Tee Pad Surfaces - Yay or Nay? (The Teebox Co.)

[ThrowBot]

On pretty much any of those materials, how good they are is in how well they're installed. I've seen good and crappy versions of all of them. Haven't played enough turf or fatigue mats yet to really tell.

I'd almost have to go with concrete if for anything, its predictable, because its so common. That doesn't mean that there isn't a better alternative.

Nailed it. I voted for almost the entire list.

I actually dislike concrete pads at some courses with really rugged terrain. If I have to wear grippy hiking boots, then concrete can be too much traction--gets rough on the ankles and knees. It's not a deal breaker, just not my favorite.

 

[VictorB]

Concrete - as that's the best compromise of grip, durability, and cost effectiveness.

I have never thrown on turf teepads, but I think I'd probably like it. Like driving on grass but without the mud and stuff. Maybe even more grip when wet. In the midwest though, it would be interesting to see the long term effects of turf teepads from seasonal cycles.

 

[chevis]

voted concrete, but never used the turf.
there is a course with rubber here & it's bad when wet.

 

[Puckstopper]

Concrete or nothing in my world. Concrete is consistent from round to round and year to year. I've literally never played a course more than once unless it had concrete pads.

 

[hellbound]

Concrete- astroturf is too slick when it gets wet and ground down.

I would love to see natural take over but many over used tee pads have gotten me away from that one.

 

[Snaques]

This is really interesting discussion and especially looking at the results. It seems like concrete is the favorite one, but that has to be mostly due to US heavy population on DGCR.

In Scandinavia it's all about the turf. Actually, if there are concrete pads on a course it will almost immediately lose one star in the reviews and feel quite outdated.

Maybe the most interesting thing here is that the justification for both pad types seems to be the same. Consistent grip in all weather conditions.

To me, the concrete feels very slick when wet and even more so once all the mud from the shoes starts to accumulate on the pad. Turf will be pretty ok until it becomes flooded by mud. Another big pro for the turf tees is that it is closer to most natural environments, so when you choose your shoes for the environment they will also work on the turf. Try driving of the concrete tee with cleats on and you'll know what I mean.

 

[Star Shark]

There is another factor to this one as well. Concrete pads are very low maintenance. If your local parks dept has no interest in maintaining a turf tee, concrete will last ages and not really change much.

 

[joecoin]

... Rubber mats, like the horse stall mats sold by Tractor Supply Co. (and others, I'm sure) should make for very usable and durable tees. They are constructed so as to not have the slickness so often associated with wet rubber pads. And they're heavy and bulky enough (100 pounds each at 4' x 6') that they're not going to be easily stolen by vandals, but can be altered or moved by a team of course workers, without the need for heavy machinery. And if you latch two of them together, you get a good 12' x 4' pad at a cost of just under $100.00. A third one could be cut into halves and attached to make 12' x 6' tees that are still less expensive than smaller concrete pads.

I'm going to get one of these for my home course in the spring. Will post back on how well it works,

 

[DavidSauls]

There is another factor to this one as well. Concrete pads are very low maintenance. If your local parks dept has no interest in maintaining a turf tee, concrete will last ages and not really change much.

And the correlation that if not maintained, everything else gets worse, quicker.

It's one thing to compare a new, well-done tees in concrete and rubber mats. It's another to compare those tees when they're 5 or 10 years old.

 

[TheTeeboxCo._Levi B.]

For the concrete lovers

Here's something for you concrete lovers out there.

It's a concrete alternative surface material originally developed for US Navy and Airforce. Super nice stuff! Provides traction without being too grippy. Adjusted coefficient of friction allowing for more rotation that traditional anti-skid materials but allows water to flow right off the pad.

 

[da Crippler]

As a stand-still thrower, all I really need is a flat place to stand that isn't too slick, so almost any surface is good for me. I guess I would prefer concrete for the durability, but my main concern with any tee pad is how it performs in snow and rain and how well it drains.

 

[Trippysand]

Some of our parks in Mobile, Al will not allow us to put down permanent pads. I voted rubber and artificial pads. They would be easy set up temp pads for some our tournaments. Keep up the great work TeeBox!!!

 

[jdawg24]

Perkerson's teepads are pour-in-place rubber made from shredded recycled tires cured with a polymer. The functionality is fantastic -- they are grippy in all conditions, naturally drain out mud and dirt, and feel much better than concrete on your joints. The downsides are cost, durability and maintenance. They are a pain to maintain - dirt and leaves clog the drainage, so they need to be actively maintained to prevent that. I don't see them as lasting more than a few years and would have installed concrete if we'd been allowed to. The ones that were properly installed (during warm weather) are holding up pretty well two years in, but I bet they will be wearing down soon and require more repairs and maintenance. The pads that were installed during cold weather have already failed at the front.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

And the correlation that if not maintained, everything else gets worse, quicker.

It's one thing to compare a new, well-done tees in concrete and rubber mats. It's another to compare those tees when they're 5 or 10 years old.

Yup. I laugh when i hear people talking about vision quest tees this winter. Sure they are nice but also brand new. The concrete st BRP down the road is old and holding up great to some heavy traffic.

Time will tell! Maintenance costs really start to add up over many years even if simple. I like all disc golf tees though bc that means there is a disc golf course to play!

Honestly throwing on grass snow or dirt isnt even bad. We are lucky so many great courses have solid tees at all!

 

[da Crippler]

What do you guys think about permeable rubber? I've only seen them on one course, and they were brand new, so I don't know how well they hold up. I know that drainage depends on what's underneath, and they will puddle up if the substrate is too compacted. What happens when they eventually get plugged up with dirt? Can they be removed and pressure washed to maintain permeability?

 

[DavidSauls]

Perkerson's teepads are pour-in-place rubber made from shredded recycled tires cured with a polymer. The functionality is fantastic -- they are grippy in all conditions, naturally drain out mud and dirt, and feel much better than concrete on your joints. The downsides are cost, durability and maintenance. They are a pain to maintain - dirt and leaves clog the drainage, so they need to be actively maintained to prevent that. I don't see them as lasting more than a few years and would have installed concrete if we'd been allowed to. The ones that were properly installed (during warm weather) are holding up pretty well two years in, but I bet they will be wearing down soon and require more repairs and maintenance. The pads that were installed during cold weather have already failed at the front.

Interesting. I've only seen them new and was wowed, but wondered about them long term. I was also told a price which, if true, means we won't be seeing a lot of these in other places. Thanks for the info.

 

[clard]

Here's something for you concrete lovers out there.

It's a concrete alternative surface material originally developed for US Navy and Airforce. Super nice stuff! Provides traction without being too grippy. Adjusted coefficient of friction allowing for more rotation that traditional anti-skid materials but allows water to flow right off the pad.

So is this the material you will be using?

 

[BrotherDave]

I'm going to get one of these for my home course in the spring. Will post back on how well it works,

I think they used those at Flyboy in GA if I remember right.

 

[biscoe]

I'm going to get one of these for my home course in the spring. Will post back on how well it works,

i have tried them and found them to suck just as much as other rubber pads when muddy or sandy.

 

[joecoin]

i have tried them and found them to suck just as much as other rubber pads when muddy or sandy.

Well. switching to plan B now.