WSJ Article on Indoor Golf

[Tony Covey MGS]

Nice article in the WallStreet Journal today about indoor golf with some brief snippets about the aboutGolf simulators we use in our testing.

 

By JEFF NEUMAN

 

The game of golf has a lot to answer for: complex rules, white belts, high levels of frustration and profanity. But at least when you play, you're out in the elements, interacting with the natural world.

 

Unless you're not.

 

"The mainstream golf world doesn't grasp the idea that there are a lot of rounds of golf being played indoors," said Bill Bales, the founder and CEO of aboutGolf, one of several companies which design and manufacture golf simulators. "They don't count these rounds, but they're wearing golf shoes, using their clubs and balls, having a satisfying experience playing against each other and by themselves."

 

Read the Full Article

[JohnBarry]

I love indoor golf, I have even thought and researched starting my own up.

[Phana24JG]

Nice article in the WallStreet Journal today about indoor golf with some brief snippets about the aboutGolf simulators we use in our testing.

 

By JEFF NEUMAN

 

 

"The mainstream golf world doesn't grasp the idea that there are a lot of rounds of golf being played indoors," said Bill Bales, the founder and CEO of aboutGolf, one of several companies which design and manufacture golf simulators. "They don't count these rounds, but they're wearing golf shoes, using their clubs and balls, having a satisfying experience playing against each other and by themselves."

 

Read the Full Article

 

T, what I do not understand about the indoor simulators is why they do not expand the software to provide additional swing information. The technology to track HSP, VSP, swing path and face angle has to be there. This could bring the simulators up to almost the virtual lesson level. Be nice to get some feedback from a pro or rep that really knows the internals of these simulators.

[Matt Saternus]

I've done this a couple times and I always feel very unsatisfied. The putting is really silly and I don't trust the simulator enough to know good shots from bad, so I tend to believe the whole thing is a bit of a dice roll. Maybe I just need to play on better simulators.

[Tony Covey MGS]

I've done this a couple times and I always feel very unsatisfied. The putting is really silly and I don't trust the simulator enough to know good shots from bad, so I tend to believe the whole thing is a bit of a dice roll. Maybe I just need to play on better simulators.

 

I'd be curious to know both the brand and generation of the simulators you've played. The 3Trak equipped simulators we use are a huge leap forward from previous generations. While some aren't fond of the putting and chipping aspects, what I found after playing on them for an entire winter is that both my putting and short game have improved dramatically. Out on the golf course, most of us tend to play visually inside of 60 yards or so. Because the the projector can't provide the same type of depth we get naturally outdoors, it really forces one to think in terms of absolute distances. It takes getting used to, but it really does almost force you to dial in distances, which translates easily to the golf course.

 

The same is true with putting (I wish actual greens showed me the break). Again, it's all about getting a feel for distances instead of relying on what the distance "looks like". When you get a feel for consistently hitting an 8 foot putt, it really helps when you need to hit a 15 footer, or a 25 footer, and even a 50 footer. The biggest problem I've had in the translation outdoors is forcing myself to play less by feel and more by absolute distance.