Fairway mats

[rudebhoy]

https://spurkgolf.co.uk

This is what you need, I have one and they are brilliant. The little legs face forward so the mat never moves when struck by a club. You can get short or very short "grass" and as an added bonus the back spin on wedge shots is pure tour pro, which is great until spring comes around and we have to revert to real grass.

As for the debate about mats or not, I'm all for them. It's winter, the course is getting beaten to death so anything that brings us out the other side in a healthier position is more than welcome.

We used them last year for the first time and there were areas of the course that come spring were in so much better condition than in previous years it was obvious that it is a no brainer. The club has re-introduced them starting today, or you can play out of the rough.

they look decent. One of the things I hate about my mat is anything less than a nice clean strike, the mat moves and it tends to make a bad shot worse. My other bugbear with mats is it puts me off having a practice swing. Having one on the grass defeats the object, and 9 times out of 10 I've put the ball on the mat before I get round to thinking about the shot.

 

[Britishshooting]

I despise the things especially those op posted, they're quite thick and i find if i dont grip down the club I occasionally end up walloping the mat.

I bought the launch style mats which are more slimline and I got through 3 of them last year, i just rip the turf from the adhesive plastic backing or occasional just rip the turf with wedges i find to be one of the worse.

As soon as they're enforced at my club i'm done for a few months and will retreat to the driving range.

 

[Captainron]

I don't mind playing off mats in the winter. It's all about protecting the course. Same people who whinge about having fairways that look like the Somme in springtime will be the ones whinging about the remedy.

 

[upsidedown]

We made 3 areas on the course last year a compulsory mat area with mats provided with those areas and they mad a huge difference in protecting the course . We also encouraged members to buy them and 176 so far have bought one from us and I know others have bought there own.
We are asking members to use mats from Friday but under covid restrictions obviously we cant put any out on the course so will be supplying suitably sanitised mats for members to take out on a voluntary basis to start with but will make areas/ whole course compulsory later on .
The worm's on our course are already horrendous

 

[Sats]

We used mats last winter on the back nine - honestly didn't bother me, I'd rather not, but then again the total integrity of the course is more important.

Mind you we didn't pay for them and they were handed out (pre covid) so as to a different and better option I'm stuck. I'm sure you could get a driving range mat 2nd hand for cheap and carve out a transportable strip? I've never done that so not sure if it works or not.

 

[Golfnut1957]

they look decent. One of the things I hate about my mat is anything less than a nice clean strike, the mat moves and it tends to make a bad shot worse. My other bugbear with mats is it puts me off having a practice swing. Having one on the grass defeats the object, and 9 times out of 10 I've put the ball on the mat before I get round to thinking about the shot.

They are. I spent last winter laughing at the tight wads I play with trying to play off the scrappy bits of astro turf the club had provided and watching them fly further than the ball. If that's the path you choose then there will be no fun at all. The spurk (great name as well) is actually a pleasure to play off
And for those that hate mats, Brancepth Castle, one of the best courses in Durham, had players playing off mats last year but you had to play from the semi rough not the fairway.

 

[chasf]

Another vote for the spurk mat. Wont move when you hit it and wedges spin like crazy. I would rather use one than play of very wet and muddy grass during winter. Bonus is your clubs stay clean

 

[karlcole]

My course has just gone to mats anywhere working 150 yards. First time the club has done this and already members are talking about leaving when the renewal comes.

 

[rulefan]

We have used them for 4 or five years. Initial resistance from a hardcore of members. But the quality of the fairways in the spring has converted everyone.

 

[MendieGK]

I am in shock! We were planning an escape from Wales to play Burnham in the next few weeks.... got the Dormy booked as usual in Feb, I hope there are not in use then. I'll get lynched!
Is this a one off or a new winter policy?



hence why they suspend qualifiers "off season!"

New winter policy mate

I am in shock! We were planning an escape from Wales to play Burnham in the next few weeks.... got the Dormy booked as usual in Feb, I hope there are not in use then. I'll get lynched!
Is this a one off or a new winter policy?



hence why they suspend qualifiers "off season!"

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not a problem as there isn't a club around here that uses them. I can see why they are a necessary evil and why clubs do impose them but not for me and I'd either look elsewhere to play of work on the range if I want to hit off a mat

 

[upsidedown]

New winter policy mate

See you've got a top agronomist , we use STRI too and his wife is ours

 

[Mandofred]

I love mats. Love them. If you can hit the fairway (I can....if I swing like I should).....you get to put your ball on the perfect flat wonderfully perfect (have I said perfect?) mat. It's winter.....give it a break. The conditions suck.....the putting sucks.......mud all over the place. Although.....I do think it's really amusing to putt on frozen temp greens.....no idea where the ball is going to go. Take a big breath (and I'm only 16)(Carry On reference....)......relax. Do what you need to do to enjoy the golf.

 

[Wildboy370]

Like the look of the spurk mat. But for those that won’t part with £20. I went to local garden centre and got a sample of the artificial grass, cut it into squares and use couple tee pegs to hold it down works a treat.

 

[Mandofred]

I always think it's funny when we are on winter mats, and someone hits a horribly fat shot....on the mat.....and then blames the mat.

 

[abjectplop]

Pretty common on Scottish links in winter. Don't mind them at all for a casual game in winter, gives you a perfect lie, can get lots of spin from them so makes for some fun shots

 

[KenL]

We have them on fairway and semi-rough for about 3 months. Course provides the same one as OP showed.
Last year I bought a Callaway one. Very sturdy and does move/bounce when you hit it.

 

[rulefan]

I use an original one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-La...r+golf+mat&qid=1603350572&sr=8-1&tag=mh0a9-21

 

[Mandofred]

I use an original one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-La...r+golf+mat&qid=1603350572&sr=8-1&tag=mh0a9-21

I'm fine with these on my long shots, but I had the occasional short iron get to low and I would pop the ball up. At one time I was carrying one of those and one of these simple mats which I use both sides of https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerhouse-Golf-Winter-Fairway-Mat/dp/B0767HLD5M?th=1, but a couple of head honcho's wrote up a rule limiting you to one type of mat.

 

[patricks148]

The one showen is what the club provides, but the ball tends to roll of unless you have a flat lie. i use one of these instead, i tend to use the flat side for iron shots and the edge of the spike side for woods. been having to use a mat for the last 8 years, not an issue its to protect the course as we have little or no growth from Nov to April and with the milder winters we have more and more are playing, it was the right dec to go to mats, course was getting trashed.