Fairway mats

[clubchamp98]

Think it will do on most mats, you can level it slightly by putting the spikes to different lengths in the ground.

Is that allowed ? Genuine question.
If your playing a comp or GP card are you allowed to do this?

 

[rulefan]

Is that allowed ? Genuine question.
If your playing a comp or GP card are you allowed to do this?

"Improving your lie" would seen to fit the bill but that is the whole purpose of a mat. But is "improving your lie" after "improving your lie" allowed?

 

[KenL]

There are places on courses where the nearest point would be 80yds away. The Spurk is a good mat....if there is a slope you can just not push in one part of the mat to get things level enough for the ball not to roll off. I thought about cutting a smallish bit of the fabric to put a little dimple in it....might still do it..... The cheapie mats that have two sides works fine, one side with fake grass but has a couple of bare spots to put the ball.....or the reverse side which has two round sections that will hold a ball. You just have to get clever to figure out what work for you. Winter golf.....just have to live through it.

I suppose so, but that would make your shot harder as the mat is unsecured, the main point of the design of the Spurk.
The main place this happens at my club is where the bunkers are being re-faced, at least 30 this winter. The bunkers are quite small but a lot of them have slopes designed to roll a ball into them. You don’t need to move far to get somewhere flat enough.

 

[Mandofred]

I suppose so, but that would make your shot harder as the mat is unsecured, the main point of the design of the Spurk.
The main place this happens at my club is where the bunkers are being re-faced, at least 30 this winter. The bunkers are quite small but a lot of them have slopes designed to roll a ball into them. You don’t need to move far to get somewhere flat enough.

Again I mention this......the mat shouldn't matter. Cheapie or £million......if you hit the ball cleanly it won't matter.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I've previously been quite anti mats, could never hit the ball cleanly using one. I've started using one again but tried going further down the shaft with it. The ball sits a little higher on my mat and I just couldn't get the strike right. Since going down the shaft, totally different. I've also forced myself not to try and pick it up off the mat. Just hit it as though you are on grass (sounds obvious, can be harder than it sounds)

I agree with @Mandofred , if you hit it cleanly the mat doesn't matter. You just have to work out the best way for you yourself to hit it.

 

[The Squirrel]

Again I mention this......the mat shouldn't matter. Cheapie or £million......if you hit the ball cleanly it won't matter.

And again … about as sensible as saying chipping and bunker play shouldn’t matter … because if you hit the ball correctly you should always be on the green.

Seen plenty of imperfect fat/thin contacts from tour pro’s but if you believe the typical club golfer can and should be better than them and never fail to hit the ball perfectly, then sure, the mat is irrelevant.

 

[Mandofred]

And again … about as sensible as saying chipping and bunker play shouldn’t matter … because if you hit the ball correctly you should always be on the green.

Seen plenty of imperfect fat/thin contacts from tour pro’s but if you believe the typical club golfer can and should be better than them and never fail to hit the ball perfectly, then sure, the mat is irrelevant.

You missed my point I guess.....

 

[KenL]

Again I mention this......the mat shouldn't matter. Cheapie or £million......if you hit the ball cleanly it won't matter.

If you hit a ball floating in mid-air you can’t compress it like you can a ball on solid ground. So, there absolutely is a difference.

 

[clubchamp98]

"Improving your lie" would seen to fit the bill but that is the whole purpose of a mat. But is "improving your lie" after "improving your lie" allowed?

I would think using a artificial mat to change the gradient of the slope would not be allowed.

 

[IanM]

If you hit a ball floating in mid-air you can’t compress it like you can a ball on solid ground. So, there absolutely is a difference.

I agree, with an additional thought.
Newport offered some "free" mats, horrible things with the ball perched up on plasic tubes.

Lots of club golfers have never compressed a ball in their lives, so like this sort of teeing up. But the quality of strike won't be as good as a decent swing off something a bit more solid.

Either way, both would be preferable to hitting hitting of a mucky lie.

 

[garyinderry]

We went onto mats two years ago. I was initially skeptical as id only had to use them at the odd away day at certain links courses.
I wasn't really a fan but did see the advantage to the short game as you can spin the ball like mad off mats.

Since we have gone them I've grew to really enjoy using them. So much better than hitting off sodden winter turf. I dont even bother teeing up for par 3s. Just hit off the mat.

I just the plastic cheap ones to start but bought a spurk mat sometime last year. Overall much better experience. Its solid and stays in place when you hit. You are not chasing the mat after every shot.

