The STMA, the Sports Turf Managers Association, presents an annual award for the best sports fields in the USA. This award is especially prized because the professionals, namely the stadium managers, judge each other’s fields. In 2009 the Desso GrassMaster of the Green Bay Packers was pronounced the best professional field in America.

More: packers.com

In 2006, this prize was awarded to the Desso GrassMaster of the Denver Broncos.

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Go! You Packers go!
Following the wording of their fight song, the Green Bay Packers are definitely going for it. After intensive renovations to the stadium infrastructure, the American Football top team has fixed its attention on the training facilities. A car park made way for two high tech grass pitches. The Packers can now train on their fourth and fifth Desso GrassMaster pitches.

Practical solution to a practical problem
Given the extreme temperatures in the region, the NFL top team was looking for a practical solution to a practical issue: how to keep their turf in the best possible condition without losing the natural feel? They found the answer in Desso GrassMaster: the reinforced natural grass system from Desso Sports Systems.

What is Desso GrassMaster?

Training ánd matches
The Pack first installed this system at Clark Hinkle field, one of the two outdoor practice facilities. The artificial fibres injected into the field did what they were expected to do: strengthen the turf and giving it the chance to better recuperate after the winter season or rough matches. Given their positive experience with the reinforced turf at their training facilities, in 2007, the stadium pitch was up for a ‘GrassMaster injection’.

Head Groundsman Allen Johnson: “Our GrassMaster surface, a synthetic and real grass mixture, was challenged with two of the biggest tests possible in the two play-off games in January. I had an idea what to expect, but I just didn’t know how it would hold up. In April, there was grass coming up everywhere. The field survived after a game-time blizzard against Seattle and the game-time arctic-like temperatures against the New York Giants! It’s the best the grass has come back in my time here.”

Higher and bigger
Given the architectural structure of today’s stadiums, faster recuperating turf is a major advantage compared to ‘common’ natural fields. With higher seating structures and special roof constructions, wind, sun and other meteorological elements have a different impact on the grass pitch compared to regular, ‘open’ fields. The artificial grass injection gives the pitch this extra edge while the players get the feeling of playing on a 100 per cent natural grass pitch. Intensively used training facilities profit from the system for the same reasons. With five Desso GrassMaster pitches, Green Bay Packers are definitely convinced of the advantages.