Yes, golf pros regularly hit off mats — during tournament practice facilities, simulator sessions, and off-season training when grass tee lines are closed or worn down.
Tour players don't avoid mats on principle; they choose them selectively based on surface quality. A mat with a 5mm foam base and 100% nylon turf fiber that accepts real wooden tees delivers impact feedback close enough to a fairway that professionals use them for high-volume swing work without the wrist and elbow stress that hard rubber range mats cause. The tradeoff pros acknowledge: mats can mask fat contact by letting the club skip through rather than dig, which affects divot feedback.
- Tour practice facilities typically offer both grass and mat hitting stations — pros choose based on availability and session goal.
- A 5mm foam-backed golf mat absorbs impact across extended sessions, reducing joint stress compared to hard rubber mat surfaces.
- Mats that accept real wooden tees — not rubber inserts only — are standard at professional-level practice facilities.
- Fat shots off low-quality mats can slide through rather than dig, masking swing errors that a grass divot would reveal.
- All-nylon golf mat turf fiber resists compression and UV degradation better than polyethylene fiber under daily high-volume use.