Although the purpose of inventing the golf simulator is to help make you a better golfer whenever you are off the golf course, it’s essential to know that not all golf simulators are created equal. In this article on the best golf simulators, we are going to show which golf simulator is best for you at the right time, purpose, and location.
The buying guide in this post will also help you avoid the mistake of buying the wrong golf simulator at any point in time.
You may like to read about the Best Golf Launch Monitors To Upgrade Your Skills or Preferably check out the Best Golf Simulators For Under $1000 as written in some of our previous articles.
What Is A Golf Simulator and Why Do I need one?
Ever since the invention of the first golf simulator in the early 1970s, the adoption of the technology to simulate the playing of golf outside the golf course had increased tremendously among golfers and golf enthusiasts.
As the name implies, a GOLF SIMULATOR is a state-of-the-art high-technology system that simulates, imitates, or replicates the experience of playing golf in real-time into a virtually simulated golf course or driving range, thereby helping users analyze their swing strength, correct necessary lapses and perfect their games without having to go local golf course.
This computerized system calculates the expected trajectory of the golf ball from data gathered on the swing, and the image of the golf ball flight is then simulated on the screen.
There are 2 types of golf simulators;
- Advanced Golf simulators: The simulators with built-in software.
- Simple Simulators: The simulators without built-in software.
Is Buying a Golf Simulator Worth It?
Investing thousands of dollars in golf simulators is worth every dime, which is why the popularity of golf simulators is growing rapidly among golfers, especially those in areas where golf can’t be played outdoors all-round year. Importantly, golf simulators allow you to improve your golf skills by practicing different shot types on your virtual home golf course.
Some may argue whether a golf simulator is worth it due to the limited range of shots, but how do quantify a system that helps you add distance to your drives, monitor your Spin, and help you analyze your swings with irons without leaving the comfort of your home, office or garage?
Golf simulators also provide golfers with diverse practice levels across different renowned golf courses around the world. As many simulators come with access to some of the world’s premium golf courses, allowing you to replicate the shots of your golfing heroes.
To answer the question of whether buying a golf simulator is worth it? the answer is obviously YES.
What Golf Simulator Should I Buy?
Not all Golf simulators are created equal, therefore in other to avoid the mistake of buying a good golf simulator for the wrong purpose you first have to identify the purpose and where it will be used. You won’t want to buy the best golf simulators for the garage instead of buying the best golf simulators for small spaces.
In this segment of the article, we are going to discuss the best golf simulators for businesses, homes, small spaces, and the best golf simulators for under $5000, plus their respective brands. The following are the various purposes for buying the best golf simulators;
The Best Golf Simulators For Business or Commercial Usage.
The Best golf simulators for business which can also be referred to as commercial golf simulators are simply the best golf simulators that were built for commercial or business usage. These types of golf simulators are advanced and robust with large enclosures, large screens, precise tracking and accuracy, and flexible software, among other things.
The quality of commercial simulators or golf simulators for business must be top-notch for customers to enjoy and these types of golf simulators are also worthy investments for golf coaches and club fitters.
If you are thinking of buying a golf simulator for business and start generating some amazing revenue from them, here is the part of the article that might interest you.
Investing in advanced golf simulators or commercial golf simulators will be a profitable investment during the time most golfers in your local environment are unable to play golf outdoors due to weather conditions like the winter season.
There are different ways you can inculcate the adoption of commercial golf simulators into an already established membership business such as an indoor golf business or as part of your value-added services in your beer lounge or restaurant.
This post will review the best golf simulators for business across different budgets. There are a couple of affordable options among them and we believe you will be delighted to see them.
1. TruGolf VISTA Simulator – The most commercially acceptABLE.
Trugolf simulators have innovation in their DNA and have been creating amazing golf games and golf simulation Hardware, since 1983 E6, connect Act is the highest quality most lifelike, and customizable, Golf software platform, ever created.
