KANSAS CITY, KS — Producers of the 2013 Kansas City Golf Expo announced Tuesday that SYNLawn will be the Official Turf Company of the 2013 Kansas City Golf Show, and will build a showcase green right on the show floor where golfers can try out putters, compete for prizes and more! The three-day consumer golf expo returns to the Overland Park Convention Center for a second year, Feb. 22-24. Show hours, exhibitor packets and other details are available online at varsitygolfshows.com/kan.

The On The Green interactive area — featuring a state-of-the-art SYNLawn green complete with a putting surface and simulated rough — is certain to be a gathering point for golfers all weekend, as they step onto the green to try out new putters or compete in one of the show’s interactive contests. Added to the show’s 50-Foot Putting Challenge (also to be built by SYNLawn), Long Drive Challenge, Closest-To-The-Pin Challenge, Short Game Central, Main Stage, Free Lesson Area and 19th Hole Lounge, attendees will have no shortage of activities to keep them moving about the show floor and engaging with exhibitors in all parts of the hall.

Last year’s show — the first in the K.C. market for producers Varsity Golf Shows — proved popular with sponsors, exhibitors and consumers, with over 6,500 of the latter passing through the doors over the show’s three days to take advantage of show-only specials on golf-related products and services, free lessons, try-and-buy opportunities with the year’s hottest new equipment, and an incredible giveaway package that included free golf, golf balls, magazine subscriptions and more.

Already in for 2013, Edwin Watts Golf Shops, Prairie Band Casino & Resort, RMI Golf Carts, Superior Cadillac, Waddell & Reed, Mississippi Development Authority, Birdie Ball, Summer Winds Resorts, Old Kinderhook, the Lodge at Four Seasons, Robertson Entertainment, Renewal by Anderson and dozens of other local and national exhibitors have made agreements to showcase their products and services at the Kansas City Golf Show this year, with over 85 in all expected to fill the hall by the time doors open in February.

The Kansas City Golf Show is one several high-end consumer golf expos produced nationally by Varsity Golf Shows, a marketing, communications and event production company with a strong reputation for providing outstanding values to U.S. golfers. In addition to the Kansas City Golf Show, Varsity also operates successful golf shows in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Portland (Ore.), Hartford (Conn.) and the San Francisco Bay Area, and will be launching a new consumer golf expo in Dallas in 2013.

To inquire about exhibit, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, please call Kirk Tourtillotte at 1-888-367-6420 x.114 or e-mail kirk@varsitycommunications.com.

For a full recap of last year’s show, or to view more information, visit varsitygolfshows.com/kan.

By Chris Oberholtz, Multimedia Producer and Nima Shaffe, News Reporter for kctv5.com

BLUE SPRINGS, MO (KCTV) – When students return to school in Blue Springs on Wednesday, recess will be safer and hopefully a little cleaner after a new surface installed on school playgrounds.

When it comes to playgrounds and safety of children in the Blue Springs School District, one could say they are one-step ahead in trying to eliminate safety hazards on the playground.

The district has selected one elementary school to serve as a pilot for a new playground material they hope will prove to be safer than what they had in place before.

“When you have mulch, and you have kindergarten and first-grade students that are playing on playgrounds, a windy day, students kicking some mulch around we do have problems with students getting mulch debris in their eyes,” Thomas Ultican Elementary School principal Kelly Flax said.

Flax said with this product they hope to eliminate that little bit of a safety concern.

“In reality have kids having more time on the playground having fun,” he said.

The product is called SYNLawn. It is 100-percent flame retardant and is actually 20 percent cooler than shredded rubber playgrounds.

The best part Flax said is that more kids will be able to enjoy the playground. The new SYNLawn turf makes the playgrounds ADA accessible, allowing kids with handicaps to play on the equipment.  This was something that was hard to do when the school had mulch.

Flax says the turf is not only cleaner than having mulch but safer, as it cushions the fall for kids if they fall while playing on the equipment.

“What they have done on this product is they have reinforced those high access areas or high trampled areas with a product that doesn’t allow for the mulch to move or the turf to move.  So in essence, you eliminate any type of safety concerns because you have the same consistency throughout the playground,” Flax said.

Since the elementary school is piloting the new SYNLawn, it could take another year or two before other schools in the district decide to install this turf on their playgrounds.

To view the full story online please visit this location.

Oklahoma – SYNLawn, the maker of residential synthetic grass, teams with Lowe’s to provide the look of a perfect lawn for weekend warriors who want to be the envy of their neighborhood.

The dream of a perfect lawn, if that’s your goal in life, is easier than you think. No watering. No fertilizing. No mowing. No weeding. Just sit back and enjoy the sight of green grass — synthetic, that is.

