Grass Turf?

[Croach]

I noticed some Texas high schools are going to that grass turf like some colleges have. Does anyone in Tennessee have it? How expensive it?

[ImaOWL]

Heard it was expensive but a lot easier to maintain. Not only do u buy the turf but you will also need a drainage system put in... Looks really neat though....

[trnbrant]

I have been on the Astroplay surface at the Titans complex on many occasions.

 

It truly is a soft surface like natural turf, yet it's consistent like the old artifical turf.

 

I think though that given the expense (I think close to a million dollars) that you would have to have a stadium that is used HEAVILY to invest in the surface.

 

The stadium in Valdosta (shown in an earlier post) also has the surface, but they have heavy usage of that field for h.s. and college.

 

I think you'll see the Titans install it at the Coliseum in the next few years, because they're always having to re-sod the middle of the field every November, and even then the field's still in cruddy condition.

[Croach]

So probably not worth the trouble for an average high school football team?

[ImaOWL]

I see the price of it dropping a lot. In 5 years I can see a couple of schools in Chattanooga getting it... McCallie, Baylor, Ooltewah, Soddy... Have to have a good booster club to do it and good community support.

[Croach]

What's the name of the grass turf that everyone is buying?

[trnbrant]

It's a custom hybrid, Carl Spackler Featherbed Bent...

 

Coach t won't like me posting the rest of the classic Caddyshack quote..

 

Actually it's called AstroPlay, and there is a second similar surface called FieldTurf.

Edited September 7, 2004 by trnbrant

[NWTennSports]

This stuff looks and feels really good. I've walked on a field with FieldTurf, and it felt just like grass. .... Some of it looks so realistic on TV, that it takes awhile to figure out if the grass is real or fake (Is it live, or is it Memorex comes to mind). .... I agree that a field would have to be in use often for it to be installed, but I also agree that the price will come down at some point. .... A field used by several high schools (such as some of the fields in our bigger cities like Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and even Clarksville), or a field used for other purposes such as (sorry about these next two) soccer or band competitions (hey, I said I was sorry ) would be good candidates for this turf. .... I would like to see The Coliseum and the stadium in Chatt. get the turf and then make a bid on the state finals. I'm sure a lot of kids would love the opportunity to play in a professional stadium. ...... But, to answer the question atop the post, I don't know of any H.S. fields in Tenn. with it, yet.

[ThE PeGaSuS]

I HAVE IT IN MY BACKYARD

 

GREAT FOR BACKYARD DARTS

[Gerry Bertier]

I know Bethel College in McKenzie is building a new football stadium that will have this turf in McKenzie and I bet that McKenzie will move from there current stadium to there. If they don't I don't understand why, it would be a great place for high school football and better than that pit that got now.

[thorough97]

Finley Stadium in Chattanooga probably will get it VERY SOON, The NCAA wants in there badly because of the 1-AA Football Championship game.

[ooooo]

I have played on a field with FieldTurf and it is the best stuff in the world. It reduces the risk of injury even compared to regular grass and it will keep the field looking good in the winter months. I don't understand why more teams in Tennessee have not installed it because with all of the budget cuts it is cheaper to keep up than regular grass and it drains better. Your field wouldn't get ruined after a weeks worth of rain like we are gonna have this week. I heard MTSU was gonna install it last year but they still haven't.