Big Moss - The Augusta

Hey there,

I wanted to share my findings for one of my most recent purchases. I did a lot of research and found it difficult to really get answers to my questions.

I was in the market for a putting surface or aid for my house. I realized very quickly that it had to be something that I could store kind of quickly since I will be using it in my garage (I have two cars I need to park in there). So this requirement instantly took a decent amount of options off the table for me, I don't feel like I'm alone with this storing requirement. Requiring my golf aids to be portable and storable is a must.

So I started my search a few months ago, looking at other foam mats, carpets, Skillz products (competitors as well), Eyeline, etc. I was definitely price conscious so anything too far over a few hundred dollars was taken out of the running. I was willing to pay for quality within reason, meaning I'd pay $500-$600 if the benefits were worth it but my target budget was $200-$300. I've found out that you pay for what you get, if you pay $50-$100 you will get that level of craftsmanship and materials. That might work for some folks or work but only for a few months worth of storage before it gets warped, but that wasn't what I was after.

After countless hours on YouTube and reading articles or forum posts, I found Big Moss was looking like my best bet. Birdie Ball and Big Moss were really the two I was looking at (I'm sure most of you reading this found something very similar). Birdie Ball was more for a budget and Big Moss was more money but a lot of reviews on quality and longevity. I decided to give Big Moss my business after I talked to Tony (Owner of Big Moss) for a good 45 minutes. The way he conducted himself on this call was what sold me. He was very personal and wanted to hear my story to help me find the right putting surface. He made the deal work for me financially and even threw in a few extra's to my order. It's the little things that count for me and their customer service is outstanding.

It's been a few months now and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I store the mat in the box it was delivered in by rolling up the mat (there are instructions on how they suggest you roll the mat) and it's been a non issue even after being stored for almost two weeks. The ends of the mat take a little bit of time to flatten out but you typically aren't putting on the ends so it's trivial. Vacuuming the mat is perfect for cleaning it, getting the dust bunnies and random collection of dirt off the surface.

The material the mat is composed of is quality and durable. I've been chipping 10-15 feet onto this mat and impressed with the ball interaction with the mat. Since it's on the garage floor it's harder than any green I'd play on but I can make the ball check up and works well for landing spot practice. Those little chips from the fridge have gotten better for me because practicing with this mat has given me the confidence to chip those instead of putting. Short game chipping and putting have really risen to the next level because of this purchase.

The area of the cups are raised a little bit and I've heard complaints about it being too high or too much but it's perfect. You'll never leave a putt short with this incline. Forces you to hit the putt just a little harder and on a normal green if you miss read or miss your target you'll be 8"-15" past the cup (this mat has given me the confidence in 6' putts are a gimmie) so a foot or so past the cup is ideal. I think most of these complaints come from the speed of the mat, if you put the mat on a hard surface such as a garage floor or hard wood, the mat runs at close to an 11 give or take. I don't think most golfers are used to an 11 or higher (when you vacuum you can vacuum with the grain or against the grain to help a little bit with speed) so when they go out to their local track that runs at a 9 or so they are leaving everything short. In my opinion, learning to putt on a fast green translates easier to a slower green than being used to putting on slow greens and have to play a faster green. Strictly my opinion though :)

The cup reducers are awesome. Once you get used to putting with those in you will feel like this on the course:

The break snakes work well as well or you can use the natural "evenness" of your flooring. If your house is like mine, my floors are far from level, there are more areas that aren't level than are. So by moving the mat or using the break snakes you can create almost any type of break you need to practice. Those dreaded left to right putts a lot of right handed players hate? No problem. The putts that break within a foot after hitting the ball? Easy. Double breaker? Done. I'd say the only putts you can't recreate easily is a downhill putt without some sort of additional influence (a sub floor you can manipulate, etc).

