Community Connect: Safety, low cost & facilities - Why the turf culture is booming in Chennai

With floodlights beaming well into the night and bookings just a click away, Chennaiites are increasingly swapping uneven grounds for well maintained turfs that promise comfort, convenience, and accessibility.

Whether it’s football, cricket, tennis, pickleball, or box cricket leagues, these venues are redefining how and where the city plays.We spoke to regular players and turf managers to understand the rise of turf culture and what makes it a favourite among Chennai’s sports enthusiasts.‘Turf gives me a smooth, safer, and injury-free experience’“For me, turf is all about reliability. In Chennai, open grounds are either too crowded, uneven, or poorly maintained.

On turf, I get a flat surface, proper lighting, drinking water, washrooms, and even changing rooms. After a long day, I want a smooth, safer, and injury-free experience – turf gives me that every single time,” informs Ritika, a college student who plays football. ‘We haven’t received any request for women-only slots’Kishor Kumar, owner of a turf in Villivakkam, shares, “We have separate staff for each task, like maintenance, and cleaning is done twice a day.

To keep the artificial grass in good condition, we brush it regularly. While concrete is used along with rubberbased turf in some places, they can lead to cancerrelated issues, so we’ve used high-quality artificial grass combined with silicon sand.” While he says there are no specific turf spaces exclusively for women in Chennai currently, he assures, “We ensure safety through surveillance cameras, parking, and other basic amenities.

In fact, we haven’t received any request for women-only slots so far.” Why people are opting for turfs:LED floodlights, synthetic grass, boundary nets, restrooms, water, changing rooms, parking, and refreshmentsPopular on turf: Football (5-a-side, 7-a-side) Box cricket Badminton (covered turfs) Ultimate frisbee Mini hockey‘Playing on turf is cheaper than a movie or dine-out’Usually, an hour of playing on turf costs between ₹1,200 and ₹2,500, depending on the turf and time slot. “If we’re 8–10 people sharing, it comes to around ₹150–300 each – cheaper than a movie or a dine-out. Some turfs even have monthly passes or membership deals that make it more affordable for regulars,” states Manikandan, a bank employee, who plays cricket.