fairway mats

[slicedagain]

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

 

[StuartD]

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

 

[CliveW]

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.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

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

 

[JustOne]

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.

 

[DMC]

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

 

[HomerJSimpson]

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

 

[JustOne]

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

 

[big_russ]

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

Same for me and I dont mind them if they help the course for the following season.

 

[thegogg]

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.

 

[DCB]

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

 

[Smiffy]

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

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

 

[andiritchie]

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

 

[Dodger]

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!

 

[andiritchie]

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

 

[Dodger]

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

 

[andiritchie]

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

 

[Dodger]

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

 

[USER1999]

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

 

[Smiffy]

Sounds like a paddy field to me.

No, that's Old Thorns.

Christ, that memory will stay with me forevermore