Tim Masthay's three trips to Soldier Field in the last two seasons made a lasting impression on the Green Bay Packers' punter.
"I would compare it to a lot of high school fields I played on," Masthay said Friday. "I would describe it as long and uneven."
Before the Packers meet the Chicago Bears at noon Sunday, Masthay and kicker Mason Crosby will make use of their allotted warm-up time seeing just how rutted and lumpy the grass surface is this year.
"For whatever reason, as a punter, it's just never really affected me, whether it's a good field or not," said Masthay. "But it affects me as a holder and I know it has a little more effect on kicking. I guess the plant's a little different and you're hitting the ball off the ground."
In November, kicker Robbie Gould joined the list of other Bears players over the years that have ridiculed the track on their home field. Linebacker Brian Urlacher has urged the Chicago Park District, which owns and maintains Soldier Field, to install FieldTurf.
Gould described the level of dirt on one hash mark as 4 or 5 inches higher than an adjacent portion.
"There's varying height levels," Masthay said. "There will be like little dips in the field. I have to be very conscientious if there's a little dip where I'm setting the ball. If I see a little dip we're going to move our spot."
Sixteen of the 31 National Football League venues have grass this season. Lambeau Field moved from grass to DD GrassMaster in 2007.
Masthay has played in 18 NFL stadiums and says he has not seen anything remotely comparable to Chicago.
"In the SEC, all the fields were pretty pristine," said Masthay, who kicked at Kentucky. "Soldier Field is a little bit of a challenge."
Soldier Field was the site of several college and high school games this year in addition to concerts.
"It's just heavily used," he said. "At this point of the year, especially, you can't really keep it in good shape."