Installing an artificial grass putting green can be a great addition to any home, providing hours of entertainment and a convenient place to practice your golf skills. However, it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure that your synthetic grass is installed correctly and will last for years to come.

One often-overlooked aspect of synthetic turf putting green installation is the infill. Although not as visible or crucial to aesthetics as the turf product you choose, infill impacts several important aspects of your putting experience.

Ball Roll

When you install a backyard putting green, you typically want to recreate the authentic golfing experience. This means that you need a reliable and consistent ball roll that mimics a professional course. One crucial aspect of creating a true ball roll is the fibers of your turf. Your turf fibers need to be consistently short, dense, and upright, which is why synthetic grass is the ideal product for the job.

However, all synthetic grass needs infill to remain upright. If your turf becomes flattened or matted down, your putting experience would be altered and you wouldn’t get the same ball roll. Well-distributed infill is crucial to keep turf blades upright, so make sure to including high-quality, evenly-distributed infill in your putting green installation, and top up the infill product every so often as-needed.

Ball Speed

Another aspect of the putting experience is ball speed. The speed at which your ball moves doesn’t just depend on how hard you hit it; the specifications of the course you’re on can actually alter the speed at which the ball moves.

One factor that can affect this is dew, rain, or other sources of moisture. Putting greens that retain moisture and aren’t completely dry can inhibit your play. To aid your synthetic turf’s drainage and ensure that your playing surface is always perfectly dry, choose an infill product that doesn’t impede drainage and allows water to move easily down the turf and through the backing without issue. Silica sand is great for this use, or you can ask your artificial turf manufacturer for recommendations for putting greens.

Stability

Infill’s greatest value across all synthetic grass installations, including putting greens, is stability. Infill provides ballast, weighing down the turf’s surface and preventing it from moving in extreme weather. High wind and fluctuating temperatures can cause slight movement in your landscape over time, and this can ultimately affect your turf grass with inadequate infill.

When you have an artificial turf putting green, or any type of artificial turf project, installed, your installers will use infill to weigh down the turf grass at its base to maximize stability and prevent shifting, lifting, or wrinkling that may affect play.

Mold Growth

Every outdoor surface is vulnerable to the possibility of mold and mildew growth due to exposure to rain and other sources of moisture. Luckily, synthetic grass is free of organic materials that could attract mold spores, so it’s already less susceptible to mold growth than natural grass and other organic landscaping materials.

However, organic debris on the turf surface or backed-up drainage can leave your turf grass putting green susceptible to the possibility of mold growth. You can counteract this and eliminate any potential mold spores by choosing an antimicrobial infill material. Options such as Envirofill absorb moisture over time, inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew and keeping your putting green safe for play 365 days a year.

If you need further guidance in choosing which artificial turf installation products are right for you and your clients’ needs, contact your local Synthetic Grass Warehouse location. At SGW Dallas, we can help you find the perfect synthetic grass products for your home or business, including putting green installation accessories. SGW has been an industry leader for more than 20 years, helping distributors, installers, and homeowners alike with all their artificial grass installation needs. To find out more about our products or to receive guidance with your next turf grass installation, contact your local Synthetic Grass Warehouse facility today.