If you want to practice golf but don’t have enough time to get to the golf course, a putting green carpet seems like a perfect substitute.
Don’t have enough knowledge on putting green carpets? We’ve got you.
After going through a lot of articles and community forums and watching many YouTube videos, I have come up with the top 5 putting green carpets that you need to know about.
Let’s dive into it.
Is Putting Green Carpet Same as Artificial Putting Green Turf?
Many people might think putting green carpets are the same as an artificial putting green turf, but this is not the case.
An artificial putting green turf is specifically built to focus on golf game improvement by providing genuine putting green dynamics. It also has adjustable ball speed and ball speed measurement options for better analysis of your game.
There are some portable putting green turfs, but most of the time, they have a proper installation process and are usually permanent.
A putting green carpet is meant to give you a casual golfing experience where you can have some fun with friends or family. It doesn’t mimic the real putting green conditions and acts more like a mat with a grassy finish.
Due to its mat-like nature, it’s very portable. You can just fold it and take it to your office, gatherings, clubs, or anywhere you want.
Key Differences:
| Putting Green Carpet | Artificial Putting Green Turf |
| Acts like a grassy mat | Mimics real putting green conditions |
| Focused on casual game | Focused on game improvement |
| Portable nature | Permanent nature |
| Good for leisure golfing | Good for proper golfing |
Best Overall Putting Green Carpet: SKLZ Accelerometer Pro
Labeled as Amazon’s Choice, the SKLZ Accelerometer Pro is the winner of the day not only because of its satisfied community reviews but also because of its wonderful quality and unmatched features.
It offers a quality putting experience with its finely built carpet and ball return function to ensure a firm stance in addition to a putting green experience.
With its portable size measuring 9′ x18″, you can easily adjust the mat at almost any place and enjoy your putting game.
The surface of the mat mimics real-green conditions, and to ensure proper analysis of your putting experience, it comes with stroke alignment guides printed at 3, 5, and 7 feet, allowing you to practice three key putting lengths.
To increase your competency, the putting hole is provided on an inclined ramp, which may disturb your viewing angle, but after a few hours of regular practice, you’ll get used to it.
Check out the SKLZ Accelerometer Pro in this YouTube video by SKLZ:
Pros
✅ Premium-quality material
✅ Ball return feature
✅ Training assists
✅ Marked distances
Cons
❌ Has a steep on-ramp incline
Runner-Up Putting Green Carpet: Putt-A-Bout Par Three Mat
If you have a thirst for realism in putting green carpets, the Putt-A-Bout Par Three Golf Putting Green won’t leave you wanting.
It offers a real grass feel with proper flatness and a slight slope, along with authentic green speeds, to bring some competency to your putting experience.
The mat features three putting holes to offer variety in your shots so you can practice putting without delay in your shots.
Don’t want to miss your practice sessions? Putt-A-Bout has got your back with its 3′ x 9′ portable size, which can be easily rolled up and taken to any place you want.
Watch the Putt-A-Bout putting mat in action in this YouTube video by Poolarity – Life Hacks:
Despite all these benefits, it also has some drawbacks, which include no ball return and training assist features. But since it’s meant for realism, these perks needed to go.
Pros
✅ Multiple holes to change angles
✅ Slight slopes for realism
✅ Portable nature
Cons
❌ No ball return feature
❌ No training assists
Best Serviceable Putting Green Carpet: ProActive Sports VariSpeed
ProActive Sports VariSpeed seems to be the right pick for golfers who are looking for ultimate functionality in a putting green carpet.
The mat is famous for its printed guidelines, including green speeds and custom breaks to master uneven surfaces, ball speed assists that allow practicing various lengths, and many other details that give you a full-fledged putting experience.
One of the coolest features of VariSpeed is its visible ball traces that allow you to track your performance and hit from a better angle next time.
The mat doesn’t stick well to the surface because of its lightweight design, but this offers ultimate portability to the mat. You can roll it up fast and practice putting anywhere you want.
For golfers who want a ball return feature, this putting green is a big no. Apart from that, it has everything you can ask for.
