Fairway Mats

[Golfnut1957]

Today is our last day of fairway mats, from tomorrow it is back to preferred lies.

We were discussing this yesterday while playing and the consensus was that they have had a significant impact on the course this winter, more so than previous years. The course looks to be in excellent condition for the time of year, the approaches that attract the most use and would be battered by now are not going to need any special attention as the growing season starts and the course fully recovers.

As they see the benefit most of the members are onboard with their use, the only dissenters being those who insist on continuing with an old bit of Axminster out of the loft.

We have already been informed that next winter it is mats only and hedgehog wheels are being introduced. It will be interesting to see what impact that will have.

 

[Mandofred]

Love fairway mats. One of the groups I play with just let you use them everywhere put the hazards....why not?.....it's winter crappy weather and it's more enjoyable not to get a face full of mud.

 

[rulefan]

It has been well shown over recent years how much better fairways are in the late winter and spring with mats. Instead of bald divot holes, a lovely green sward.

Be wary of hedgehog wheels, unless your course is hilly when they can help reduce wheel spin and skidding. Concentrating the weight into the protrusions causes depressions in the surface where water collects. This can cause poor quality grass. When I was involved with the STRI many years ago this was shown to be the case.

 

[jim8flog]

I hate the hedge hog wheels because of the amount of damage they do.

I have one mate with them and you can see everywhere he has been and would hate for my ball to end up in one of the depressions they leave (from which there would be no relief unless in an area allowed).

 

[2blue]

Love fairway mats. One of the groups I play with just let you use them everywhere put the hazards....why not?.....it's winter crappy weather and it's more enjoyable not to get a face full of mud.

OR go seeking the divot that's often in several pieces & in winter conditions will not knit-in even if avoids being lifted by the crows. I get the feeling that this winter, in particular, even more Clubs have moved to make fairway mats mandatory

 

[upsidedown]

We introduced 4 compulsory mats areas 2 years ago and encouraged members to have their own to be used everywhere and reckon about 90 % use them all over.
Made a huge difference to the fairways just got to sort the worms out now ?

 

[Norrin Radd]

I have never played on a course that has used fairway mats ,nor have I ever seen one.
So I have a few questions about them , firstly how big are they?
Are the pegged to the ground so they don't move when you play a shot ,I have this scene playing in my head of a mat being hit thirty yards down the fairway.
Does it make a round a longer affair as you are putting the mat down and then having to pick it back up
How heavy are they ,if you are a carrier do they weigh you down.
I honestly don't know any of the above so if someone can put me right it would be appreciated.?

 

[Neeko1988]

Our course stays fairly dry over the winter and if it’s bad they shut it and let it recover. I might be on my own here but I couldn’t think of anything worse than having to carry a mat round and play every shot from it.

Rather not play…

 

[Mandofred]

I have never played on a course that has used fairway mats ,nor have I ever seen one.
So I have a few questions about them , firstly how big are they?
Are the pegged to the ground so they don't move when you play a shot ,I have this scene playing in my head of a mat being hit thirty yards down the fairway.
Does it make a round a longer affair as you are putting the mat down and then having to pick it back up
How heavy are they ,if you are a carrier do they weigh you down.
I honestly don't know any of the above so if someone can put me right it would be appreciated.?

You just need to do a search online...a number different types of fairway mats. I've seen some pretty heavy duty (and HEAVY) ones. I have a purple one. I use the other side which is smooth. Pretty cheap. I do not peg the mat down....mine does not fly down the fairway. The people I see with their mats zooming through the air have hit really fat shots (and then they usually blame the mat).

The grass is in poor shape around here at this time of the year....lots of clay soil. It keeps people from tearing the crap out of the ground. AND....you get a good lie every time you use it. It's winter, why put up with destroying the golf course when it CAN'T recover....have fun. Some have complained that "it let's those old farts hit driver every shot!!" I say....I don't care....if they are hitting driver off the fairway they are probably not very good anyway and if hitting driver off the fairway is fun for them, great!.......and.....occasionally I use it off the fairway.

 

[2blue]

This is the one.....https://spurkgolf.co.uk/?gclid=CjwK...3HD-uOwu81XVOTeWhhEV3EwwuMCEn1gBoCirsQAvD_BwE & right when they say "the closest thing to playing off grass" & I'd add.... like Summer conditions!! If you're organised it speeds up play & protects fairways & par 3 tees. If your worried about weight then just take a club out. This is the Rolls Royce of mats!!!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I always imagined they would be a little 30-40 cm/sq piece of astroturf. I didn't expect that @banjofred ?

