When homeowners in Granada Hills start exploring synthetic grass options, they often come in with one clear idea in mind — and leave our consultation with a completely different perspective on what's possible. The world of residential turf has expanded well beyond the simple lawn replacement. Today, a backyard synthetic project can range from a straightforward front yard grass swap to a fully custom outdoor living space featuring a putting green, paver borders, drought-tolerant planting beds, and integrated hardscape.
So how do you decide what's right for your property? Let's break down the two most popular project types we install at Smith Family Granada Hills Turf Install — full synthetic lawn installation and custom putting green installation — and help you figure out which one (or which combination) makes the most sense for your home and lifestyle.
The Full Synthetic Lawn: Best for Water Savings, Curb Appeal, and Low-Maintenance Living
A full artificial turf lawn replaces your existing natural grass — front yard, backyard, side yard, or all three — with a complete synthetic grass system. This is the most popular project type we complete in Granada Hills, and it's the option that delivers the biggest impact on your water bill and weekly maintenance schedule.
Full lawn installations use a longer-pile, more voluminous turf product designed to mimic the look and feel of a natural grass lawn from a standing height. These products are available in a range of green tones and pile heights to match your aesthetic preferences, and they're engineered to withstand the UV exposure and heat load of San Fernando Valley summers without fading or matting.
Who it's best for:
- Homeowners who want to eliminate lawn irrigation and dramatically reduce outdoor water use
- Families with children or pets who use the backyard as a play area
- Homeowners focused on improving curb appeal and property value
- Anyone tired of mowing, fertilizing, or dealing with seasonal lawn die-off
- Properties participating in LADWP turf replacement rebate programs
The installation process in Northridge, Porter Ranch, and other nearby communities follows the same proven approach we use in Granada Hills: thorough site excavation, proper base preparation, and premium turf installation with meticulous seaming and finishing.
The Custom Putting Green: Best for Golf Enthusiasts and Outdoor Entertainment
A backyard putting green is a completely different animal — both in terms of the turf product used and the way the base is constructed. Putting green turf features a much shorter pile height and higher fiber density than lawn turf, engineered to produce the consistent, fast ball roll that serious golfers want. The base is also built differently, with deliberate contouring to create realistic breaks and undulations that make practice genuinely useful.
Our putting green installations in Granada Hills range from simple single-hole practice greens in the 200-square-foot range to elaborate multi-hole layouts with fringe areas, chipping zones, and surrounding synthetic turf collars. Each project begins with a custom shape layout — we use spray paint or hose marking to define the green's footprint on your actual yard — and then we design the sub-surface contouring to match the layout you want.
Who it's best for:
- Golfers who want to practice their short game at home year-round
- Homeowners who entertain frequently and want a unique backyard feature
- Families with older kids or teenagers interested in golf
- Homeowners with smaller backyards where a full lawn doesn't make sense but a specialty feature does
- Anyone looking for a high-ROI outdoor living upgrade that's genuinely distinctive
Key Differences Side by Side
Understanding the differences between these two project types helps set clear expectations before your consultation:
- Turf product: Full lawns use landscape turf with 1.5–2+ inch pile height. Putting greens use performance turf with a 0.375–0.5 inch pile height and higher face weight.
- Base construction: Full lawns require a flat, evenly graded base. Putting greens require a precisely contoured base with deliberate mounding and sloping to create breaks.
- Installation time: Full lawn projects are typically completed in one to two days. Complex putting greens with significant contouring may take two to three days.
- Infill type: Lawn turf uses silica sand and crumb rubber for blade support. Putting greens may use a sand-only infill or specialized systems to achieve the desired speed and feel.
- Cup hardware: Putting greens include cup inserts, foam surrounds, flagsticks, and sometimes lighting — components that aren't part of a standard lawn install.
Why Not Both? The Combination Approach
Here's something many homeowners don't consider at the outset: a putting green and a surrounding synthetic lawn are extremely compatible, and combining them in a single project is one of the most impactful backyard transformations we deliver. A custom putting green anchors the yard as a focal feature, while a surrounding lawn turf collar creates a clean, lush green transition to your patio, hardscape, or planting beds.
We frequently design projects where a putting green occupies one portion of a backyard — often a corner or central zone — while standard landscape turf covers the remaining lawn area. The two products seam together cleanly at the fringe, creating a natural-looking transition from the shorter, denser putting surface to the fuller lawn texture. Add a few paver stepping stones or a patio edge and some drought-tolerant planting beds along the fence line, and you have a complete, cohesive outdoor living space that requires almost no ongoing maintenance.
What About Replacing Old Turf?
If you already have synthetic grass in your yard that's past its prime — faded, matted, separating at seams, or developing drainage problems — the decision between a full lawn and a putting green is secondary to getting the old material removed properly. Our turf removal and replacement service handles complete demo, base inspection, and fresh installation in one coordinated project. In some cases, the existing decomposed granite base is still in good condition and can be refreshed rather than fully replaced, which helps control your project cost.
The good news about replacing aging turf is that the product technology has improved considerably over the past five to ten years. Today's synthetic grass is softer, more realistic in appearance, better at dissipating heat, and more UV-stable than products from even a few years ago. Homeowners who replace decade-old turf are consistently surprised by how different modern synthetic grass feels and performs.
Getting a Quote for Your Granada Hills Project
Whether you're leaning toward a full lawn replacement, a custom putting green, or a complete backyard redesign that combines multiple elements, the best next step is a free on-site consultation. We visit your property, measure the space, discuss your goals and budget, and provide a transparent, itemized quote that covers every phase of the project from excavation to final grooming.
Smith Family Granada Hills Turf Install serves homeowners throughout Granada Hills and the surrounding communities, including Northridge, North Hills, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Sylmar, and