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If you’re serious about improving your golf game, being able to practice indoors without needing to get out to the golf course can be a game-changer.
You obviously don’t want to hit off a hardwood floor or a carpet, since this can damage both the floor and your clubs. This is where hitting mats come in.
Golf mats are designed to mimic the feel of a real golf course, and they allow you to freely hit any club in the bag from the comfort of your home.
Of course, not everyone can afford mats that cost four figures. Fortunately, many very affordable solutions have appeared on the market, so there are options that can accommodate a range of budgets.
In this article, we’ll review and compare our picks for the best golf mats for home use across a range of different budgets. These mats should be used with a golf net at minimum, but you can also pair it with a simulator system to get the ultimate home golf experience.
Note: Golfstead has tested and/or conducted in-depth research into all of the products featured in this guide. Our editorial process for these rankings takes into account a mix of many factors which may include performance, reliability, usability, value for money, cost, and the general consensus from other users of the product. The list that follows may be reassessed or updated over time.
Our Top Picks For Golf Mats For The Home
Based on our own testing, research, and experience, here are our top selections:
- SIGPRO Softy 4′x7′ Golf Mat
- Carl’s Place HotShot Golf Hitting Mat
- SwingTurf Golf Mat
- Fiberbuilt 7’x4′ Studio Golf Mat
- SIG Fairway Series Golf Mat
- The Net Return Pro Turf Mat
- Country Club Elite Real Feel Golf Mat
- Fiberbuilt Flight Deck Mat
- TrueStrike Academy Golf Mat
- Fiberbuilt Double-Hit Combo Mat
1. SIGPRO Softy 4’x7′ Golf Mat
The SIGPRO Softy is an exclusive hitting mat designed by The Indoor Golf Shop, one of our recommended sellers of mats and golf simulator equipment.
It’s meant to address the most common criticisms golfers have with many mats already on the market, including being too grabby, too forgiving, or not being able to take a tee.
What’s more, the SIGPRO mat is 100% made in America, so you can be sure of its quality.
Features
The SIGPRO Golf Mat is available in sizes 4′ x 7′ and 4′ x 10′ (the above image shows 4′ x 7′). It uses a SIG proprietary blend tee-line turf that takes a tee for hitting.
The mat supports both left and right-handed play, although the 4′ x 10′ variant is needed for seamless hand switching without having to rotate the mat.
The hitting strip of the SIGPRO softy is designed to feel like the best fairways in golf. It strives to be as realistic as possible, emulating turf on world-class courses like Augusta National or Pinehurst.
It consists of a thin layer of ABS polyurethane, a soft foam insert in the middle, and a 1-inch thick layer of Teeline turf.
The mat strikes an optimal balance between durability and realism. Its turf density is super easy on the joints, and its soft and durable foam backing is comfortable without being too heavy.
One unique feature of the SIGPRO Softy are three compression slots at the bottom of the hitting strip, which help to minimize harsh vibrations at impact and allow for a smooth follow-through.
The SIGPRO 4′ x 7′ mat weighs 21 pounds and has a great tee box feel. The hitting strip can be easily swapped with SIGPRO Softy, 3D or Preferred strips which are all sold separately.
We are impressed by how real the turf feels and how well it handles poor shots. Customers love it too.
2. Carl’s Place HotShot Golf Hitting Mat
Carl’s Place is one of the finest indoor golf stores around. Their hitting mat is the result of product testers hitting from indoor golf mats of all styles and price points for hundreds of hours.
Easy on the joints, affordable, anti-fatigue, comfortable, soft, high-quality, durable, portable, realistic — all of these words can be used to accurately describe the Carl’s Place HotShot Hitting Mat.
Compared to Carl’s older Anti-Fatigue Mat, the HotShot Mat has a pre-cut replaceable hitting strip that can be swapped out once it’s sufficiently worn out. Carl’s Place sells these high-quality hitting strips separately for your convenience.
The mat comes in three different sizes: 4’x5′, 4’x9′, and 5’x7′. The 4’x9′ mat is double-sided and suitable if both left and right-handed golfers are using it.
