Walk into any golf shop or scroll through listings and you will find hitting mats described as synthetic turf, artificial grass, or various fiber blends. What very few listings tell you clearly is whether that turf is Nylon or polyethylene — and that distinction matters more than any other specification on the page.

What Is Nylon Turf?

Nylon is a synthetic polymer with a high melting point, strong UV resistance, and dimensional stability under sustained compression. In golf mat applications Nylon fibers maintain their shape under repeated ball contact, resist heat buildup from friction, and retain their color and structural integrity through multiple seasons of outdoor exposure.

All Turf Mats uses Nylon turf across every golf mat product line — Super Tee, Fairway, and First Cut. This is a manufacturing decision based on how the material performs under sustained impact and UV exposure.

What Is Polyethylene Turf?

Polyethylene — often called Poly or PE — is a softer, lower-cost synthetic fiber used widely in landscape turf and lower-price golf mat products. Poly has a lower melting point than Nylon, less UV resistance, and softer fibers that compress more readily under sustained impact.

In golf mat applications where a mat is hit hundreds of times per session and often left outdoors, Poly's material limitations show up quickly. Fiber surface degrades under friction heat, color fades under UV, and surface consistency deteriorates within a single season at high frequency.

Durability Comparison

Club Safety — Which Material Leaves Residue?

Poly golf mats can leave green or black streaks on club faces after practice sessions. Nylon golf mats do not. The mechanism: Poly has a lower melting point than Nylon. When a club strikes the mat at speed, friction generates heat at the contact point. On Poly mats this heat softens the surface fiber and causes material transfer to the club face. On Nylon mats the same friction heat is well below Nylon's threshold — no transfer occurs.

See the full guide at Do Golf Mats Damage Golf Clubs.

UV and Weather Resistance

Nylon is significantly more UV resistant than Poly. Under sustained outdoor sun exposure Poly fibers undergo photodegradation — UV radiation breaks down the polymer chains causing color fading, fiber brittleness, and eventual surface failure. A Poly mat left outdoors in most US climates will show visible color fading and fiber degradation within a single season. A Nylon mat under the same conditions maintains its color and surface integrity across multiple seasons.

For outdoor use guidance see Can You Leave a Golf Mat Outside.

The Verdict

Choose Nylon when you practice regularly, leave your mat outdoors, or care about club protection. The performance difference under sustained use is not marginal — it is categorical. For the full material breakdown see the Nylon vs Poly Golf Mats guide.