8 Best Indoor Putting Greens In 2023
Putting is one of the most important skills in golf. A good putter will beat the player who hits the ball far, but can’t putt. That’s because lousy putting is one of the easiest ways to shoot higher scores. Most coaches nowadays suggest dedicating half of your practice time to putting and other shots you often use on the course when you’re scrambling to make par. Getting better at the touch shots around the green will free up the rest of your game. It’s a good feeling when you know you can hit a poor drive, lousy 2nd shot and hit it close with your chip shot and make the putt.
However, in the game of golf, for the majority of us, practice is limited. Getting yourself to the range to train, especially with work, weather conditions, and other modern world problems is a tough hill to climb. As much as we want to dedicate all of our time to training, we’ve got bills to pay, right?
So, what do we do?
Grab yourself an indoor putting green to practice your putting stroke even in the comfort of your own home. Yes, the indoor putting green is the smartest solution for avid golfers who can’t access a driving range and wish to improve their putting skills. Even professional golfer Tiger Woods has a state-of-the-art indoor putting simulator to keep him at his best.
As they say, you don’t have to spend all your time on the course or the range—it’s all about training smart and focusing on the parts of your game that will help your score better next time you’re playing a round of golf.
To refine your putting skills, sneak a couple of putting shots in your home using these indoor putting greens we’ve prepared for you. Hit focused putts for 10 to 20 minutes a day and I bet you’ll hit less putts next round you play. Give it a try.
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What Our Experts Say...
Best Overall: Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three
“The Putt-A-Bout is well-recommended for those who want an easy way to practice golf. Roll it out, play, then roll it back. It’s that simple!”
“The SKLZ Accelerator Pro is an amazing golf training companion. With the distance markings and a realistic stimp reading, this will help you bring out your A-game.”
“The Champkey PUTTECH PRO Putting Green offers a simple, no-frills way to improve your putting skills. It’s durable and affordable at the same time.”
Our Featured Recommendations:
The Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three Putting Green is for those who prefer portability while maintaining a great practice session. Setting the Putt-A-Bout is just a matter of rolling in and out, and ta-da! You got yourself an indoor putting green to practice your putting.
The Putt-A-Bout comes with a very dynamic design. First, the mat is made from PET resin to prevent it from sliding when putting. Second, the bean shape with three practice holes design allows golfers to practice different angles and alignments.
Lastly, the area where the holes are is a foam strip that provides a partial incline. And behind the practice holes are gravel trap-shaped holes that catch missed shots.
If there’s something to complain about, it’s the lack of a ball return feature. But if you don’t mind a few steps to pick up the balls, the Putt-A-Bout is a very sensible option that does the job well.
Key Features
- 3 practice holes – allow practice at different angles
- Gravel trap-shaped holes – keeps ball from rolling away
- Bean shape – promotes practice of alignment
● Easy to set up ● Allows multiple angles ● Helps develop skill in alignment
● No ball return feature ● Easily creases when folded
The SKLZ Accelerator Pro is a compact yet excellent putt trainer. It measures 18” wide and nine feet long. It’s composed of a long mat with a plastic wedge at the end, which provides an incline. The mat’s surface is excellent, with a stimp ranging from 10-11, on par with many PGA Tour courses.
The mat has squaring and alignment guides at 3, 5, and 7 feet, making it great for lining up putts. The plastic wedge houses a ball return function, which sends the ball through a long track adjacent to the mat.
However, the return ball function can be frustrating sometimes. If you miss a shot, the ball returns quickly. But if the ball goes into the hole, it rolls back slowly or gets stuck. But at its price point, it’s a minor fault for an otherwise excellent training device.
Key Features
- Squaring and alignment guides – promotes straight putts
- Ball return function – returns ball to golfer’s feet
● Great price-to-performance ratio ● Helps practice consistently straight putts ● Ball return function allows uninterrupted practice
● Ball return function can be faulty sometimes ● Mat can get creased if not careful
Here’s another contender from Putt-A-Bout. Unlike the bean-shaped Grassroots Par Three, this one’s a rectangular mat, measuring 11 feet long by 36 inches wide. The extra width allows the golfer to stand on the mat, making practice a more realistic affair. It’s still made from PET resin, but even more durable. This feature allows tighter rolling without creasing the mat, making it very portable.
This mat has no holes. Instead, two golf stops are provided, serving as goals. The goal stops are movable, allowing the golfer great flexibility with regards to training setups.
