Synthetic Turf Gains Ground

Synthetic turf installed at Clark University withstands aggressive use by the school’s various sports teams, including the field hockey team.

Every shining high school athlete dreams of recruitment by a top college. Every college athletic director hopes to scoop up these budding talents. And every facilities manager aspires to a shimmering green field to lure these prospective students. Unfortunately, despite their hard work, dedicated facilities directors and crews often lack the resources to maintain top quality athletic venues, resulting in muddy, worn fields that can quickly deflate the star-studded recruitment dream.

The Natural Problem

Even the best crews cannot always fight the harsh effects of weather and use on natural grass playing fields. In cases where field space is limited, constant use makes proper maintenance virtually impossible. Even when space is ample, human and financial resources-especially in a tight economy-can be spread too thin to keep fields in ideal shape. It’s no wonder, then, that the world of athletic fields is ready for a new player. Enter infilled synthetic turf-a material made from smooth polyethylene fibers filled with a mixture of sand and recycled rubber.

A Field for All Seasons

It’s surprising the trend towards infilled synthetic fields is not moving even faster. One reason may be the misconception that an infilled polyethylene field shares the negative characteristics of its predecessor, nylon grass: abrasive, expensive, and artificial looking. Conversely, infilled polyethylene fields look like grass, play truer than nylon for most sports, and are not harsh on athletes’ skin. Infilled turf fields also are cost effective when compared to well-built and well-maintained natural grass. An infilled turf field will usually pay for itself within five to six years, well before the expiration of its eight-year warranty.

But what has really turned the heads of facilities directors and field managers is that infilled turf fields never need to be mowed, watered, fertilized, or aerated. Permanent boundaries eliminate the time-consuming task of lining the field before every game. And because a lighted synthetic field can withstand constant play, the town’s or institution’s remaining natural grass fields will benefit from less frequent use, as well as the additional resources facilities managers will have to devote to its upkeep.

Putting Synthetic Turf into Play

Athletic directors and facility managers who already are using infilled polyethylene fields include those at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where the upkeep of playing fields became overwhelming. With limited field space and poor soils, their natural grass fields were hard to care for, and consequently felt the strain of daily use. When the time came to rebuild the Granger Athletic Fields, Clark’s design consultant proposed infilled synthetic turf. Initially skeptical about the change, the Trustees opted for its installation after learning about the financial and time-saving benefits. Now, Clark’s field hockey, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse teams share the new synthetic field with the intramural sports program, allowing facilities crews the time to properly care for their remaining natural grass fields.

Even fields with rich soil cannot always combat extensive wear and tear. At the Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the worn athletic field needed a major re-vamp. The school used the field in all seasons, for everything from recess to sub-varsity practice, literally preventing growth of even one blade of grass. After much consideration, the school’s administration and buildings and grounds department supported the conversion of one playing field to infilled polyethylene. One year later, the field still looks lush and green.

Fields of the Future

Just as the introduction of synthetic grass in 1965 did not herald the end of facilities management, neither will the proliferation of infilled turf. Nothing can replace human touch and vision when it comes to planning and caring for athletic facilities. Well-maintained fields that withstand extensive use reflect highly on facilities directors and staff, but few have the resources to achieve these results with natural grass alone. Far from posing a threat to the tenure of facilities managers and grounds crews, incorporating synthetic grass can help maximize their skills by redirecting their resources to the improvement of fields rather than constant repair.

It is estimated that within ten years all cities and towns across the nation and every major college or university will have at least one synthetic field. Facilities managers who understand the value of synthetic grass can bring its merits to the attention of school or town boards, officials, and athletic directors who are seeking viable solutions to creating a true field of dreams.

Patrick Maguire is president of Geller Sport Inc., a division of Geller Associates Inc., focusing on the design of premium athletic fields and recreation facilities. He can be reached at pmaguire@gellersport.com.