The benefits of using synthetic turf tee lines By Scott Smockum Photos courtesy Synthetic Turf International of Canada A 30 May 2014 fter a long winter, most golfers are eager to get back on the course and resume play. This is often a difficult time for most superintendents as the weather is not warm enough to promote grass growth, but it is visible and relatively green—and to most golfers, if there is grass, the course should be open, right? Owners eagerly welcome the traffic, but most courses are not ready to open. One answer to this urge of members wanting to get back on the course is to open the driving range and let the divots start to fly. Natural grass driving ranges prove to be an uphill battle during the best growing conditions; the average tee deck simply cannot keep up with the demand. As a result, an increasing number of golf courses and driving ranges are installing synthetic turf tee lines at the back of a natural tee deck to act as a relief for the natural grass.