Best Golf Simulator 2024 - Cutting Edge Technology At Home

Over the last few years, more and more people have been investing in equipment and technology that allows them to practice at home. Thanks largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, golfers across the world were not willing to stop playing and wanted to keep practicing their swing, while in lockdown. Many chose to purchase one of the best golf nets, which allow people to hit golf balls whenever they like from their living room to their back yard. Some even went a step further, buying technology that allows them to simulate golf in their homes or gardens in the form of a golf simulator.

This is a piece of technology that is designed to help you practice in a virtually simulated golf environment, which mimics the real game. While it won't provide the player with a completely accurate simulation of the course, you can get real time feedback on some of the best simulators on how you're striking the ball. This is a great way to help players analyze their swing and work on ironing out weaknesses in their game. 

Simulators are extremely handy to have and allow players to get the perfect home or indoor setup to improve their golf swing. There are definitely some expensive options, such as the model Tiger Woods has in his home, but they really are incredible pieces of technology and can be custom-built to your preference for the ultimate golf experience.

However, they don't have to break the bank and you can put together your own with a budget launch monitor and practice net or a cool training aid. To help you decide, we have tested lots of models out there right now and put together this guide on our favorites. We also recommend taking a look at our how to choose section at the bottom of this page too because that breaks down all the factors to consider when buying a home simulator. 

Finally be sure to take a look at some of our other golf gear guides too, such as the best golf GPS, best golf mat, or the best golf rangefinders.

The Quick List

Best Golf Simulator

Used by Tiger Woods

The Full Swing Golf Simulator is popular among a lot of PGA Tour players, especially in the USA, but this simulator has now made its way to the UK. The first installation for the Full Swing Golf Simulator was at Silvermere Golf & Leisure centre, found in Surrey. We were lucky enough to go and pay Silvermere a visit and test out the top-notch Pro series, this is the same 16-foot widescreen one that Tiger Woods uses. When it comes to the technology for this simulator you can see it is cutting edge. It uses patented dual sensor tech and an overhead ion3 high-speed camera, which has line tracking infrared sensors. So the user is able to see ball flights and path with ease. When we tried it out, we were able to see accurate trajectories come up on the screen, and this was all in real time without any delays and with every shot taken. When you take a shot you can watch replays which show you your strike and club path, which is at an angle a lot of golfers would not see, thanks to the overhead cameras. 

When you get this simulator fitted it comes with a solid wood enclosure, a cinema quality projector, an energy absorbing diffuser screen, and finally an industrial grade carpet. With this simulator you get access to 84 courses to play, and with these you also get other games you can play to help you practice. A big positive with the simulator is it is not only for golfing you can also practice penalties in football, kick conversions in rugby and even practice your bowling in cricket. As well as all of this, you can even use the massive screen to watch movies for a cinema experience and play your video games on the massive screen too. While testing this, we loved the great variety you got in the courses department, and we made sure to test ourselves on the Island green 17th at TPC Sawgrass as well as many others. 

• Read our full Full Swing Golf Simulator Review 

Our favorite

When it comes to simulators, Foresight are one of the biggest players in the market, especially with its very popular GCQuad being used by so many players on tour. The GCQuad and all the range (Hawk, GC3, GC2 or GC2 HMT) can be bought into your home for your very own simulator, with the Foresight Simulator Package. This gives you a lower priced Sim-In-A-Box or Net-Ready package, or the Performance Simulator premium package. 

In the package you get a launch monitor that you can choose, and also a high performance laptop, as well as much more to help you get the best home simulator you can. If you did not want to use their packages, then you can buy the launch monitors on their own, and even the more affordable pre-owned ones. With this being from Foremost, you know you are going to get a great piece of gear, which gives you great detail on what you need to know in practice. Such as path, lie angle, angle of attack and strike location. When this is used as a simulator, you can practice with games, playing courses or just hitting balls on the practice range, all from the comfort of your own home.

Best course choice

Back in 2014 they released the original SkyTrak Launch Monitor, and it has gained popularity among players and coaches. For those looking for a more budget friendly option to get the data they want from their practice, the SkyTrak is a great option.

This model features a new dual Doppler radar system, and the factors you can measure have increased giving you data on, club head speed, smash factor, spin and launch angles, as well as others. With all this data, it also offers additional club data points, which include path and face angle. With its learning algorithms, it can process the data with even better accuracy, this puts it up there with some of the very best golf launch monitors.