SYNLawn, the maker of residential synthetic grass, teams with Lowe’s to provide the look of a perfect lawn for weekend warriors who want to be the envy of their neighborhood.
The company provides rolls of synthetic turf in the most popular sizes, along with basic installation tools for customers who need smaller amounts of turf and want to install it themselves, according to a news release.

SYNLawn has been testing the program in some Lowe’s stores for a couple years, and now offers it in 463 stores from South Carolina to California; it should be in all stores within a couple years. Online, you can find it in fescue, zoysia and Bermuda textures, as well as pre-cut putting greens.

The new program offers three pre-cut and prepackaged sizes offering flexibility for design. Those sizes are 3-by-11, 5-by-7 ½ and 7 ½-by-11 feet. These pre-cut pieces of synthetic turf can be used for a variety of projects ranging from landscaping areas, pet areas, play areas, common areas, garages, basements, roof decks and outdoor patios. Costs for the stock rolls range from $130 to $300.

The synthetic turf comes with detailed installation instructions. Lowe’s carries all tools needed for the project.

The turf eliminates mud tracking, is washable, non allergenic and comes with a warranty whether you have it installed or do it yourself.

“SYNLawn turf products save millions of gallons of water each year, reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption from lawn equipment, and keep fertilizers and pesticides away from pets and out of the groundwater supply,” said George Neagle, vice president of sales and marketing for SYNLawn. “The uses are only limited by the imagination of the customer.”

SYNLawn products have replaced petroleum-based polyurethane with soybean oils in the manufacturing process, utilize secondary backing materials made from recycled plastic bottles, and are 100-percent recyclable, according to SYNLawn.com.

To see the entire story online, please visit this location.

During a recent conversation with Angela Grego of Turf Etc., local customer Marty shares how his backyard putting green by SYNLawn has helped improve his short-game.

Thank you for sharing Marty!

Marty: That reminds me, I need to practice my putting this evening. I took 2nd place for the eighth time in my recent club championship.

My putting was so good that even the club champ who had just won for the 15th time was asking me about SYNLawn.

Angela: Thank you for sharing that!! Do you attribute your success to your continued practice on your own personal green?

Marty: No doubt about it. If I was going to have brain surgery, I would prefer using a Doctor who has a scalpel in his hand every day.

Blue Valley Schools Want to Prevent Playground Vandalism

Posted by: John Pepitone, FOX 4 News

OLATHE, KS — The Blue Valley School District is taking action to try to prevent playground vandalism. The idea comes after several playground fires were intentionally set earlier this summer. A safer surface is being installed on the school’s playground.

Blue Valley is experimenting at two playgrounds damaged by fire. They’re trying a synthetic surface that looks like grass and plays like grass, but also is fire retardant. The new playground at Liberty View Elementary will have foam padding that acts like a trampoline. The playground is supposed to be safe enough for a child to withstand a 12-foot fall without serious injuries.

The SYNLawn being installed at this play area damaged by an arsonist was checked out by the Overland Park Fire Department. It’s touted to be a lot less flammable than the rubber mulch that was set on fire in July.

“This is a pilot project it’s installed at two of our schools that had fire damage,” said Mike Slagle, Blue Valley Schools Asst. Superintendent. “Depending on how those pilot projects go we could expand it to other blue valley schools in the future.”

Children have been without a playground since Fourth of July weekend when a series of arsons destroyed play surfaces and left playground equipment damaged. SYNLawn, a sister company of Astroturf, is increasingly being considered by those searching for safer play surfaces that may be less susceptible to vandals.

The same synthetic grass is also being installed at new school playgrounds being rebuilt in tornado ravaged Joplin.

“This is a little bit different than yesteryear,” said Brock Hall, SYNLawn Distributor. “It’s amazing where we’ve come with technology just like anything else everything gets better.”

If Blue Valley determines the pilot project provides a safer play area for kids and also deters vandals, the district may consider installing it at all of its playgrounds.

The new playground here should be ready for kids to enjoy by August 29. Blue valley says it costs about $150,000 for the surface and new equipment, most of that covered by insurance from the July fire.

Read the full story at this location.

The show, one of the biggest in the Midwest, attracted hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors looking for the best ideas and best vendors for home projects. When it came to capturing the attention of the crowds, Turf, etc., stole the show.

In a 30’x40’ area, the team from Turf, etc., managed to capture all that is great about outdoor living. The area featured a large putting green, children’s play area, a pet area, and an outdoor patio and grill area, all enhanced by a beautiful rock wall.

“We were very proud of the experience we created,” said Angela Grego of Turf, etc. “Our golf green, playground area, and pet area, created a lot of excitement and interest. People had a great time playing in our yard and were able to imagine these amenities in their own yards.”

Turf, etc., is based in Kansas City and is an authorized supplier and installer of SYNLawn^® synthetic grass systems.

