Do you think an 'artificial' course will ever be a reality?

[nlinneman20]

I saw Rory's comments about all that goes into keeping a golf course up and I was actually thinking about this yesterday after attending a local golf show. They had some vendors who install putting greens but also offer varying levels of 'fairway and rough' to put around the green for chipping purposes.

 

My question is, do you think we will ever see an 'artificial course'? Maybe just have the greens be the only 'real' part of the course but everything else various levels of turf? I imagine it would be a gigantic investment up front however the ongoing maintenance would be minimal, the owners could tout that the course is always in perfect shape...even in the dead of winter.

[Carl Spackler3]

it will and it will be in Japan

 

[8602081]

I've seen some videos of some courses in Asia.... The Tee boxes were artificial or mats..

 

[farmer]

Field Turf costs about 4.75 per square foot, but that's just for the material, not including the prep work. An acre is 44000 sq ft. So, $209,000, per acre, again, just for the turf. If you have 60 acres of fairways, that adds up. It also degrades over time, so you have to replace it occasionally. Judging from my BIL's artificial putting green, the turf still requires maintenance. Anyone have Jeff Bezo's phone number?

[Fuscinator]

Aren’t there some courses now where you drag around a piece of carpet to play on a track with no grass? (I don’t know if that counts as ‘artificial’, or just desperate.)

[davep043]

I read an article in Golfers Journal about an attempt to build such a course at a dude ranch in Colorado. The project stalled, I believe due to issues with neighboring landowners over excessive increased traffic or some such NIMBY stuff. I found a reference to the project in the Golf Club Atlas Discussion section, but there were no more details there.

[nlinneman20]

I know it'll be expensive however I dont think your paying retail price on a SF of turf i you are creating an entire golf course from it.

 

You'd be able to get that cut down by at least 30% if not more unless your just a terrible business person.

[bowilbury8]

Much like water desalinization, when the price of the artificial turf gets to be cheaper than the regular upkeep of natural grass, you will see it switch. There was a driving range I used to go to had their target areas all done in astroturf and it was contoured like a real course. That's when I first thought about that idea of doing an entire course like that. You would have to get used to the ball probably rolling out more on the harder surface vs grass. There are some companies that do high end backyard practice areas in turf and I bet that's pretty realistic.

[farmer]

Field Turf sells a jillion sq ft to athletic complexes every year. The only mass production savings they would have would be transportation, ie, a lot going to one place. Even if the material was discounted, the land prep would be massive.

[James the Hogan Fan]

Paloheinä golf in Helsinki already has one!* https://paloheinagolf.fi/evergreen/

Yes it is just a 5 hole par 3 course and the longest hole is 83m or 91 yards, but it has turf tees, turf fairways, turf greens, and is marketed as 'Evergreen' and a place to learn to play. The rough is still natural grass though. So there is a start, perhaps one day someone will build a full size one, I'm not sure people will flock to them though.

[BeerPerHole]

I've thought about this too. I do think it will happen, probably in our lifetime.

[MOAB]

Seems too expensive at the moment.

[cloume77]

I've actually played in an indoor 3 hole par 3 course in South Korea with artificial turf and fake sand bunker area using sort of like brown cushy sponge like material. I didn't go in the bunker so didn't get to check out the feel for it. I think the longest hole was 85 meters, so approximately 93 ish yards, and other two were 80 yards or so like long (short more like). It was in one of those industrial warehouse building with very high ceiling and bright lighting with no shadows casting in the playing area. Entrance fee was around $9, so $3 per hole and had great food and drink options. I say the experience was good and the players moved pretty fast with not much of hold up. However, the holes were somewhat too close to each other so I was bit nervous about getting hit by a ball. Luckily, I walked away unscathed. Also, the feel was not bad just like hitting the range mat but much better fairway like feel. I will try to look for pics and post later.

[bpink21901]

I have thought someplace would change over the greens only to artificial since that seems to be the highest cost & water / sqft to maintain. As mentioned I would expect somewhere in Asia to be the first and it would spread from there.

