Golf Turf for Tee Lines and Simulators

Three kinds of golf turf

Golf uses turf in three very different ways, and mixing them up is the most common mistake in a home golf space.

• Putting turf is short and dense so the ball rolls true. It's covered on the putting greens page.
• Hitting turf takes a club coming down on it at speed. It's thicker and more resilient, usually over a pad, so an iron can strike slightly behind the ball without bouncing or jarring.
• Surround or fringe turf fills in around the hitting area and green: a landscape-style turf that looks right and takes foot traffic.

Golf simulators

Home simulators have become popular in Ontario because they turn a garage, basement or spare room into year-round practice. The turf in a simulator bay usually has three zones: a replaceable hitting mat or strip where you swing from, surround turf across the rest of the floor, and sometimes a putting area in front of the screen. The hitting strip wears out first, so a design where it can be swapped without replacing the whole floor saves money.

Plan the room before the turf: ceiling height for a full driver swing, the distance from the hitting position to the screen, and the side-to-side space for left- and right-handed players. The turf goes in last.

Range tee lines and facilities

Driving ranges and golf training centres use long strips of tee line turf, often with a cushioned base, that hundreds of golfers hit off every day. These are wear items: the most-hit sections are rotated or replaced on a schedule. Ask any supplier how the line is sectioned so worn pieces can be replaced individually.

Outdoor chipping and hitting areas

A backyard chipping area pairs naturally with a putting green: a fringe of slightly longer turf around the green that holds a chip shot. A full-swing outdoor hitting area needs a net and a hitting mat on a firm base, and enough space that a mishit can't reach a neighbour's window.

Planning a simulator room

Most simulator makers publish minimum room sizes. As a rough guide, the ceiling has to clear a full driver swing for the tallest player, the screen sits several feet in front of the hitting position, and the room needs width on both sides for left- and right-handed swings and for safety. Lighting, the projector position and the enclosure all affect where the hitting mat goes, so settle those first. Under the turf, a level floor matters: a hitting mat that rocks is uncomfortable and inconsistent.

Outdoor hitting areas

Outdoors, a hitting area needs a firm, level base like a lawn, a durable hitting mat set into or on top of the turf, and a net sized for the shots you'll hit. Think about where a mishit goes: a net that's too small or too close to a house or a neighbour's yard isn't worth the risk. A chipping area into a putting green is the safest outdoor practice of all.

Who asks for it

Most requests are from golfers fitting out a garage, basement or spare room for winter practice, followed by golf facilities, ranges and indoor golf businesses replacing worn tee lines and bays. Each needs different turf, which is why the request form asks about the space and what you want to practise.

Keep an offcut of surround turf for patches; the hitting strip itself is a consumable.

What it costs

We haven't found published Ontario prices for simulator or tee line turf that we can cite, so we don't print a range here. Hitting mats range from basic to premium, and a full simulator floor depends on the room size. For outdoor putting green prices, see the putting green cost guide.

Getting a quote

Send the room or yard dimensions, the ceiling height for indoor bays, and what you want: hitting only, hitting plus putting, or a full green with a chipping fringe. One installer who does golf surfaces gets back to you.