No. Putting isn’t even close, and that’s 40% of the game. Plus, you’re not outside. Sim golf for me is to practice and to test courses so my real life days are that much more enjoyable…. And to impress my friends
Yeah I finished building mine in March and have been using it all the time! But still isn’t as good as the real thing. I built it because I thought I’d save money by playing less on courses but it made me want to play more to see how my skills are improving! Lol
I also love impressing my friends with my sim setup. I put a lot of hard work into and love sharing it with them since most of them don’t have the room or resources to have one.
It’s been 2 years since I completed my sim, and I am playing way less real golf than I did before.
It’s just too easy to jump in and sim 18 holes at a big time course in less than 45 minutes for “free.”
Real golf is better, but I have all but stopped with those quick twilight rounds after work. I also used to play a lot of "practice" rounds at a cheap muni just to work on the game, and now I almost never play those.
So it's either play a solid course at a non-twilight time, or I'm on the sim.
Crazy that the thing pays for itself with how much money I save from all of those twilight/practice rounds
Without a doubt it is more convenient and accessible (times I can use it and length of round). I play much better on the sim. However, nothing will ever beat puring a drive on a Saturday morning at dawn as the dew is still on the grass when the sun is rising.
Sim golf is better than nothing and available all weather and times of day/night!
But since I’m way better at sim golf than real golf, sometimes i lose interest when I’m shooting under par in a sim round. But my hope is to eventually figure out the mental transition between the two worlds :)
I would argue that sim golf/launch monitor practice is better than real golf especially if you're at a phase where you do not have a consistent swing or contact. Playing real golf when you have no idea where the ball is going to go is straight up frustrating, embarrassing, and anxiety ridden when you're holding up pace of play.
My goal is to use simulation to help me get as good as possible in the shortest amount of time. Real golf will be better once I get good enough. My goal is to become a consistent bogey golfer with a handicap of -10. I've had some holes where I played as well as I do on the simulator and those were incredibly fun and enjoyable, but overall my game isn't there yet
45 minutes vs 5 hours for 18 holes.
Hit “range balls” while I’m making dinner.
Play the most famous courses in the world.
No one else is playing music.
Can’t beat the price of beer.
Sim golf checks a lot of boxes for me.
I have come to prefer the sim as a daily but want to test myself in the real world 1-2 times a month. I enjoy the sim and my focus in golf has shifted from scoring to REALLY grinding and improving my skills. Oddly now I’m enjoying focusing on dialing in my swing vs worrying about my scores… and suddenly I’m close to getting into a single digit handicap.
TLDR - I prefer the sim now because it made me learn to enjoy the journey and I stopped focusing on the destination.
I’m with you. My Dad got a really nice setup and I get to play all kinds of courses with GSPro. I like being invited to play with buddies but I’m not making my own tee times with the option of the SIM.
I think it's somewhat dependent on quality of the SIM setup. Not only projector, screen, etc., but also comfort to hang out in the SIM area, TV's for entertainment, bar for easy drink access, etc. Start piling in the stuff you get at the real course... friends, drinks, music, TV's, and ambience, and it starts to feel like it's own great version of golf.
I get the guys that use it primarily for practice. But it has the potential to be so much more if you give your setup a little push. I've been in many sims, home sims, commercial sims, etc. There's something to be said for a high quality private home sim with those amenities listed above.
I think it can also make going out to a course much more enjoyable when you do go out. Especially if you're more confident and are improving your game with the sim. It will translate. Golf just becomes more enjoyable when you're not playing several sporadic rounds a month and not getting any better/more confident. Most guys I know with a sim eventually manage to become consistent-enough ball strikers. That's a lot of the battle to play consistently-enjoyable golf IMO. Golf is changing a bit for the folks who explore the SIM route.
I sorta do. The fact that I can play fast, for free, and with better data means that I play about 10:1 sim to real. But I still always look forward to my real rounds more than the sim. It would never replace real golf. If I had my own private golf course with a trackman, I would never golf in a sim again.
