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Hitting mats, turf & flooring
Do I need a ball tray, and what comes with the mat?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 2 min read
The short answer
You don't need one, but it saves bending between shots. Our ball tray is a paid add-on: no mat or package includes one. In the box, SimSpace's Tee Turf mat comes with plastic tees, and the Standard, Transition and Teaching mats with rubber and plastic tees. Balls never come with a mat.
Do you need a ball tray?
No, but it's a small thing that makes long sessions easier. A ball tray is a rubber trough that sits along the edge of the mat and holds a supply of balls, so you pull the next one onto the hitting spot with the club instead of bending down. If a term is new, the glossary explains it.
The FORB rubber ball tray we sell is 120 × 30 × 10cm and weighs 5kg. It's heavy-duty rubber with grooves and an opening that roll a ball out onto the mat, and it fits a wide range of mats. Balls and the mat aren't included with it.
It's a paid add-on. No mat, base or room package we sell includes a ball tray, and you choose it as an extra if you want it.
When a tray is worth it
If you hit a bucket of balls in a session, a tray saves bending for each one and keeps the balls in one place, rather than rolling round the bay where they can end up in front of the launch monitor. If you mostly play rounds on the simulator, hitting one ball every minute or two, you can manage without one and keep a few balls in your pocket.
Where the tray goes
- Put it along the edge of the mat on the side you stand, where you can reach a ball with the club without stepping off.
- Keep it out of the launch monitor's view. Camera units such as the Garmin R50 sit beside the ball, about 0.5m to the side of the tee, so keep the tray on the other side or well clear.
- With a radar behind the ball, such as the Mevo Gen2, keep the space between the unit and the ball clear, as FlightScope's manual asks.
- Keep it out of your swing path. At 120cm it's shorter than a 1.5m mat, so it can sit back from the hitting spot.
What comes with each mat
This is what the makers list in the box. Tees are the only extra any of them include.
- SimSpace Tee Turf, 1.5 × 1.5m: the mat and plastic tees. It takes real wooden tees anywhere in the turf.
- SimSpace Standard, 1.5 × 1.5m: the mat with six tee holes, and rubber and plastic tees.
- SimSpace Transition switchable, 1.5 × 1.2m: the mat with a standard turf insert and a tee turf insert, and rubber and plastic tees. SimSpace also lists rough and bunker inserts, which we don't sell.
- SimSpace Teaching, 1.5 × 1.5m: the mat with four tee holes, and rubber and plastic tees.
- GolfBays mats: GolfBays doesn't publish a box list.
What comes with the bases and underlay
- The FORB rubber bases come as a single base; the mat is sold separately.
- The GolfBays turf underlay is five 1 × 1m tiles with removable straight edges for the border.
- The GolfBays rubber base is the base on its own.
What comes with our room packages
Each SimSpace room package includes the enclosure, the launch monitor, a SimSpace Tee Turf mat, a rubber base, and the BenQ AH500ST projector with its floor case. What do you actually need for a home golf simulator? lists the rest. Not in the box:
- A ball tray, which is an add-on.
- Balls. Use new, clean ones; scuffed balls wear a screen faster.
- Spare tees beyond the ones that come with the mat.
- An HDMI cable, which is an add-on.
- Side netting, an add-on for every bay except SIM 0, which comes with its own.
Tees and inserts over time
Tees go missing and rubber tees wear, so it's worth having spares. On Tee Turf any standard wooden tee works. On the hole mats, use rubber tees that fit the holes. On the Transition mat, the hitting insert is the part that wears; you replace that rather than the whole mat.
What's in the box
| Item | In the box | Not in the box | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORB rubber ball tray | The tray (120 × 30 × 10cm, 5kg) | Balls, mat | £29.99 |
| SimSpace Tee Turf mat | Mat, plastic tees | Ball tray, balls | £289.99 |
| SimSpace Standard mat | Mat, rubber and plastic tees | Ball tray, balls | £199.99 |
| SimSpace Transition switchable mat | Mat, standard turf and tee turf inserts, rubber and plastic tees | Rough and bunker inserts, ball tray, balls | £179.99 |
| SimSpace Teaching mat | Mat, rubber and plastic tees | Ball tray, balls | £239.99 |
| FORB rubber base | One base | The mat | £149.99 |
| GolfBays turf underlay | Five 1 × 1m tiles with straight edges | Nothing else needed | £85 |
| SimSpace room package | Enclosure, launch monitor, Tee Turf mat, rubber base, BenQ AH500ST with floor case | Ball tray, balls, HDMI cable, side netting (except SIM 0) | On each package page |
The ball tray is a paid add-on and isn't included with any mat, base or package.
Best practice
- Keep the tray out of the monitor's viewCamera units sit beside the ball. Put the tray on the other side or well clear of the hitting zone.
- Order spare teesTees go missing and rubber tees wear. Keep spares that fit your mat: wooden for Tee Turf, rubber for hole mats.
- Use clean ballsNo mat or package includes balls. New, clean balls are kinder to the screen than scuffed ones.
- Read the box listCheck the box list on the product page before you order, so the extras you need arrive together.
Gotchas to avoid
- Assuming a tray comes with the matIt doesn't. The ball tray is a paid add-on on every mat, base and package we sell.
- Wooden tees in a hole matThe Standard, Transition and Teaching mats are made for rubber tees in their holes.
- A tray between radar and ballA radar behind the ball needs a clear line to it. Keep the tray to the side.
- Forgetting the HDMI cableOur SimSpace packages don't include one. Add it with the order.
Our recommendation
A ball tray is a nice extra, not a need. Add one if you hit long sessions, and keep it clear of the launch monitor.
- If you hit 100 balls or more a session
- Add the FORB rubber ball tray to save bending.
- If your launch monitor sits beside the ball
- Put the tray on the other side of the mat.
- If you use Tee Turf
- Keep a pack of ordinary wooden tees as spares.
- If you have the Transition mat
- Replace the worn insert, not the whole mat.
For your room we'd pick…
If you want a ball trayFORB Rubber Golf Ball Tray & Holder120 × 30 × 10cm heavy-duty rubber, grooved to roll balls onto the mat; a paid add-on.£29.99
The mat in our packagesSimSpace Tee Turf Mat 1.5 x 1.5 mComes with plastic tees and takes real wooden tees anywhere.£289.99
If you want spare-part wearSimSpace Standard Transition Switchable Mat 1.5 x 1.2mComes with standard and tee turf inserts plus rubber and plastic tees.£179.99
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Questions people ask
Does a ball tray come with the mat or package?
No. The ball tray is a paid add-on. No mat, base or room package we sell includes one.
Which tees come with the SimSpace mats?
The Tee Turf mat comes with plastic tees and takes real wooden tees. The Standard, Transition and Teaching mats come with rubber and plastic tees for their pre-cut holes.
Are golf balls included?
No mat or package includes balls. Use new, clean ones; scuffed balls wear an impact screen faster.
Where should the ball tray go?
Along the edge of the mat where you can reach a ball with the club, out of your swing and out of the launch monitor's view. If a camera unit sits beside the ball, put the tray on the other side.
What inserts come with the Transition mat?
A standard turf insert and a tee turf insert. SimSpace also lists rough and bunker inserts, which we don't sell.
Still unsure? Ask SIM:ON about this page. It knows our full range and live prices, and can pass your room to Tom.
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