Storing golf nets and mats between sessions and over winter

Make storage part of your kit choice, with a repeatable inspection, drying and packing routine.

By the Garden Golf Kit team

Plan where the kit will go before buying it. Packed dimensions, component weight and the space needed for drying can decide whether a portable net is practical in your home. Follow the specific maker's care instructions: outdoor suitability does not mean every component should be left outside indefinitely.

Use the same pack-away routine

1. Stop play and collect the balls before anyone starts dismantling.
2. Inspect the catching surface, joints and fixings while they are visible.
3. Clean and dry components as the maker directs.
4. Pack parts in the specified order, without forcing frames or poles.
5. Keep the instructions and small fixings with the kit.

If something needs replacing, label it before storage. That avoids bringing a damaged net back out months later and forgetting why it was put away.

Do not give every mat the same treatment

Fiberbuilt's care page gives different off-season storage guidance for practice facilities, distinguishing hitting panels from stance mats. It warns against stacking its hitting panels horizontally on one another because of the effect on the fibres. Use the guidance for your exact product rather than treating this as a rule for all artificial turf.

Keep a mat's storage shape in mind when choosing a location. Do not assume that a thick platform can be rolled like a putting mat, or that a roll-up surface can carry heavy objects on top.

Restart carefully

Before the first session after storage, assemble the kit from the instructions and inspect it again. Check that all fixings are present, the ground is suitable and the layout has not changed. Garden furniture, growing branches and newly stored equipment can turn last season's arrangement into a different space.

If the routine feels too involved for frequent use, reconsider the setup. A dedicated putting mat or a simpler practice session may be a better match for a shared home than equipment that rarely leaves its bag.