 

[Mandofred]

I always imagined they would be a little 30-40 cm/sq piece of astroturf. I didn't expect that @banjofred ?

It's easy peasy to use. I don't usually use the "grass like" side....I turn it over and give it a little stomp so it sits solidly on the ground. The other side is smooth with a spot for the ball to sit. If you hit a shot a little fat the club slides better instead of getting caught up in the fake grass that is on the other side. I also have a little plastic one that I don't use anymore since I got under the ball too much and popped it up (rocket launcher?)...pretty small mat. Then you can get small pieces of mat kind of like what is on a clubs hitting mats. The plastic ones are really really light.....but because they do get dirty I tie a cord to one of the mat and tie the cord to a carabiner and just clip it to the bag....easy. I tend to think people who just won't accept playing with a mat are the same people who don't like any changes to golf at all. I don't consider hitting a ball from a sloppy wet muddy lie "golf".

 

[2blue]

It's easy peasy to use. I don't usually use the "grass like" side....I turn it over and give it a little stomp so it sits solidly on the ground. The other side is smooth with a spot for the ball to sit. If you hit a shot a little fat the club slides better instead of getting caught up in the fake grass that is on the other side. I also have a little plastic one that I don't use anymore since I got under the ball too much and popped it up (rocket launcher?)...pretty small mat. Then you can get small pieces of mat kind of like what is on a clubs hitting mats. The plastic ones are really really light.....but because they do get dirty I tie a cord to one of the mat and tie the cord to a carabiner and just clip it to the bag....easy. I tend to think people who just won't accept playing with a mat are the same people who don't like any changes to golf at all. I don't consider hitting a ball from a sloppy wet muddy lie "golf".

This is me 100%.... I've tried them all & the Spurk mat is in a league of its own

 

[Bobthesock]

Awful things. How anybody thinks that it is even close to real golf is beyond me. Granted it makes the course look nice for the first week of April but they will all be cut up soon enough anyway

 

[Mandofred]

Awful things. How anybody thinks that it is even close to real golf is beyond me. Granted it makes the course look nice for the first week of April but they will all be cut up soon enough anyway

Just out of curiosity...what is "real golf"?

 

[AmandaJR]

You just need to do a search online...a number different types of fairway mats. I've seen some pretty heavy duty (and HEAVY) ones. I have a purple one. I use the other side which is smooth. Pretty cheap. I do not peg the mat down....mine does not fly down the fairway. The people I see with their mats zooming through the air have hit really fat shots (and then they usually blame the mat).

The grass is in poor shape around here at this time of the year....lots of clay soil. It keeps people from tearing the crap out of the ground. AND....you get a good lie every time you use it. It's winter, why put up with destroying the golf course when it CAN'T recover....have fun. Some have complained that "it let's those old farts hit driver every shot!!" I say....I don't care....if they are hitting driver off the fairway they are probably not very good anyway and if hitting driver off the fairway is fun for them, great!.......and.....occasionally I use it off the fairway.

They're the ones we have - although in green. Despite ground conditions being quite wet and soft still their mandatory use was removed at dusk on Friday. Nothing to do with the Men's medal running all day Sat and Sun! That'll quickly undo any benefits as the field is huge. I don't mind them - as has been said it keeps the clubs cleaner. I do get fed up with the process of unclip mat from bag, put it down, hit shot, pick it up and reclip to bag etc. I'll be declining the club's suggestion to continue with them next week.

 

[Backache]

The spurk mat is certainly a lot better and more pleasant to hit off than a waterlogged fairway.
Happy to be protecting the fairways when there's no growth.

 

[Bobthesock]

Just out of curiosity...what is "real golf"?

Hitting off grass, not a piece of plastic. I have tried my hardest this year but just can't get on with them. Just dosnt look right to me.
If you want to protect the fairways at least have the option to drop to the side. That way everyone is happy.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[IanM]

I've only ever played one round in my life off mats.

I doubt if there will be a second.

 

[Backache]

Hitting off grass, not a piece of plastic. I have tried my hardest this year but just can't get on with them. Just dosnt look right to me.
If you want to protect the fairways at least have the option to drop to the side. That way everyone is happy.
Just my opinion of course.

Matter of interest, have you tried the Spurk? It really is miles better than any other mat I've played off. We have the choice of top to the side or mat, before I'd often pick the drop to the side, now I'm really happy playing off the mat.