Fairway mats

[Bunkermagnet]

Of course, but that's why I said if caught. I essentially hate mats with a passion and would do anything and everything to not use them. Including, if I needed to, joining a different golf club even with membership fees over £1k higher, that has better fairways in the summer when they haven't used them

Up until a few years ago, no clubs in Kent used mats through the winter. Now though, their use is starting to take traction. With the wet winters and leather jacket damage just for starters the use of mats will spread out and a lot more clubs in Kent will use them. Of course, the very few clubs who consider themselves elite, such as the London, Club, Rochester and Cobham and Royal St Georges amongst a few others, will try and avoid them at all costs, but they have a limited membership number and very deep pockets are required.
I don't particulalry like using mats, but the difference in course condition come March means their use is worth it.
When they are in use at my club, their use is compulsary and non use of a mat will result in suspension of membership.

 

[Golfnut1957]

I said once we get to early May, which most would consider the start of the proper golf season anyway. Around the time the clocks go forward, the club leave bags out of seed mix for players to take out with them, and they are positioned on different tee boxes around the course too. The green keepers also do a great job, so in that month or so, the grass really grows back. It won't be the same throughout the winter of course, but it's worth it to play on grass.

This never even used to be an argument, nowhere I know that I used to play in winter used them 10-15 years ago, and we weren't playing at ploughed fields with massive divots everywhere then, and these were some of the top clubs in Kent, SE London and Surrey.

I mentioned earlier about Chart Hills not using them. Do you think their fairways look worse than other clubs in Kent come May?

No, but I bet they look pretty grim in March.

 

[KenL]

We had no mats last winter and the course wasn't damaged. We did have mats in pervious years, but members complained so they ditched them. Without mats the course looked as good as it would otherwise in early May, as the green keepers and members went round the course and filled in any remaining divots.

I wouldn't join a course that had mats, especially from a set date when the forecast is at least 13°C during the day for the next 2 weeks. Where I am if they were introduced, or temporary tees or greens used for that matter, our group are already saying they'd join somewhere where they are guaranteed to never need them like Chart Hills.

Also, when we had mats, we didn't have a qualifying round for over 4 months, which is ridiculous.

You would miss out on some (many) of the best courses in the country. That is the case in Scotland anyway. Heck, some courses, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie, shut completely over the winter.

 

[simsini]

Up until a few years ago, no clubs in Kent used mats through the winter. Now though, their use is starting to take traction. With the wet winters and leather jacket damage just for starters the use of mats will spread out and a lot more clubs in Kent will use them. Of course, the very few clubs who consider themselves elite, such as the London, Club, Rochester and Cobham and Royal St Georges amongst a few others, will try and avoid them at all costs, but they have a limited membership number and very deep pockets are required.
I don't particulalry like using mats, but the difference in course condition come March means their use is worth it.
When they are in use at my club, their use is compulsary and non use of a mat will result in suspension of membership.

They are currently entirely optional and have been confirmed as such for this winter. If ever made compulsory, they'll lose about 10-15 of us from our group, to places like Chart Hills or Kings Hill.

You would miss out on some (many) of the best courses in the country. That is the case in Scotland anyway. Heck, some courses, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie, shut completely over the winter.

If I were to go to Scotland to play golf, it wouldn't be in winter, far too cold for a southern softie!

 

[Jigger]

Anyone got an experienced opinion on spurk short vs long pile?

 

[Robin Hood]

We go live with compulsory mats tomorrow.
The whole course apart from hazards.
I’m not a purist, and play for fun with my mates, therefore I’m quite happy about it.
Our club is on flat parkland, and liable to flooding as we are close to the River.

 

[KenL]

Mats from the middle of the long rough? That’s a funny one.

 

[Mandofred]

Mats from the middle of the long rough? That’s a funny one.

Why? If the reason for the mats is to keep the damage to the course minimal during the crappy winter months......seems reasonable. The local course I am at goes required fairway mats tomorrow. My rollup group is arguing about whether just to use them in the rough as well since on most of the holes you can't tell where the fairway/rough line is..... My first club a number of years ago had painted dotted lines along the fairway/rough edge for the winter since nobody could tell where the divisions were.....it worked well and the lines stayed there all winter since the grass was barely growing.