The only thing that I wish it had BUT I don't know how they would accomplish this either without increasing the cost of mat or changing the functionality, is some sort of ball return. However, I make the argument in my head that it's much more realistic like being on the putting green. You putt the ball or handful then you go get them and putt to a different hole. I think this is more me being lazy and used to my old Skillz Accelerator mat I used for a long time than a flaw in the mat. It's probably better for me anyways because it forces me to reset and go through my routine before each putt, which is what we need to become a better putter. With the ball return from the Skillz mat I would sit in the same position and let the ball come back to me which did nothing for my routine, it was good for the stroke but I never felt it translated that well to the golf course.

Over these last two months, I've found that I'm able to recall confidence I've built up from some of my putting session in the garage directly to the golf course. I'm a firm believer in visualizing your shot and memory recall from a successful similar shot you've had in the past. This putting aid has allowed me to do just that. I used to hate left to right putts but now it's not even taken into consideration when I'm assessing the putt in front of me. This topic has been a huge concern of mine when looking into training aids to use in the house. How well does your training or practice translate to the golf course? Practice how you play and play how you practice, right? With Big Moss putting mats, it translates perfectly. Buy with confidence and don't hesitate to give Tony a call.

Happy to expand on anything in particular if you have questions.

Thanks and happy putting!

Videos:

Putting from the ground perspective:

Putting from shoulder height:

How to roll up and store the mat:

Nice review. I've been looking at getting an indoor putting green as well and they are one of the companies I've looked at.

How about some pics?

Pics!!!

Nice review. I've been looking at getting an indoor putting green as well and they are one of the companies I've looked at.

How about some pics?

Pics!!!

Absolutely. I'll take some today when I'm using it :)

I have a 10' Big Moss in my office. I bought it about a year ago and have been very happy with it. Big Moss is made with super quality and is a great product. It is not fragile at all. I have left the inserts in so I am putting at a half size hole. It really dials in your putting.

Just got one myself. I got mine off of Craigs List for $150. 12ft by 4ft. It had some bad wrinkles in it from probably storing it wrong, but I steamed them out and now its solid. I've been practicing on it every night since I got it. It's amazing how much your game can improve just from chipping every day.

Nice review. I've been looking at getting an indoor putting green as well and they are one of the companies I've looked at.

How about some pics?

 

Pics!!!

 

Absolutely. I'll take some today when I'm using it :)

Few videos and pics added! Happy to show more.

I have a 10' Big Moss in my office. I bought it about a year ago and have been very happy with it. Big Moss is made with super quality and is a great product. It is not fragile at all. I have left the inserts in so I am putting at a half size hole. It really dials in your putting.

I agree, the cup reducers make a huge difference on the course. After reading your post I forgot to comment on that! Thanks for the feedback.

Just got one myself. I got mine off of Craigs List for $150. 12ft by 4ft. It had some bad wrinkles in it from probably storing it wrong, but I steamed them out and now its solid. I've been practicing on it every night since I got it. It's amazing how much your game can improve just from chipping every day.

I didn't even think about steaming it, I left mine on the deck or driveway in the sun anytime I've had an imperfection.

Thank you for posting the video of the storage! happy to hear its well designed to be packed and unpacked

Going to find room for a Big Moss green in my condo

Just purchased the same myself!

I have both putting greens, a Big Moss 3x9' green, and a BirdieBall 4x14' green. Personally I like them both, I won't say equally, because each have their pros and cons to them. One green serves one purpose and the other serves another purpose. What influences liking one over the other has to do with the size of the green and the price of each of the greens. Sure the birdieball doesn't seem to have the quality the big moss has but you won't find a home putting green with a much better bang for the buck. Imagine what you would have to pay to buy a 4x14' big moss putting green. Regardless, I have both putting greens and like each one of them for what they offer. One note I have in reference to the big moss is my apprehension I had for the slight uphill it has on the cup end. I find this characteristic insignificant as a possible negative of that green. In the winter time I enjoy putting on both of them and working on my mechanics. I take a lot of pride in my putting, especially lagging skills, and both of these greens do the job for me.