Range and Putt

Grass tees vs mats: which is better for practice?

Grass lets you practice from the same surface you play from on the course. Mats are open all year, easy on beginners and good for alignment, but the PGA of America notes they put more force through the hands, arms and shoulders and can make launch and spin read higher. 99 of the 318 ranges we list have grass tees, usually only in season.

By the Range and Putt editorial team. Published November 12, 2026, updated November 12, 2026. Figures are recalculated from our listings whenever they change.

Mats

For: they are always open, in any weather and often under a roof, and they take no damage. GOLF.com's range-etiquette guide calls mats forgiving and good for working on alignment, which is why it suggests them for learners.

Against: the PGA of America says a mat applies more force at impact than grass, through the hands, arms and shoulders, and that launch and spin tend to be higher off a mat, with clubhead speed sometimes a little lower. Its advice is to think about how many balls you hit from a mat and which clubs you use: favour wedges and short irons and stay away from low irons.

Grass tees

For: the ball sits on turf as it does on the course, so you practice from the surface you play from.

Against: grass needs time to recover, so ranges open it only in season or on certain days. GOLF.com's tip for saving turf is to hit each ball just behind the last divot.

When grass is open

Ranges publish this in different ways. A few examples from our listings:

Some ranges are mats only, such as Sugar Creek Golf Course.

Which should you choose?

Our suggestion: use mats for alignment work, for learning and for winter practice. Use grass when you are working on contact and ball flight, and for longer clubs if you are hitting a lot of balls. If your local range has both, a good habit is to warm up on the mat and finish on the grass.

Ranges with grass tees

See driving ranges with grass tees in Atlanta, driving ranges with grass tees in Boston, driving ranges with grass tees in Charlotte, driving ranges with grass tees in Chicago, driving ranges with grass tees in Cincinnati, driving ranges with grass tees in Denver, driving ranges with grass tees in Orlando, driving ranges with grass tees in Philadelphia, driving ranges with grass tees in Phoenix and driving ranges with grass tees in San Francisco. Each listing on our city pages shows the hitting surface: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson and Washington.

Questions people ask

Is it bad to practice on mats?

No, but the PGA of America notes that mats put more force through the hands, arms and shoulders than grass and can flatter launch and spin. It suggests limiting low irons on mats and favouring wedges and short irons.

Which clubs should I hit off a mat?

The PGA of America suggests favouring wedges and high irons on a mat and staying away from low irons, which compress the ball the most.

Are grass tees open all year?

Usually not. The ranges on Range and Putt that publish grass tee dates open them from spring to fall or on set days, for example Cave Spring Golf Center: closed for the season as of november 12, 2026.

Sources

  1. The Difference Between Practicing on Mats vs. Grass PGA of America, published April 22, 2021, read November 12, 2026
  2. Driving-range etiquette? Yep, it’s a thing. Follow these 11 rules when you practice (Josh Sens) GOLF.com, published November 2, 2023, read November 12, 2026
  3. Range and Putt listings: 318 driving ranges, each checked against the range's own website or operator, most recently November 12, 2026. Each listing links to its own sources.

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