Your guide to understanding how roll works on artificial turf.
The Physics of Golf
Physics. It has influence over everything around us, and, notably, the popular game of golf.
Physics, the nature and properties of matter and energy: the striking of the ball, the ball’s path when airborne, its initial bounce, and the concluding roll out.
In an ideal situation, the ground in the direction of the shot would be perfectly flat, perfectly uphill, or perfectly downhill would be perfectly flat, perfectly uphill, or perfectly downhill in the direction of the shot. This would make hitting the ball into the hole a simple task and hitting it in a straight line.
Often, you’ll see that the ground is sloped. In this case, the ball trajectory cannot be a straight line to the hole, therefore it’s a more complicated task. In this case, the ball has to follow a precise curved path to make it into the hole. How much the ball must curve to the right or left relies on the degree of the putting green’s slope and undulation.
Regardless of if artificial grass or natural grass is used to create your ideal backyard putting green, the physical attributes of the surface impact the performance. Southwest Greens of Illinois employs a blend of common golf course tests and proprietary playability testing.
A common test for ball roll is the stimpmeter test. Stimp testing is calculated by the distance a ball rolls on artificial turf in meters when released from a one-meter height. The ball-to-surface interaction of the grass is directly correlated to the distance the ball rolls.
Our proprietary playability testing for roll analyzes the consistency of standard putting stroke outputs. The test analyzes the initial bounce of the club face and the spin to roll transition.
Now let’s take a deeper analysis into the elements that affect how a golf ball reacts and rolls on a turf.
Green Characteristics
Product Construction: Plastics that are extruded and recycled and offered in a variety of constructions, colors, and lengths. Proper construction is vital in ensuring key putting green installation practices; construction will allow turf to be infilled and rolled. Properly rolled fibers will look and play like natural greens.
Pile Height: How thick and tall the grass blades are will provide varying frictions; having an effect on the velocity and smoothness of the putt.
Fiber: The composition of the fibers will have a substantial effect on how a golf ball will roll throughout the putt. Friction and pile lay are influenced by fiber composition. How the turf lays will impact how the ball interacts with the surface.
Infill: Intrinsic to the turf system, infill is comprised of rounded washed silica. Infill gives ballast and helps drainage. The shape of the infill is critical to performance; angles and edges impede roll.
Aggregate Base: Stone is compacted creating challenging slopes and undulations; the result performs and drains like a championship golf course.
The formula to creating a Backyard Putting Green that performs like a Championship Golf Green uses the perfect raw materials with elite-proven-tested installation techniques. Especially important when you’re on the putting green attempting to gently hit the ball into the hole.
The Southwest Greens Difference
Southwest Greens has been able to quantify key performance indicators. Because we have the understanding of what variables affect performance, we are able to reproduce natural greens.
With Golden Bear Turf, you’ll have smoother rolls comparable to playing on your favorite championship course. Scientifically tested and developed to replicate natural grass, from the initial bounce off the clubface... to the spin transition… to the smooth ball roll into the cup...
Golden Bear presents only the best! It is the perfect backyard practice putting green offering the most realistic putting surfaces you can find on the market.