Installing an indoor putting green in your home is not only a lot of fun and a wonderful activity to enjoy with friends, it offers a simple and effective way of perfecting your golf game. Beginner or not, if you are familiar with golf, you know that to play well, you must be able to putt well.
It’s no secret that accurate putting is one of the key factors that distinguishes a great golfer from an amateur. However perfecting your putting begins with building an effective short game.
Maintaining a great short game is a very essential skill when it comes to being successful in golf and indoor putting green is one product that can help you achieve this at the comfort of your home or office.
An indoor putting green is a great training support. You can practice and play golf anytime you want. You can even arrange a challenging competition at home with your family or friends. Generally, an indoor putting green can help you hone your short game skills and at the same time serve as a fun way to pass time with family or friends.
In this article, we are going to look at some of the best indoor putting greens that you can find in the market. In addition, we are going to take you through everything you need to consider when choosing an indoor putting green. So, let’s dive right in.
Factors to Consider Selecting an Indoor Putting Green
Indoor putting greens come in a wide variety with different number of targets, alignments, green type and obstacles. To help you select the best option for the money we are going to look into some of the key factor you need to keep an eye on when making your selection.
1. Size of the Mat
Greens vary broadly when it comes to size and as such you want to make sure you choose one that will be compliant with the amount of space or room you have set aside for your green. You need to pick a mat whose size and shape will fit in the designated room and at the same time allow you to play comfortably.
If you have adequate amount of space, you go for a medium sized mat like the Big Moss Augusta green above. These mats offer more practice options, more targets and longer puts hence are more fun. The only downside with these mats is that they tend to fall on the higher price end, but only by a very small amount.
Generally as far as size is concerned you need to ensure that you go for mats that will fit comfortably in any room and lie completely flat without any creases. You should select a mat that will allow you to easily execute a few versatile shots so as to help you improve your game.
2. The Turf
One of the main purpose of owning an indoor putting green is to help you improve your golf game. For this reason, you need to ensure that you select a mat that’s close to the real course as much as possible.
The product you choose should mimic the natural golfing surface and its conditions in terms of smoothness and roll speed. You will find many different types of turfs out there. The key thing is to make sure that the surface is smooth enough so that the golf ball can roll straight without any disturbance.
Choose a mat that will not create breaks, slants, creases or bumps on the place where it is laid out on. It should be somewhat hard so as to iron out any defects when it’s laid out. If you are not keen enough here then you might just end up with a mat where your shots go off track all the time which is not only frustrating but a waste of money.
3. Quality & Durability of the Mat
Whatever brand you opt for, the mat should be made of quality, long-lasting materials. A mat that can withstand continuous practice and won’t develop creases or wrinkles after prolonged use. It should stand the test of time while still holding its shape.
Although it can be a bit of an investment to buy a top quality putting mat, this is not something you want to forego because a quality mat will serve you for quite a long time as opposed to a cheap green.
4. Ease of Setup
Most indoor golf putting greens are not hard to set up. They usually don’t require any force since they easily roll in to place. However, some mats can be a bit cumbersome when it comes to laying them flat and firm especially each time you try to set them up somewhere new.
Therefore, you need to keep this in mind during your selection so that you ensure you pick a putting green that simple to set up and won’t lead to much struggle when setting up in a different room or place.
5. Portability
Having a portable mat which you can move anywhere you want is also something worth considering. It’s quite convenient particularly if you want to practice your putting at your office, living room or even on your back deck.
Investing in a portable green will allow you to carry it with your almost wherever you wish. Therefore, ensure that you go for a lightweight unit, that’s easy to pack up as well as put away after use.
6. Breaks
I prefer a green that allows you to have one or more breaking putts. This doesn’t mean there aren’t some nice indoor greens that only allow straight putts. Generally, the higher in price, the more breaks will be included.
7. Accessories
Does the green have cups and flags? Sometimes the little things can add some much value.
- Manufactured from PET resin
- Manufactured in the USA
- Kidney shaped practice putting green
- High quality putting surface stays smooth
- Built in sand trap cutouts catch missed shots
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three Putting Green
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three is arguably one of the best indoor putting green on the market today. What attracts many golfers to this Putt-A-Bout putting green is its smooth, high quality grass mat.