Additional Info
The Carl’s Place HotShot Hitting Mat comes with three holes designed for rubber tee holders. You can alternatively use a wooden tee if that’s what you prefer.
The fiber mat pairs perfectly with Carl’s Place’s enclosure systems, which you can check out here. Carl’s Place driver tees, iron tees, rubber tee holders, tee packs, and a Big Moss Return Ramp are also available as accessories.
The mat ships with a standard Carl’s Golf Mat Insert which is made of the same material as the mat itself. You can optionally upgrade to the Carl’s Divot Hitting Strip, available in soft and extra-soft feels.
This is just a rock-solid, straightforward hitting mat that holds up very well to wear and tear. It’s backed by an excellent customer support team that will do what it takes to ensure you’re satisfied.
3. SwingTurf Golf Mat
The SwingTurf is an exclusive hitting mat designed by Rain or Shine Golf, which is another one of our recommended sellers of mats and golf simulator equipment.
It’s the result of feedback from thousands of golfers as well as tests of many of the best hitting mats on the market. Its main objective is to achieve the best balance between forgiveness and a realistic fairway-like feel.
Because of the quality of the SwingTurf, its popularity, and its tremendously positive customer ratings, we just had to give it a high rank on this list.
Features
The SwingTurf Golf Mat uses a precisely crafted fiber system that enables you to hit down and through the mat with minimal recoil and vibration.
The turf is soft and easy on the body, but at the same time provides a similar feel to grass. And like real grass, it gives you accurate feedback on poor shots so you can diagnose and fix your misses.
In addition, you can place a real wooden tee anywhere in the mat and hit irons, woods and drivers as you please.
The SwingTurf is available in 5’x5′ and 4’x9′ sizes, with a thickness of approximately 2 inches.
Additional Notes
In our experience and from what we’ve heard from people who have used the SwingTurf mat, it’s very durable and holds up great over time.
It’s also worth noting that Rain or Shine Golf includes the SwingTurf mat in many of their best-selling home golf simulator packages. You can browse them here.
4. Fiberbuilt 7’x4′ Studio Golf Mat
This golf mat from Fiberbuilt is rated at or near the top by many professionals and organizations, and it has a high average customer rating.
We believe the praise is well-justified. This 7’x4′ Studio golf mat is designed for a home simulator setup, but you can absolutely use it with a net as well. It’s marked by a 2-foot spacer panel that is perfect for a ball tray or launch monitor such as the SkyTrak.
This mat has some of the highest quality turf that you can get, and it costs under $1200 to boot.
Features
In addition to the spacer panel, the single-stance mat has a 1-foot hitting section with four tee holes. Both left and right-handed golfers can use it by hitting in opposite directions.
The 7’x4′ Studio mat consists of a 4’x4′ performance turf stance mat, 1’x4′ hitting strip with genuine Fiberbuilt Grass, and 2’x4′ performance spacer mat.
The hitting strip is designed to give you a feel and forgiveness that closely mimics real grass on a real golf course. It allows you to swing down and through with your irons and make pure ball contact.
Learn more about Fiberbuilt Studio mats in this video:
Additional Info
As with other Fiberbuilt mats, the 7’x4′ Studio mat comes with a 300,000 shot guarantee. Setup and installation is easy and requires no tools.
We really love the feel of the turf, as well as the sturdiness and durability of the mat as a whole.
For more details about what comes with the 7’x4′ Studio mat and how to assemble it, go to this page.
5. SIG Fairway Series Golf Mat
Like the SIGPRO Softy but want something a little more affordable? Try the Fairway Series, the only mat from The Indoor Golf Shop that is covered entirely by tee-line turf.
The Fairway Series is a highly rated budget hitting mat. Not only does it strike a good balance between being forgiving, firm and grabby, but it also looks great in any setup, it’s fairly easy on the joints, it allows you to hit off real tees, and it’s highly durable.
Features
The Fairway Series Golf Mat, as indicated in the name, is designed to have a fairway-like feel.
