- Updated: July 10, 2023
Best Golf Mats 2023
If you want to get serious about working on your swing and trying to get better, being able to practice and hit balls from the comfort of your own home is a true lifesaver.
To help our readers, we’ve found the 8 best golf mats 2023 has to offer and included our thoughts and key features about each one.
We found the Carl’s 5×7 HotShot™ Hitting Mat with a replaceable insert to be the best golf-hitting mat on the market.
Not only are you saving money on range balls, but you’re saving time and gas by avoiding the travel needed to get to and from the golf course (in the author’s case, about 40 minutes each way).
1 |  OUR TOP PICK | Carl's Hot Shot Hitting Mat |
| |
2 |  ALTERNATIVE | ChampKey Pro Premium Turf with Rubber Padding |
| |
3 |  ALTERNATIVE 2 | GolfGuru 5ft x 4ft Mat |
|
Many golfers are a little wary of getting a golf practice mat for their home because they’ve experienced joint pain from a crappy range mat or fear they won’t get the proper feedback from consistent mat usage.
Modern golf mats are designed to simulate the feel of natural grass and golf course conditions. Couple that with feedback from an online golf instructor or an at-home golf simulator, and you have a realistic way of consistently improving at home.
Be sure to stick around until after our product breakdowns, where we discuss our favorite features of the best golf practice mats on the market and explain how to set up the perfect at-home driving ranges!
8 Best Golf Hitting Mats for Home Practice - 2023 Guide
- Carl’s Hot Shot Hitting Mat, with Replaceable Insert (Best Premium At Home Golf Mat)
- ChampKey Pro Premium Turf with Rubber Padding, 2 Alignment Sticks, 4 Tees (Great Value Pick)
- GolfGuru 5ft x 4ft Mat, 10 Balls, 9 Tees (Thickest – Heaviest Hitting Mat On Our List)
- Rukket Hack Pro Net + Tri-Turf Mat (Affordable At-Home Range Setup In One)
- ChampKey Impact and Swing Path Mat (Ball Striking/Face Angle Training Aid)
- ChampKey Alignment Guide Practice Mat (Great for Your Golf Swing)
- Rukket Sports Range Pro 5×5 Foldable Mat (Best for Easy Storage & Travel)
- Rukket Sports Standing Turf Stance Mat (Best Mat Add-On)
1. Carl's Hot Shot Hitting Mat Included Interchangeable Insert (Best Premium At Home Golf Mat)
Combining all the best features of most of the best golf practice mats out there, the Carl’s Hot Shot Hitting Mat has a replaceable insert making it our pick for the best at-home golf mat in 2023.
Included with purchase:
5ft x 7ft Turf Mat
Three Rubber Tees
Fairway Turf Insert
Besides the obviously large hitting and stance area, we love the Carl’s Hot Shot Hitting Mat because of its durability!
Depending on your practicing desires, you can change the grass type of your hitting area to get proper feedback on your quality of swing and strike.
The mat has a tee holder which allows you to use your own tees.
|
2. ChampKey Pro Premium Turf with Rubber Padding, 2 Alignment Sticks, 4 Tees (Great Value Pick)
A close runner-up to the Carl’s Hot Shot selection is the ChampKey Pro Premium Turf Mat.
Designed to simulate a realistic hitting surface comparable to a natural golf course fairway or tee box, the ChampKey Pro Premium golf mat is an ideal option for those looking to stay on budget but still receive premium mats feel and feedback.
1/3rd-inch rubber foam padding insulates the mat, provides excellent durability for both inside and outdoor practice, and is fully waterproof.
Included with the purchase of the ChampKey Pro Premium golf mat are four tees of varying heights (and a peg for real tees), along with three different tee hole locations and two fiberglass alignment rods that can be used with your mat or in natural grass (includes pointed ends to go into the ground).
Our favorite feature of the ChampKey Pro Premium Mat has to be that you can choose between a 3ft x 5ft size or a 4ft x 5ft size with a very small upcharge to fit the space you have perfectly.
|
3. GolfGuru 5ft x 4ft Mat, 10 Balls, 9 Tees (Thickest - Heaviest Hitting Mat On Our List)
Weighing in at close to 15 pounds, the GolfGuru 5ft x 4ft premium golf mat displays excellent quality right out of the box.