“We are proud of Turf, etc., for winning this award,” said George Neagle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for SYNLawn^®. “The amount of effort they put into this show is evidence of their commitment to the total customer experience. SYNLawn^® is the best product on the market, but it always helps to have a distributor who is committed and passionate about the product.”

SYNLawn^® is the leader in the synthetic grass industry. The SYNLawn^® brand product line includes over 25 different varieties of artificial grass styles for commercial and residential applications including landscaping, pet areas, play areas, and uncommon areas such as rooftops and patio decks.

For the ultimate in realistic golf performance SYNLawn^®, SYNLawnGOLF^® and golf guru Dave Pelz have developed a total comprehensive line of professional grade golf turf. The SYNLawn^® basix^™ product line consists of more traditional, commodity grade artificial grass products used for tighter budgets, less demanding applications or contractor sales.

Best of all, SYNLawn^® products are the most environmentally friendly on the market. SYNLawn^® turf products save millions of gallons of water each year, keep fertilizers and pesticides away from pets and out of the ground water supply, and reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption from lawn equipment.

SYNLawn^® products have replaced petroleum-based polyurethane with soybean oils in the manufacturing process, utilize secondary backing materials made from recycled plastic bottles, and are 100% recyclable.

About SYNLawn:

SYNLawn^® is the industry innovator on synthetic grass. Their lush and livable synthetic grass systems have transformed the way synthetic grass is used, producing the most advanced and performance oriented putting surfaces and synthetic landscaping solutions in the market. SYNLawn^® uses exclusive nylon technologies to produce unmatched solutions for synthetic landscape, golf, pet and playground systems. SYNLawn’s grass products are 100% recyclable and lead compliant. As a true vertically integrated manufacturer/installer in the business, SYNLawn^® delivers customers the highest quality artificial grass products at a competitive price with the most genuine industry warranty. With the company’s rapid expansion, SYNLawn^® has 35 locations now open in the United States and Canada. To learn more visit www.SYNLawn.com.

The industry innovator produces the most advanced landscape solutions and putting surfaces in the market.

“Throughout 2010, we strategically expanded our presence by partnering with exceptional distributors that share SYNLawn’s commitment to synthetic grass innovation and the highest quality workmanship, installation and service,” said George Neagle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for SYNLawn^®. “Now residential and business customers have the opportunity to experience and buy more of our products in person in addition to ordering online.”

Over the past year, SYNLawn^® expanded from 10 locations to 35 throughout the United States and Canada. The company’s new distributors include: Heritage Landscape Products in the Bay Area of California, SYNLawn^® Chicago in Illinois, Easy Grass in Florida, SYNScapes of Indiana, Chesapeake Bay Synthetic Landscapes LLC in the DC Metro area, Turf Etc in Missouri, Big Sky Synthetic Lawns in Montana, MAXLawn Artificial Landscape Turf in North Carolina, Minot Enterprises in North Dakota, Strickly Green Grass in Houston and Texas Turf Solutions in Dallas.

SYNLawn^® has also gained attention for the eco-friendly nature of their synthetic grass, which is 100% recyclable. They led the industry in using renewable resources and recycled materials in their manufacturing process. Over the past five years, the amount of synthetic grass sold and installed by the company has conserved 4.7 billion gallons of water and prevented smog emissions equivalent to an automobile driving 1.1 million miles from entering the environment.

As a result of SYNLawn^®’s growth and innovation, the company has appointed Michelle I. Rybus to the newly-created position of Sales Support Manager. The job focuses on providing outstanding sales and marketing support to SYNLawn^®’s network of 35 distributors across the United States and Canada.

Prior to assuming this elevated role, Rybus held the key positions of Warehouse Manager, Sales Manager and also worked in outside sales since joining SYNLawn^® in 2006. Her 15 years of landscape industry experience also includes serving as the Marketing Coordinator for Kichler Lighting and handling outside sales of landscape supplies for John Deere Landscapes. She is a resident of Henderson, Nevada.

About SYNLawn^®

SYNLawn^® is the industry innovator on synthetic grass. Their lush and livable synthetic grass systems have transformed the way synthetic grass is used, producing the most advanced and performance oriented putting surfaces and synthetic landscaping solutions in the market. SYNLawn^® uses exclusive nylon technologies to produce unmatched solutions for synthetic landscape, golf, pet and playground systems. SYNLawn^®’s grass products are 100% recyclable and lead compliant. As the only vertically integrated manufacturer/installer in the business, SYNLawn^® delivers customers the highest quality artificial grass products at a competitive price with the most genuine industry warranty. With the company’s rapid expansion, SYNLawn^® has 35 locations now open in the United States and Canada. To learn more visit SYNLawn^®.