The grass surface has foam underneath it which facilitates a uniform appearance. The mat is kidney shaped and has three-target holes surrounded by sand bankers which help trap the golf balls preventing them from rolling all over the place.
The best thing about this green is that it’s designed to facilitate a good practice session and as well offer lots fun. The kidney shaped green combined with the slight incline of the green at the ends a uniqueness that makes putting slightly harder for the far left target and the other holes.
This style of putting green not only provides an effective way of improving your short game but it also makes playing much more fun. The turf are almost like the real grass and the ball rolling stays true which considerably help boost your putting skills.
The mat is 9 feet long and 4 feet wide, so it doesn’t take up much space and it can easily be wrapped up for storage in a safe place when not in use without harming the grass itself.
Generally, the built quality is solid and with other great features like ball traps, incline, three separate target holes and the high quality synthetic polyester green surface, this Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three putting green is with no doubt an excellent value for money.
- 9-foot indoor putting green with continuous automatic ball return for developing accuracy and control
- Squaring and alignment guides at 3, 5, and 7 feet help promote consistency in every aspect of putting motion
- Continuous automatic ball return allows for uninterrupted training
SKLZ Accelerator Pro Putting Green
The SKLZ Accelerator Pro is another high quality putting green that’s worth investing in if you are serious about your putting practice or looking to spruce up your game nights with your friends or family at home.
The top surface of these SKLZ mat is almost similar to real grass you would find in the putting area. Unlike the Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three above, this mat has one hole that’s dead straight. If you are thinking of pinpointing your straight putts, then this is something you are going to like.
The mat also features three alignment guides at 7, 5, and 3 feet which help to increase the consistency of your putting. These putting aides will help you practice both your swing and power.
While most golfers often tend to control the speed of the golf ball during the downswing, with these markers or guides you will be able to adjust your backswing so as to control the momentum of the ball.
The main highlight of this SKLZ mat is the continuous ball return system. There is no moving back and forth to retrieve the ball. The ball return slide reaches all the bottom of the putting green hence making it much easier to collect the balls after a shot. Thereby, you get to keep your focus and as such maintain consistency throughout.
To sum it all, the SKLZ Accelerator Pro is a great choice for anyone looking to improve their putt and consistency. It’s quite easy to remove too and suitable for all ages.
Big Moss Augusta Putting Green
The Big Moss Augusta putting greens are known for their premium quality. They are synthetic grass rolls that respond and feel like the real thing. This mat is definitely not the cheapest model you will find on the market but it’s the real deal if you are looking for something that’s more than capable of helping you bring down you putting scores.
Whether you are looking for a quality mat for training or for enjoying a couple of nice games at home, this Big Moss green is up for the task. It is 12 feet long and 4 feet wide which makes it both longer and wider than the other models.
It’s large but not that large to consumer so much space. The ample space it offers makes it a perfect choice for training as you get more space to work with. You can be able to practice long shots on this mat because it’s ample size.
There is a strip of foam attached to the end of the mat as a backstop and to stop stray balls from rolling off the mat. The foam also creates a subtle incline which heightens the cup from the ground. The quality of the foam is quite impressive and it would take years of use before it starts compressing.
The Augusta is a comprehensive set and it also features a break snake. It consists of a pliant piece of foams which you can lay under the turf to create breaks. The mat has three holes with two towards the top end.
While it may fall on the higher price point, the greens is of high quality compared to many other mats and its size and design makes one of the best indoor mats for practicing and perfecting putting skills quickly. It does take up a bit of space but setting it up is quite quick and easy.
Final Word
Whether you are just starting out your journey in the sport, you are a serious seasoned player or you are a professional, you need to invest in a good indoor putting green. With these amazing products, you can practice your putts whenever and wherever you want.
You are not limited by time or season. Come hail or snow, you will still be able to enjoy some few short games with your friends with an indoor putting mat in place. In our list above, we’ve have highlighted some of the best mats you can find in the market. These three mats are the ideal choice for anyone looking to hone their putting skills.
They are not the only ones, but they are the best choice if you want value for money. There are many other good options in the market and you can utilize the guide above to evaluate different mats and select the one that suits your needs.
