A great indoor putting mat can keep your skills sharp and even enhance your putting ability when you can’t get to the golf course. A great putting matt should roll true, give you great feedback and provide you with fun ways to practice. In this article, we cover the best putting mats currently available.
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The best putting mats in 2023 are:
- PuttOut putting mat
- WellPutt Volvik high speed (18-feet)
- WellPutt putting green (10 & 13-feet)
- Upstreet putting green
- Putt-A-Bout Golf mat (11-feet)
- Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three (9-feet)
- Abco Tech Indoor Golf Putting Green (10-feet)
#1 PuttOut putting mat
In first place is the PuttOut Pro putting mat. The PuttOut mat is just over 8-feet long and with the additional PuttOut pressure trainer provides a great structure to practice putting at home.
Key features:
- True surface with great roll
- Great alignment aids to help your technique
- Super easy to roll out and back up without creasing
Creating a great mat that runs true is surprisingly difficult. After many months of using this product I’m happy to report the Puttout green rolls as good as any indoor putting green I have used. Along with the great putting surface, the simple alignment markings allow you to confidently line up your feet and putter face to your target.
The PuttOut mat rolls up into a nice carry bag and can be rolled out with minimal effort or flattening required. From time to time you will see a slight deviation in your putts, but this can be quickly resolved with a quick brush or vacuum.
Read our full Puttout mat review here
For purposeful practice, ease of use and price the PuttOut mat wins top spot in this review of the best indoor putting greens.
#2 WellPutt Mat Volvik High Speed (18-feet/5.5m)
One limitation with many indoor putting mats is their length. This isn’t an issue when you first get into golf, but as you improve you’ll find practicing 10 – 15 foot putts good for developing your putting ability and confidence.
The WellPutt Volvik is your answer if you have space for an 18-feet (5.5 meter) putting green in your house/office.
Key features:
- Putt up to 18-feet away
- True surface with great roll
- Great alignment aids to help your technique
- Extra putting accessories
Just like the PuttOut Pro, this putting mat has great visuals allowing you to perfect your alignment and get great feedback on the start direction of your putts.
The surface runs just as true at the PuttOut Pro and at a quicker speed. You can use the visuals on the mat to see if your putts would roll straight into the middle of the hole, or place a target on the mat for even clearer feedback.
Why is this second and not first? For most golfers the additional length won’t be worth the additional cost, but if you’re a serious golfer this is a great choice.
#3 WellPutt Putting Green (10 & 13-feet)
If you want a small, high-quality putting green that comes with over 50 drills look no further. The WellPutt 10 and 13-feet greens are the original version of the WellPutt Volvik.
They both run at 10 – 11.5 on the stimp meter which resembles PGA Tour speed greens – yep they are is quick. As with all WellPutt putting greens the quality of the mat provides a great roll. This is combined with some great visuals to practice your accuracy and to gain feedback on your pace control.
Another great benefit is the 50+ training exercises included with the putting green.
If you are looking for a brilliant indoor putting green with a great roll and a quick speed then this is worth checking out. Both the 10-feet and 13-feet mats are a little pricier than the PuttOut Pro, but will provide years of great use.
#4 Upstreet Putting Green
In fourth place we have something a little different. The first three putting greens are great products, but do lack a proper golf hole. Personally I don’t find this an issue when practicing my putting at home, but if you are looking for a quick and effective solution consider the Upstreet putting mat.
This is essentially two square ramps with a hole cut out – despite their simplicity these work quite well. If you already have a good piece of carpet available in your house or office these can help you create an indoor putting green.
With the holes being shallower than a normal hole you will find the Upstreet putting holes a little more challenging than regular holes. Also the foam ridges cause the ball to bounce more than a traditional golf hole. But I view a little extra challenge as a good attribute when practicing your putting.
Overall, this simple putting tool can give you an indoor putting green, at very little cost. Not for serious golfers, but good for a little fun or occasional use.
#5 Putt-A-Bout Golf (11-feet)
In firth place we have the Putt-A-Bout indoor golf green. This is slightly lower in cost compared to other putting mats, but the Putt-A-Bout gives you a whole lot of putting mat for your money. At 3 x 11 feet, and including two moveable plastic cups, you have options to create many different putting drills.
In my personal opinion, the putting surface doesn’t quite match up to the Puttout or WellPutt greens for trueness, but it still provides a good experience for the price.
If you want a putting green you can also stand on and/or a low-cost, large indoor putting mat then this is worth considering. If a true roll and longevity are important to you I would push you towards spending a little more on the PuttOut or WellPutt options above.
# 6 Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three (9-feet)
Next, we have another Putt-A-Bout golf green. This par three version offers a 9-foot by 3-foot putting surface with three putting holes at a great price.
The putting surface is lower quality than the WellPutt and PuttOut mats and after inspecting some customers reviews some users have reported the product arriving with crinkles that need flattening out. Nonetheless, this indoor putting green still provides a good surface with three realistic holes at a much lower price than others in this review.
The holes at the end of the mat are on a raised base, which when taken at a slight angle allow you to practice breaking putts. However, as the ball rolls up the slope it can be knocked off line as it reaches the raised foam base.
Overall the Putt-A-Bout golf indoor golf green is a good option for golfers looking for a good sized indoor putting green with holes. However, in return for the lower price you will lose a little quality and trueness.
