Your Own Putting Green

Every golfer worth his or her salt would give their eye teeth to be able to practice their putting whenever they felt like it. These days the chance to practice in your own backyard is becoming even more of a possibility with the accessibility of artificial grass putting greens.

The backyard putting green is being made possible for an increasing number of people because it is being made by an increasing number of synthetic grass manufacturers. The price is also becoming more affordable because of the increase in competition. The grass itself is very similar to the grass used on any major golf course green which is something that is virtually impossible to grow and maintain in the average backyard.

The most common material with which the artificial grass is made is nylon and this gives you a nice surface to use as a putting green. You will never have to worry about the grass growing too long to use for putting and won’t have to worry about the hassle of mowing, fertilizing or ensuring that pests don’t destroy the grass. All you will have to worry about is which hole to aim at first.

Just because you have a flat backyard doesn’t mean that the putting green has to be dead flat. It is possible to build up small humps and swales to make the putting green more of a realistic challenge giving you the opportunity to practice putting across and down the slope.

Now there should be little excuse for not perfecting the short game with the possibility of putting in as many hours as you need in the comfort of your own back yard.

Make Sure You Care For Your Artificial Grass

The odds are pretty good that if you have bought artificial grass then you have invested quite a bit of money into the project. This further means that you will be very keen to ensure that you take good care of your new artificial grass. There are some specific ways to go about taking care of your grass and although the manufacturers claim that their grass is maintenance free, this is not altogether true, especially if you are planning on keeping it looking as nice as possible.

It is advisable to give the artificial grass a sweep with a stiff brush every week or two to not only remove any debris that is lying on the surface but to also ensure that the grass fibres are standing up. Over time the artificial grass fibres can become crushed and flattened due to the constant foot traffic that it may be subject to. Sweeping the grass freshens it up and helps to make it look fresh and new. The sweeping will also remove the majority of the dirt and debris that may have settled into the pile.

The occasional hosing down of the grass will also ensure that it is kept clean with any potential bacteria build ups getting flushed through the matting and into the soil below. This helps the artificial grass perform in a similar way to real grass.

The maintenance tasks required for artificial grass are not as onerous as they are for real grass but it is still necessary to carry out something or else your big investment is going to be wasted quite quickly.

Safety of Artificial Grass

There are around 800 artificial grass football stadiums used by North American schools, colleges and professional teams including around half of the NFL, and the demand for new artificial grass stadiums is growing.

The artificial grass surface is preferred because it enables a uniform playing surface that is easier to care for than grass and it is more environmentally friendly because of the savings in terms of watering as well as no need for potentially hazardous chemicals.

However some health experts are concerned over the use of artificial grass due to the fact that it is made from green-colored polyethylene/nylon or polypropylene ribbons couched in a layer of cushioning rubber particles. The rubber crumbs might be more readily identified as shreaded automobile tire rubber.

The concern comes over the fact that it may be possible to ingest the small particles or inhale their fumes. The toxic chemicals can irritate the eyes and lungs and have been linked to cancer. A study has also shown that recycled tire crumbs release chemical compounds into the air under hot weather conditions.

Artificial grass also gives athletes an injury commonly referred to as turf burn more readily than would happen on natural grass which can lead to a bacterial infection that can be life threatening called MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

All of that doesn't even take into account the pending court case where it is claimed that artificial grass is responsible for exposing people to abnormally high levels of lead which is being released by the aging synthetic grass.

The popularity of artificial grass arenas is not diminishing. In fact it is increasing as players prefer playing on the true surface. The advocacy group Environment & Human Health Inc. has called for a moratorium on installing new artificial grass on fields and playgrounds until more studies have been done.

Welcome to the Artificial Grass Guide

Most websites about artificial grass area actually sites trying to sell you a specific type of artificial grass or synthetic turf surface. The focus is on why that specific type of artificial grass is the best and why you would be best to buy it.

Here at the Artificial Grass Guide, thereis no affiliation with any particular type of artificial grass. This is merely a site that wil examine any and all artificial grass surfaces, pershpas weighing up the good points with the bad points. The will be benefits highlighted as well as disadvantages to artificial grass over natural grass.

The range of artificial grass surfaces is wide and varied and it is made from a large base of companies. You will hopefully come away from reading the posts on this site with a more realistic expectation of finding the type of artificial grass that suits your needs.