E6, connect feature, stunning, 4K graphics, and more flexibility, customization, and control than ever before. What makes their new generation of golf apps? Where it’s truly revolutionary is its massive Network designed to connect golfers around the world from peer-to-peer play. And as large as Global Entry, golf tournaments, and the E6. The platform comes with up to 96 different courses to choose from.
They also have the True Flight launch monitor system that is composed of three cameras to capture club and ball data at 3200 frames per second. True golf also offers the patented true track 3-row sensor system which captures critical data at the point of impact such as club path and Club face angle.
True Golf offers a wide range of options for stimulator setup, a multi-sport option that comes loaded with eight different games for the true golf setup.
TruGolf Simulator Price Range
The expected price range of the True golf simulator is between $30,000 and $75,000 depending on the options you pick and your features.
2. GolfZON Simulators
Golfzon vision simulators invest around 6% of its annual revenue in research and development which goes a long way to make them one of the best commercial golf simulators for business.
Founded in 2000 this Asian-based golf simulator manufacturer is focused on leading the convergence of golf culture. Pending the Golfzon premium also won the golfers digest top golf simulator in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Golfzon technology provides a real-time ball flight so there’s no timing delay. Say from the point when you hit the ball to the point, when the ball hits, the screen, an amazing feature is their unique moving swing plane, which will match the slope and terrain of the golf course. Giving you a realistic feel another great feature is the auto T-up which collects and dispenses the golf balls for each shot, automatically.
Golfzon also has a social networking function called GolfZon live Festival. This allows you to connect with your buddies and play leagues against others.
Golfzon Price Range
Golfzon’s price range is between $40,000 and $75,000 depending on the options you pick and your features.
3. Full Swing Golf Simulators – One of the Most Accurate swings
Full-swing simulators revolutionized the golf simulator in 1986 when founded by Floyd Arnold. Now full swing simulator is the largest US-based producer of multi-sports simulators.
The full swing is also the official simulator partner of the Golf Channel and top golf. Made up of PGA Tour, Pros including Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Jordan, Speak Jason, and Lpga Brooke Henderson as well as NBA great Steph Curry.
The full-swing simulator is one of the most popular brands on the market. Various setup options can cost anywhere between $20,000 and $100,000, you would definitely expect their technology to be top-of-the-line with those price tags.
Full swing simulators come pre-loaded with around 85 of the most popular golf courses in the world such as Pebble Beach, Bethpage black Torrey Pines, Oakmont, and many others. The experience is, as real as it gets the technology behind it.
This camera provides HD playback of your golf club and provides Precision, accuracy, and Analysis. The ball flight tracking is impeccable as well. The golf ball crosses the infrared, and light beams, and the simulator technology measures your ball, speed, launch angle, and direction at the speed of light. Right.
Full Swing Simulators technology is said to be one of the most accurate when capturing ball flight characteristics. It also provides more than just golf simulation with 12 other sports to choose from other than golf.
4. Trackman 4 Golf Simulator – The most accurate in-ball flights
Trackman golf is most famous for its launch monitor technology but also offers a state-of-the-art golf simulator experience that can be used for business or commercial. The company recently released an update called virtual which is said to redefine what is considered possible with golf simulators.
Virtual by trackman is packed with great new features that have been designed to make your game more fun, rewarding, and informative, utilizing the trackman’s combine radar and Camera technology. Your experience will be as accurate indoors as it is outdoors. The ball flight model has been updated as well as improved ball, and spin measurements for truer simulation.
The graphics are state-of-the-art, and all of the courses were mapped out for accuracy using drone technology. You can challenge your friends to games, like closest to the pin, or hit the driving range at the practice sessions. The course is mapped out for play on the track man is right around 50 with the latest technology in the simulator industry you will pay anywhere from forty thousand dollars to a hundred thousand dollars to bring one of these homes.
Best Golf Simulators For Garage and Small Spaces at Home.
