Artificial turf is usually considered when a natural grass field is not holding up or it is at the end of its natural life. The life of a natural grass sports field is often between 15 and 25 years. A field that lasts this long was most likely properly constructed and maintained by an educated staff with a reasonable budget.

The cause of natural grass not holding up is often due to poor construction, inadequate care or over use, all of which can be easily and inexpensively corrected. The smart thing to do is to conduct a thorough evaluation of the natural grass sports field, its construction, use and maintenance before replacing it with artificial turf. Unfortunately, many schools skip this step.

A good place to start is to read The Dirt on Turf.