A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CONTROVERSY: ARTIFICIAL OR NATURAL? Leading athletic field experts claim a place for artificial turf. But, like George Toma of the , most would opt for natural grass, given the chance.

by Jerry Roche, executive editor

Though turf experts continue to prefer natural grass athletic fields, they say 'higher-ups' seem more willing to drop big dollars on artificial surfaces.

ontrary to what many athletic thing I emphasize is that you have the istrators, who hold the purse strings. turf managers would like to money within 8 to 10 years to replace He recently consulted with a Cbelieve, there is a place in that turf. school system in that had 36 sports for synthetic turf. At least, so "Your magazine ran an article athletic fields and wanted to install says George Toma. about how five-year-old artificial turf two artificial fields. "Now, what good Toma is field director for the Kan- is about as hard as asphalt (see chart). would two artificial fields do for a cou- sas City Royals Club and an So either you have the money to re- ple million dollars when they could advisor to the National Football place the turf or the kids are playing take that money and improve those 36 League. on concrete. And how many high fields to be just as good as artificial "There are places for both sur- schools or colleges have the money to turf?" he asks. "Grass grows good in faces," Toma says. "Artificial turf can replace artificial turf when it gets Texas...there's just never any money be used in domes, places like high hard?" for grass, but millions for artificial schools where there's a lot of traffic or Toma believes that a misconcep- turf. maybe in colleges or in city parks. The tion exists among field admin- "If you could tell your superiors IMPOSSIBLE, YOU SAY? REAL TURF INDOORS

