Dave S wrote:

For what its worth, I am actually in agreement with you.. in that simply
being a turf strip does not a soft field make. My first solo flight and
quite a few initial flight training hours were done on grass. On a dry,
well maintained field, its a non-event.. and more forgiving than a paved
strip.

Dave

The local climate and soil conditions, as well as the age of
the established sod, has much to do with the firmness of a grass strip.
Poor drainage and really tight clay soils can be soft most of the time
unless it's dry country. Every grass strip is different. We use a
number of them for training, and we know what to expect at various
times of the year. Springtime, with frost coming out of the ground, is
a good time to leave them alone.
I think more accidents involve taking off from a grass strip by
pilots who are used to pavement. The takeoff roll can be MUCH longer
due to drag of the grass (depending on height, density, type and
moisture content of the grass) and the softness of the soil, and the
airplane is often slid off the end of the runway when the abort comes
too late, or staggers into the air and crashes moments later.

Dan