Like Playing on a True Fairway?
Posted in: Blog by Jay on July 14, 2008
The Practice Mat that Gives…
By Annie Gladue-Latham
8 July 2008
If someone told you a golf mat existed that was designed to absorb the blow of a golf shot just like playing on a true fairway, would you be curious to try it out? I know I would.
I’m not a big fan of going to the driving range to practice. My aversion is due to the proliferation of facilities that “feature” hard mats on top of a cement surface. My argument is that hitting off a mat does not even remotely resemble the feel of hitting on a real golf course. Needless to say, that limits my practice options. But on the other hand, that also means that I am constantly on the hunt for viable alternatives.
I recently discovered a website called RealFeelGolfMats.com. The name alone got my attention.
So what’s the big deal about this particular golf mat? According to the website, with the CC Elite, you can swing “down-and-through for realistic practice.” And, it takes a real tee (no more mucking around with those rubbery ones that really don’t assimilate anything you’d use on course). Specifically, the CC Elite’s Long Dense Fiber System, which consists of “spring-set” grass like fibers that move, absorb, and dissipate the downward blow of a golf-shot, actually simulate the feel of taking a divot.
Sounded almost too good to be true. So I contacted the company, JR Mats, Inc. and interviewed the founder, Mr. Jay R. McGrath (JRM), so I could get the scoop about the CC Elite.
AL: Your website mentions that you’ve been making high-end commercial golf range mats for over 14.5 years. Congratulations! When did you have your “aha!” moment for the CC Elite T-Turn Golf Mat?
JRM: Well I had been making very durable driving range mats and commercial “brush like” entry matting for years, but when we converted to “high pile” tufting machines, this enabled much thicker turf – mostly being used for football fields and sand-filled putting greens. Then we tried some sand filled tee lines that were received well by customers because they would accept a real tee – but the sand was hard on the clubs and it compressed over a short period of time to become very hard. I knew if we could make this thick turf dense enough that it wouldn’t need sand we’d have a winner. I introduced the first Country Club Elite Mat at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and it was an instant hit.
AL: At what point did you decide to make a consumer product?
JRM: I had people e-mailing me left and right wanting to buy Country Club Elite Mats for personal use because they had used them at a golf school, academy, or country club that was using our product. I run a small company (lean on people) so the easiest way for me to do this was to put product on line.
AL: I noticed that your smallest size was a 10” x 30” hitting strip for $51. Talk to me about the different sizes you offer.
JRM: The 10×30 is a portable size. I have customers who take it to the driving range with them and they use the hard range mat to stand on and hit off of the Country Club Elite Portable Hitting Strip. You can also use it in the backyard or take it to the park and place it so that you can work on uphill, downhill, sidehill lies, etc. If you want to stand on the mat a 3×4 is great for chipping and iron practice and a 3×5 will accommodate every club in your bag. Commercially the 5×5 is most common because you can rotate it 4 ways for extra wear and durability.
AL: What about the weight? How transportable is this mat?
JRM: The CC Elite weighs 2 pounds per square foot. So that means that a 3×4 mat weighs 24 pounds and a 5×5 will weigh in at 50 pounds.
[Note: To put that in perspective… Most airlines have a 70-pound limit on golf clubs. And your carry-on bag (which must fit under your seat or in the overhead bin) cannot weigh more than 50 lbs.]
AL: Wouldn’t it be hard to carry?
JRM: Actually, I use two bungee cords around the rolled 5×5 mat as handles to carry it around at trade shows.
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Mr. McGrath also told me that notable users of the CC Elite include Annika Sorenstam, for use at her golf academy, the Mike Benders Academy (Golf Digest Top 10 Teacher), the Steven Dressers Academy (a Golf Magazine Top 25 Golf School), and at Merto Golf and Fitness (a David Glenz Academy – Golf Digest top 50 teacher).
Pricing starts at $51 for the 10″ x 30″ Hitting Strip. A 3′ x 4′ mat runs $239 and the 3′ x 5′ is $299. The 5′ x 5′, which is the entry point for the commercial mat, runs $499. The mats come with a 365-day guarantee. Mr. McGrath states on the website, “…Swing as often as you like, because of its quality construction – I guarantee that you can’t wear this mat out right up to the last day of my 365-day guarantee!”
Conclusion:
I’d say that the CC Elite is definitely worth looking into and maybe, it’ll beckon you to practice, practice practice… which is a good thing.
