Standard of winter mats / tees

[PJ87]

Why is it most private golf clubs have those God awful winter mats that are bearly wide enough to hit a driver off and look like they have been there since the beginning of time. Not to mention impossible getting a tee in

only one course I play (a council course in Kent that my uncle lives near) has decent mats. Their mats are very wide (as wide as the tee box normally) and are more Astro turf that you can get almost all tees into (castle tees anyways)

i think all clubs should invest in these if they insist we use them in the winter

what does everyone use tee wise off the mats? Anyone use the classic "winter tees"

 

[Titleist3]

I totally agree mate.

Im going to sound ignorant here but during my last two rounds Ive been using the actual tee box as opposed to the mat purely because the standard of mat is awful.

 

[guest100718]

we dont have them at my course, normal tees and greens all year round. Played brentwood today, which had good size matts but not easy to get a tee in.

 

[PJ87]

I totally agree mate.

Im going to sound ignorant here but during my last two rounds Ive been using the actual tee box as opposed to the mat purely because the standard of mat is awful.

We did this on a friendly round last week.. 3 holes had mats we did the following. Hole number 1 we used the tee box , hole 2 we stuck a tee in the fairway and last one we used the ladies tees which was a yard behind the mat lol seemed stupid that we were off mats when the ladies was open and further away lol

 

[JakeWS]

We did this on a friendly round last week.. 3 holes had mats we did the following. Hole number 1 we used the tee box , hole 2 we stuck a tee in the fairway and last one we used the ladies tees which was a yard behind the mat lol seemed stupid that we were off mats when the ladies was open and further away lol

It was the same at Shaw hill when I played the other week, why the ladies weren't off mats puzzled us, and the mats there were god awful.

 

[DCB]

Maybe the mat is there to protect the normal tee surface during the winter period, just a thought like 😉

If it's a bounce game, why bother to churn up the tee surface instead of using the mat ? Seems a bit selfish to me.

 

[Craigg]

We have mats on the par threes only. Pretty gash really. I only use the smallest of broken stumps of a tee, just to stop the ball moving on the mat more than anything, but they're still nigh on impossible to get in!

 

[PJ87]

It was the same at Shaw hill when I played the other week, why the ladies weren't off mats puzzled us, and the mats there were god awful.

I appreciate mats are rarely used but they should be better quality . The course I play in Kent the 17th there has been winter mats for about 5 years as the tee box ground gets no light due to trees so still under repair but because the mat is of such good quality not a single complaint is put in

small investment really for a one off fix

 

[upsidedown]

It was the same at Shaw hill when I played the other week, why the ladies weren't off mats puzzled us, and the mats there were god awful.

Have always thought it was to do with numbers, generally more men playing ergo higher footfall and more damage to the grass tee the green staff are trying to protect.
Incidentally of the 40 + private members clubs played at this year not a mat insight

 

[PJ87]

Maybe the mat is there to protect the normal tee surface during the winter period, just a thought like 

If it's a bounce game, why bother to churn up the tee surface instead of using the mat ? Seems a bit selfish to me.

if it was possible to get a decent stance and get a tee in them wouldn't have needed to not use them

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Haven't seen a mat for years. I thought green-keeping practices had moved away from these.

 

[PJ87]

Haven't seen a mat for years. I thought green-keeping practices had moved away from these.

finchley golf club had them last week and apparently old ford manor is off them tomorrow

 

[Titleist3]

Maybe the mat is there to protect the normal tee surface during the winter period, just a thought like 

If it's a bounce game, why bother to churn up the tee surface instead of using the mat ? Seems a bit selfish to me.

If the standard of mat is awful, there is no way Im playing from it end of.

Unless I get banned from my club, I remove to play off a piece of frozen carpet thinner in which case I can't even get a tee in it.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

finchley golf club had them last week and apparently old ford manor is off them tomorrow

If the teeing grounds are properly maintained and the tee-boxes regularly moved I cannot see why their use should be necessary

 

[Craigg]

Cant understand mats on par 4/5 holes. Can see the logic on par 3's. Grass wont readily grow this time of year so grass tee boxes will soon look like the surface of the moon from the diggers amongst us, and I include myself as I take a fair old lump with an iron.

 

[PJ87]

Cant understand mats on par 4/5 holes. Can see the logic on par 3's. Grass wont readily grow this time of year so grass tee boxes will soon look like the surface of the moon from the diggers amongst us, and I include myself as I take a fair old lump with an iron.

Yeah shouldn't be needed on a par 4/5 who takes a divot with a driver lol

 

[Craigg]

Yeah shouldn't be needed on a par 4/5 who takes a divot with a driver lol

Ahem.....I have been known on the odd occasion, to catch it a trifle high on the face.....

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Do people believe the greenstaff do stuff on the course like winter mats etc for the good of the course and to ensure the course is at its best for as long as possible or do you think they do it all just to annoy members ?

If a mat has been put out then it's for a reason -to ignore that and use the tee box is both selfish and ignorant and the sort of person who has no care about the course

 

[PJ87]

Do people believe the greenstaff do stuff on the course like winter mats etc for the good of the course and to ensure the course is at its best for as long as possible or do you think they do it all just to annoy members ?

If a mat has been put out then it's for a reason -to ignore that and use the tee box is both selfish and ignorant and the sort of person who has no care about the course

Nothing wrong with mats in theory it's the quality of the Mat itself. Clubs should invest in a mat that is wide enough for a player to take a full stance with a driver and should have a hole to hold a tee peg. Simple little bits like that would ensure they would be providing the best of what they can not cheaping out with mats you can't get a tee in or take a stance with an iron let alone a wood

 

[louise_a]

It was the same at Shaw hill when I played the other week, why the ladies weren't off mats puzzled us, and the mats there were god awful.

Generally clubs don't seem to care too much about the state of the lady's tees