Natural Turf Fields
Natural Turf Fields
R.A.D. Sports has a dedicated Natural Turf Division which constructs, renovates, and maintains natural turf surfaces. Our team includes a Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) with a background in turfgrass research. We are also members of the Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) and New England Sports Turf Mangers Association (NESTMA). Both organizations keep us informed of evolving industry trends and new technology. The benefits of these affiliations paired with our highly experienced team ensure the success of your project.
Our Natural Turf Division is led by Robert M. Delmonico, President of R.A.D. Sports, who is an American Sports Builder Association (ASBA) Certified Field Builder (CFB). He has earned and maintains this licensure by being highly educated and experienced in all aspects of natural turf and synthetic turf field building.
Natural Turf Construction
Natural turf construction milestones vary greatly depending on the scope of work. First, we typically dispatch heavy metal equipment to perform earthwork until the site achieves subgrade. After subgrade is achieved, either the existing native soil is stockpiled and amended onsite before being reinstalled, or new soil is brought in from offsite and installed. This is also when drainage and irrigation improvements take place.
After drainage, irrigation, and soils are installed, the surface is either sodded or seeded. Though budget may impact this decision, the time of year grass installation occurs and the timeline for when the facility is next in use also affect this decision.
Once you have installed or renovated your natural turf facility, a maintenance program is pivotal to ensure your facility stays at peak performance.
Cultural Services
Cultural Services is a term used in the natural turf industry that includes mowing, fertilization, irrigation, cultivation, and pest management, in order to maintain grass and soil health. Our experienced team leverages our fleet of specialized equipment to take care of your natural turf facility maintenance needs. Contact us to have one of our experts assess your field and create a proposed cultural services program customized for your facility.
Improve Drainage
To improve the drainage of your field we use the following equipment:
- Sand Master
- Verti-Drain
- Blecavator
- Koro
- Fraise Mower
- Whiz Wheel
Grass Quality and Coverage
If the grass at your facility is patchy and you need to improve its quality and coverage, we can perform the following services:
- Slice Seeding
- Dimple Seeding
- Core Aerification
- Deep-tine Aeration
Top Dressing Applications
Sometimes it is not feasible, due to schedule or budget, to perform a complete renovation of a natural turf facility by accessing the soil beneath. In these situations, top dressing is a less invasive solution to improve soil quality, structure and planarity. Other noninvasive services that can be applied to your field include fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide, and pesticide applications.
Baseball and Softball Infields
In the world of natural turf athletic facilities, baseball and softball fields have unique requirements to operate at peak performance. Whether your facility is part of a Little League or Professional League, our experts are prepared and ready to execute your infield maintenance and renovation services.
Infield Maintenance
These services help maintain a safe playing surface and are recommended to be performed annually in the Spring or Fall:
- Infield, Base Path, Mound, and Plate Edging
- Installation of Supplemental Infield Mix
- Grooming Infield Skinned Areas
Infield Renovations
Should you need more than the standard Spring or Fall cleanup for your facility, we are equipped to offer more in-depth renovation services:
- Infield Layout
- Remove Grass from Infield and Around Skinned Surfaces
- Rototill and Amend Infield
- Irrigation Adjustments
- Sod Renovation
- New Bases, Home Plate, and Pitching Rubber