Here’s a quick YouTube video by Fairway Golf Shop featuring the ProActive Sports VariSpeed:
Pros
✅ Multiple training assists
✅ Marked distances
✅ Ball traces
✅ Portable nature
✅ Adjustable ball speeds
Cons
❌ Doesn’t stick well to the surface
❌ No ball return feature
Best Minimalistic Putting Green Carpet: Putt-A-Bout Golf Putting Mat
If you don’t want too much from a putting green carpet besides some wide area and a smooth surface to enjoy leisure golf, the Putt-A-Bout Golf Putting Mat is the perfect choice for you.
It’s a rectangular-shaped 3′ x 11′ plain putting carpet that gives you plenty of areas to play from the left or the right hand, two golf stoppers that act like putting holes, and a flat surface that provides basic putting experience.
The mat comes in a thin but high-quality material that can be folded like an ordinary mat and used on any flat surface. The polyester material used in the carpet sticks well to the surface in contact so the mat doesn’t move while you’re practicing.
To keep it minimalistic, the mat doesn’t include any training assists or marked distances, but it’s still good at giving you some quality time when you’re attacked by boredom.
Pros
✅ Sticks well to the surface
✅ Portable nature
✅ Larger area
✅ Multiple golf stoppers
Cons
❌ No training assists
❌ No marked distances
Notable Mention: Abco Tech Golf Putting Mat
Having trouble with your short game? Not anymore.
The Abco Tech Golf Putting Mat is made to give you a great putting experience with its fine-quality material and realistic grass-like surface.
The mat features two putting holes with marked lines along its length to provide alignment assists and has a ball return feature to keep your stance.
It also brings some competency to your putting game with a lack of distance markers so you can better understand the putting stroke and level up your game.
Abco Tech is best suited for narrow spaces with its 2.5′ wide and 10′ long size. The foam at the putting end is removable, and if you want to take it with you, it can be easily folded and stored in almost any place.
The only deal breaker is the price of this putting green, which is relatively higher than other mats in the same category; otherwise, it does what it’s built for.
Pros
✅ Long alignment line
✅ Multiple putting holes
✅ Portable nature
✅ Ball return feature
Cons
❌ No marked distances
❌ Higher price
How to Choose the Best Putting Mat: A Brief Buying Guide
We’ve reviewed some of the best putting carpets in this article, but before you pick any of them, you need to be sure about certain things that play an important role in selecting a putting mat.
Quality
Always make sure that you’re not going for a cheap quality even if you’re buying one for temporary use. The quality defines your putting game experience on your putting mat, so go for the best-quality mats or at least a fair quality so you don’t end up wasting your money.
Design
We have reviewed many designs in this article, and each one of them has its own unique features and some drawbacks. Some stretch to longer lengths with marked assists, some are plain and minimalist, while others have an irregular shape with an uneven surface.
You have to choose among these depending on your need and priority. If you want some competency, the Putt-A-Bout Par Three is a fantastic choice. But for those who just want some aid to improve putting, VariSpeed and SKLZ are decent options.
Reviews
Reviews are a short and easy way to have a better idea about a putting mat because you don’t get to experience every mat before buying it.
Don’t go for commercial reviews because most of the time, those are paid and somewhat biased. Always go for community reviews to have unbiased and authentic information.
Price
Last but not least, budget is always important in making a purchase.
Putting mats are more like carpets, and most of them are not that expensive. You can find the best-reviewed carpets for $50 to $60, which is a fair price, but still, you need to spend wisely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are indoor putting green mats worth it?
Putting is the most important part of the golf game, and putting on a green mat can help in improving that skill. An indoor putting green is a perfect solution if you don’t have the time to make it to the course.
Can you practice putting on rugs?
Proper putting needs distance control and straight putting. A carpet’s speed and texture make it unsuitable to practice distance control. Putting green mats are precisely designed to control these measures and are best suited for putting practice.
What is a good putting average?
Having 31–35 putts per round is considered a good putting average. Meanwhile, 26–30 putts per round is considered great putting, while 36 or more putts per round is considered bad putting.
Conclusion
I can safely claim that after reading this article, you can easily differentiate between a putting green mat and an artificial putting green turf.
These mats come at affordable prices, so you won’t have any budget issues, but you must consider their quality and functionality before picking one for you.
I have listed the best-reviewed putting green mats in this article so you can get one that fits your needs.
If you want a putting green for maximum game improvement, the one with training aids like the SKLZ Accelerometer Pro will satisfy your needs. But for those who want to keep things simple, the Putt-A-Bout Golf Putting Mat is the right choice.
That’s all for now. Catch you in the next one!