# fairway mats



## slicedagain (Dec 4, 2009)

hi 
our club has recently said that you must use these fairway mats , i used one today and i think there awful , always moves when you hit the ball and you always thin them , does anyone else have to use them ? your thoughts please


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## StuartD (Dec 4, 2009)

My club uses them. I dont really like them either but it depends on the type of mat you are using. I cut up a cheap door mat that was basically little rubber spikes and found it worked not to bad. 

Whatever mat i use i always struggle with hitting the ball fat when we stop using them. I have rarely played in the winter in the last three years as a result. If i do play i tend to go somewhere that does not use them


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## CliveW (Dec 4, 2009)

The ones you use at St Andrews have a hole in the end so you can push a tee through to prevent the mat moving. It's amazing how much backspin you can generate from them.
Alternatively at St Andrews you can play from the first cut of rough.


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 4, 2009)

I understand why clubs introduce them and I accept the logic but I'm sorry I couldn't contemplate playing a course and having to carry a mat around and play off it. Hitting of grass and dealing with things like mud on the ball, heavy lie etc is what winter golf is about. Great that your club is obviously more proactive than mine in keeping itself pristine but I'd rather have a proper game


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## JustOne (Dec 4, 2009)

Never heard of fairway mats, if my club wanted to use an artificial surface to play every shot from I'd ask if I could pay my subs with artificial money! It's bad enough that they might use mats to tee off and/or temp greens but having to walk around with a mat is ridiculous in my opinion.


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## DMC (Dec 4, 2009)

My home club use them,but you also have the option of playing from the first cut of rough.


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 4, 2009)

There have been other posts about this before and it seems to be a predominantly Scottish and Irish thing with some clubs in Northen England doing it. Is this right or is there a number of English clubs doing it and is it purely down to Winter rainfall and wishing to protect the fairways. Surely there can't be much difference in terms of traffic walking (and trollying) down the fairway and that providing divots were replaced any noticeable change to the condition of the course


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## JustOne (Dec 4, 2009)

Blimey, they should at least give you a choice. Maybe some people actually prefer them as there's probably less chance of hitting it squishy


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## big_russ (Dec 4, 2009)

My home club use them,but you also have the option of playing from the first cut of rough.
		
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Same for me and I dont mind them if they help the course for the following season.


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## thegogg (Dec 5, 2009)

I've never used these mats and can't imagine wanting to either, I certainly wouldn'y pay for the pleasure! Trying to keep the course in a good condition is one thing but making people play off these things seems way over the top to me. Do these clubs reduce the fees when the mats are in use on a pro-rata basis? 

I pay my membership fees to play golf in all weather conditions and if the green staff deem the course ok to play then I can't see any harm in playing the game as it was intended. 

Surely if the course was beginning to suffer then the green staff have the option of closing it rather have to play with these mats.


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## DCB (Dec 5, 2009)

Maybe that's why the guys from South of the border are paying such huge subs every year. All the extra work that the greens staff need to do to keep the course in good nick due to all the winter play  

Even in the Central belt in Scotland, we're on the same latidude as Moscow, our growing season is reduced,our daylight hours are reduced and our varied winter weather takes it's toll on our inland courses. 

If it's the choice of mats or course closed, I'll take mats thank you very much


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## Smiffy (Dec 5, 2009)

If it's the choice of mats or course closed, I'll take mats thank you very much 

Click to expand...

I'll take an afternoon in front of the telly in my comfy chair thank you very much


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## andiritchie (Dec 5, 2009)

We use mats to tee off and on our fairways throughout the winter season,i find them ok once i get used to them.

We play on full greens all year which are very nice at the moment with is something plus all my clubs are nice and clean when i come off the course

Like DCB said mats or closed course


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## Dodger (Dec 5, 2009)

Why on earth would not using mats close your course??!! 

All it does is save divots being created...never heard of a course being closed due to too many divots!


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## andiritchie (Dec 5, 2009)

Playing shots off our fairways in the winter leaves frying pan sized splash marks and no divot to be replaced so its mats or nothing 

I would sooner get 9 holes in off mats than be sat at home plus it keeps me off the beer for a few hours


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## Dodger (Dec 5, 2009)

So you are telling me your course would be closed due to too many divot/hack marks then?


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## andiritchie (Dec 5, 2009)

They would close it to stop the damage to the fairways yes

There are no divots to replace,i would hate to see the place come spring if winter mats were not used


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## Dodger (Dec 5, 2009)

Christ, sounds like the turf is like a ploughed field.


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## USER1999 (Dec 5, 2009)

Sounds like a paddy field to me. Do you have rice plants or grass?


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## Smiffy (Dec 5, 2009)

Sounds like a paddy field to me.
		
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No, that's Old Thorns.

Christ, that memory will stay with me forevermore


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## bunkered (Dec 5, 2009)

Alot of the bigger clubs in Fife use mats at certain times in the winter. St Andrews, Ladybank, Leven, Lundin Links, i think it was Scotscraig that started this a few years ago.


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## Imurg (Dec 5, 2009)

At the moment we have mats to tee-off on the par 3's only.
Last club I was at had mats from Nov 1st to March 31st on every tee - regardless of conditions!
Out tees are reasonably large and they just make the teeing area quite small and move it about every couple of days.
Can't think that I'd enjoy hitting every shot off a mat - that's what ranges are for innit?


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## RichE (Dec 5, 2009)

In my opinion they spoil any game of golf and i dislike using them. If they do need to be used they should only be used on 9 hole courses.