This green is barebones, with the minimum amount of features. It won’t even stop the ball for you. While it may not be fancy, it’s still a useful companion for putting practice.
Key Features
- Made from PET resin – allows for tighter rolling without damage
- Movable goal stops – allows for different practice setups
● Very durable ● Great portability ● Allows flexibility in hole setups
● No edge protection ● No incline
The Champkey PUTTECH PRO Putting Green is one loaded putting green. At 8.9 ft by 1.28 ft, it’s not as long as the other putting greens in this list, but the compact size is beneficial, especially for younger golfers still practicing their strokes. Its size also helps with portability since there isn’t much to fold. The mat’s surface is pretty good, with a stimp of 10. The bottom of the mat has non-slip material to keep it in place.
There are alignment guides at 2 ft, 4 ft, 6 ft, and 8 ft, helping to hone putting accuracy and control. There’s also a gentle incline at the end, adding a little challenge to putting sessions. Behind the holes are “bunker” and “water” hazards—two holes resembling sand traps and water traps, respectively. These holes are interconnected to a ball return feature that works flawlessly. The bunker and water hazards are also very close to the playing hole, adding another element of challenge.
Overall, this green is a pretty compelling choice if you have kids or if you’re looking for something challenging.
Key Features
- Automatic Ball Return – for uninterrupted gameplay
- Alignment guides at 2 ft, 4 ft, 6 ft, and 8 ft – for perfecting alignment
● Automatic Ball Return works every time ● Positioning of water and bunker hazards encourage accurate putts ● Good portability due to compact size
● Not as long as other greens ● Looks busy
The Abco Tech Golf Putting Green Mat is a dual-purpose trainer with two different-colored lanes. One lane has a standard 4.25-inch hole at one end, while the other has a white stripe running across the mat’s length, with a smaller hole. This setup is ideal for practicing alignment, as well as for golfers with different skill levels.
This putting green comes in both 1.6 ft and 2.5ft-wide variants. However, this is still narrower than other options on the market, though ideal for tight areas.
The mat is made from PP synthetic turf putting to provide a more realistic feel. It also rolls well and prevents creasing that could make the surface uneven.
Also, there’s a ball return system to ensure continuous gameplay. If a little bit of challenge to practice your alignment skills is what you need, this is a worthy contender.
Key Features
- Dual lanes with different-sized holes – allows for different practice modes
- Ball return system – allows for uninterrupted gameplay
- PP synthetic turf putting – can be rolled tightly without damage
● Great for practicing alignment ● Versatile for different skill levels ● Durable
● Can be too narrow for some ● No distance markers
As the name implies, the VariSpeed Putting Green System allows speed variations. It comes with a custom roller that enables golfers to choose stimp speed by brushing it against the mat.
There are four stimp speeds available, ranging from 7.5-13—eliminating the need for different greens with different stimp rates. Also, visible shot traces allow seeing the ball’s path to give every golfer feedback.
The rectangular mat measures 10 feet by 20 inches, making it pretty portable. While there are no inclines, VariSpeed comes with a custom break wedge that slides under the mat. This feature allows experimentation of different surface breaks and slopes.
However, the playing hole is a cup sitting on top of the mat, as opposed to other putting greens with holes that allow the ball to drop in. Nevertheless, this is still a tremendous putting green for those who need to practice at different speeds.
Key Features
- Visible shot traces – shows ball path
- Adjustable speed – Allows different stimp speeds from 4 to 13.
- Custom break wedge – for mimicking breaks and slopes on surfaces.
● Versatility due to different speeds allowed ● Great portability ● Visible shot traces help with studying ball trajectory
● Playing cup protrudes on mat ● Lacks ball return system
The GoSports Pure Putt Golf 9′ Putting Green Ramp allows different difficulty levels on one mat, divided into two lanes. One lane has a standard-sized hole, while the other has a smaller hole and a white line as a visual aid for practicing alignment.
This putting green mat measures 9.8 ft long and 1 ft wide. Talking more about the mat’s length, it allows golfers to practice at different distances. Plus, the mat’s surface reinforces a smooth ball rolling due to its realistic feel and thick base.
Like other mats added to this list, the GoSports Pure Putt Golf 9′ Putting Green Ramp also has a ball return system that works exceptionally well to ensure uninterrupted gameplay.