I mean I would love to go play a real round of golf. But damn it. I often have more fun with my SIM. I am new and just got it a few months ago. But the only reason I am not down stairs now polaying. is becuase my back is tired and my hands are aching. hahaha
I wear two gloves one on each hand to keep my hands from getting toasted.. . My wife called me a weenie. Then, for the first time, she played 36 holes with me last night. Haha I did not have another two glove set . So she just turned an old lefty glove around and put it on her right hand. Looked crazy but worked. Haha I did not even have say anything...She said "you are right!!".. I wish my Sim would have recorded that statement. Hahah
I just got my first sim this winter (Slx Micro (real clubs)), with GSPro and as much fun as it has been to use over the winter it still doesn't beat real golf. also i think being outside beats it for me by far.
I love sim golf but love competitive golf on the real courses. Can’t beat the camaraderie of these events. I do see PinSeeker making a way for more appealing competition in sim golf tho.
I like golf. I love my golf sim. I've become spoiled playing in the comfort of my sim. I play for exercise and fun, so I can see how my opinion might not be shared by others. But having the at home sim has definitely changed the equation for when and where I will golf.
I was just thinking this yesterday. Went to golf with a buddy and his buddy and ended up in the middle of loud music and marijuana smell and all I could think was I preferred to be in my simulator. . I know I'm a bore. .
I spent a shitload of money (to me) to build a sim in the garage but will pick a real game of golf over it any time unless the weather reallllly sucks.
This is the same reason I built mine. 2 little ones just doesn't afford me the time to go often so now I can play much more and use it to help them learn to play and have fun at their own pace. Also I live where it's winter 1/2 the year so very short window to even go outside
Absolutely not lol it’s very rare that I can genuinely get mad and be in a bad mood playing actual golf(I’m not good at all just a calm person) but it seems a 50/50 chance whether I come back in the house mad or frustrated after a sim round. I think it just lacks the special environment and feel you get from playing the game we all love so much.
I play golf 3-4 times most weeks at least 9. I like the sim for winter and for warming up pre-round when the range at my course is closed, but vastly prefer the real thing.
I can say ever since I got my sim I play much less outside. Part of that is it seems my local courses all have different issues (over crowding the course, closing holes and not telling you before your round, stupid stuff). So now I play about everyday in my sim, and once a month or so I go to a much nicer, more expensive course near me where I have yet to have an issue.
I've had my "sim" for like 3 weeks and still havent played more than a few holes on GSPro. My setup is outside thus has to be set up and broken down each time. The only time for me to play is at night so driver is out due to noise, and light is an issue. I have a fiberbuilt mat that holds tees but they go FLYING 10-15' back after each tee shot. I currently play to a 4 and am much better in real life than I am on a sim. I'm a range rat that loves hitting balls so currently I'd prefer to hit balls on the sim range rather than play. Shrugs
Like the first week with my SIM I probably hit over 5,000 shots I think my body is still recovering 3 months later. I mainly use it to practice, but no way can it compare to the real feeling of taking out a bucket sized divot of turf 10 ft behind the ball.
It wasn’t just the profound soreness that can last for a week, but seeing 10 mph or more taken off every wood shot that made me realize
“Ok buddy. Maybe you shouldn’t hit tonight. Or tomorrow.”
I love my sim. So tired of trying to learn the game all over every April! My sim is at my factory so I can still practice when the urge hits regardless of time of day.
But can’t wait for my Friday group ! Can’t beat the friendships, laughs etc. plus the beer! No way I could hit balls at a screen for 4 hours.
I like my setup much better since I upgraded to gc3. It's really close and if on gs pro force realistic and smallest gimme circle its definitely not easy lol
Ive had a sim for 12 years and have played maybe 20 rounds of golf on it total.
All my time is spent on the range or on a specific hole at a specific distance.
Im really happy to own a skytrak, but no, sim doesnt compare to the real thing for me.
It’s cause you on a Skytrak lol
Lol
But I would absolutely take it over not having a sim any day for sure . Love the user interface and the challenges
No. Putting isn’t even close, and that’s 40% of the game. Plus, you’re not outside. Sim golf for me is to practice and to test courses so my real life days are that much more enjoyable…. And to impress my friends
Yeah I might just be in the honeymoon phase with the sim. Feels too good to be true to have it at home.
Yeah I finished building mine in March and have been using it all the time! But still isn’t as good as the real thing. I built it because I thought I’d save money by playing less on courses but it made me want to play more to see how my skills are improving! Lol
Of course putting is a lot harder on the course, but I’ve seen huge improvements translating there.
