For most men, golf is more than just a sport – it’s a way of escaping from the hustle and bustle of life, stretching your legs on the fairway as you challenge both your physical skill and mental ability. It’s also one of the very few sports that is as enjoyable on your own as it is with a bunch of mates.
However, speak to anybody who enjoys hitting a round, and chances are, they’ll tell you they wish they played more frequently than they do.
Usually, the reason for this is simple: time. An 18-hole round of golf can take over four hours, and after you factor in travel time and the obligatory post-game beverage, it suddenly becomes a whole-day affair. Many of us simply can’t spare that amount of time every week.
That’s why golf simulators are becoming increasingly popular around the world. Whether you use one at a commercial facility or in the home, a golf simulator allows you to squeeze in an 18-hole session in a fraction of the time it would take you on a real course. You also don’t have to worry about the weather conditions, sky-high membership fees…or holding up the group behind you as you hunt for a lost ball.
Golf simulation systems are by no means a new creation, however, the quality of the technology has improved significantly in recent times, making the gameplay reproduction frighteningly realistic, subsequently changing the opinions of sceptics.
Further, companies are constantly adding new features which you wouldn’t find on the course, such as cameras to help you view and analyse your swing, automatic ball return so you don’t have to collect the ball, and difficulty settings to make the game more accessible to beginners.
As with any emerging technology, there are a number of products on the market, and there is much debate in the golfing world about which is the pick of the bunch.
ManSpace Magazine had the chance to test out a simulator by X-Golf, a company with a ‘Kiosk’ in a House of Golf store in Malvern, Victoria. We figure if a company is willing to install five of these and charge discerning golf enthusiasts to use them, it has to be one of the better ones on the market.
The X-Golf Kiosk is probably best described as a bowling alley for golfers: giant simulator booths line the walls with experienced players practicing intently, next to seasoned slicers having a chat and a whack.
Ben Styles runs the Kiosk, and he’s also the X-Golf Australasia managing director. He says that the House of Golf store had been looking to implement a simulator for a number of years, but couldn’t find one sophisticated enough on the market.
“We contacted a few different manufacturers around five years ago, but we didn’t feel that there was anything suitable. Then we tested X-Golf, and we knew we had found a good one,” Ben says.
“Even then, we kept the first machine for around seven months before we ordered any more. That way we knew we wouldn’t have any problems down the track.”
Ben explains that the team knew the Kiosk would be popular after the results from some market research.
“In 2010 we found that there were 2.2 million golfers in Australia playing on a regular basis, but only 440,000 of those were members at a golf club. The main reason the other 1.7 million didn’t play was due to time and money constraints.
“If you visit the Kiosk, it’s a very time and cost effective way of playing golf. People are starting to realise that. It also appeals to the younger generation who grew up playing computer games.
“We get a lot of golf purists who don’t have the time to get to the course but still need a way to practice. But we also have a lot of casual players who come down after work, have a hit, and let out some stress.”
There are two versions of the simulator available – the X-Golf IR and the larger X-Golf i2. As you tee-off into the durable hitting screen, the i2 unit uses an 8 channel impact sensor system to measure your clubhead path, speed, entry angle and impact position, as well as ball direction, speed, launch angle and tee height. It then generates 6,000 calculations per second to create an accurate, lifelike ball flight.
And to make sure you don’t get tired of playing the same course over and over, there are 90 golf courses from around the world to choose from. You can be attempting a birdie putt at Pebble Beach, and find yourself in a bunker at St. Andrews half an hour later.
Then, there are a host of additional features to simplify your golfing and heighten the realism of the game.
One of these is the X-Plate – this detects the slope of your location on the course, and adjusts the floor accordingly. But even more impressive is the X-Ball, a system which automatically pops up your next ball from the ground after you’ve taken a shot, meaning you never have to fetch a ball. And if you’re playing with a group, it even memorises the height of each player’s tee.
Naturally, after people have visited the centre a few times, they want to find a way of teeing off from the comfort of their own living room.
Well, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want one?
If you have the space and the money (one of these will cost you around $60,000 with installation) a golf simulator has to be one of the most impressive additions to any man space.
Imagine being able to put the kids to bed and hit a round before you call it a night, or watching the footy with your mates and working on your swing at half time.
Ben says X-Golf is inundated with requests, and the company will be rolling out residential installations in 2013.
Golf simulation is a technology that will always have its sceptics, but it really shouldn’t – it’s not trying to replace the real game, it’s simply a tool that can improve your game when you can’t make it to a course, and it transforms what is often a very serious game, into something more relaxed and fun.
Most importantly though, golf simulators are encouraging more guys to get their clubs out … and that has to be a good thing.
