I play golf. Yes, I know it is a very indulgent and water-wasteful sport. Actually it pollutes a lot too by way of fertilizers and emissions, which can easily be deduced my the mere cost of playing a round of golf or even hitting golf balls at a driving range. It’s getting better… I hope.
Anywho, I like to practice my chipping in the backyard by trying to land shots in a bucket. The activity was ruining significant swath of grass. That’s not the best thing to do to one’s unnaturally green lawn here in the desert (I rent. If I owned, I would zero-scape). Plus, I was not able to chip or pitch off of clean or even tight lies. For the last couple of weeks, I had been scouring the occasional thrift store and Craiglist for a piece of synthetic turf that I could set on the ground and move around the yard or driveway. No luck.
Then, the other day, I looked down and there it was, my wife’s fancy Chilewich outdoor welcoming mat. It was perfect… moveable, durable and provided a nice neat/tight lie. Bingo! It’s held up after a week of practice (5-10 min a day) from 5 to 30 yards. I don’t take much for divots on the longer pitches, so it should last. If it does start to see some wear, I’ll blame it on the bitch (our dog).
For you, I doubt one would need an over-priced floor mat ($45) to get the same result. I’m guessing you could find a good synthetic floor mat at Walmart for a few bucks or used one at a garage sale for $1.