Today one can find artificially produced fields in any number of places: indoor arenas, residential neighborhoods and commercial business parks. For various reasons, manufactured turf has taken root in all these places and more. 10 uses of artificial grass include soccer, ski and snowboard parks, tennis, arid landscaping, residential lawns, high-traffic commercial areas, to replace concrete around swimming pools and on indoor putting greens.

First introduced on the baseball field of the Houston Astrodome, the green field was a welcome sight to the players. For the previous year, they had been playing on a dirt field painted green with dangerous tufts of failed turf sticking up here and there. Since then, it has sprung up in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. The ball bounced much faster off this hard turf with a clearly defined angle. The players had to change their playing style to accommodate the new surface, which also took a physical toll in increased injuries. A number of stadiums switched back to natural sod. The manufacturer responded with a new, softer material. It debuted in St. Petersburg in 2000.

The first game of American football played on an synthetic surface occurred in Philadelphia in 1969. Of the teams in the National Football League, 13 now use the new, softer field material. It makes sense for a large stadium, where different sports are played and musical concerts might play host to tens of thousands of pounding feet.

Field hockey, as the name signifies, is defined by the playing surface. The introduction of a smooth, hard, uniform surface radically changed the game. Carom shots off the ground could be expected to react a certain way and new styles of play evolved to make use of the new turf. Unfortunately, the cost of creating fields used for just one sport have created a rift in the international game. Perennial favorites Pakistan and India have been priced out of the game. Manufacturers are now exploring ways that they can make surface that works for all sports.

Football, for the most part, no longer uses man-made grass. After a brief affair with the surface, it was banned in England.

Most synthetic fields these days use one of three methods to soften the surface and make it more playable. The most common solution has been the wet the pitch before play, and at half time, if necessary. The other two involved sand fill. Sand dressed fields have just a little sand, not even visible from above. Sand filled, on the other hand, have a larger amount that slows the ball down and makes increases control. Teams still want to avoid winter field closures.

The green fabric has also been used to mimic the slippery slopes of winter, allowing skiers and snowboarders to enjoy their sport in the summer wearing only shorts and a shirt. These slopes came to be called pista del sole. Their use in these conditions is increasingly common.

Landscapers adopted the new technology very readily. It was easy to install, inexpensive to maintain, and withstood high traffic situations. Around swimming pools, it was more comfortable and less slippery than cement. In particularly hostile environments, such as the Arizona desert, it was the ideal choice. For residential lawns, water use is curtailed significantly, leading to financial and environmental benefits. And, of course, every executive likes to have his own putting green replacing the carpet of his office.

While it has had its ups and downs, there is no doubting that there are at least 10 uses of artificial grass. Next time you are at your favorite sports arena, look down and see if you can tell. Is the field all natural, or can you see the hand of man?

Wow, that is some pretty grass? What? It's artificial grass? No way! It's so beautiful! Yes, folks, you can have an artificial lawn and still get the same compliments.