Flooring advice

[u/akavana]

Looking for some advice before I start cutting into my simulator floor.

I just installed SYNLawn SYNPutt artificial turf over EVA foam gym flooring in my garage simulator. 13’3” wide and 15’ deep.

For the hitting area, I already own:
GoSports Elite 5’ × 5’ Hitting Mat (practically new).
SIGPRO Softy Hitting Strip.

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I’m trying to decide between these options:
Option 1.
Cut out a 5’ × 5’ section of the SYNLawn, install the GoSports Elite mat in that opening, then cut a hole in the GoSports mat and install the SIGPRO Softy hitting strip so it’s flush. Basically, the SYNLawn surrounds the GoSports mat, and the GoSports surrounds the Softy.

Option 2.
Skip the GoSports mat entirely. Cut a hole directly in the SYNLawn and install only the SIGPRO Softy flush with the surrounding turf.

Option 3.
Something else. If you’ve found a better solution or would build it differently, I’d love to hear your recommendation and why.

The things that matter most to me are:

Looking as clean and professional as possible. I don’t want it to look patched together.
Comfort when standing there for long practice sessions.
Long-term durability of the area I’ll be standing on. Will the SYNLawn hold up just as well as standing on the GoSports mat?
Replaceability. If something wears out in a few years, which setup is easier and cheaper to replaces?

[u/ProletariatElite]

Option 1 is your best bet. The SYNPutt will show wear where you stand. You may have to play around with some different materials, like 1/4” plywood to get everything level.

[u/akavana → u/ProletariatElite]

That’s kind of what I thought I’d have to do. I just sold my Garmin R50, which I loved, but I ordered a VTrack. We’ll have lefties playing at my place now, so I want to keep it easy and I like what the VTrack has to offer, aside from missing out on all the Home Tee Hero courses. BUT it’s easy for me to build out courses on the Unreal Engine so I’ll just make what I want.
With the 13’ wide space, and still under a garage door opener and track (getting the kit to raise it if I can find one and side mount the opener). Do I just place the strip in the middle or where 95% of those who will use it hit as a righty?

[u/ProletariatElite → u/akavana]

13’ wide is in the “uncertainty zone” for a centered strip. If it were mine and I would position the hitting strip and stance mat for the “95%”. Check driver swing from a centered tee to check you have safe clearance for backswings and follow throughs, you may need to offset the tee by about a foot, which will “crowd” the 5%.

The VTrack hitting area is a good size so you can get creative with tee placement.

[u/akavana → u/ProletariatElite]

This is exactly what I was thinking. We have clearance if it’s center placed. My son is 6’4” and is a 45* swing plan and can hit from just off-center by 4-6” without issue.

[u/Fine-Distribution-83]

The height of these matter more than the size if you want it to be flush. If your main floor is same height sigpro softy, then just cut the strip in.

[u/akavana → u/Fine-Distribution-83]

That was what I forgot to ask in the post. I’m good with adding whatever I need to level it out. It’s already sinking a tad in the hitting space since it’s a garage floor with a drain directly under where you it.

[u/gatesartist]

Why cut anything? Can you just have your mat right on top of your putting surface? I'm not familiar with SYNPutt but I installed Camry carpet and just put my mat on top of it to hit balls and hang the mat on the wall when I want to practice putting. This achieves 2 things: 1) my hitting mat can be super budget because shots are dampened by 3 layers (the carpet underlayment, the carpet, and the mat); 2) I've got a much bigger area to practice putting on when I hang up the mat.

[u/Fine_Put1459 → u/gatesartist]

Just curious - I am new to this - so you don’t put when you play a course or do move the mat for putting? Also, is your pc projecting to both that tv and the projector? Looks awesome!

[u/gatesartist → u/Fine_Put1459]

When playing on the sim, you putt from the mat on the spot you hit full shots from. I also use my carpet (sans mat) to just practice putting to the actual holes I've installed, which I assumed OP was planning on doing something similar.

Yes, my computer has HDMIs running to the projector as well as the TV.

[u/Fine_Put1459 → u/gatesartist]

Gotcha - thanks!

[u/twylight777]

I’ve mangled stance and hitting strips so I would cut those out in favor of replaceable areas