From mud and standing water
to a playground that drains.
Callisburg Church's growing campus deserved better than a playground that turned to mud after every rain. The fix started underground — drainage first, base second, turf last.
A growing campus,
held back by clay.
Every successful project begins by solving the right problem. For Callisburg Church, the problem wasn't the turf — it was the water.
As the church expanded its campus for a growing congregation, leadership wanted the playground to reflect the same standard of quality as the rest of the investment — a clean, safe, durable outdoor environment children could use year-round. Instead, heavy North Texas clay left the play area with mud and standing water after every significant rainfall.
Green Forever Turf Texas, SGS's sister installation company in North Texas, was selected to deliver a complete playground surfacing solution engineered for safety, drainage performance, long-term durability, and everyday usability.
A narrow corridor
between buildings.
The playground sits in a tight corridor between multiple church buildings — limited working space for crews and equipment, existing playground structures with multiple support posts, and existing drainage infrastructure to integrate with. Every phase demanded careful sequencing and detailed craftsmanship.
- Heavy North Texas clay soils
- Mud and standing water after rainfall
- Existing playground equipment staying in place
- Multiple structural posts requiring precision detailing
- Existing drainage infrastructure to coordinate with
- Limited working space between buildings
Drainage first.
Everything else second.
Rather than simply installing turf, the project was approached as a complete surfacing system — built in the order that makes surfaces last.
Drainage went in before anything else. When significant rain hit mid-construction, the site got an unplanned, real-world test — and the drainage work passed it, validating the approach before installation continued.
Then the base: approximately fifteen yards of base material imported, graded, and compacted into a stable foundation — the single most important factor in how a turf system performs over time.
Then the safety layer: a commercial-grade shock pad beneath the turf, adding impact attenuation across the play area while creating a smooth, consistent finished surface.
- Precision cuts around playground structures
- Integration with drainage components
- Clean transitions along building edges
- Professional seam placement
- Detailed trimming throughout the corridor
Reviewed together,
backed for the long term.
The completed installation was walked through with the church's pastor and Darrell, who provided project oversight on behalf of the church — along with warranty coverage, long-term maintenance expectations, and ongoing support. The commitment didn't end at completion: the team remains the church's long-term resource for turf maintenance and future improvements.
A weather-dependent playground,
made all-weather.
The completed project transformed a muddy, rain-limited play area into a clean, attractive, functional outdoor environment the whole congregation can count on.
Rain passes through, not pools up.
Coordinated drainage plus a graded, compacted base means the playground is usable again quickly after storms — no more standing water.
A shock pad under every step.
Commercial-grade impact attenuation beneath the turf, smooth and consistent across the entire play area.
Clean shoes, clean floors.
No mud tracked into the buildings, dramatically reduced maintenance, and a surface that looks kept without being constantly kept up.
Built for every Sunday.
Year-round usability and a welcoming environment for children, parents, volunteers, and staff — a playground that matches the campus around it.
A campus project
worth doing right.
Drainage, base, shock pad, turf — specified as one system and installed by crews who respect the site. Tell us about your campus and we'll take it from there.