Anyone using Artificial turf in California?

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

i let my lawn die a couple of years ago because of the water shortage here so I wanted to do my part and it really took a lot of water to keep it green.
I had big plans to re-landscape with native plants and still do but the dust is out of control. My allergies are so bad and I start to sneeze the moment I walk outside even in winter.
I know the good stuff is not cheap and I won't cover the entire area as my original lawn but I want to make sure my dog won't tear it to pieces. This dog kills lizards, squirrels, birds and anything else she can catch, she runs faster than any dog I've ever seen before she retires to the couch for the rest of the day. i think she's a Greyhound Whippet mix with long nails that seem to grow really fast so it's a real concern that she might destroy the turf.
I'd love to hear any options from people who are already using this product.
Would you do it again?
Was it worth the expense?
Does it need any maintenance?
How long has it lasted?

 

[Freedom56]

We experimented with a patch of artificial grass but chose hardscaping (pavers, decorative gravel) for most of our property back in 2017 to replace our grass. The fake grass did not hold up well to constant Southern California sunshine so we removed that small patch this year and replaced it with pavers. I suppose it would hold up better in a cooler coastal climate where the marine layer blocks the sun most of the time. We have drip irrigation throughout and flower beds throughout our property. I would look at how they hardscape properties in Arizona and Nevada to get ideas. I don't miss the grass at all and our water consumption and bill has been low. The decorative gravel is billions of years old and will last billions more.

 

[COcheesehead]

We had it in a courtyard surrounded by a flagstone patio. We installed it for maintenance free grass for the dogs. It looked sorta artificial and over time it retained urine odors. We would spray it every so often with an enzyme to kill the smell.
In our current house, we live in the high desert, the entire yard is xeriscaped. We like that much more.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

No marine layer where I am in the high desert and it's gonna be 104 today.
Good ideas and I can't believe I did not even include Arizona and Nevada in the title, they have been dealing with droughts as well for a long time.
I got rid of the grass in the front yard 15 years ago and have rocks and then my rose bushes in the borders around the house but even they can't take it any more and are withering away.
I have some absolutely gorgeous Mexican Red Bird of Paradise bushes growing wild in the dogs run that get no attention and very little water that I never planted, they just grow wild. So the plan is to buy more and plant along the back wall for splashes of color along with the colorful yuccas which I also have been successful with along with some rosemary and evergreens. That's the plan so far, I'd love to see a picture of your yard.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We had artificial turf for 9 years in Reno. When we sold the house last year the buyers thought it was new despite us having 4 dogs with one being large. We bought it from a place in Arizona called Artificial Turf Supply that mostly sells for commercial uses. It didn’t fade, smell or get too hot in the summer. We loved it. They will ship it to your driveway. We bought the pet grass. They will also send you free samples.

 

[Scuba]

We don’t have it, but several neighbors do. We live in Palm Springs where the sun shines year around and temps are well over 100 from June-October. The artificial lawns I see in our neighborhood still look good. I would imagine desert landscaping would be less costly with lower maintenance though.

 

[Tafkah]

Several houses in my neighborhood have small areas of artificial turf, and I think it looks good. I wonder what happens if a gopher tunnels under it.

 

[pacergal]

I don't but my BIL has had it in his last two places in Oregon. He loves it and they have had one to two dogs and a cat. If I Recall, it was quite a production to have it professionally installed, grading the dirt, adding sand and special pea gravel, etc. All they had to do was hose off where the dogs went potty and occasionally spray it with some sort of wash?

 

[RockyMtn]

We have about 240 sq ft of artificial grass in our yard in Scottsdale. It fits in nicely with the rest of the yard which is all desert landscaping. Never even thought of real grass here. Too much water, overseeding and mowing! Plus, I can hit golf balls off it. Only maintenance is with a blower and a hose. Does get hot during our toasty summers though!

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

The photos are exactly what I'm looking for to give me some ideas.
Is that just dirt or crushed granite, I'm in a windy area need to stop the wind blowing the dirt around so much. I think crushed granite turns hard except for when it's wet.
I already have the 2 red chairs

 

[RockyMtn]

The photos are exactly what I'm looking for to give me some ideas.
Is that just dirt or crushed granite, I'm in a windy area need to stop the wind blowing the dirt around so much. I think crushed granite turns hard except for when it's wet.
I already have the 2 red chairs

Crushed granite is what pretty much everyone uses. With all of the wind it keeps dust down. To maintain take a rake, flip it over so the tines point up, rake as normal. Leaving tines face down leaves lines everywhere.