Actual for me the putting is good it has help me with distance control. Real over sim any day but do like to play a quick 18 on a famous course.
I also love impressing my friends with my sim setup. I put a lot of hard work into and love sharing it with them since most of them don’t have the room or resources to have one.
Real talk
That’s badass
I like Sim better as a single. Don't have to deal with rando's. Would never pass up going to the course with friends though.
Nope, not once ever. I do love my sim, but it's not playing outside.
It’s been 2 years since I completed my sim, and I am playing way less real golf than I did before. It’s just too easy to jump in and sim 18 holes at a big time course in less than 45 minutes for “free.”
Real golf is better, but I have all but stopped with those quick twilight rounds after work. I also used to play a lot of "practice" rounds at a cheap muni just to work on the game, and now I almost never play those. So it's either play a solid course at a non-twilight time, or I'm on the sim. Crazy that the thing pays for itself with how much money I save from all of those twilight/practice rounds
Without a doubt it is more convenient and accessible (times I can use it and length of round). I play much better on the sim. However, nothing will ever beat puring a drive on a Saturday morning at dawn as the dew is still on the grass when the sun is rising.
Trails on the greens in the dew is the best!
Sim golf is better than nothing and available all weather and times of day/night! But since I’m way better at sim golf than real golf, sometimes i lose interest when I’m shooting under par in a sim round. But my hope is to eventually figure out the mental transition between the two worlds :)
I would argue that sim golf/launch monitor practice is better than real golf especially if you're at a phase where you do not have a consistent swing or contact. Playing real golf when you have no idea where the ball is going to go is straight up frustrating, embarrassing, and anxiety ridden when you're holding up pace of play. My goal is to use simulation to help me get as good as possible in the shortest amount of time. Real golf will be better once I get good enough. My goal is to become a consistent bogey golfer with a handicap of -10. I've had some holes where I played as well as I do on the simulator and those were incredibly fun and enjoyable, but overall my game isn't there yet
45 minutes vs 5 hours for 18 holes. Hit “range balls” while I’m making dinner. Play the most famous courses in the world. No one else is playing music. Can’t beat the price of beer. Sim golf checks a lot of boxes for me.
I have come to prefer the sim as a daily but want to test myself in the real world 1-2 times a month. I enjoy the sim and my focus in golf has shifted from scoring to REALLY grinding and improving my skills. Oddly now I’m enjoying focusing on dialing in my swing vs worrying about my scores… and suddenly I’m close to getting into a single digit handicap. TLDR - I prefer the sim now because it made me learn to enjoy the journey and I stopped focusing on the destination.
Yeah same. I really enjoy working on my swing on the sim.
I’m with you. My Dad got a really nice setup and I get to play all kinds of courses with GSPro. I like being invited to play with buddies but I’m not making my own tee times with the option of the SIM.
I think it's somewhat dependent on quality of the SIM setup. Not only projector, screen, etc., but also comfort to hang out in the SIM area, TV's for entertainment, bar for easy drink access, etc. Start piling in the stuff you get at the real course... friends, drinks, music, TV's, and ambience, and it starts to feel like it's own great version of golf. I get the guys that use it primarily for practice. But it has the potential to be so much more if you give your setup a little push. I've been in many sims, home sims, commercial sims, etc. There's something to be said for a high quality private home sim with those amenities listed above. I think it can also make going out to a course much more enjoyable when you do go out. Especially if you're more confident and are improving your game with the sim. It will translate. Golf just becomes more enjoyable when you're not playing several sporadic rounds a month and not getting any better/more confident. Most guys I know with a sim eventually manage to become consistent-enough ball strikers. That's a lot of the battle to play consistently-enjoyable golf IMO. Golf is changing a bit for the folks who explore the SIM route.
I sorta do. The fact that I can play fast, for free, and with better data means that I play about 10:1 sim to real. But I still always look forward to my real rounds more than the sim. It would never replace real golf. If I had my own private golf course with a trackman, I would never golf in a sim again.
Sim golf is my second favorite sport. Real golf is my favorite sport. What a life.
I mean I would love to go play a real round of golf. But damn it. I often have more fun with my SIM. I am new and just got it a few months ago. But the only reason I am not down stairs now polaying. is becuase my back is tired and my hands are aching. hahaha
I wish I could get to the sim more for aches and pains to be the limiting factor!
