Whether they’re casual players or professional athletes, anyone who takes sports seriously will understand that the right equipment is crucial when it comes to playing your best game—but many overlook the importance of playing in the right environment as well. Turf and natural grass both have their benefits and shortcomings, but which one is right for performance, cost, and the environment?
Environmental Considerations
Although it’s true that turf requires water for upkeep just like natural grass, turf requires considerably less water. According to Act Global, consumers can save 2,200 gallons of water per year for every square meter of natural grass that they replace with turf. Turf also eliminates the need for pesticides and fertilizers, which lead to water pollution, a growing concern for the environmentally aware. It can even reduce harmful emissions created by industry-grade equipment and mowers.
Return on Investment
Synthetic turf is generally more affordable than natural grass, with a higher return on investment. Synthetic turf can pay for itself in as little as three years, according to Act Global, and the cost of court maintenance and installation is three times less expensive per event than a grass field over a 20-year period.
Durability and Versatility
Because of its organic nature, natural grass can be harmed if used for over 20-24 hours per week, totaling 816 hours per year, according to Act Global. However, turf can be used for around 3,000 hours per year, making it over three times as resilient as natural grass. Turf is also more versatile, making it great for urbanized environments or areas suffering in a drought. It can even be used in very cold or hot climates, where natural turf could die off in similar environments, requiring replacement.
Safety and Performance
The benefits of synthetic turf would be negated if it were more dangerous or affected athletic performance. However, hundreds of studies have shown that there is no difference in injury risk between synthetic turf and natural grass, according to Act Global. Although low-quality artificial turf may present problems, high-quality turf results in an essentially identical athletic experience as natural grass.
At the end of the day, synthetic turf boasts a number of advantages over natural grass, from its financial to environmental benefits. At New England Courts, we are dedicated to protecting the environment however possible, and we’d love to help you reduce your impact as well by installing synthetic turf. For more information about our turf, court maintenance, or other outdoor athletic surfaces, call New England Courts at 603-944-1184 today.