Why Get a Golf Simulator and What Do You Need to Set One Up?

Golf continues to grow as a popular sport and source of entertainment to millions of people around the world. And like you, many want to practice the sport at home with a good simulator setup, so that when you hit the links your game is that much better. After all, while golf is very much about socialisation and fun, it’s also about winning like any other sport. One disadvantage is that golf is an entirely outdoors sport, so once the golf courses turn into vast fields of snow, or it’s raining, or maybe even too hot, everything is brought to a standstill. 

Thanks to the power of golf simulators, the weather can't thwart the perfect game. Golf simulators are virtual computerised games played indoors with settings that strive to recreate real world golf, allowing users to play and sharpen their skills and adhere to training during winter and rainy seasons or at the height of summer. A good golf simulator lets you choose popular golf courses and play with friends and family and is almost as good as the real thing.

Once the weather has made golf courses impractical to attend in person, golf simulators can take over. Golf simulators are made up of individual components that each play a vital role in how the game comes to life. With most golf simulators, you get data such as speed, distance, shot angle, and shot trajectory. The more high-end simulators provide even more data, recording your swing and letting you save specific shots or entire sessions. The system also reports on your misses and masters.

Building a golf simulator is a big investment, therefore proper planning is key to ensuring the best possible results. When building a golf simulator, the first thing to do is consider the area that will house the various components, such as impact screens, launch monitors, projectors, the PC running the simulator software, curtains, turf, and more. 

The space that houses these essential components, as a minimum, requires a 2.5m high x 3m wide x 4m deep dimensions, while most indoor golfers go larger for a more immersive widescreen experience.

And there are three things you need to especially consider when building a golf simulator in your house:

Most systems track down the middle so you’ll need room on both sides of the ball for playing right and left-handed.

Depending on which launch monitor you’re using there are varying distances required to track the ball properly. Basically, a radar-based system such as FlightScope Mevo+ requires more space than camera-based units such as Uneekor and SkyTrak.

Your screen size determines the throw distance, but each projector has its own requirements and native resolution and aspect ratio.

Home golf simulators are a convenient way to improve your golf game while getting to a real world course is either impractical or undesirable. They’re excellent for keeping golf enthusiasts in form and for fitting in more practice time. As such, if you set up a golf simulator that’s suitable for your space and needs, you’ll find that you can keep improving from the comfort of your home, while gaining insight into better swings and overall golf performance.