Question #4

I’m looking for a turf to put on top of a concrete slab for a croquet court, so wanted a lower pile for the balls to roll on smoothly but not like a putting green. The area is fenced off so will only be used for croquet but also want an appealing, natural look.

by Mollie

This is definitely a bit more nuanced than some of the other situations we have been asked about before, though all of the different qualities have been addressed in other question. However, this is exactly why these kinds of Q&A’s are important: because even though each consideration has been addressed separately in other questions, the particular combination of prerequisites will often lead to a different answer than those previous questions. That said, let us consider for a moment what we know to figure out which artificial grass is the best for your needs.

One thing that we do not have to consider as much seems to be the price. Aside from the fact that you did not mention the price as being a priority, you need the artificial grass for a croquet court. While we do not know who will be using the court, we can still make a reasonable guess that, based on the demographic that generally plays croquet in the first place, this court is likely for a middle-class family or higher status setting. Of course, we are not going to completely ignore the price with our recommendation(s), but it will not be one of the primary considerations.

Now, when we look at the prerequisites that you did note, we see aesthetics, the pile, and the durability. We will start with the last consideration as this is likely the easiest to consider, though it will also require the most factors to consider. For instance, the artificial grass being laid over top a concrete slab may need some form of microbial or ultraviolet radiation protection depending on where the court will be positioned. One thing that may seem a bit counterintuitive is that you likely do not need artificial grass that is the most durable. While moderate walking and the rolling ball need to be considered, unless the court is used all day by different groups of players, reasonably durable stitching will work just fine.

If, for example, the concrete slab has some sort of drainage engineered, you may not need to worry so much about microbial protections. However, if the concrete has no drainage then you will either want to get artificial grass with microbial protection, or you will need to let the concrete dry after cleaning it. Thankfully, if the court is used exclusively for croquet as you suggest, then you should not have to worry about cleaning the grass more than once a week and can likely allow longer time between cleanings if there are not many environmental contaminants like pollen or the like.

One protection that seems more likely than not is protection from UV radiation since a croquet court is unlikely to be covered by shade in the middle. Granted, you did not specify whether you were making a full-sized croquet court or the ‘small court’ size. Of course, it does not necessarily matter as much since the ratio remains 5:4, but smaller courts are more likely to allow shade deeper into the center. Regardless, it is more likely than not that your croquet court will require some form of UV protection.

The final consideration regards the thread pile, though your request is a bit unorthodox. What we mean by that is that a legal croquet court should have grass which is between 8mm to 12mm – the tallest of which is just under ½”. In fact, professional croquet courts are more similar to a putting green than not. That said, amateur-level courts allow for a maximum pile of up to 1 ½” which is more than enough to meet the various pile lengths for our products. As such, we will provide you a recommendation for a shorter pile as well as a longer pile, so you can decide which style of croquet court you prefer.

Our first recommendation will focus on the longer pile height and comes from Artificial Grass Wholesalers. This is considered a premium-grade artificial grass, and the price reflects that. However, it is easily the most aesthetically pleasing artificial grass with pile heights of 1 ⅔” to 2” in height – though the taller pile is likely too tall for a croquet court. On top of that, the Artificial Grass Wholesalers is also one of the most durable artificial grasses on our list with a thatch stitching pattern that can withstand the moderate to heavy traffic a croquet court is liable to encounter.

If you want an artificial grass that is more durable, the iCustomrug comes with numerous protections including against UV radiation, stains, and mildew. On top of that, the pile is only 1 ¼” which is well within the preferred 1 ½” pile height for an amateur croquet court. While the iCustomrug is not quite as natural looking as the Artificial Grass Wholesalers due to a single color thread, it is at least consistent. That said, you will likely want to be careful when cleaning it as high-pressure water can dislodge the threads from the backing.