hiya quick simple question does your golf club do winter mats in the winter on the fairway (not intrested if you have mats for the tee) just a simple yes or no and which club you play at would be intresting to find out as alot of clubs use this now?

Winter mats on the fairway? surely not

Chilwell Manor in Nottingham do.

Is this a piece of matting you carry around and put your ball on it instead of playing off frozen turf? If so always thought it was a good idea. Heard about people in the desert using them. In answer to the question never ever seen them. Dave CAC handed Geordie.

our club does, its basically just a square piece of artificial turf -

Horsforth GC did, but the Members complained and now there gone.

it is a square bit of matt that you take around with you when you play in the winter. When you hit a drive down the middile you have to put your ball on it to play it. Most clubs say its to protect the grass in the winter. I think its just lasy green keepers thoughts

Woodhall spa trialled this on a couple of holes last winter, not sure what if any decision was made after the trial.

I wasnt a fan to be honest and forgot i had the piece of turf with me until i got home with it!

No and no (both courses!)

Russ

My club (Deane GC in Bolton) uses these artificial plastic strips of 'grass' during the winter, which unfortunately seems to run from October to March. It's pick and place on the mats when in the fairways.

Until a few years ago their use was compulsory at Kenilworth GC during the winter (usually November - March) but they relented because a lot of member's didn't like them. They are still available to use but are now on a voluntary basis. You tend to find the low hanidcappers hate them, the higher handicapers love them and the mid handicappers use them when it suits them - usually woods off the fairway!

Perosnally, I can't stand them but have used them in Winter League on the odd occasion when I've needed to hit a driver off the fairway!

Richard

played some clubs that do and some that don't. I find them irritating as usually you have to buy them and when you hit a wedge the club strips the mat and it goes flying even though they are secured with a tee. Pontefract GC make you play from a tee on farewaya.

I have never seen these mats that you are talking about and this post is the first I have ever heard of them ! However Ifield Gc has ask players to tee the ball up from the 7th fairway during the winter on occasions that we have played there.

My club Moor Allerton introduced this last winter and I must say that the fairways this summer are carpet like and second to none (there is an option of playing from the first cut/rough). Whilst I don't like mats I think it is a good idea. Bingley St Ives opt for tee pegs on the fairway. Now's a good opportunity to reflect on course etiquette ie replacing divots and repairing pitch marks. Look after your course or when visiting a course, if you see a pitch mark whilst repairing yours, do repair it and reprimand your playing partners who have forgotten to do it/ don't give a toss about repairing or replacing divots.

Shirland GC near Alfreton, Renishaw GC near Sheffield and Abbeydale GC in Sheffield all use those flimsy kidney shape mats in the depths of winter. Although they're annoying, especially when you catch the mat handle with your follow through, they do give you a very clean strike - and protect the playing surface. I like the "playing out of the 1st cut idea" - That's certainly an option that other clubs should follow as an alternative strategy when the courses are in danger of being cut up to death by fat shots played by the likes of me with a 3 or 4 iron in wet or freezing cold conditions...

As you know Peter, I'm a member at Shirland and was always against the use of mats until I played all through last winter on them. Shirland was developed from farmer's fields and has a high clay content, hence it can get very wet. Mats mean that the lottery you can sometimes get during the winter is slightly taken out but also, as Pat says, by the time we get to March/April the fairways are stunning with hardly any divot marks. When it got really wet they went to using mats everywhere except in the trees. It may not be wanted or appropriate on some courses, but for ones like ours that retain the water they are definitely a benefit.