Many people don't remember that ically, however, that brought a new set the field during the playing season the original turf used in 's of problems: player injuries, high just like the outdoor stadiums do by was natural. maintenance costs, high replacement covering the grass with a geotextile In the mid-'60s when the Astrod- costs and hard, hot abrasive surfaces. cover (polyester fabric) to protect the ome was completed, hybrid bermu- Today, the technology and exper- grass. dagrass was sodded under the tise is available to grow natural grass translucent dome. In the beginning, inside a domed stadium. It would The light problem the stadium sported a lush, green natu- require a stadium with a retractable To achieve the light necessary to ral grass field that grew quite well. roof similar to Toronto's Skydome. grow grass indoors would require However, when baseball players began supplemental lighting. Supplemen- complaining that they couldn't see fly tal lights can be installed in units or balls because of the glare and bright gangs which could move back and sunlight streaming in through the forth or around as needed. They dome's sky windows, the windows could be monitored by a computer were darkened to appease them. As a which would control all environ- result, the light reaching the natural mental conditions within the domed grass surface was severely reduced. stadium. With the added stress placed on the This would be comparable to the surface with both baseball and foot- technology currently available in the ball, the grand experiment was ended Indianapolis Hoosier Dome. The Hoos- and the natural grass scrapped. ier Dome has over 800 light fixtures, generating over 1 million watts. Its roof The forerunner conditions are constantly monitored The preceding series of events led by a weather and computer station. Judge Roy Hofheinz, who owned the The roof is equipped with an auto- Astrodome, to contact and matic snow melting system. Sensors on 3M, who at the time were under a Ford the roof measure wind velocity, Foundation grant to develop synthetic moisture and temperature; when any playground surfaces for inner-city Dr Kent Kurtz is a professor at Cal of these sensors indicates a change, hot schools. Finally, in 1966, a synthetic Poly-Pomona and a special advisor air is discharged to melt the snow. turf surface was introduced and in- to the Rose Bowl. Domed stadium lighting to reach ac- stalled by Monsanto in the Astrodome. ceptable brightness levels to grow nat- This was the first major installation The capability to start a natural ural grass could function in a similar of a synthetic turf, the forerunner of grass indoors and have it ready for manner. hundreds of similar installations. From the baseball season and use it this point forward, it has been assumed through the football season is possi- Other systems that natural grass cannot and will not ble with current knowledge. The In many natural grass surfaces to- grow in the environment of a domed or roof would need to be open half-days day, soil sensors tell sprinklers closed stadium. during the grass's prime growing when to water the grass or when not season (daily 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and to water the grass. They tell electric Setting the stage could be closed for events. All heat cables and hot water pipe sys- Twenty-five years ago, the situations events of major proportion tems when to warm up the soil for and conditions of natural grass athletic (motocross, trade shows, etc.) could optimum turf growth or when not to fields were at an all-time low. The be scheduled for between football warm up the soil. grounds personnel who cared for natu- and baseball seasons. The turf could We can grow grass indoors in ral grass athletic facilities were under- be allowed to go dormant or be ter- greenhouses. Why wouldn't or trained, received meager budgets for minated after the football season, couldn't dome stadiums be similar field maintenance, had to cope with and then replaced in time for the to greenhouses? Modern green- severely over-used facilities, mud, baseball season. houses are equipped with fully auto- bare surfaces, hard ground, compac- This would be similar to what matic, environmentally-controlled tion, poor drainage, antiquated grass several major outdoor stadiums ex- systems to grow plants. The tech- varieties, haphazard systems perince each year after motocross nology is available, the equipment is and much more. Turfgrass science, soil and major off- events. Anaheim available, the people to manage nat- technology and drainage engineering Stadium, the Los Angeles Memorial ural grass in a domed stadium are lagged far behind the demands of the Coliseum and the Rose Bowl com- available. Now all that is needed is a user, the expectations of the general pletely re-work, re-establish and re- domed stadium to show the world public and the need of those working sod their playing field surfaces fol- that it will work. in the field. There was no new natural lowing motocross and/or off-road Synthetic turf can be put on and off grass concept available to sell. events. The event promoter assumes a domed stadium surface. But this is a The stage was set for something the expense of putting the field back very tedious and time-consuming job. new and different. So in the door came in playing condition. Less destructa- Natural grass is less costly and much synthetic surfaces with all the solu- ble events such as concerts, circuses less expensive to maintain. tions to the previous problems. Iron- or religious events could be held on —Dr. Kent Kurtz• IMPACT ABSORPTION OF SURFACES problems with number of athletes in the whirlpool, the former is sur- steam room and sauna, and I see an Rebound acceleration and stopping time face tem- increased consumption of aspirin." of a 16-pound indoor shot put on four perature. Though artificial-surface practice surfaces, West Virginia University, 1974. "When the air fields allow all-weather play and pre- temperature is pare players for games on artificial Rebound acceleration GS 100 degrees (in surfaces more efficiently, there are sunlight), the precautions. temperature "If practice is held on artificial with synthetic grass," Falb says, "require players to turf is 140 to 160 wear sneakers, and ask the coach to degrees," he cut down on practice time and prac- says, "while the tice intensity." temperature with natural Beware ice grass is 95 de- While many of the nation's artificial grees." surfaces are in warmer climates, One of the Toma thinks the synthetic fiber is more apparent more suited for northern climes. problems with "Where grass doesn't do good like artificial turf is in the transition zone or far north, you the beating can put in artificial turf," he says. But bodies take. Kent Toma also warns, "you have to cover Falb, trainer for artificial turf for college or high school the Detroit Lions, football games. You can push snow off believes that the it, but if you don't have a cover and get increased trac- an ice storm, no way you're going to you're putting in artificial turf and tion afforded by the carpet transmits play in the snow. At Royals Stadium then put in natural grass, you'd get all more stress to ankles, knees, hips and recently, we could've had a the money you'd want." backs. game because the field froze over." "The injury rate and severity of inju- The biggest problem with artificial Kurtz concurs ries is about the same on either sur- surfaces is installation technique, Dr. Kent Kurtz of Cal Poly Pomona, an face," says Falb. "But the big difference Toma firmly believes. advisor to the Rose Bowl and L. A. Col- is a significant increase in general body "I'm not against artificial turf, but I iseum, says that "when you have too soreness (on artificial). I look at the sure am against poor artificial turf in- many teams and too many activities, stallations," he emphasizes. "If you're artificial is the only answer. And it's going to pay one to two million dollars silly to consider natural turf indoors. for an installation, it should be a pool It's possible to grow grass inside, but table. I'm pleading with artificial turf it's limited to athletics and not for companies to have better installa- trade shows and all the other stuff." tions. A lot of times, they experiment Toma says part of the problem in with our money. Then you've got dealing with athletic turf surfaces is problems. I hate to say this, but in the lack of concern. past we have protected artificial turf "Many times, our turf programs companies from the public like we have to start with the stadium mana- protect child molesters. gers, athletic directors, coaches and "They aren't going to try to im- owners," he notes. "Then, too, the prove unless somebody puts a finger only time they become concerned is on them. People not in the artificial when it's rainy and too wet, there are turf business simply don't know what too many injuries, or the turf doesn't to look for." look good for the big game. "The answer is to get them think- The crew's the thing ing and understanding our soil, turf Artificial or natural, the field is only as and equipment problems." good as the maintenance crew, ac- Toma sees public perception as cording to Toma. standing in the way of more natural "If you had a good natural grass turf fields. field and you switched over to ar- "People take natural turf for tificial turf, you'll have a good ar- granted," he observes. "You see better tificial field, if the installation is good. fields in high school and college than If you had a poor natural grass field you do in the pros nowadays. But if we and switched over to artificial turf and can convince the public, natural grass the installation was good, you would will be back." still have a bad field. "Natural grass taught our kids Hot stuff pride, and they have pride in their Toma believes high-traffic fields are Toma: "If your people don't give a artificial turf. If your people don't give more suited to artificial turf, but that damn about the natural grass, they a damn about the natural grass, they natural turf is the best alternative in aren't going to give a damn about the aren't going to give a damn about the most situations. One of the biggest artificial grass." artificial grass." LM