Traditionally, teams would play sports on regular grass. But over recent times, there’s been a shift. Grass is no longer the gold standard it used to be. More and more organisations are switching to artificial turf for sports grounds. Playing sport on artificial grass is becoming a standard for both cost effectiveness and performance.
What’s driving this trend? We explain in detail below.
Low Maintenance
Traditional team sports games have a nasty habit of churning up the grass. Studded football boots rip into the turf, causing it damage as players twist and change direction on the pitch.
Artificial grass, however, doesn’t suffer from this problem. While it will slowly wear out over time, the process is nothing like as quick as for its biological counterpart. You’re able to field games week after week with practically no maintenance, besides the odd bit of washing here and there. There’s no need to reseed damaged sections; you don’t have to wait for the grass to recover between fixtures. And you avoid all of the usual expenses – like the costs of mowing. It’s just a lot easier.
All-Weather
When the rain pours, traditional grass suffers. It becomes sodden quickly, and that increases the rate at which it degrades.
Artificial turf, though, is different. It can survive all weathers. And you don’t have to leave gaps between play to allow it to recover. It uses high-strength fibres to maintain a grass-like feel in all conditions, including rain and freezing ice.
Fair Play And Consistency
Sometimes the smallest of factors can determine why one team beats another. The direction of the wind or what the players ate for breakfast can all make a material difference on the pitch.
The same is true of the grass. Sometimes you can get a situation in which the quality of the grass varies as you move across the pitch. One end might be soggy and muddy, while the other is dry and in direct sunlight, affecting the passage of play.
With artificial turf, that’s no longer a risk. You get perfect consistency across the pitch. And if a section does happen to become damaged, you can replace it relatively easily.
More Utility
While regular grass has some utility, it doesn’t have the range you get with artificial turf. You can’t just put it wherever you like and assume that it will thrive. Many grass pitches fail.
That’s not the case with artificial turf. The altitude and elevation don’t matter. You could lay it at the top of a mountain or in the desert, and it would still provide the qualities you’re looking for the year-round ability for playing sport on artificial grass.
Why Artificial Grass Is Better
The cost of running and maintaining a standard grass pitch is high. You have to contend with mud, bare patches and flooding. And that drains you of resources. A big chunk of your budget goes on maintenance. And you deal with the inconvenience of being barred from playing during certain parts of the week.
Artificial grass is much better. You no longer have to work around your pitches. Instead, they start working for you. And that’s ultimately what you want.