Virtual Golf

Went and played a round of virtual golf last night at a new place that opened here.

Full Swing Golf Simulators

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are for keeping your game together during winter?

I enjoyed it but found the short game very strange, like 60 yard chips were near impossible to judge ( i hit a half shot with a 55 degree wedge and it flew over the green for a total of 125 yards? )

Putting on this one has to be set for 6,8 or 10 foot gimmes but even at that had a ton of three puts as i couldn't get used to not having a "real" view of the putt in front of me.

It seems to read the spin on a ball  a bit to much, like the guy i went with has a great draw in all his drives with an avg distance of 280 yards ( on real courses ) but the sim kept reading them as massive hooks.

i also hit a lovely 90 yard approach to within a foot of the pin only to have it spin back 55 yards! We thought it was downhill but when we saw the area of the green it happened on it was actually up hill. I ended up pitching it again from the heavy rough.

Played the old course at saint andrews and scored a 99 lol.. there are of course parts of the game u cannot simulate but I think it has benefits over just the range for winter.

Thoughts?

that's disappointing.. i always wanted to play on a simulator, and actually have one in my house after i won the lotto.  living in so cal, i don't need a winter solution, but one for nights would be great.. after the family goes to bed, knock out a round real quick.  those things you mentioned make it sound more like playing a video game then playing golf.  and tiger woods masters is much cheaper then a simulator.

My playing group also uses the simulators in the winter. You have to take them with a grain so salt. Although technology towards simulators has improved its definelty not %100 accurate. But they are a reason to get out of the house, have a couple beer and swing the golf clubs when its -30 and a blizzard outside. I like them just for the fact that I can retain mostly everything I worked on this year over the winter and not feel I am starting from scratch come spring.

thats the thing, I only started playing a few months back and feel i have made progress, I dont want to stop or seriously slow down for fear that i start to lose what little "skill" i have

I've signed up to play 2 hours next week at my courses new simulator.  I've played around with it a couple times.  Seems like it's better at helping you see what's happening with your swing, as far as speed, how the clubface positioned at impact vs. actually simulating a real golf game.  I'm looking forward to it.

I've played on fullswing golf simulators for a few years.  The spin thing is because hitting off the mat the ball will roll up the face a little to much and if the greens are on soft will spin like crazy.  You should change the greens to moderate to get a more realistic.  Also if you blade or hit a shot into the screen to low it will register like that.  As far as accuracy its decent I find I hit my irons about a half club long and driver shorter.  It also depends on how the screen is tension because that's how fullswing judges the spin. Once you get use to the putting you can score really low.  I have shot 59 twice and alot of 60s and I have never sniffed that outside.