Golf simulators bring the game inside homes and businesses, allowing players to practice or play no matter the weather or time. They can be integrated with home theaters and accept connections to Blu-Ray players and video game consoles, accommodating the entire family as well as the golf nut. The technology is good enough to satisfy PGA Tour winners Jason Bohn and Mark Wilson, who say they use indoor simulators to practice in the winter.
Mat Sensors
Holiday Golf Simulators out of Utah puts light sensors in a hitting mat and a launch monitor near the hitting area that shows the club's swing path, clubhead speed, ball speed, spin rate and the face angle of the club as it hits the ball. The sensors send the data to the system, which instantly displays the resulting ball flight on the screen, and information about what happened at impact on the nearby monitor. The tracking system can identify all manner of shots, from drives to putts.
Wide-Area Sensors
Some companies use sensors that track a greater area, allowing the player to hit the ball from a range of positions. High Definition Golf out of Vaughan, Canada, uses IST High Speed Spectrum Sensor Technology that covers the entire area from the ball to target, tracking the clubhead and ball. Full Swing Golf out of San Diego uses two 360-degree infrared sensor units that create "curtains" that you hit through. Both sensors can track drives, iron shots, pitches and putts.
Video Capture
Both High Definition Golf and Holiday Golf offer options to add cameras that record your swing from the front and down the target line, and software so you can analyze it yourself or send it to a golf professional for a virtual lesson.
Course Rendering
Each manufacturer provides virtual or authentic courses for play, or driving ranges for practice and game analysis. Courses are photographed and mapped just as in popular golf video games and the data picked up from the club- and ball-tracking sensors show the resulting ball flight and landing on the images of the course. Course conditions that affect shots, such as wind and rain, can also be changed with the software.
Special shots
The companies offer mats that will accept regular golf tees and vary in thickness and texture to replicate shots from the rough or sand.
Internet-Enabled
Most systems allow connection to the Internet, allowing for remote support to troubleshoot problems, and to allow players to connect with players around the world for tournaments or long-drive competitions.
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