Designed to simulate a tee box or realistic fairway-like feel, we honestly don’t see how this mat could get much better.
The GolfGuru hitting mat is created using multiple internal layers of anti-tear material for a long lifespan, includes three tee holes on both the left and right side for any hand golfer, and its base is 1/4 inch thick PVC non-slip foam padding that makes sure golfers are stable on any hard surface so they can swing with confidence.
One of the cooler highlights of purchasing this GolfGuru mat is the included 10 indoor practice-rated golf balls and 9 tees at six unique heights so golfers can practice every type of tee shot (irons, hybrids/woods, driver).
Every GolfGuru hitting mat is covered by a full 1-Year Warranty and backed by a 30-Day No Questions Asked Refund Policy in case you aren’t happy with your mat for whatever reason (we don’t think you’ll find one.)
|
4. Rukket Hack Pro Net + Tri-Turf Mat (Affordable At-Home Range Setup In One)
Are you looking to make all your home driving range purchases at once? The Rukket Hack Pro Net + Tri-Turf Mat is affordable, easy to set up, and provides something every other hitting mat on our list doesn’t have, a net!
Included with purchase:
10ft x 7ft High-Performance Rukket Net
Tri-Turf Golf Mat with Real Tee Hole
Carrying Case
Rukket includes with purchase a 10ft x 7ft net that takes 2 minutes to assemble and break down (normally 1.3x the price of the entire set) and a portable tri-turf hitting mat that simulates tight fairways, the first cut, and the rough.
Golfers can also practice tee shots all they want, thanks to Rukket’s perfect hole for real tees to be placed in the mat’s design.
The heavy-duty netting returns golf balls to the hitter’s feet, making pickup and cleanup a breeze.
|
5. ChampKey Impact and Swing Path Mat (Ball Striking/Face Angle Training Aid)
The ChampKey Impact and Swing Path Mat is designed to help golfers develop consistent and proper impact positions through the golf ball with immediate feedback.
Lined with multiple swing path guides and a center cross for golf balls, this mat shows the moment your club touches the turf, its direction concerning your target line, and the quality of your strike.
Like all ChampKey hitting mats, this one features their super durable and heavy-duty rubber backing that keeps the mat in one place and adds some heft to prevent the mat from slipping on each swing.
With 4 total layers of padding and quality materials used in its construction, golfers should have zero fear this product isn’t going to last for multiple seasons.
If you see any issues with your ChampKey Impact and Swing Path Mat, each one is backed with a 30-day “No-Questions-Asked” Warranty, where you can receive a replacement or your money back if you’re not satisfied.
|
6. ChampKey Alignment Guide Practice Mat (Great for Your Golf Swing)
A name you’ll see on any list of the best golf mats on the market is ChampKey, and they’re back with another spot on our list with the Alignment Guide Practice Mat.
A fatal flaw of most amateur and recreational golfers is their alignment. Whether it be their feet, shoulders, hips, or club face, something is usually off.
Included with purchase:
Durable Alignment Guide ChampKey Hitting Mat
9 Multi-Length Plastic Tees
With the help of the ChampKey Alignment Guide practice mat, golfers can ensure they set up squarely to the golf ball every time, hopefully transferring this proper alignment reinforcement to the actual golf course later.
The mat itself has ChampKey’s patented “True Turf Feeling” synthetic turf that simulates a true fairway lie and is layered with tear-resistant backing and a durable rubber base that not only helps reduce wear and tear but also keeps your mat in the same place where you put it to initiate your practice.
There’s a small peg hole along the alignment line so golfers can practice regular fairway shots and teed-up shots using the same mat and included tees or their own.
|
7. Rukket Sports Range Pro 5x5 Foldable Mat (Best for Easy Storage & Travel)
If you’re like us and don’t have a ton of room for a dedicated hitting area, the Rukket Sports Range Pro 5×5 Foldable Mat will be perfect for you!
Included with purchase:
5ft x 5ft Hitting Mat
Carrying Case
3 Rubber Tees of Varying Heights
Designed to be perfect for easy storage and on-the-go practicers, the Rukket 5×5 mat is still plenty thick and durable even though it folds in fours for its carrying case.