Consisting of a tee-line turf on top of a foam base, the turf density is just right for preventing injury. The mat has a small form factor, and its portable and flexible nature makes it very easy to integrate into any home setup.
The mat is made in Garland, Texas. It weighs 41 pounds and has dimensions 5ft long x 5ft wide x 1.75″ thick.
It’s worth noting that the Fairway Series feels quite soft and squishy when you stand on it. We don’t think it’s as easy on the joints as the SIGPRO Softy, but it’s a great option for people on a budget.
6. The Net Return Pro Turf Mat
This is one of the best and most budget-friendly multi-purpose golf mats available on the market right now.
The Net Return Pro Turf, designed to be paired with The Net Return Home or Pro Series nets, is primarily a hitting mat that you can use for golf simulators and indoor practice ranges.
What’s quite unique about it is that it can also be used as a putting green with the available putting cup and flag accessories. Create a killer home training setup that allows you to run through your entire golf bag, from the driver to the putter.
Features
The Pro Turf Mat has dimensions of 6′ x 10′, which is longer and larger than many other mats that are 5 feet long or shorter. You have plenty of room to let loose.
It can even be used outdoors if you so choose. It’s very portable and can be rolled up and stored like a carpet.
Here’s a tip: rotate the Pro Turf mat every once in a while to balance out the wear. You may also use inserts to modify the surface without sacrificing automatic ball return.
For more details on The Net Return Pro Turf Mat including specifications and matching hitting nets, go to this page.
7. Country Club Elite Real Feel Golf Mat
The Country Club Elite Golf Mat by Real Feel is one of the top-selling golf hitting mats of all time. It has a near perfect average customer rating with over 100 reviews.
This is an ideal mat if you’re looking for a super-realistic fairway-like feel with the advantages and drawbacks that come with it. It’s a true “real-feel” golf mat, with little to no bounce, realistic turf interaction, and realistic shot feedback.
We strongly recommend the Country Club Elite mat if you tend to take small divots or have a shallow swing plane. The mat is perfect for indoor home use, but it can also be used outdoors.
Features
The Country Club Elite golf mat is all about true feel. It uses a special Long-Dense Fiber System, which imitates the feel of a lush fairway. It’s designed to move, absorb, and dissipate the downward impact of an iron.
The main features of the Country Club Elite golf mat can be divided into four parts:
- True Divot Action: unlike typical golf mats that cause your clubs to bounce at impact, the mat realistically simulates the feel of taking a divot, particularly if you hit a fat shot.
- Takes A Real Tee: the turf can easily hold tees due to tightly-packed mono-filament grass fibers.
- No Bounce: the long and dense fibers of the mat are receptive to the blows of your club, which eliminates the “bounce” issue that many mats have.
- Swing Down & Through: the mat allows you to practice the correct motion of hitting the ball before the turf, since the turf approximates the feel of real fairway turf.
The Country Club Elite mat can be easily moved around, and it’s available in sizes 4’x5′, 5’x5′, 5’x8′ and 5’x10′. You can, of course, use it for chipping as well.
Considerations
There are two things to keep in mind about this mat beyond what has already been said.
Firstly, the turf is quite thick and dense, which can lead to injury or joint problems for golfers who swing too steeply. Be careful.
Secondly, the turf doesn’t have an anti-slip bottom, so you may need to add something underneath yourself if you find that the mat shifts while in use.
Having said all this, customers absolutely love this mat and its reasonable price. Chances are, you will too.
8. Fiberbuilt Flight Deck Mat
There is a great way to save on golf mats in general: cut down the size. The Fiberbuilt Flight Deck Mat takes that to the extreme, bringing the price to under $100.
At just 1.77 ft x 1.13 ft, the Flight Deck has an oval shape that enables you to hit in any direction. It features the same top-quality material and performance as larger Fiberbuilt mat systems, meaning you can hit down and through for realistic impact conditions.
If you just want some turf to hit from without anything extra, this is something you should seriously consider.
Features
The Flight Deck Mat is made with genuine Fiberbuilt grass.