I have had a small Southwest green in the backyard for about 8 years and the only maintenance I've had is blowing tree debris off it. Commercial use may need to be top-dressed every year. It would need a softer layer than I have to hold shots from most golfers. I can hold a 50 yard wedge shot (max distance available in my yard) on it if I really clip it and get my max spin. But anything less than max spin will roll the 20 feet from front to back.

[Myherobobhope]

A fully artificial course? Maybe... I think it might make sense to do parts of the course artificially and have "real" parts elsewhere.Tee Boxes: This is probably the easiest thing to do but probably has the lowest return on investment... Have a nice tee box, give people cut off shuttle cocks instead of tees (this is what my fitting facility does on their indoor trackman). Relatively low wear and tear... probably some people upset about it, but would probably have the least overall upkeep. Par threes might be a different story.Fairways: No watering, no cutting... no bad lies, no divots to fill... I hate hitting off mats, so this would be a not awesome change for me... Also a huge investment for a club, especially one with sprinklers already installed. Might make sense for a new installment in an extreme weather climate.Greens: If you could do this correctly, I think it would probably be a great investment... I don't know of any artificial greens that will behave like a real green or how you'd move the pin around... Countours and such would be interesting... My guess is on the hole front you'd have precut holes in 9-10 spots, and movable "caps" that you pull and move the pin on a day to day basis... Benefits would be a consistent putting speed and low maintenance... I'm just not sure how regular golfers would feel about it... I've experience the disappointment of temporary greens, so a long term solution that works would be awesome... I'm just not sure the technology is there...

 

Honestly, I think golf simulators are more likely to take more market share. I'm pushing for them at my club, but the board doesn't see them as an investment (just a cost)

[shotmark]

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) the tree huggers and PC brigade make such a song and dance about the (perceived) environmental benefits of real grass over artificial that I don't think there are many countries which would allow an artificial course to be built in the current socio-political climate.

 

[macedan]

While I like the idea, I feel as though simulators are the next big thing with professional simulator tours already being established in some areas.

[enfuego]

Found a short video of a place in UAE

[MOAB]

Interesting, but looks gimmicky.

[James the Hogan Fan]

The problem with greens is the wear and tear around the holes. On real grass, after about two weeks the area is about recovered. On a turf green you start getting minute imperfections and lumps and bumps, and the turf gets worn out around the hole locations. I'm not convinced they'd hold up, but I could be wrong.

 

Another problem with turf is it gets really hot in the sun, and can smell as well. Think of the heat shimmer on a turf range in the summer. Plus in my experience with two nearby AstroTurf ranges, they had to be replaced after about 10 years from wear and tear. I'm not saying it's impossible but there are some tradeoffs to make.

[Myherobobhope]

Yeah, I'm not sure how it would actually be done... That was just my thinking process on it.

[James the Hogan Fan]

Gotchya. I like your idea for tees. Maybe just for par 4's and 5's, with a strip of dirt/grass right next to the mat that you could stick a tee in. No different than hitting off a range really...

[Stephen1987]

Couple of courses here in Cyprus with artificial greens and you have to carry a mat due to no fairways. Definitely not the way forward.

[Myherobobhope]

I actually bought some birdietees today... they are basically just shuttlecocks without the ball part in varying heights... tees you don’t have to put in the ground. My club is on mats only until at least April, so I needed something to tee balls up with.

[St Jimmy]

If they do, I hope they put heater coils under the fairways and greens. I'd play all winter. Just imagine having the rough be 6 inches of snow!

 

Better play conservative!

[tiderider]

a short course of 3 holes would be great for beginners ...

[nlinneman20]

Agreed on the simulator comments also. I play in a local league at a local bar, some Fri/Saturdays you cant get a spot (they have 3 simulators). It's fun, doesnt beat real golf tho but an hour in a simulator in January is better than waiting 4 months to even swing a club.

 

There is a place called X golf in my wifes hometown of Holland, MI. TOP NOTCH simulators and a full bar/food menu. I thought about looking at franchising one here in St. Louis but never really got dove into it. Little worried too as STL doesnt have near the winters Michigan does. Last year, by time it hit 70 up there, I had about 10 rounds under my belt.