To aid its durability, Rukket added a UV protective coloring to the outside of the mat to prevent fading and add to its overall lifespan.
Our favorite feature of the Rukket Sports Range Pro mat is that when it’s folded, it fits perfectly in the trunk of a car, closet, or under the bed and out of the way.
If it had more holes for tees (we drilled more ourselves), this selection would’ve been higher on the list!
|
8. Rukket Sports Standing Turf Stance Mat (Best Mat Add-On)
A significant problem with many golf mats that are smaller in size is they are raised higher than your feet, making you hit off a technically uneven surface (with your feet lower than the ball).
Too much time doing this will reinforce poor habits and honestly defeat the purpose of at-home practice!
For this reason, we thought it would be best to include the Rukket Sports Standing Turf Mat.
This mat isn’t a hitting mat but instead designed to be used in unison with your hitting mats to give you a perfect place to stand that’s even with your hitting surface and gives you proper alignment markers simultaneously.
Golfers have a large alignment line on the inside shaped like a capital “I,” which tells them where the middle of their stance is, and removable borders so you can butt your actual hitting mat right up against this standing mat for a seamless look.
|
Our Favorite Features of the Best Golf Mats of 2023:
Multiple Hitting Surfaces:
If you want to take your at-home practice extra seriously or find yourself needing help with thicker lies, choosing a mat with multiple styles or lengths of artificial turf is a great way to add some variety to your routine.
Options like the Carl’s Hot Shot Hitting Mat and the Rukket Hack Pro + Tri-Turf Mat can provide multiple fairway lies and simulated rough to get experience with what various turf interaction feels like and how it impacts the golf ball.
What You Need For Your Own Home Driving Range:
Building a “Home Driving Range” lets you easily work on your game whenever you want.
Long rain overnight make your local course too wet to open? Don’t worry, as your home driving range will let you get quality practice from the comfort of your own home.
You’ll need a few things to set up your perfect home driving range:
Quality Hitting Mat
Net or Screen to Catch Shots
*Bonus* Launch Monitor + Projector – Golf Simulator for Swing Data
While we truly believe every hitting mat on our list is worthy of your consideration, the primary concern when choosing the perfect mat for YOU is gauging what you value most in a hitting surface.
If you go with one of the smaller hitting mats, make sure you consider picking up a “stance mat” that will make your feet the same level off the ground as the hitting mat.
If you’re in the process of making your own home practice facility check out the iGolfReviews office by Carl’s Place or if you just want a simple net, check out our breakdown of the Best Golf Practice Nets 2023 has to offer.
Included Training Aids:
Buying a home range mat that also includes training aids makes your practice that much more focused and fulfilling.
Sure, just being able to make full speed and contact swings is excellent, but practice aids like a swing plane peg board or an impact board that gives direct feedback on your face angle can make you better much faster than just swinging alone.
If you want to make sure you get the most out of your practice with included training tools with your purchase, consider the ChampKey Pro Premium.
Why You Should Avoid Thinner and Cheaper Golf Mats:
While it might be the easiest to head to your local Walmart or Big Box Golf Store and purchase the cheapest mat you can find, we have a few reasons why we think that should be avoided for the sake of your golf game and bodily health!
By purchasing a cheap golf mat, you risk:
Harming your wrists and joints
Exacerbating elbow injuries
Developing destructive tendencies from overly forgiving hitting surface
Mats with poor padding can damage your clubs from repeated excess force applied to the hosel and sole of the club.
Growing up as a junior golfer, I had a net and cheap practice mat in my backyard.
From hitting off the cheap mat placed on the concrete patio into the net in the yard, I not only developed a false sense of what it would feel like hitting balls off natural grass but hurt my wrists from insufficient padding.
🏌️♂️ Subscribe to
Independent Golf Reviews 👇
Get Golf Discounts & Giveaways from the top brands and stores in golf.
Sign up below to be automatically entered in this months giveaway.
No spam, ever. 🔒
About The Author
Writers of Independent Golf Reviews
Independent Golf Reviews has tested and reviewed 1000+ golf products over the past 10 years. We use our experience and expertise to give golfers an unbiased insight on the market.
Read more…
Share