There are plenty of people (including me) that don't want to get covered in mud slamming shots out of soft muddy ground in the rough. It's winter-ish conditions now....mud pretty well everywhere. I'd rather just enjoy a round out with friends and use the mats if that is more enjoyable and everybody plays by the same rules. Playing a comp?....different story and the rules need tightening for that if it is going to be an official score.

 

[KenL]

Who needs the deep rough protected?

 

[Burnsey]

I think @Mandofred is as right as it can be to use mats from 'anywhere', in that it negates debate what is rough and what isn't.

Personally think it's lazy from any club who would have this.

I don't mind a fairway mat, but hate teeing off from a mat, when an alternative tee spot can be formed and maintained throughout winter.

 

[Mandofred]

Who needs the deep rough protected?

I do. Although back to one of the points I was making.......if you can't tell where the fairway ends and the rough starts, how do you decide if you can use a mat or not?

 

[KenL]

I do. Although back to one of the points I was making.......if you can't tell where the fairway ends and the rough starts, how do you decide if you can you a mat or not?

Can you not see where the semi ends and the rough begins?

 

[clubchamp98]

Can you not see where the semi ends and the rough begins?

Not easy if you don’t cut the fairways.

At ours they go around the fairway perimeter with a hand mower.
Lasts for weeks once the grass slows down.

 

[Swango1980]

About to have my first winter using fairway mats, as club has introduced it. Dreading it. I fat the ball anyway, the mats look like they'll raise the ball up another half inch.

I'm guessing we should expect our fairways to he splendid next summer. Mind you, they normally are pretty decent. The main issue never seemed to be related to winter divots, and more related to lack of fairway irrigation

 

[IanM]

About to have my first winter using fairway mats, as club has introduced it. Dreading it. I fat the ball anyway, the mats look like they'll raise the ball up another half inch.

Nice hard back Spurk, a little fat with end up a decent shot. Same strike on soft earth is 20 yard shot and a muddy face! (Yours, and the club)

 

[Swango1980]

I was thinking of just using a door mat

 

[Mandofred]

Can you not see where the semi ends and the rough begins?

As stated....in most cases.....no. There are several things they could do that would work.....question is whether they will. They haven't in the past. The first course I was a member at one year put dotted lines along where the fairway edge was...it worked. As Clubchamp said....you could also take a hand mower around just to cut enough of the grass so you could see the edges....especially if you can't take the heavy mowers out.

 

[Mandofred]

About to have my first winter using fairway mats, as club has introduced it. Dreading it. I fat the ball anyway, the mats look like they'll raise the ball up another half inch.

I'm guessing we should expect our fairways to he splendid next summer. Mind you, they normally are pretty decent. The main issue never seemed to be related to winter divots, and more related to lack of fairway irrigation

I've never understood this raised mat issue. Yes, if you use a Spurk for instance the ball might be a tiny bit higher.....but isn't the ball regularly a tiny bit higher than your feet as you play a normal round? Golf courses aren't perfectly flat and the ball is almost always slightly higher or lower.

One of the reasons I just use a cheapo mat is because I turn it over so the flat side is up and step on it......makes the mat grass height. Also, at least in my head, if I hit it a little fat the flat surface hopefully just allows the club to slide better without the fat mud spray hitting you in the face.

 

[mister v]

we had our first proper outing with mats (compulsory at our club starting 1st Nov) for the start of our winter league. 20+ pairs and the overwhelming majority of conversations in the bar afterwards was positive. Our course is clay based and gets very wet and muddy in the winter (last year was a nightmare) so playing of a nice lie instead of mud was great.
A few teething problems with the short pile spurk was that on a slope the ball rolling off was the biggest problem and not forgetting to pick it up was the other!
Hopefully the benefit will be seen on the course next season

 

[spongebob59]

A few teething problems with the short pile spurk was that on a slope the ball rolling off was the biggest problem and not forgetting to pick it up was the other!
Hopefully the benefit will be seen on the course next season

This.
Canterbury is quite hilly so there are several times this can happen.
Round was quite slow as we were waiting for others to play there shots as normal, not factoring in the use of mats.
We agreed next week we will just up to our ball and get it ready on the mat rather than wait.
Aim for the rough
Ill be trying a multimat tomorrow.