Hybrid Greens

[r0wly86]

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/spo...ld-to-try-new-hybrid-green-technology-3918534

Interesting article, wonder if there is any future in the hybrid grass for greens.

I know it is used in Twickenham for rugby, but that is more so the players who are scrumming, rucking in big studs from ripping the turf up, I have been on the pitch and it is indistinguishable from a full turf. Obviously, vandalism aside, greens shouldn't be under the same sort of pressures of a rugby pitch, I wouldn't expect a green to get churned up, but perhaps a hybrid green would prevent the need of temporary greens in the winter.

No idea how this would possibly effect spin though.

 

[hairball_89]

Well that's very interesting! I've played Eastbourne Downs quite a few times in the last year or so and always thought the greens were pretty good. I've just checked and not been up since the 2nd was rebuilt using hybrid turf. I'm tempted to head down there and report back! Perhaps early January!

 

[sjw]

How does this help with the criminal damage aspect?

 

[IanM]

How does this help with the criminal damage aspect?

Easier and quicker to repair....as well as more resilient to wallies on mopeds!

 

[Bobthesock]

Might be being stupid but this sounds like it might be pretty bad for the environment? Football/ rugby pitches are pretty much inside. My course has foxes/ deer / occasionally escaped sheep. Is introducing plastic to the grass a great idea?

 

[IanM]

That's a thought...

 

[Golfnut1957]

Easier and quicker to repair....as well as more resilient to wallies on mopeds!

Our wally uses a quad bike. We have an old road that splits the course in half and is used by the public to walk dogs, all the access points to the course have had to had gates and number pad locks fitted to keep him out.

The idiot had the nerve to try and access the course via the main gate the other evening but encountered a member just leaving who saw him off.

The damage is brutal, but of course the Police aren't interested.

 

[Beezerk]

What happens if someone drops a fag on it, I’m assuming it won’t melt ? ?

 

[Orikoru]

Might be being stupid but this sounds like it might be pretty bad for the environment? Football/ rugby pitches are pretty much inside. My course has foxes/ deer / occasionally escaped sheep. Is introducing plastic to the grass a great idea?

Only on the greens and you'd want them to stay off the greens anyway wouldn't you?

 

[r0wly86]

How does this help with the criminal damage aspect?

So essentially there is a plastic mesh with some "fake grass", the real grass then grows through the mesh so to the naked eye it looks just like a normal grassed area.

In rugby the plastic stops the turf from moving, not the grass, you can see that on a normal grass pitch when it is wet a scrum really digs up the turf as you have approaching 2 tonnes of men pushing against one another, but at Twickenham that doesn't happen as the plastic mesh prevents the turf from shifting.

I presume in the case of mopeds it would work the same, it wouldn't stop the grass from being ripped up, but it would stop the turf from being ripped up exposing the soil. So to repair it you would just need to wait for the grass to regrow.

Honestly I have no idea if it would work for golf, but I find it interesting, it is a technology that has been used in football and rugby for quite a long time

 

[sjw]

So essentially there is a plastic mesh with some "fake grass", the real grass then grows through the mesh so to the naked eye it looks just like a normal grassed area.

In rugby the plastic stops the turf from moving, not the grass, you can see that on a normal grass pitch when it is wet a scrum really digs up the turf as you have approaching 2 tonnes of men pushing against one another, but at Twickenham that doesn't happen as the plastic mesh prevents the turf from shifting.

I presume in the case of mopeds it would work the same, it wouldn't stop the grass from being ripped up, but it would stop the turf from being ripped up exposing the soil. So to repair it you would just need to wait for the grass to regrow.

Honestly I have no idea if it would work for golf, but I find it interesting, it is a technology that has been used in football and rugby for quite a long time

Yeah I guess that must be right. I just looked at the pictures of the damage and wondered just how strong this new stuff could be.

