The Rise of Simulator Golf: How the Fastest-Growing Format Is Redefining the Game
A TrackMan-powered home simulator setup transforms a garage into a personal golf studio, reflecting the rise of at-home play shaping today’s golf culture.
A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through GolfNow looking for a weekend tee time. The usual suspects popped up—municipal courses, daily-fee tracks, a few nicer options. Then something unexpected appeared in the results: simulator golf. Listed just like a regular course. Tee time, price, availability—everything identical.
It made me pause.
In that moment, it hit me how quickly the boundaries of golf are changing. What once required 18 holes of grass, weather, and time is now showing up next to traditional courses as a fully legitimate option. Simulator golf isn’t fringe anymore. It’s part of the modern game.
And according to the latest NGF Graffis Report, it’s the fastest-growing format in golf today.
Golf’s Biggest Growth Engine Is Indoors
The numbers make it clear: simulator golf has moved from novelty to mainstream.
8.1 million Americans played simulator or “screen” golf last year
That’s a 31% increase, the highest ever recorded
Participation is now larger than many traditional golf segments
Growth is strongest among younger players, women, and urban golfers
What’s driving it? Time, access, and the cultural shift toward on-demand experiences.
We’re living in an era where people want to play golf—but they want to fit it into real life. Simulator golf delivers a full experience in 60–90 minutes, without weather, travel, or the full ritual of course play.
It’s immediate. It’s social. And it’s turning golf into a lifestyle instead of a logistical commitment.
Why Simulator Golf Works (and Why It's Exploding)
A few cultural and practical factors are pushing simulator golf into its breakout moment:
1. It’s built for modern schedules
You can play nine holes during lunch or a full round after work. In cities where a real course is 45 minutes away, simulator bays are five minutes away.
2. It’s weatherproof
Northern states, rainy regions, and urban cores finally have year-round golf. Zero cancellations. Zero frost delays.
3. It’s social first
Music, drinks, a couch, and a group of friends. It’s golf without the pressure or silence.
4. It’s data-rich
Every swing comes with speed, path, distance, launch, and dispersion. It’s not just entertainment—it’s measurable improvement.
5. It lowers the barrier to entry
No dress code. No judgment. No “I don’t belong here.”
Simulator golf might be golf’s most inclusive format ever.
The Two Worlds of Simulator Golf
Simulator golf isn’t a single experience—it’s two parallel worlds evolving at the same time.
A. Facility-Based Simulator Golf
This category is booming:
Five Iron
Topgolf Swing Suites
Golf Lounge
TrackMan-powered indoor clubs
Simulators added to public courses and country clubs
GolfNow listing simulator bays alongside physical tee times
These spaces are part bar, part practice studio, part community hub. Whether you’re playing Pebble, practicing wedges, or just hanging out, facility-based simulator golf makes golf feel more accessible than ever.
B. The At-Home Simulator Boom
The NGF notes a surge in home simulator setups—from garage builds to high-end golf rooms. TrackMan, SkyTrak, Foresight, and Garmin have all driven this cultural shift.
Golfers are creating:
Full swing studios in basements
Projector-based courses in garages
Retractable hitting bays in spare rooms
Luxury home simulators resembling private clubs
It’s the Peloton effect: bring the sport into your home and blend learning, habit-building, and entertainment.
Simulator golf is no longer something you go to—it’s something you live with.
TGL: Simulator Golf Goes Primetime
Then there’s TGL—the biggest signal yet that simulator golf isn’t just a hobby; it’s the next frontier of professional competition.
Backed by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and some of the most influential ownership groups in sports, TGL blends:
A 250,000-sq-ft arena
A massive simulator wall
Real, reconfigurable greens
Team formats
Live audiences
Primetime production
Data-driven storytelling
This isn’t “sim bay golf.”
It’s a new sport built on top of golf.
TGL brings golf to weeknights. It makes the game digestible, fast-paced, and emotional for new viewers. And it shows the entire industry that technology-enabled golf is not alternative—it’s additive.
How Simulator Golf Is Transforming the Culture
Simulator golf isn’t changing the game—it’s changing how we relate to the game.
1. It’s making golf more social
Groups who never play 18 holes together are meeting indoors weekly.
2. It’s welcoming new audiences
Women, younger adults, beginners—sim golf eliminates the intimidation factor.
3. It’s redefining practice
Range time used to be buckets. Now it’s shot-tracing, dispersion charts, and self-coaching.
4. It’s turning golf into content
Creators use sims to produce videos, challenges, and lessons—fueling the cultural engine of the sport.
5. It’s creating the “hybrid golfer”
Golfers now track indoor rounds, outdoor rounds, and practice sessions in a single ecosystem.
Simulator golf isn’t a substitute.
It’s a complement—and a cultural accelerant.
The Future: Golf Anywhere, Golf Anytime
From GolfNow listings to home setups to TGL primetime matches, simulator golf is carving out a permanent place in the sport.
The future golfer will move effortlessly between formats:
Outdoor rounds
Sim rounds
Virtual leagues
Data-driven practice
Community-based indoor play
The lines between “real golf” and “sim golf” will fade. What remains is engagement.
Golf used to rely on time, weather, and access.
Simulator golf removes all three—and that’s why it’s here to stay.
Stats at a Glance
8.1M Americans played simulator golf in 2024
+31% year-over-year growth
Golf participation: 45M total golfers
Indoor golf is now a major entry pathway for younger golfers
TGL launching as the first tech-enabled primetime golf league
Facilities invested $3.1B in improvements, including indoor expansions