# 7 Abco Tech Indoor Golf Putting Green (10-feet)
The Abco indoor putting green provides a good option for golfers looking for a 10-foot indoor putting mat with a ball return feature. The putting mat comes with a standard sized hole and a smaller hole with an alignment strip.
Both of these holes roll onto a returning rail that feed golf balls back towards you. The concept is excellent, but sadly the mat surface and raised, plastic housing are not of the highest quality. This results in putts that tend to wobble and deviate as they reach your target.
In summary, this is fine if you are looking for a bit of fun, but if you are looking to hone your putting technique I would advise splashing a little extra cash on one of the other options listed above.
Buying guide for the best indoor putting green
The best indoor golf putting green will depend on your budget and needs. Below is a quick summary of the key points to consider when buying.
Size
The putting greens in this review vary from 8 to 18 feet. The larger practice greens do come at an extra cost. If you want to work on your fundamental stroke mechanics an 8 – 10 feet green will work well.
A larger putting green (+13-feet) will also allow you to practice from distance and further refine your accuracy and distance control from this range.
Trueness
The most important feature of a golf putting green is how true your putts roll. This is something that is highly correlated with cost. A lot of design and high-spec materials are required to create a true practice putting surface that will stand the test if time.
My advice is to spend a little extra and grab one which will provide many years of great putting practice.
Material & durability
Associated with the point above, it is handy to consider how long these mats will last. I’ve stuck with the PuttOut mat for the past 2ish years and it is as good now as the day I first rolled it out.
I haven’t tested the other mats to the same extent, but I have chatted to fellow golf pros who happily attest to WellPutt’s mats being just as durable.
Green speed
Putting mats do vary in speed, the WellPutt mats in this review were the quickest in testing. The WellPutt is a little slower, but still provides a good pace.
I feel the top three choices will serve you well if you are a new, seasoned or experienced golfer. See the FAQ section below if you wish to know how to speed up or slow down a putting green.
Portability
Indoor golf mats can stay in one place, but it is hand to roll the, up and tuck them away. The top four products in this review offer great portability. The PuttOut and WellPutt greens can be rolled up in a matter of seconds and are ready to putt again as soon as they are rolled out.
Extra kudos to the PuttOut which comes with a string carry bag.
Training aids
A putting mat can double up as a training aid that gives you feedback on your alignment and stroke mechanics. The top three picks in this review will give you great feedback to work on your putting setup and stroke.
Ball return
Yes – sorry not too many of the options have a ball return mechanism. These tend to come with lower quality golf practice mats.
FAQ When buying an indoor putting green
What is the most realistic putting mat?
The most realistic putting mat is slightly dependent on our courses putting green. However, the Perfect Practice Putting green has the truest roll and offers a real golf hole to putt into. The next truest putting surface is found on the PuttOut range of putting greens.
What putting mat do pros use?
Golf pros are often constrained by the equipment they used due to contracts with manufacturers. At the time of writing, Dustin Johnson is affiliated with the Perfect Practice putting mat. From being at professional events it is clear many pros use PuttOut equipment too.
Most pros will not carry a putting mat with them to tournaments. They will always use the putting green at the course. At home, they are also likely to have an outdoor or indoor putting green, rather than a putting mat.
Is a putting mat worth it?
A putting mat is a great investment if you want to improve your putting. When used correctly it can keep your alignment and putting mechanics in check and allow you to build confidence in your putting stroke.
How do you get the perfect putt mat flat?
Once unrolled, a putting green will begin to flatten. If the corners still fold in leave a few heavy books on the problem areas. Perfect Practice golf suggests you should iron its mat to get it flat. Make sure you do this on a low heat or place a tea towel between the iron and mat. Otherwise, you may melt your mat and own a green iron (I can attest to this, as I took product testing slightly too far).
Why is there such a difference in price between putting greens?
The two key factors that separate low cost from higher price putting mats is 1) build quality and 2) the precision of the putting surface. It is surprisingly difficult to build a putting mat that runs straight and true.
Within this review I’ve tried to be as clear as possible with what you will get for your money. You can buy a cheaper indoor putting green, but a good one will last you many, many years and is worth the investment.
How can I make my putting green quicker or slower?
Each putting matt will have its own pace, due to the base material and synthetic putting green material. This being said, it is possible to alter the speed of most putting mats.
Place the putting green on a thicker carpet to slow down the speed and place on a harder surface (such as a wooden floor) to speed up your putting green. Or you can brush or vacuum the synthetic putting surface away from you to speed it up, or towards you to slow it down.
How do I look after my new putting mat?
A good quality putting green will take a lot of wear and tear. It is handy to keep them rolled up or out of the way when not in use.
From time to time the fibres may fold in a way that adds break to your putts. If this happens simply vacuum or brush the mat in line with the direction you are putting and the break will disappear.
Can I use these with putting training aids?
Yes, combining these practice greens with a training aid can really add value to your putting practice. They work particularly well with training aids that give you feedback on your swing path and club face. For more, check out this review of the best putting aids.
Best indoor putting green – Summary
There we have our roundup of the best indoor putting mats currently on the market, you may also want to check out our Perfect Putting Mat review.
If there are any putting mats that you want to see reviewed but are not featured on this list, leave a comment below. We’ll get hold of one and add it to the list.
Happy golfing – Will @ Golf Insider UK
