Winter Fairway Mats??

[Dodger]

Looking for some info from those who have to use these buggers through the winter months....I have only used them at St Andrews and the mat was just a flap of astro turf and wasn't great for hitting off and if you were on a slope the ball wasn't for staying on it!!

Came across these in a mag recently are they any different??

http://www.fairwayproductsonline.co.uk/how_to_use.htm

Who's the market leader in mats then or are they all crap?

 

[DCB]

We've used these ones during the worst of the winter months and they are not too bad, Cost bout £3-£4 but do last well and you can get a reasonable strike on the ball if you use them as described.

Certainly a lot better than a strip of thin astro turf.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

These are the type we use at our club and they're ok. Not as good as grass but better than not getting out at all.

 

[USER1999]

Not something we use down south. These seem a particular Scottish aberation. We play off grass. Isn't that what golf is meant to be like?

When did mats come in? I can't imagine Old Tom Morris playing off a bit of old carpet.

 

[Dodger]

Are you expected to pay for these or do you just pick it up and return afeter your game?

That's why golf is cheap up here Murph.....no huge bills for divot mix to pay for up here!

 

[John_Findlay]

Yeah, I've played off these too and they're ok to use, especially if you plant a tee peg through the back of them into the fairway to keep them stable. You just need to adjust for the slight height change of the ball. I'm sure the first time I played Carnoustie we used these. No problems.

Better than the alternative - dropping to the side of the fairway, like they do at my old course in winter.

 

[egerst]

Used to use these at a previous club as said before stick a tee in the back to hold them down,off the shiney side you get silly amount of spin.

 

[grumpyjock]

A few courses down here use these, never had a problem.
Better than trying to play a plugged ball.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Fairway Mats? Not sure I like the sound of those.

We don't even have tee mats, proper tees, proper fairways & proper greens all year round for me.

 

[Parmo]

A few courses down here use these, never had a problem.
Better than trying to play a plugged ball.

We play preferred lies.

We play of 10 thick mats all year so tee mats don't bother me, but I wouldn't join a club that had perm fairway mats in winter, cookridge in Leeds has them and its a reason I am not interested.

 

[DCB]

Are you expected to pay for these or do you just pick it up and return afeter your game?

We buy them and once you've got one........

 

[Smiffy]

I'd rather not play than have to hit off them poxy things...

 

[Bratty]

Not a fan of mats, but I understand the benefits for some clubs using them.

The ones you've suggested are in use from 1st October at Silverdale GC (Cumbria) and I've played a couple of times on them, and it was okay. Better than some at least (and you give them back after the round).

It's not really golf, but it's better than not playing - although if I played like Smiffy, I'd rather not play too

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Like HawkeyeMS we never have tee mats and its proper tees, fairways and greens with the exception of frost where we will go to temps. I thought that is why we have pick and place in the winter. Wouldn't be happy using a mat all the time

 

[SyR]

Maybe I'm a snob (though not at the stage yet of importing custom irons from Japan), but I hate playing off winter tee's and greens, let alone the idea of carrying a mat around too.
Some of the courses in my area have such poor drainage I'm surprised they haven't got these though...

 

[mjsw13]

We use them usually in January and February, other than that it's full tees and greens year round. You can really notice the difference to the course come April and May, with the fairways looking perfect.

I stick a tee in the back of it to hold it steady, and you can really go for the pins due to the amount of spin you get off the mats.

Personally I'm all for them, due to the benefits to the course come the start of the main season.

 

[Nickrat]

I recently went to play at Glossop golf course through teeofftimes. They normally say "fairway mats in use" or "winter rules" on the booking but there was nothing on there. It was a bank holiday and I turned up at 9am which was my tee time and the pro shop was closed, I waited around 15 mins and then got chatting to one of the members who said I should just play after all I'd payed!

On the 3rd hole I was greeted with an angry golfer who was annoyed i'd hit it from the fairway without a mat, i explained the situation that I'd booked through teeofftimes and the pro had not shown up therefore i didn't know. I said I would just play the rest of the round off tee's. About 30 mins later the pro turned up, turned out he had been stuck in traffic and gave me this old mat. It was really thick and Half the synthetic turf was missing so it was like hitting off a lie board!

That was my one and only experience of hitting off a mat