The SkyTrak+ is very portable thanks to being extremely lightweight, and the new camera system gives this launch monitor even more accuracy at the driving range and at home in the net. If you then sync the SkyTrak+ up with a tablet or computer, you are able to play up to 100,000 courses, helping to make your range sessions more fun and productive. There are some very renowned courses available to play like, Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, and Torrey Pines, all at the range or from the comfort of your home.

• Read our full SkyTrak+ Launch Monitor Review

A Tour favorite

Trackman is a huge player in the simulator world, with many of the world's best players using products from the brand. The new Trackman 4 gives you very accurate data, this is mostly due to the patented multi-sensor technology. This technology syncs with the built-in camera which has two bespoke ultra-sensitive radars. All of this is why we have included the Trackman 4 in our best golf launch monitors guide.

Not only do you get some of the best tech on the market, but it comes with over 160 courses installed, giving you something to play when you are practicing. You also get full putting analysis, club fitting software, swing videos, online tournaments, skill tests, kids games and an on course practice suite. All of this from that one device is incredible, and no other launch monitor will offer you such an extensive list of features. With Trackman, you can either just get the launch monitor or you have the option to buy a complete home simulator setup as well.

• Read our full Trackman Simulator Review

Highly accurate

More than 10 years on from the debut of the GC2, Foresight Sports has now announced the follow on GC3. This recent addition to the Game Changer family, looks to provide some unmatched data accuracy for players with a true to life sim experience, which is only guaranteed with Foresight. 

With the GC3 being built using the same photometric tech found in the QCQuad, it is a great option for players. It has a three camera setup that will measure both ball and club performance data, whether you are outdoors or indoors. One of the big reasons the GC3 is so accurate is thanks to the Barometric Sensor which takes into account temperature, humidity and also altitude. Taking into account these real world factors, the GC3 can give you more accurate data so you can transfer this practice to the course easier. This was a great feature for us when we tested, as we felt we could really trust those numbers it was giving us.

• Read our full Foresight Sports GC3 Launch Monitor Review

Most portable

When we tested the Rapsodo MLM2PRO, the first thing we noticed was how it fitted snugly into a protective case, which made it easy to transport and put in the golf bag without worrying about damage. Out of the box you get the MLM2PRO, a tripod stand, user manual, and some specially marked up Callaway RPT Chrome X golf balls. The golf balls provided are for indoor use only, so if you are looking for accurate spin rates and axis rotation numbers, then get a net or screen to hit these balls into.  

We found a lot to like about the MLM2PRO, but we really liked the fact you got a one-year Premium Membership with purchase. This membership gives you access to 30,000 simulator courses and special features like a virtual driving range, and the unique impact vision camera, which is a massive upgrade to the original Rapsodo Mobile launch monitor.

When we tested the MLM2PRO, we really like how easy it was to set up and how easy it was to use. All you have to do is download the new app and register your unit. Then connect it to your device whether that be mobile or tablet, make sure you have a Wi-Fi connection and then pick from three different modes, Practice, Combine, or Simulation, and you're good to go. Combine is a great feature which is a 24-shot test that is designed to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are, making it a great practice tool. 

• Read our full Rapsodo MLM2PRO Launch Monitor Review

Best at home putting model

If you are looking to work on your putting, then bring the putting green to your home, with the excellent ExPutt RG putting sim. This compact and easy to set up putting simulator plugs straight into the television or tablet you want to use. You can then practice on hundreds of different greens from courses all over the world. This sim uses a high-tech camera that you place at the end of the putting mat, this will gauge how well or how fast you hit each putt. This will feed back on everything from impact angle to the putter path, this helps to improve your swing and the accuracy of your putts. We found this to be one of the best putting aids you can get your hands on. 

This simulator provides you with great analytics, offering up handy graphs and visuals that will let you see all the aspects of the putter performance. This allows you to fix any problems you may have in your putting game. That isn't it though, not only does it help you to get better on the greens, but you can also compete online against any friends that have the sim or other golfers from around the world. 

• Read our full Exputt RG Putting Simulator Review

Most fun

The Phigolf 2 portable simulator works with a 9-axis motion sensor that you attach to a swing trainer, or you can attach it to one of your own clubs, and this reads your swing data. This data is then passed on to the simulator app, which you can download to your smartphone or tablet, it then calculates the ball's trajectory from the data provided, then puts it on to the TV using a mirroring device. If you do use the swing trainer rather than your own club, they have weighted this to feel like a real club, and it is smaller for swinging in a room that you could not swing a real club in. 