Golf simulators come with various usabilities which is why we need to discuss the best golf simulators for home use. If you’re looking for the best golf simulator to use at home either in your garage or any small available space, here’s a list you must read about, we made this list based on our personal preference and sorted it based on their features, prices, quality, durability, the reputation of the manufacturers and customers feedback.
5. Rapsodo Golf Simulator – Best Indoor and Outdoor Home Use
Although Rapsodo golf is one of the best launch monitors, however, when paired with a golf club simulator and swing analyzer it will give you just about everything you need to have a good time and improve your game.
How To Set Up Rapsodo Launch Monitor To Work As A Golf Simulator For Garage.
Putting Rapsodo Golf Simulator together will perfectly work for you in your garage or home, you’ll have to create an arm motion account as well as download their software and the golf club game, which takes a notable amount of time. You can use it on your PC or even your smartphone but we felt it was most effective on a projection screen.
Once the software installation is done attach the sensor Clips to your club and you’re set, the game is really fun and comes with a lot of customization options.
We also enjoyed the fact that you can play with up to four people at a time which makes for a great alternative to GOLFERS hangout night with your friends during anti-golfing seasons.
6. Optishot 2 Golf Simulator – Best Golf Simulator For Garage
If you’re looking for something high-tech in comparison to similar simulators, Optishot 2 Golf is listed on top. Optishot Golf in a box is the world’s leading golf simulator for Mac or PC. It is an amazing budget-friendly product.
It comes with a swinging pad off mad, a 10-foot USB cable, adjustable rubber tease, and foam practice balls. You can also use regular balls with it, but if you don’t want to take a chance of the golf ball going away we highly suggest just foam balls.
Optishot 2 Golf allows you to choose from 15 different world-class courses, including Black Palm Desert. If you want the best indoor golf simulator for your garage or any small spaces at home, you can’t go wrong with the Optishot 2 golf.
How To Set Up Optishot 2 Golf Simulator In Your Garage With Impact Screen.
In other to have a perfect experience using the Optishot 2 Golf Simulator in your home or garage, you need to acquire a Golf Simulator Impact Screen Display Projector Screen such as the one in the image below;
7. PHIGOLF Home Golf Simulator – Best Golf Simulator For Small Spaces
The PHILGolf simulators kit gives you as close to a real golf experience in your home as you can get, you can hook it up to your big-screen TV and feel like you are there on the golf course.
You get to experience playing on 24 of the world’s most famous golf courses from the comfort of your living room. The PHILgolf simulator allows you to play all aspects of the game from driving to putting.
The innovative Bluetooth sensor connects to your Apple or Android phone for more realistic play and works up to 30 feet away from your phone ( that is quite an impressive distance ).
The PHILGolf software allows you to analyze your swing. So not only can you have fun but improve your game at the same time by improving your swing
PHILGolf simulators also allow up to 4 people to play at the same time, which means bad weather doesn’t have to keep you and your friends from competing with each other again.
8. SMART GOLF AI Golf Simulator – Best Golf Simulator For Beginners.
When looking for one of the most affordable yet highly accurate golf simulators for home use, the Smart Golf AI simulator with a swing stick is a game changer to consider buying.
This simulator is recommended for beginners that want to horn their swing skills and boost their golfing confidence in the corners of their comfortable homes. Although, some professionals also use Smart Golf AI to get back to fitness and it can be useful at all levels of skills.
Smart Golf simulators can be used to play golf inside your bedroom, seating room, garage, or any small space in your home. No additional setup is required to use this device and you can set it up to place on your PC Macbook or Android device.
9. Electric Spin Golf Launchpad Golf Simulator – Best Alternative Golf Simulator For Beginners
If you are a beginner and would like to buy a budget-friendly golf simulator then this Electic Launchpad Golf Simulator is a good choice. You can learn or practice with the simulator, even you can have a good time with your friends, with the help of this simulator. This device is extremely portable. And you can set it up anywhere with the help of a USB port, although the accuracy may not be well insured, which is why it’s best recommended for basic skills testing and training.
