Your guide to understanding how roll works on artificial turf.

The Physics of Golf

Physics. It touches everything in life, including the beloved game of golf.

Physics, the nature and properties of matter and energy: how the club impacts the ball, the ball’s path in the air, its initial bounce, and the 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 targeting the ball into the hole a straightforward matter and hitting it along a straight line.

At times, however, you’ll discover that the ground is sloped. When this happens, the ball trajectory can’t be a straight line to the hole, therefore it’s a more difficult task. The ball must now follow a precise curved path to get into the hole. The amount the ball has to curve depends on the amount of the slope and undulation of the putting green.

Whether or not synthetic turf or natural turf is chosen to build your ideal backyard putting green, the physical properties of the surface affect the performance. We use a mix of typically used golf course tests and proprietary playability testing.

A common test to test ball roll is the stimpmeter test. Stimp testing calculates 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 related to the distance of the ball roll.

The proprietary playability testing for roll analyzes the consistency of outputs from a standard putting stroke. This test analyzes the initial bounce of the club face and the spin to roll transition.

Now let’s take a deeper look into the elements that influence how a golf ball reacts and rolls on a turf.

Green Characteristics

Product Construction: Plastics that are extruded and recycled and offered in a mix of constructions, colors, and lengths. Proper construction is critical in enabling key putting green installation practices; construction enables 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; impacting the velocity and smoothness of your putt.

Fiber: The composition of the fibers has a substantial effect on how a golf ball rolls throughout the putt. Friction and pile lay are impacted by fiber composition. How the ball interacts with the surface is affected by how the turf lays.

Infill: Intrinsic to the turf system, infill is composed of rounded washed silica. Infill gives ballast and aids drainage. How the infill is shaped is vital to performance; angles and edges impede roll.

Aggregate Base: Stone is compacted to create challenging slopes and undulations; one that performs and drains like a championship golf course.

The formula to creating a Backyard Putting Green that performs like a Championship Golf Green combines the best raw materials with elite-proven-tested installation techniques. This is especially important when you’re on the putting green trying to gently hit your ball into the hole.

The Southwest Greens Difference

Southwest Greens has quantified key performance indicators. Because we have the understanding of which variables affect performance, we’re able to replicate natural greens.

With Golden Bear Turf, you will experience smoother rolls that feel like 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.

Take a look at our Gold Bear Turf, and discover why golfers around the world love Southwest Greens.

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