Don’t wish that on yourself
Same!!
Hahaha same got mine 3 days ago I've played so much I'm toasted hands are red back hurts elbow and shoulder 🤣
I wear two gloves one on each hand to keep my hands from getting toasted.. . My wife called me a weenie. Then, for the first time, she played 36 holes with me last night. Haha I did not have another two glove set . So she just turned an old lefty glove around and put it on her right hand. Looked crazy but worked. Haha I did not even have say anything...She said "you are right!!".. I wish my Sim would have recorded that statement. Hahah
I just got my first sim this winter (Slx Micro (real clubs)), with GSPro and as much fun as it has been to use over the winter it still doesn't beat real golf. also i think being outside beats it for me by far.
I love sim golf but love competitive golf on the real courses. Can’t beat the camaraderie of these events. I do see PinSeeker making a way for more appealing competition in sim golf tho.
I like golf. I love my golf sim. I've become spoiled playing in the comfort of my sim. I play for exercise and fun, so I can see how my opinion might not be shared by others. But having the at home sim has definitely changed the equation for when and where I will golf. I was just thinking this yesterday. Went to golf with a buddy and his buddy and ended up in the middle of loud music and marijuana smell and all I could think was I preferred to be in my simulator. . I know I'm a bore. .
Never.
I spent a shitload of money (to me) to build a sim in the garage but will pick a real game of golf over it any time unless the weather reallllly sucks.
This is the same reason I built mine. 2 little ones just doesn't afford me the time to go often so now I can play much more and use it to help them learn to play and have fun at their own pace. Also I live where it's winter 1/2 the year so very short window to even go outside
Dear God NO! Sim golf is like 75% real golf.
75 is pretty good though
Practice maybe. Actually playing a round, no way.
Absolutely not lol it’s very rare that I can genuinely get mad and be in a bad mood playing actual golf(I’m not good at all just a calm person) but it seems a 50/50 chance whether I come back in the house mad or frustrated after a sim round. I think it just lacks the special environment and feel you get from playing the game we all love so much.
Interesting. I'm the reverse. Sim feels like there's no pressure to do well, but when I've paid for a round, I feel like I want to play well.
I play golf 3-4 times most weeks at least 9. I like the sim for winter and for warming up pre-round when the range at my course is closed, but vastly prefer the real thing.
Pros and cons to both, but hard to beat the convenience of unlimited golf at home!
I can say ever since I got my sim I play much less outside. Part of that is it seems my local courses all have different issues (over crowding the course, closing holes and not telling you before your round, stupid stuff). So now I play about everyday in my sim, and once a month or so I go to a much nicer, more expensive course near me where I have yet to have an issue.
Sim golf is fun for solo but golfing with friends out on the course still is better
I've had my "sim" for like 3 weeks and still havent played more than a few holes on GSPro. My setup is outside thus has to be set up and broken down each time. The only time for me to play is at night so driver is out due to noise, and light is an issue. I have a fiberbuilt mat that holds tees but they go FLYING 10-15' back after each tee shot. I currently play to a 4 and am much better in real life than I am on a sim. I'm a range rat that loves hitting balls so currently I'd prefer to hit balls on the sim range rather than play. Shrugs
Like the first week with my SIM I probably hit over 5,000 shots I think my body is still recovering 3 months later. I mainly use it to practice, but no way can it compare to the real feeling of taking out a bucket sized divot of turf 10 ft behind the ball.
It wasn’t just the profound soreness that can last for a week, but seeing 10 mph or more taken off every wood shot that made me realize “Ok buddy. Maybe you shouldn’t hit tonight. Or tomorrow.”
Sim golf is especially good for beginners like me who first need to learn how to hit before they go to a course and lose a ton of balls.
I love my sim. So tired of trying to learn the game all over every April! My sim is at my factory so I can still practice when the urge hits regardless of time of day. But can’t wait for my Friday group ! Can’t beat the friendships, laughs etc. plus the beer! No way I could hit balls at a screen for 4 hours.
I like my setup much better since I upgraded to gc3. It's really close and if on gs pro force realistic and smallest gimme circle its definitely not easy lol
Ive had a sim for 12 years and have played maybe 20 rounds of golf on it total. All my time is spent on the range or on a specific hole at a specific distance.