Best Golf Simulator For Left and Right-handed Golfers.
As part of our reviews on the best golf simulators, it will be impressive to discuss the best golf simulator for left and right-handed golfers. Although, all launch monitors cum simulators like Skytrak and Rapsodo can be used by both left and right-handed golfers, based on their respective positioning, however, there is a particular golf simulator that we strongly recommend to be the best golf simulator for Left and Right-handed golfers, and that device is known as the;
10. GARMIN R10 Approach Golf Simulator – Best For Left and Right-Handed.
Garmin R10 Approach Golf Simulator / Launch Monitor is the best golf simulator for left and right-handed golfers, due to the constructive positioning design used in setting up of the device.
With Garmin R10 you don’t need to shuffle the device back and forth, to accommodate the left or right-handed player just simply position the device a few feet behind the ball, and no matter if you’re right-handed or left-handed, you will not be needing to move the device in order to get that shot data.
If you have multiple people playing this who are right or left-handed, you might as well see how effective the golf simulator is without you shifting the device back and forth.
GARMIN R10 Set Up – Indoor / Outdoor
Garmin R10 Approach is both an indoor and an outdoor device. You’ll need to set this Garmin simulator up about six (6 feet) to (8) eight feet away from you behind the ball and you’ll need another (8 feet) eight feet in front (that is between the ball and the impact screen or golf net) making a total minimum distance of 14 feet.
This required setup distance of 14 feet makes the Garmin R10 golf simulator not suitable to be used in small spaces unlike the SkyTrak and the rest.
It takes less than 5 minutes to set up a Garmin R10 Approach golf simulator, which is why it is one of the fastest super easy to set up a golf sim.
Garmin R10 is built for both indoor and outdoor usage so it is 100% WATERPROOF and you can easily read your shots data on your phone within a second.
What Is The Best Golf Simulator’s Impact Screen?
If you want to enjoy big Fun and Realistic Golfing at home, the best and most effective golf simulator impact screen in the market today is the Aikeec Golf Simulator Impact screen.
It’s available in 5 different sizes, so you can easily get the one that best suits your home space. Aikeec golf simulator impact screen is usually a white screen surrounded by adjourning nets to avoid golf balls being lost.
What Golf Simulator is the Most Accurate?
Golf simulator’s accuracy is unarguably one of the most important factors that determine how much value to be placed on a golf simulator. Most times golf simulator’s accuracy doesn’t have anything to do with whether the golf simulator is $5000 and above or under $1000. What matters is how close is the measurement of the golf simulators to reality.
However, It’s very difficult to say what the most accurate golf simulator is. This is because simulator setups vary so widely and because one simulator may be more accurate in some situations but a little less accurate in others.
The Current Most Accurate Golf Simulators In The Market Are;
In this segment of the article, here are the top 4 picks for the most accurate golf simulators on the market today…
- TrackMan4 Golf Simulator
- Foresight Sport,
- Full Swing Pro Series,
- SkyTrak Golf Launch Monitor & Simulator,
How To Pick The Best Golf Simulators For You.
Spending a couple of hundred dollars or thousand dollars on golf simulators is worth every penny. However, it’s still important to consider factors that affect the experience and match it with your goals to accurately purchase the best golf simulator for you.
Some golf simulators came in a whole package setup, while some have to be purchased along with other equipment like a golf net, a hitting mat, and your preferred electronic device to make them function perfectly. You may even have to monthly subscribe to the software of some.
In this guide, we will show you some of the most critical factors you need to pay attention to when buying a golf simulator that will meet your golfing needs:
1. GOLF SIMULATOR SIZE
Size is a very important factor in golf simulators and the more expensive the simulator, the larger the room space it will take up. A full screen, enclosure, and turf will likely require the most space, while a practice net will require less space.
