Your First Time at a Golf Simulator

If you've never played a golf simulator, the first visit can feel a little mysterious. Where do you stand? Do you need your own clubs? What if you shank one into the wall? The good news is that simulators are built for exactly this: people of all skill levels hitting real balls indoors, with the screen doing the rest.

Plenty of people in the bay won't be golfers. The National Golf Foundation counted 8.1 million simulator and screen golf users in 2024, and 51% of them were "non-golfers" who hadn't played a course in the past year ¹. You'll fit right in.

What actually happens when you hit a shot

You hit a real ball with a real club into a screen. A launch monitor, using radar, high-speed cameras or both, measures the ball and the club at impact: ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, clubhead speed, club path and face angle ². The software takes that data and draws the shot on a virtual course or driving range, showing where it would have landed ². Settings such as wind, course conditions and difficulty can usually be adjusted ².

Screens are made from tough, tightly woven materials designed to take high-speed shots, and many are designed to keep noise down when the ball hits them ². You can swing freely.

Booking a bay

Most simulator venues take online bookings, and many accept walk-ins when a bay is free. Some tips:

• Book ahead for evenings and weekends, when bays fill first.
• Book by the bay, not the person. Many venues price per bay per hour, so a group splitting a bay often pays less each.
• Choose a sensible length. NGF found a typical session runs about 90 minutes, and the average group is three players ¹. A full 18 holes with four people can take longer than you'd expect, so book extra time or plan to play nine.
• Read the cancellation and late-arrival policy. At many venues your time starts at your booked slot whether you're there or not. Topgolf, for example, asks guests to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and deducts time for late arrivals ³.
• Mention any needs up front: left-handed clubs, kids in the group, accessibility or a celebration.

What to bring and wear

• Clubs: optional at many venues. Rental or house clubs are common, but bring your own if you have them. You'll learn more about your real game.
• Shoes: clean, flat-soled shoes or spikeless golf shoes. Outdoor shoes covered in mud or grass can damage the mat and screen. Ask the venue about its shoe policy.
• Clothing: anything you can swing comfortably in. Simulator venues are usually casual.
• Glove: if you normally wear one.
• ID: if you plan to order alcohol.

When you arrive

Staff will usually check you in, show you to your bay and walk you through the system. NGF notes that simulator guests often need help with game setup, troubleshooting and shot alignment, which is a big part of a staff member's job ¹. Don't be shy: tell them it's your first time.

Expect a short orientation covering:

• How to start a game and enter player names
• Where to tee the ball and where to stand
• How to switch between right- and left-handed setups
• Safety rules for the bay
• How to order food and drinks, if offered

Choosing what to play

Most systems offer several options. Ask staff which ones are set up on their bays.

• Driving range: a good place to start. Hit a few shots with each club and see your numbers.
• Course play: a full or partial round on a virtual course. Great for golfers, but slower for beginners and big groups.
• Skills challenges and mini-games: closest-to-the-pin, longest drive and target games. Usually the most fun for groups with mixed abilities.
• Practice modes: focused work on specific shots or distances.

Speed-up settings such as automatic putting or a maximum score per hole help when the group is large or new to golf.

Etiquette and safety in the bay

A simulator bay is a small space with people swinging metal clubs. A few rules keep everyone safe:

• One hitter at a time. Topgolf's bay rules, for example, allow only one person to hit at a time ³. Everyone else stays well behind the hitting area.
• Check behind you before every swing. Practice swings count too.
• Only hit from the hitting mat, toward the center of the screen.
• Never walk toward the screen while someone is set up to hit.
• Keep drinks and phones off the mat and away from the hitting zone.
• Watch the clock. If the group after you is waiting, finish on time.
• Tell staff about problems, such as a misreading sensor, a damaged screen or a loose ball under the mat.

Getting accurate numbers

Simulators are clever, but they rely on a clean read at impact. To give the system a fair chance:

• Tee the ball where staff tell you to. Launch monitors read a specific area, and a ball outside it may be missed or misread.
• Don't stand between the sensor and the ball. Radar systems usually sit behind the golfer, while camera systems sit to the side and depend more on good lighting ⁴. Blocking either can affect the read.
• Use the balls the venue provides, unless told otherwise. Some systems are set up for particular balls.
• Hit from the mat's main hitting area. A good mat helps keep readings consistent and accurate ².
• Warm up first. Your first few shots are rarely your real numbers.
• Look at averages, not your single longest shot.

If a shot looks wildly wrong, it probably was a misread. Ask staff to check the setup.

What the numbers mean

Here are the basics, without the jargon:

• Ball speed: how fast the ball leaves the face. More ball speed usually means more distance.
• Launch angle: how steeply the ball takes off.
• Spin rate: how much backspin the ball carries. Too much or too little affects distance and control.
• Carry and total distance: how far the ball flies, and how far it would go after rolling.
• Club path and face angle: the direction the club travels and where the face points at impact. Together they explain most hooks and slices.

Launch monitors measure all of these ². Different technologies capture them in different ways. GOLF.com puts it plainly: neither radar nor camera systems are "better," they're built for different jobs ⁴.

Will my simulator scores count toward my handicap?

Usually not. Under the World Handicap System, a score is acceptable for handicap purposes when it's played on a course with a Course Rating and Slope Rating, during its active season, under the Rules of Golf and with at least one other person present ⁵. A virtual course doesn't meet those conditions, so treat simulator scores as practice and fun. Many venue leagues keep their own handicaps for that reason.

A San Antonio example

Ducks & Birdies, at 2301 S Presa near Roosevelt Park just outside downtown, is a private members' golf and shooting lounge that also welcomes walk-ins. It has two Full Swing 2.0 Pro golf bays in a green-and-gold, hunting-lodge-style space. It also has a True Clays shooting-simulator bay, and bays can be booked online through Birdie Grow.