More and more clubs are turning to fairway mats in the winter as a way of protecting their turf during the coldest months.
If yours is one, you might have a number of questions. Do we have to use them? How can they be used? Can I use them off the tee? Can I place my ball on a tee on a fairway mat?
Most of the regulations around fairway mats are covered in the Rules of Golf and in the Rules of Handicapping. Here, we round up some common questions about them and how they can be used…
Can I be forced to use a fairway mat?
Yes. If your club bring in a Local Rule – Model Local Rule E-12 to be exact – then you are compelled to use them. You’ll get the general penalty (that’s two shots in stroke play or loss of hole in match play) if you don’t.
The rule is designed for use in the general area cut to fairway height or less. It’s not recommended for use outside the fairway.
What if the ball won’t stay on the mat?
This question came up several times following a recent column asking whether it was within the rules to tilt a fairway mat.
The answer is in the same Local Rule that compels players to use a fairway mat. It says that if a ball, when placed, rolls off the mat, you must attempt to place it for a second time.
If that doesn’t work, you move the mat to the nearest spot – not closer to the hole – where “the ball will come to rest on the mat when placed”.
Notice there is no limit written down on where that nearest spot might be. If you were trying to place the ball on a mat which was on a slope, for instance, that might be some distance from your first two attempts. It just needs to be the nearest spot where the ball will come to rest on the mat.
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Can I use a tee to fix the mat into the ground?
Yes, a tee can be used to secure the mat, but Model Local Rule E-12 says the ball “must not be placed on the tee”.
Can we use a putter from a fairway mat?
No. The Local Rule is pretty clear on this point, using the words “when a putter is not being used for the stroke” as one of the requirements for when a fairway mat can be employed.
Can I use a fairway mat in a teeing area?
Clubs that don’t want their tees being chewed up in the cold winter months, and aren’t using artificial mats, often ask whether this is allowed.
While it might make sense from an aesthetic viewpoint, it’s not allowed in the Rules of Golf. Handicap chiefs say it specifically breaches Rule 6.2b (2) and 6.2b (3).
Can I use different types of mat – and is there a limit on the size?
Mats come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very detailed in their attempts to replicate the turf on a golf course. Some have a longer artificial pile for a tee shot and shorter ‘turf’ for fairway shots. Some mats are two-sided – bristled on one and smooth on the other. Some are basically pieces of plastic.
While a Local Rule can compel players to use fairway mats, it says little else about how they should look – both in terms of composition and size. Handicapping guidance says they should be plain. Any with lines that could help with alignment would be considered a training aid and would fall foul of the rules.
But, that aside, it seems like it’s anything goes. A scan of the Equipment Rules and handicapping advice says nothing about size, scale or number. I’m not sure carting a doormat-sized fairway mat would be the easiest thing to do, but it doesn’t seem like there is anything in the rules to prevent you. If I find something, I’ll report back.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think of these fairway mat rules? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
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