In any case, you need enough space for the simulator setup and to swing your longest club (driver) unimpeded. You need to measure the width, length, and height of your space and compare it to the minimum space requirements of every golf simulator you look at.
Practically all full golf simulator setups will require a bare minimum of eight to 10 feet ceiling height, but you should strive for at least nine feet. Width allowance is usually a minimum of ten feet, and depth allowance is usually a minimum of twelve feet, although launch monitors like the Flightscope Mevo+ need more depth. Whether you want to use your simulator outdoors or indoors, your space should be able to easily accommodate what
2. MOBILITY.
Another thing to consider is the ease of transport. In general, more expensive simulators are less portable, although this certainly isn’t a hard and fast rule. The first matter is the launch monitor or tracking system.
Ceiling-mounted launch monitors like the Uneekor QED or EYE XO are not portable, nor are systems that run sensors underneath the floor. On the other hand, freestanding units like the GC3 or SkyTrak can be easily moved around as needed.
If you don’t have at least a net or mat, mobility is not an issue at all. Net setups are usually easy to set up, take down and transport. Screen and projector setups are usually less portable, but they can still be moved around.
The SkyTrak Flex Space simulator, for example, comes with a screen and enclosure that can be easily retracted at the press of a button, making it ideal for garages and basements.
Do you plan to have a dedicated place where your golf simulator will always be located, or will there be times when you need to move it? Maybe you travel periodically and want to be able to easily take it with you. Maybe you just want to pack it away during the summer, when the weather permits getting out to the driving range or golf course.
If you plan to move your simulator around often, you certainly don’t want a ceiling-mounted or ground-based system. You also may not want a full simulator setup with a screen and projector unless it’s marketed as retractable. If you’re planning to invest in a net only, then make sure that transporting it is straightforward.
3. DATA MEASUREMENTS.
Consider the tracking system that measures your ball and club data. Is it the SkyTrak, TruTrack, Approach R10, Uneekor EYE XO, GCQuad, or something else? Of course, some tracking systems are better than others, which is where much of the price difference comes from. Some tracking systems have better accuracy, better reliability, and less lag between the ball hitting the screen and the ball flight displaying.
For example, while the SLX MicroSim is very inexpensive, its sensor is never going to be as accurate or produce as many detailed data parameters as systems that cost at least 10x more. The SkyTrak is excellent in comparison, but many people don’t like its shot delay, which can be up to a few seconds long.
It’s also worth mentioning two of the main types of tracking systems:
In general, radar tracking is more reliable outdoors but requires more space around the golfer, while photometric (camera-based) tracking really shines indoors.
Generally (but not always), the more expensive the simulator, the better the tracking system. Look into the performance of each and decide how you weigh the importance of entertainment vs. game improvement.
4. BUDGET
This is one of the most important aspects of buying a golf simulator. Not everyone can afford golf simulator packages that cost $12,000+, and fortunately, there are options that cost way below this amount, even as low as 1000 USD as reviewed in this article.
It’s also important to realize that the less you spend on a golf simulator, the less you’ll get, both in terms of hardware and software.
In this guide, we’ve tried to include quality golf simulators over a wide range of budgets that golfers might have. But the great thing is that you don’t have to drop the full cost of a simulator at once.
Our recommended golf simulator source provides easy financing options that allow you to pay for your golf simulator over the course of a year or longer. Don’t forget about this option.
5. SOFTWARE.
You should also consider what kinds of things you want to do, games you want to play, and activities you want to take part in on your golf simulator. Different simulator systems will support different software, but many golf simulators can only be used with a specific proprietary software solution.
In Conclusion.
Golf simulator technology has so advanced in recent times that all levels of golfers can easily find a simulator that is best for their respective levels. This is why it is important to know the exact usage you need for a golf simulator before spending your money on one.
There are various ways the best golf simulators can be useful to golfers either by golf simulators for entertainment or by golf simulators for home, any way it is, just ensure you buy the best for yourself.