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## Split_Fairway (Dec 5, 2009)

we have them on the par 3s as well. though i always avoid using them when no-one is looking


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## Owen_Thomas_14 (Dec 5, 2009)

We have them in place to but i hate them so i just drop ball in rough, the greens are always soft enough to stop the ball anyway.


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## tebbs19 (Dec 5, 2009)

Hi, I played one course where mats were forced upon you when playing from the fairway... Ended up aiming for the rough to get a better game.. Whats wrong with playing prefered lies? If the course can't handle it then it should be closed.


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## andiritchie (Dec 5, 2009)

We dont have good well drained turf 

Its something we have to got on with 

Swings and round abouts


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## DCB (Dec 5, 2009)

Some interesting responses on this post. IMO if you want to play golf on an inland course during the winter, there normally has to be compromises. Fairway mats or moving to the first cut of rough seem to be most favoured methods in use at the moment.

A question to those who don't like to use them and in some cases appear not to use them when no-one is looking, are you playing at a private club or is it a pay & play.

If it's a private club, have you voiced your concerns over the use of fairway mats in the winter to the committee ? If it's pay & play have you complained to the operating body ?

Seems to me there are some rather self centred players out there only thinking of their own good and not the greater good of all players / members at a course/club.


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## Dodger (Dec 5, 2009)

And would your track close if they didn't use plastic DCB??

Surely you were getting a bit carried away in saying that?


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 5, 2009)

I have to say I think my club has it pretty spot on at the moment. We have reasonably sized tee boxes but make sure they are moved around every other day and so there is no significant wear and tear and not a mat in sight. We currently take two or three greens per week out of action from Monday-Friday (use temps) on a rotational basis to allow them to rest. We seem to be doing pretty well despite the back nine being lower lying and more waterlogged than the front. I know they have closed the back a couple of times to protect it but in general despite the exceptional rainfall in November it is coping alright and we are playing off fairways to full greens in all competitions


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## DCB (Dec 5, 2009)

Dodger,

We're currently undergoing some serious drainage works on 4 holes. Not a good advert for winter golf at the moment. Hopefully this will improve things in future years although a rolling programme of further drainage works may lead to another couple of winter seasons like this one. 

We've tried mats and dropping in the first cut, both have pluses and minuses. With some low lying ground and poor drainage it can be a nighmatre at times. A lot of guys  play down the coast at this time of year for this very reason. Ask J.A. what it's like next time you see him. probably one of the reasons he moved down the coast. His last place Prestonfield seemed to be wet all year round mind you  

IMO winter golf is about getting out and having a good time. We don't play qualifying comps over the winter so it is more social golf thats played than serious golf.

You guys on the coast have a far better chance of playing "proper" golf than we do at this time of year.


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## Dodger (Dec 5, 2009)

Aye we don't know how lucky we are to be able to play on turf like ours.
Think J.A.maybe shifts down the coast due to his 'cheap' membership.


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## DCB (Dec 5, 2009)

Think he moved there before that opportunity came along. Still comes back to show us how it's done now and again  

He won our Championship, last season, beating one of the new young guns in the final. Probably got a win in each of the last three or four decades now.


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## DCB (Dec 5, 2009)

He must be older than he looks then


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## Dodger (Dec 5, 2009)

Won in every one of of the last 4 decades as he told me ..again and again and again...


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## greensman (Dec 6, 2009)

Hello all, I want to place a greenkeeping perspective on this one. Every course is different, some recover from winter play quickly and some donâ€™t. Some are very busy during the winter and some are not, sometimes (for the good of summer / tournament golf) your course may require more protection than others. 

Those who protect the course during the wet winter months will see the benefits during the spring / summer and those who donâ€™tâ€¦wonâ€™t. It would be nice to put the onus on the â€˜memberâ€™ to decide, but sadly some members donâ€™t appreciate the difficult situation and some can be selfish. 

In my humble opinion, golf has become an all year round sport (thanks to the developments in waterproof clothing). And by working towards producing drier firmer surfaces and courses the opportunity to play all year increases. However the grass still doesnâ€™t grow in winter so if you are at a course that feels protection is necessary I feel it must be necessary. 

I am lucky in that we have invested in drainage and my course recovers very quickly during the spring. However, even we suffer during the summer with the walk off walk on areas wearing out., and yes those members who have played all year, with no trolley restrictions and open in all weathers have created the problem, yet they still complain. Itâ€™s a no win situation for the greenkeeper, protect the course and members complainâ€¦ donâ€™t protect and in the spring members complain.


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## DCB (Dec 6, 2009)

Thanks for the insight Greensman. 

Like most things you (green keepers) have to do to keep a course in good condition, you're on the receiving end of the members moans. You must love the job and have a skin like a rhino to cope with all that.


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 6, 2009)

Greensman

As always fascinatng to see it from your side of the fence. My club is very much in the recover quickly in Spring and then suffer walk off damage come the summer. It is an issue that became very apparent on a number of holes last summer and which I know is already being discussed by the committee to ensure the sides of greens aren't damaged irreprably and that some tee areas are given more protection


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## didsbury_duffer (Dec 6, 2009)

Can understand why some clubs ask for them to be used, but I much prefer the placing in the first cut of rough option.  It saves damage to the fairways, but also allows you to play off grass.  Luckily we don't use mats, because I can't imagine having to lug one around for 18 holes.


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## Jigger (Dec 6, 2009)

I was annoyed my course was closed this weekend after a week of rain.  Post like this make me realise why I pay Â£865 a year.  No winter greens, generally great drainage and a handfull of winte tee boxes unless it's a league match where noraml tees are used.= alloying handicap changes to come into affect.


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## mjsw13 (Dec 7, 2009)

I have no problem using mats and the amount of backspin you get is sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

The course looks awesome come April / May.


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