This clever piece of equipment has a great level of feedback, with each swing you will get live data for your club head speed, swing tempo, club path, face angle, attack angle and the shot distance. So you get great feedback while being able to swing in your own living room, it also links with the game WGT which you can play courses on and compete with friends and family. 

• Read our full Phigolf 2 Portable Simulator Review

Best for uneven lies

The Zen Swing Stage has been on our screens a while now, as the Sky Sports Golf Studio uses this. It is a fully adjustable golf stage that offers you a complete indoor golf experience, whether that be for playing or coaching. This incredible piece of tech can be adjusted to change the lie and add in slopes, this allows it to be used for hitting balls off or for practicing your putting. 

This tech claims to offer you more movement, stability, accuracy, flexibility, and connectivity, than any other golf playing surface. It is controlled via Wi-Fi from a phone or tablet, so it is very easy to set up a new lie and have a practice from some different terrains. 

• Read our full Zen Swing Stage Review

How we test golf simulators

When it comes to golf simulators, we take the testing process very seriously. Whether we are sent a product or buy it ourselves, we put everything through its paces to ensure we can provide thorough and reliable advice. Every member of the Golf Monthly team is an avid golfer and as such, knows what does and doesn't make for a good simulator.

As far as our methodology goes, we review all simulators properly, which means we have used each one to test a variety of different features, from how it performs with a driver to the putting simulations it has on offer. For example, if a brand claims its simulator is the best in the game, we will test that theory as much as possible, assessing all of the games, features and the accuracy of the data it provides to see how good it really is. 

This comprehensive testing style is not just exclusive to golf simulators as we test with the same level of thoroughness across all gear categories. To read more about how we test our equipment, take a look at our testing methodology here.  

How to choose a golf simulator

With so many golf simulators around, they can come in all shapes and sizes, being able to be used either outdoors or indoors. These things do not come cheap, making it a good idea to research and make sure you get the right sim for your needs. That is why there are a few important considerations to take in before you but a launch monitor. 

1. Indoor/Outdoor Use

Take into consideration on where you are going to practice, will this be inside or outside, maybe both? If it is just for home then think about a full setup, if just for outside then only a launch monitor and a net or range is required. Also take note how portable the launch monitor is for outside use. 

2. Space/Size

Make sure you firstly take into consideration how much space you have for a simulator, whether in the garden or the house. A lot of the time if you go for a more expensive simulator, it is going to require more space due to the screen and enclosure required. 

Importantly, whatever simulator you go for, you need enough space for the simulator setup and to swing your driver unimpeded because it is the longest club in the bag. 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.

In our experience, you will need a ceiling height of at least eight feet, and a width of 10 feet with a depth of 12 feet. This is the basic requirements for a full setup, but the more space, the better you can make your setup.

3. Accuracy 

Next on the list is how accurate you want your data to be, as some launch monitors will give you more realistic readings. The more premium models are going to give you more accuracy, with the odd budget friendly one giving you a good level of accuracy. This is an important one as if you do not get the best accuracy you will not be getting the right numbers out on the course.

4. Metrics 

Most devices these days give insight into metrics like ball speed, club head speed and carry distance however if you are looking for more specific club head data, and metrics like dispersion, then models like the Foresight Sports and Trackman are the way to go. They are more expensive but offer incredible detail.

5. Features 

Next up think about how many features you want your simulator to have. Are you just going to use it for golf practice? If so a cheaper model will suit you best whereas if you want more, then some designs offer the opportunity to play golf courses, GPS functionality, or even change the setup into a home entertainment system, or cinema.

6. Portability 

If you don't have a lot of space, or you don't want a specific room for your simulator, you might be better off just going for a good launch monitor that you can take to range or wherever you practice. The question is do you want to have a dedicated place where your simulator will be located, or will there be times you want to move it?

If the answer is yes to the former, then a larger simulator will work well for you. Whereas if you plan to move your simulator around often, you may not want a full simulator setup with screen and projector unless it’s marketed as retractable, nor will you want a ceiling or ground-based model. 

7. Price

This is the big one. Not everyone can afford some of the big models above, some of which are in the thousands of dollars price point. As such above we have tried to include products that help simulate the golfing experience, for a variety of price points but it should be noted, with full golf simulators you often get what you pay for in terms of performance and quality.

As such if you can afford the top models, it is worth the money and effort to work out which model you want. Bearing that in mind, you may also want to take a look at our guides on the best golf net and best golf putting mats.

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