 

[Backache]

Is that allowed ? Genuine question.
If your playing a comp or GP card are you allowed to do this?

I don't know, is there a rule saying how you have to position your mat?
Honestly don't know, I don't play regular club competitions with mats usually as just platy casual golf in winter, but I don't want to be diddling those in the balls up.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don't know, is there a rule saying how you have to position your mat?
Honestly don't know, I don't play regular club competitions with mats usually as just platy casual golf in winter, but I don't want to be diddling those in the balls up.

We are avoiding this issue as mats are not to be used in any comp - only social golf. Though I’m wondering whether the club is saying you must not use a mat in a comp round.

 

[Mandofred]

If you hit a ball floating in mid-air you can’t compress it like you can a ball on solid ground. So, there absolutely is a difference.

I disagree. What do you think happens to a golf ball when you hit it?....do you think you drive the ball into the ground? Ifffff I could hit the ball floating in mid air I just have to hit down on it a bit with my hands forward.
Mcilroy hitting an iron

How to compress a golf ball
To compress a golf ball,
focus on a downward strike with your hands ahead of the ball at impact, which de-lofts the clubface and transfers energy efficiently.

 

[NearHull]

We went onto mats two years ago. I was initially skeptical as id only had to use them at the odd away day at certain links courses.
I wasn't really a fan but did see the advantage to the short game as you can spin the ball like mad off mats.

Since we have gone them I've grew to really enjoy using them. So much better than hitting off sodden winter turf. I dont even bother teeing up for par 3s. Just hit off the mat.

I just the plastic cheap ones to start but bought a spurk mat sometime last year. Overall much better experience. Its solid and stays in place when you hit. You are not chasing the mat after every shot.

You may be aware or not, but the model LR does not allow the use of Fairway Mats in the Teeing Area. It mandates Fairway Mats to be used in the General Area which does not include the Teeing Area ( of the hole being played).
The rule does seem a little perverse when many Par 3’s are played off tee mats.

 

[Mandofred]

You may be aware or not, but the model LR does not allow the use of Fairway Mats in the Teeing Area. It mandates Fairway Mats to be used in the General Area which does not include the Teeing Area ( of the hole being played).
The rule does seem a little perverse when many Par 3’s are played off tee mats.

I've never thought this made any sense either. I've at times just used my mat on par 3's (and on a big mat) when not playing for a scoring card. That I can tell it doesn't help/hurt me any more than a tee would.

 

[garyinderry]

You may be aware or not, but the model LR does not allow the use of Fairway Mats in the Teeing Area. It mandates Fairway Mats to be used in the General Area which does not include the Teeing Area ( of the hole being played).
The rule does seem a little perverse when many Par 3’s are played off tee mats.

We dont play qualifiers this time of year. Linda in the shop will take my head off if I dont use a mat with an iron off the tee.

Last year they made us use the mats with woods off the tees. Wasted so much time that they dropped that rule this year.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We are avoiding this issue as mats are not to be used in any comp - only social golf. Though I’m wondering whether the club is saying you must not use a mat in a comp round.

I know you love to find potential loop holes in rules, but how is 'not to be used' different to 'must not use'? It's the same, do not use a mat in competitions.

My own club has this. No mats in weekend comps, fill your boots in social games. As our course is soggy at the moment we are choosing to use mats and not entering the competitions.

 

[NearHull]

We dont play qualifiers this time of year. Linda in the shop will take my head off if I dont use a mat with an iron off the tee.

Last year they made us use the mats with woods off the tees. Wasted so much time that they dropped that rule this year.

I get that, however if you do play in competitions, then you must apply whatever Local Rules as the Competition Committee has set. If the Model LR is used for Competitions, then there isn’t a choice (even ‘fearsome’ Linda will know that).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I know you love to find potential loop holes in rules, but how is 'not to be used' different to 'must not use'? It's the same, do not use a mat in competitions.

My own club has this. No mats in weekend comps, fill your boots in social games. As our course is soggy at the moment we are choosing to use mats and not entering the competitions.

Ah…my bad - no idea what I was thinking as the guidance from the club is quite clear.

‘Due to restrictions noted within the rules of golf, it is currently proposed that they be used only during casual, social, (non club competition play) rounds.’

Btw…if I look for holes in the rules it is not that I would wish to exploit any such holes. I only really look for guidance on how the rules stop from being exploited what might appear to be a hole. The rules guys are good at explaining these sorts of things and how what might appear to be a hole actually isn’t.