​The Matchbox, the new short course at Tobacco Road, has all synthetic grass playing surfaces. Tobacco Road | Ryan BarnettA new short course – The Matchbox — is debuting Aug. 1 at Tobacco Road in North Carolina’s Sandhills and it might just be a trend-setter in the golf world. Or at least an exemplar. Tobacco Road is the latest golf destination property to embrace the Par 3 course movement, with its 12-hole addition coming 28 years after Mike Strantz created the original – and often polarizing – 18-hole layout. Like its older sibling, The Matchbox is outside the box… and occasionally under the tree canopy. That’s because The Matchbox was constructed using synthetic turf that’s blended into the natural landscape, for teeing areas and green complexes. The course was built in just six months – with no irrigation or mass clear-cutting of trees. With the synthetic turf, there’s no concern about the shade from the existing tree canopy and playing conditions will be consistent. While other U.S. facilities have incorporated artificial grass – from nine-hole courses in Alaska to short courses at public layouts such as Grand Patrician (W.V.), Skamania Lodge (Wash.) and Shortland (Ore.) – Tobacco Road is the first property with national renown to adopt synthetic turf surfaces throughout. “It could be a trend setter for other courses and we invite anyone interested to come see it for themselves,” said Tobacco Road owner Mark Stewart, whose family opened Tobacco Road in 1998. “Our footprint is 7 1/2 acres including the 2-acre pond, so maybe it’s a good way for an existing property to utilize a corner of their property that is currently vacant.” Water conservation and sustainability are topics of interest and scrutiny in the golf industry and that played into the decision-making process for Stewart, who noted how difficult it would have been trying to establish and maintain new turf this year with parts of North Carolina experiencing drought conditions. “We believe that there’s a place for synthetic at green grass facilities besides practice range tee areas,” said Stewart. “At the very least having a synthetic green for practice areas would give a facility options during the routine maintenance closures.”Synthetic greens themselves are getting more popular and commonplace, whether they’re of the backyard variety or indoor venues (from TGL and commercial simulator locations with short game practice areas to more traditional facilities). The 12-hole Par 3 course at Tobacco Road plays across 7 1/2 acres and winds through the pine trees. Tobacco Road | Ryan Barnett105-Yard MaxWinding through the trees near the 12th and 13th fairways of Tobacco Road’s 18-hole layout, The Matchbox features holes that range from 40 to 105 yards. The course was created by Carlton/Marshall Golf Design and Mark White, the latter of whom was one of the original shapers at Tobacco Road and learned his craft under Strantz. The third hole feat