Fake vs. Natural Grass for Winterberry Park

At the City Council meeting on September 5, 2023, an item appeared under Parks Annual Project Funding for Winterberry Park, requesting $2.2 Million for artificial turf. The Marco Island Senior softball players play on that field year-round, and this item sparked curious discussions.

A small contingency of players from Marco Senior Softball League attended the City Council Meeting on September 5th. Tom Polston, the Marco Island Softball League Commissioner, spoke on behalf of the players during the Public Comment to let the City Councilors know that the players would like to be included in the discussions on the City’s plan to replace natural grass with fake grass at the Winterberry Park. 

Also, at the same meeting, Dan Smith, Director of Growth Management, came before City Council asking for approval to award a contract for Planning Consulting Services to create a Parks and Recreation Master Plan to Atlanta Planning & Design, LLC in the amount of $90,000. 

The Master Plan’s goal is to “enhance parks, open space and recreational opportunities while maintaining small town charm, beauty and convenience of the community. The City also will include members of the public in park and recreation planning through public meetings and ongoing assessment activities.” 

For Winterberry Park - imagine no mowing, no using fertilizer, no need to water it and it will always look perfectly green. And if you close your eyes and do some creative reimagining – some mornings, it might even smell like freshly-cut grass. Turf salespeople claim that it is “sustainable and eco-friendly.” What’s there not to love?

But this grass did not sprout from a seed – it is manmade from the same material that is used to make common plastic water bottles and supermarket plastic bags containing petrochemicals – the kind you usually don’t want to leave around at the beach or at your local park, since it does not decay.

Each time you join a beach clean-up in Marco Island, volunteers are reminded that plastic breaks down into tiny pieces and as enters the waterways and find itself in the ocean, where marine animals and seabirds mistake these plastic pieces as food causing them to get sick or starve to death.

Cherise Cuevas Loy, the niece of Jimmy Cuevas, a senior softball player for the Marco Island Senior Softball League, was at the field last Friday to cheer Uncle Jimmy. She “prefers natural grass since it looks and smells better and is definitely better for the human body.” 

Julie Rogers, also cheering for husband Todd Rogers, stated that she favors grass because it is natural. Sue O’Brien, spouse of player David O’Brien, shared her own personal perspective, “I think it is damaging – I have a son who played soccer on Astroturf, and it was damaging to him – then it would be damaging to the senior players, too.”

Fran Alexander, spouse of softball player Brian Alexander added that she also “favors natural grass.”

Many of the players retired to Marco Island for the ability to play senior softball year-round. In Marco, senior softball has almost a cult-like following, not only among the players but also with family members and friends. All you need to do is drive by Winterberry Park during the winter where “crazy old guys” are playing ball and having a great time! 

During the summer months, you will find these “boys of summer” back again at the Winterberry Park playing their hearts out – heat, humidity, sometimes with a little rain. The young ones are in their 50s-60s, and the “old geezers” are in their 70s, even late 80s. They hope to keep on playing for as long as they are healthy. For the players, this is more than a sports league – it is family and Winterberry Park is the real field of dreams. 

Just recently, the Winterberry baseball diamond received fresh clay. According to the players, the pitcher’s mound, the batter/catcher’s area and infield get a lot of use. Bill Cookson, Winterberry’s groundskeeper for the last 20-plus years keeps it properly maintained with its traditional rich red color.