It comes with a tee assembly system that, through pre-drilled stabilizer holes, allows you to fix the mat to grass or another surface. This way, you don’t have to worry about the mat moving during your hitting sessions.
The Flight Deck can be used indoors or outdoors. It can be easily paired with launch monitors and nets, and it has a durable base with bumpers that protect your clubs.
Additional Notes
Included with the Flight Deck Mat is an adjustable tee. Because of the tee stabilization feature, we suggest using it out in the yard if you can.
9. TrueStrike Academy Golf Mat
So far you’ve seen a lot of Fiberbuilt stuff, but they’re not the only company out there that makes quality golf mats. Another one is TrueStrike.
In this case, their Academy mat is designed for golf coaches, club fitters, and golfers who have an indoor simulator setup. It has a center hitting position, with a material that simulates real grass and clubhead interactions.
We think the Academy provides one of the best, most realistic “fairway-like” feels you can find in a hitting mat, with a price that is still in reach for many budgets.
Features
The TrueStrike Academy mat reacts like real grass when struck. What’s interesting is that it has a silicone gel subsurface that emulates divots, in addition to a “ruckable” top surface.
The end result is that your club “plays through” the surface, similar to how it would with real grass.
It feels fantastic to hit off the Academy mat, and if you’re interested, we strongly recommend you experience it for yourself.
Additional Notes
The Academy mat includes edge trim, four range mat sections (left or right-handed hitting), a tee receiver that secures tees, and 25 short and long tees. You get everything you need to set up and get going.
The mat is easy on the joints, and solid strikes feel very pure.
10. Fiberbuilt Double-Hit Combo Mat
What do you think of a world-class studio mat and putting green in a combo pack, so that you can practice with every club in the bag at your convenience?
This is what you get with the Fiberbuilt Combo Mat & Green system. It’s not cheap, but it’s totally worth it. Drivers, woods, irons, wedges, putters — you can practice everything.
This all-in-one combo mat gives you 100 square feet of flexible practice space. It’s also perfect to pair up with a home golf simulator system.
Features
The Double-Hit Combo Mat consists of a durable, high-performance 10’x4′ fairway turf: two stance mats and a strip of genuine Fiberbuilt grass that simulates real launch conditions and is easy on the body. There are four tee holes on the hitting section.
Along with this is a true-roll putting green (10′ x 6′, 10′ x 8′ or 10′ x 12′) with a realistic chipping and putting feel.
One of the best things about this Fiberbuilt mat is that it easily sets up with radar launch monitors like SkyTrak and Foresight Sports. So if you have simulator software, a net/screen or enclosure, you can create the ultimate simulator setup.
What Is Included
The Fiberbuilt Combo Mat & Green accommodates both left and right-handed golfers. It comes with a 300,000 swing guarantee and assembles in a few easy steps. Included are:
- one Fiberbuilt grass (nylon) section
- two stance mats
- two hole cutouts
- two metal cups
- a modular rubber foundation with lock fasteners that don’t require any tools
The unit has dimensions of at least 10 feet x 10 feet. Make sure you know if your home space will be able to accommodate the size you choose.
For a full description of everything that comes with the Fiberbuilt Combo Mat & Putting Green and the options available to you, visit this page.
Buying Guide
A golf mat can be a major investment. Because of this, it’s important to consider all the factors that will affect your experience and match it with what your goals are.
Here are the most important factors you need to consider when figuring out which mat will best meet your needs:
1. Size
Size can be critical in golf mats, particularly if you have limited space in your home.
Keeping everything else constant, larger mats obviously tend to be more expensive.
You may wonder what the benefit is of having a mat that is larger than you need to hit the ball, as opposed to something like the Fiberbuilt Flight Deck. There are three main benefits:
- Having a mat for your stance does a better job of emulating real course conditions.
- Having a mat that is big enough to stand on and hit from will mean that your body will stabilize the mat so it doesn’t move during your shot.
- You have more surface area that can take the wear and tear of your shots.
