Winter Fairway mats - Why they are essential
Winter fairway mats see a mixed see a lot of controversy from golfers. Some people agree with their use and others disagree. Whichever side you are on, there is one thing for certain, if your club require them, and you wish to play… you better get one bought.
The argument for them is a positive one. The winter mats allow for the grass to be protected during months where grass grows a lot slower meaning the scours stays in a good way over the colder months, not leaving detrimental effects to the fairway. In addition the grass growing slower meaning it struggles to repair, the ground sees a lot of cold and wet weather meaning it gets churned up very easily, leaving a muddy fairway behind as you progress.
If a club doesn't enforce mats, over the 3 months of winter, there surely will be noticeable adverse effect to the grass. Which will take a long time to fix giving players a hindered experience when the nicer weather comes in and more golfers are wanting to play.
On the other hand, some people advocate agonised the use of mats during the winter months due to it slightly affecting their play. Which I can also agree with. Striking the ball off a mat does feel different, and doesn't give the same sensation as hitting off the fairway. This meaning the club isn't offering the same quality experience you would expect. After all, paying £100 for a round, you want to have a good experience.
Here we believe there is room for both players on the same course. An option for those wanting to protect the integrity of the course, and those wanting to protect the true golfing experience. Our idea is as follows - Clubs offering two options for people at different rates depending on how you are willing to play.
If you don't want to use a mat, your use of the fairway, will require the greenkeepers to spend more time fixing and keeping the course to a good standard. For these people, there should be an increase in price for the extra work required, or keep the fee the same.
For the players who understand that the mat is a great way to preserve the course, they should get a reduced rate as them playing won't give the greenkeeper extra work. Meaning people willing to use the mat getting not the same perfect experience should be compensated with a 10% or 20% reduction in their rate.
If you're on the fence, this of it like this. A single golfer with an average handicap, will leave 20 divots per round, giving roughly 10 on the fairway, or 40 per fourball. If a club gets 10 fourball playthroughs a day, that coms to around 400 divots. If you look over a winter, this could be as many as 50'000 divots which won't have recovered by spring. Imagine that, 50'000 extra divots out of the fairway. It's no surprise why the clubs may want you to play with a fairway mat.
About winter fairway mats
At current, most clubs do require the use of a mat, which we totally understand. We also can't see using the mat drastically changing a players score, yes it may be up slightly, but that’s not because you have gotten worse.
So while most clubs require them, your options for playing are quite simple. You either buy a mat or don't play for the coming months, I know what option id take. Often times your club may have mats in the shop, but I've seen these on sale for upwards of £30.
At the end of the day, most winter fairway mats are just a small piece of artificial grass with a clip to attach them to your bag. We know a thing or two about artificial grass and golf, that’s why we sell mats at a very affordable rate. Golf is expensive, so we price our mats at just £9.99, along with free delivery.
These mats also come with a metal chain and a carabiner to attach them to your bag. The grass we use is our premium 16mm golf artificial grass, perfect for getting a feel as close as playing on real grass.