Unfortunately, it comes with no distance markers for mid-range putts. However, this is still an impressive and compelling option for those who want a realistic green that still allows for precision practice.
Key Features
- Dual lanes with different-sized holes – allows for different practice modes
- Ball return system – allows for uninterrupted gameplay
● Great for practicing accuracy and precision ● Ball return system works flawlessly ● Durable
● Can be too narrow for some ● No distance markers
Here’s another one from Abco Tech, this time in a kidney-shaped form. It may seem similar to the Putt-A-Bout Grassroots putting green but flipped to the other side.
The indentation in shape is much shallower than other mats. But, difference-aside, it still reinforces a good challenge, especially for right-handers.
The mat is made from high-quality polypropylene material and anti-skid TPE foam to keep it from moving around. It’s slightly thicker on the playing holes’ side to simulate an incline.
Three practice holes are placed at different distances to allow a wide range of alignments. There are two other holes behind the practice holes that keep balls from rolling away.
Sadly, for a putting green that encourages practicing alignment, there are no alignment and distance markers. Still, this is a useful tool for practicing putting skills in different angles.
Key Features
- 3 practice holes – allow practice at different angles
- Trap holes – keeps ball from rolling away
- Kidney shape – encourages alignment practice
● Allows multiple angles ● Helps develop skill in alignment ● Durable
● No ball return feature ● No alignment and distance markers
Testing Protocol & Criteria Used For Evaluation
Criteria 1 – Training Aids
Training aids are a must-have in putting greens. That is because alignment lines and distance markers allow you to fine-tune your putting skills, at the same time, gauge your movements more accurately. It would also be great if the mat has an indicated stimp measurement to give you an idea of how much pressure to put on each stroke.
Criteria 2 – Material Quality
Understanding the importance of materials used in the putting green is simple: it affects the ball’s roll. The surface should mimic real greens to give you that “real feel,” whether for training or recreational.
Low-quality material often feels less grassy and more like a carpet. Meanwhile, high-quality mats come with thicker features to mimic the feeling of an actual course field.
It’s also important to note whether the material prevents creases and folds during storage. Also, anti-slip material on the underside is handy to keep the mat in place.
Criteria 3 – Portability
When it comes to portability, size is a significant factor. Oversized mats tend to be hard to roll because of the tendency to induce creases and folds to the surface.
Those with a ball return feature tend to be less portable since the mat must be folded to about the same size as the feature’s mechanism, making it harder to store. Hence, it’s advisable to have compact dimensions and less complicated features to increase portability.
Criteria 4 – Ease of Use
Mats with busy-looking or complicated markings can be distracting, intimidating, and inefficient to use. Plus, it makes putting less exciting.
Another factor is how fast setting up and packing up could take. For some mats, it’s just a matter of rolling and unrolling. For others, necessary attachments may be required.
The rollback function is a smart feature to have. After all, repeatedly walking back and forth to pick up balls, especially for those living in small and tight spaces, can be frustrating and counterproductive at the same time.
FAQs
- What characteristics to look for in an indoor putting green?
Look for an indoor putting mat with alignment lines and distance markings. Also, take that thicker putting surfaces tend to last longer. They also tend to avoid creases and folds during storage.
An indicated stimp number would be an excellent reference to determine how suitable it is as a training mat. Finally, a putting green with a ball return mechanism—while more expensive—is an appropriate investment for those who do not want to waste time picking up balls.
- What is the ideal mat size to go for?
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all mat since it depends on skill level. For novice golfers, a longer mat gives them the option to hit the ball at different distances to see how each length affects it. But for seasoned veterans, a smaller mat is more advisable to hone their skills further. Also, room space is a consideration. Choose the size that better fits your accommodations.
- How to maintain the mat’s good condition?
To keep the mat in optimal condition:
- Consider getting a turf rake to clean it.
- As much as possible, store the mat safely to control the build-up of dirt or debris that could damage it.
- Keep the mat as dry as possible since moisture can invite mold, causing quicker mat deterioration.
- What is a Stimp reading and how does it affect my mat?
A stimp reading tells how fast the greens are. Many professional golf tournaments, such as the PGA Tour events, have stimp readings ranging from 11 to 13, which is already considered very fast.
One may use a stimp meter to determine the stimp reading of a particular surface. Knowing the stimp reading is very handy to understand what surface you’re playing on. It gives the golfer reference when choosing the appropriate indoor putting green to emulate a specific golf course.