If you can, we recommend getting a full-size mat. You need to measure the width and length of your home space and compare it to the dimensions of the mat you’re interested in. Also make sure that you can make a full swing unimpeded.
Some mats have hitting strips that are replaceable. These strips are usually rectangular-shaped and no more than a couple feet long.
2. Feel & Durability
First, consider the turf that the golf mat consists of. One thing that makes a big difference in the quality of the experience is: how realistic is the mat in mimicking real turf on a real golf course?
Over the years, manufacturers have done an excellent job dialing in the grass on their mats so that it feels like real grass — much better than artificial turf you would find at your average driving range.
At the same time, you don’t necessarily want a feel that is too similar to grass and earth, because depending on your swing type, the turf can be too harsh and unforgiving, leading to sore joints, tendinitis, or other injuries.
This is why it’s often best to use a mat that both mimics the feel of real turf and has a degree of forgiveness that protects your joints from injury.
Tying into this is durability. For instance, consider whether or not the mat has a thick, solid base. If you want your mat to feel good and hold up well to wear and tear, avoid cheap models that cost less than $60.
A good way to gauge the quality & durability of a golf mat is to look at what customers are saying about it.
3. Functionality
When it comes to golf mats, you don’t need many bells and whistles. What’s most important is a high-quality hitting surface.
Mats aren’t known to include that many additional features. However, you’ll occasionally find some models that have more functionality.
An example of this are multiple turf strips that have different properties. You may have a strip of turf that emulates the fairway, a strip that emulates rough, and a strip for teeing it up and hitting woods.
In addition, many golf mats allow you to practice your putting; a perfect example of this is the Fiberbuilt Combo System reviewed above. This effectively means that you can practice with every club in the bag.
When it comes down to it, you only need a mat for one fundamental purpose: hitting golf shots. It’s up to you if you want any extra functionality that may be offered.
4. Budget
Of course, your budget is very important when shopping for a golf mat for your home.
Not everyone can afford mats that cost four figures. Fortunately, there are options that cost well below this amount. Golfers with large budgets have some excellent options as well.
That said, if you’re serious about hitting golf shots at home, you shouldn’t get a cheap mat that costs under $80 or so. These mats are typically of low quality and are more about providing entertainment than improving your game.
In this guide, we’ve tried to include quality golf mats over a range of budgets that golfers might have. But the great thing is that you don’t have to drop the full cost of it at once.
Our recommended golf mat source here provides easy financing options that allow you to pay for pricier models over the course of a year or longer. Don’t forget about this option.
Conclusion
If you’re a golfer who wants to be able to practice at home without always having to get out to the course, a good golf mat is pretty much a must-have.
A golf mat will give you the next best thing to a real outdoor experience. And there are many excellent options available; finding a mat that meets your needs is certainly possible with some research.
Each of the mats reviewed above offer amazing value for the cost. We’ve given you the information you need to make a decision; now it’s up to you to go the rest of the way.
At minimum, you should use a hitting net with your mat. If you want to take it a step further, you can create an full golf simulator setup in your home with screen, enclosure, and software.
We also highly recommend reading customer reviews of golf mats, or getting the opinion of experts, to obtain useful insights as to how they actually perform. This can help you a great deal in the decision-making process.
Thanks for reading this guide. What kind of golf mat are you interested in? Do you have any questions? Feel free to drop a comment below.
What is the best mat to be placed outdoors on the lawn?
There shouldn’t be issues with using these mats outside, but I would go for something smaller and more portable if you plan to move it around a lot. SIGPRO and TrueStrike mats seem like particularly good choices, the latter of which can be left out in the rain.
Is there such thing as a high quality, joint friendly mat in the $200 price range? I don’t have a grand to spend on a mat but want to get some practice at home, especially during the summer months here in AZ.
Sort of. You can get cheaper mats for $200 or less at places like Amazon, but the quality and durability won’t be as good. A good way to cut down on cost is to reduce the size. The Fiberbuilt Flight Deck Mat, for example, has quality turf and comes in a small oval shape; it will definitely not exceed that budget. The downside is that you’ll wear through it and have to replace it sooner.