I'm an Ipswich Town fan and at the end of the season we are having this Desso pitch laid, it's been talked about for a while and everyone involved speaks very highly of it.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Really interesting idea. My only concern is that if the project would have cost 56k for one green then it might be beyond the reach of most members clubs to consider the outlay on all their greens, and the bigger clubs that could afford it would be unlikely to need it.

 

[clubchamp98]

We have worked on lots of hybrid football pitches.
They work on the principal that the plastic is x mm long and the grass is growing alongside it is 2mm longer .
So the mowers don’t cut the plastic.
It’s fantastic for sports that include studded boots as has been said it firms everything up.

I have never seen a hybrid golf green.
Greens require a lot more maintenance than a longer grass footy pitch.
Would you damage the structure cutting holes in different places. Or have several pre determined pin placements.?
Footy pitches are very flat greens need an element of slope this would need preforming to work.
The pitchmark would be a thing of the past as hybrid pitches are rock hard ,it’s why they are watered before a game and at half time to stop “ carpet burns” on players and make the ball fizz of the surface.

The green speeds would be a concern for me how would you regulate it if you got as low as the plastic blade.
The edges of the greens ( where it meets the grass) fairways would dry out in hot weather imo,
Leading to ruts around the greens , how would they get cut .

Sounds like a good idea in principle but I just think of how they are maintained
Will special mowers be needed ( no on footy pitches)
But the grasses on greens is so fine I don’t think it could survive a hot spell in sparse quantities if half the green was plastic ,it would need constant watering, water is very expensive now.

 

[clubchamp98]

Yeah I guess that must be right. I just looked at the pictures of the damage and wondered just how strong this new stuff could be.

I'm an Ipswich Town fan and at the end of the season we are having this Desso pitch laid, it's been talked about for a while and everyone involved speaks very highly of it.

It’s fantastic for footy.
But golf ?

 

[Neilds]

It's great to see all the amateur green keepers spreading their knowledge, but the article makes it clear that this has never been done before, it is a trial and it is still at the early stages. It also states that the head green keeper acknowledges it is a bit of a risk, maybe we should wait until the results are published before we can comment properly

 

[clubchamp98]

It's great to see all the amateur green keepers spreading their knowledge, but the article makes it clear that this has never been done before, it is a trial and it is still at the early stages. It also states that the head green keeper acknowledges it is a bit of a risk, maybe we should wait until the results are published before we can comment properly

At the end of the day it won’t be the green keepers call imo.
It will be the golfers !
It will change the game significantly for the better players who can control the ball with spin on grass !
Not so much for higher handicappers who don’t spin it as much.
Members that don’t like them will leave.
That’s lost revenue the club can’t afford after the layout for new greens.
But as you say “ it’s very early days”

But this is a golf forum so why not discus it ?

 

[clubchamp98]

Might be being stupid but this sounds like it might be pretty bad for the environment? Football/ rugby pitches are pretty much inside. My course has foxes/ deer / occasionally escaped sheep. Is introducing plastic to the grass a great idea?

It’s already used on paths, driving ranges etc on courses.
Wildlife soon avoid things they don’t like.

 

[Mandofred]

I've always wondered about just having artificial greens, as long as they could be laid so they don't need constant maintenance. Wouldn't have to worry about getting fungus etc damage. No balls marks. The purists would hate it....just because.

 

[Neilds]

I've always wondered about just having artificial greens, as long as they could be laid so they don't need constant maintenance. Wouldn't have to worry about getting fungus etc damage. No balls marks. The purists would hate it....just because.

Having played a lot of hockey on artificial turf, I can confirm that it needs a lot of maintenance and can still suffer from fungus, etc. Not the simple remedy that some think it is.

 

[Mandofred]

Having played a lot of hockey on artificial turf, I can confirm that it needs a lot of maintenance and can still suffer from fungus, etc. Not the simple remedy that some think it is.

I used to play tennis on an artificial grass surface, they spread sand on it to mimic clay courts (and it did a pretty good job). Only a little maintenance that I ever saw. Moss etc will attempt to grow anywhere though........ But you shouldn't have to worry about deer foot prints, motorbikes, etc etc.