AGGREGATE LAYER
First, any natural grass is eliminated, and the ground is leveled. Then a base of crushed aggregate will be moistened and shaped to form specific characteristics like breaks and sand traps. This aggregate is usually consist of crushed stone.
CUSHION PADDING (select projects)
After the aggregate layer is laid and leveled, a cushion padding is added. Cushion is added to aid playability and offer added shock absorption or deflection. Pad is added based on the application and desired outcomes.
TURF SURFACE
Once your aggregate and cushion are done, the grass surface is added. The turf is created from high-quality polypropylene and styled to look like natural grass.
INFILL
Now comes the turf infill. The ideal infill will be a mix of fine-coated silica sand to give the synthetic grass weight and that real feel. If you are interested in a cooling technology like HydroChill®, it is added to the infill before the it's is applied to the green.
STYLING
The final stage of the installation process is brushing or rolling. This is what generates the best effect on a putting green or the lush lookaesthetic of landscape, adding to the realism. Depending on fringe cuts, sand traps, bunkers, etc., this phase will vary.
You can see a video of our installation here for a deeper understanding.
WHAT DO PRO GOLFERS THINK?
PGA Stars such as Jack Nicklaus, Rickie Fowler, and Anika Sorenstam all use and endorse the synthetic putting turf by Southwest Greens. These professionals all know that our synthetic putting greens are the finest in the market. Find out why in this article.
GET A QUOTE
We hope this article has been helpful if you’ve been taking into account synthetic golf greens. When you’re ready for a quote, our team of professionals is here to assist. You can schedule a free consultation by connecting with us.