NATURAL BOUNCE - WHY IT MATTERS

Imagine this. You are practicing your chip shot, and the synthetic turf you are playing on will just not receive the ball smoothly. Regardless of how accurate the shot is, the ball bounces and slides off the back of the green—again. As an enthusiastic golfer, you can see that this green is of inferior quality.

Quality synthetic golf green features should consist of these priority reactions:

• Realistic golf ball bounce
• Accurate reaction to aim
• True directional roll
• Predictable playability

The key here is to have the artificial grass react as naturally as traditional turf. As soon as your ball touches the green, you can tell if you’re playing on high-quality turf or not. If you’re hitting a chip shot, you should be able to expect it will be received by the turf properly, bounce naturaly, and roll as planned.

If these major elements aren’t present, how could you expect to improve your putt consistency or chipping accuracy?

THE SCIENCE OF TURF BOUNCE

The discrepancy in the bounce between natural and artificial turf comes from the properties of the turf and how it absorbs the kinetic energy of the bounce.

Let’s understand the science.

Bounce, Aim, Roll
The Golden Bear system mimics natural greens by employing base, pad, sand, and fibers to reach like performance metrics. By studying natural green absorption, spin, and friction, Southwest Greens has been able to utilize a mix of these materials to absorb shots, spin on impact, and customize speed.

HOW WE EVALUATE TURF AT SOUTHWEST GREENS

To make certain you’re obtaining an optimal reaction from our artificial turf, we conduct many tests, but here are the big ones you should be aware of.

BOUNCE TEST

Tru Firm: Measure the displacement of the surface to spot how the surface impact energy transfer.

Bounce: Proprietary device that mimics natural pitch shot approach angle and spin. This will create a standard and quantify the surface interaction which allows us to understand how the surface will react to a pitch shot.

Spin: Advanced machinery that replicates natural spin. Create a standard and collect data of the surface interaction to check how the friction of the grass varies ball spin will translate to performance.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT SOUTHWEST GREENS

We have been successful in quantifying key performance indicators to offer you the best golf experience. By studying what variables affect performance, we can recreate natural greens.

We created testing methods to learn what variables actually impact performance. Spin, firmness, and bounce were judged employing a combination of GSGA testing protocols and proprietary testing methods. These tests simulate normal shot and surface interactions.

At Southwest Greens, we professionals who are experienced in the art of installation to give you the greatest playing surface available. This is how we create our grass:

SUBGRADE

Taking into account where you call home, the ground may differ in properties all the way from sand to clay to rock. Properly installed synthetic turf takes this into account, with a foundation developed to encourage proper drainage.

AGGREGATE BASE

Stone is utilized on top of the subgrade (ground) to assist in drainage and allow for a properly constructed surface. It is essential that the aggregate be constructed and compacted to valid depths. For golf uses, a second shaping aggregate is added to build undulations and breaks.

BACKING

Synthetic grass is developed by sewing the fiber through multi-layer backing. The backing, in turn, is coated with high-grade polyurethane to maintain the stitches.

INFILL

Essential to the turf system, the infill is made from rounded washed silica. Infill yields ballast, helps with drainage, and has direct impacts on the key bounce indicators.

TURF FIBER

Extruded, PP/PE/ Nylon come in a large number of composition, colors, and lengths. Fabrics and product construction creates an impact on the surface interaction with the golf ball and surface aesthetics.

Check out this installation video to understand how we decide the appropriate infill layers and artificial green surfaces for your circumstances.

FIND YOUR TURF

Are you searching for a product where a chip shot will land, bounce, roll, stop, and react as comparably to a real golf green as possible?

Residential putting greens vary quite a bit from ordinary lawn turf. Base work, cup placement, undulations, and turf selections are all essential characteristics of a synthetic golf green that adds value to your game, family, and home, all while lowering maintenance costs.

Consider one of our fan favorites: Golden Bear Turf

Golden Bear is our highest-grade synthetic turf with the appearance, touch, and bite of regular grass. It’s the turf preferred by amateurs and experienced golfers for their homes. In simple terms — it’s the most accurate playing surface obtainable on the market today. Golden Bear is the perfect pick for more consistency and better predictability. Although manufactured with golf in mind, this long-lasting, high-quality grass is also attractive and can provide garden serenity.

The alliance with Southwest Greens and Nicklaus Design started in 2004 and has evolved appreciably through the years in both design and grass engineering. All customers can benefit from custom-designed golf greens installed by endorsed Southwest Greens dealers. Now everyone can participate in superior integration of professional design, installation, and Golden Bear exclusive turf products.

Golden Bear Turf is of the highest-quality, look, and performance for synthetic grass products. This high-quality artificial turf bounces, rolls, and receives just like a championship course. Shot after shot, Golden Bear has the most precise aim of any putting surface. Playability is so real that you will think you’re playing out on a local Greenwich course.

Our Golden Bear Turf gives you championship-level bounce available in your own backyard. Scientifically developed and tested to have 20-25% more ball retention compared to other leading artificial turf for real playability. Get in touch with Southwest Greens of Connecticut if you have more queries about the science.

LET’S SEARCH FOR YOUR BACKYARD PUTTING GREEN

We’re available at all times to assist you discover the perfect solution for your backyard putting green. Connect with us when you’re ready to initiate your project.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.