What is synthetic grass and how is it installed?

If outdoor carpet or the stuff you tried to play miniature golf on as a kid comes to mind, think again. Synthetic grass looks like the real thing, though it is composed of plastic: polyethylene and polypropylene to be exact. It comes in a variety of colors, blade lengths and textures to fit your landscaping dreams. For those people interested in a putting green, a variety of grasses are available just for golfing purposes. There are some do-it yourself products available, but most companies recommend professional installation. Laying the synthetic grass is similar in some ways to laying sod: first, the ground is prepared by removing all the existing sod and killing any pesky weeds. The base is leveled and in some cases, a 3-4 inches layer of granite is spread evenly over the surface.  Next, the synthetic turf is unrolled and secured using seam tape and adhesive or a mechanical bonding device, border stakes, a specialized broom and a utility knife. The final step is placing a sub base or “in-fill” in between the blades of grass. Companies will either use sand, which is cheaper, or rubber granules, which are better for drainage and feels more like a natural soil base. If your dream is to have a putting green or chipping hole to practice your favorite shot, then more extensive contouring of the land may be required to create a perfect golf getaway in your back yard.