Golf Simulator vs Driving Range: Which Is Better Value?

You have probably had this debate with yourself already. You are standing at a driving range in February, freezing rain blowing sideways into the covered bay, paying £10 for a bucket of balls you are about to launch into a dark void with zero feedback on where any of them land. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a thought forms: would a home simulator actually save me money?

The answer, for most regular UK golfers, is yes. But it is not a simple yes. The economics depend on how often you play, what you spend now, what tier of simulator you buy, and how honestly you account for the things a range gives you that a simulator does not.

This article runs the real numbers. No hand-waving, no cherry-picked comparisons. We will calculate cost per session for both options, show you the break-even point at every simulator budget tier, compare the quality of practice you actually get, and be straight about the situations where the driving range still wins.

If you have been sitting on the fence, this should give you everything you need to make a clear decision.

What UK Golfers Actually Spend on Range and Course Time

Before we compare anything, we need an honest baseline. What does a regular UK golfer actually spend on practice and play in a typical year?

Let us define "regular" as someone who plays or practises at least twice a week across the year, dropping to once a week or less during the worst winter months. That describes millions of UK club golfers.

Driving Range Costs

UK driving range prices vary by region and facility, but the national average lands squarely in the £8 to £12 per bucket range. A large bucket typically gives you 80 to 100 balls. Premium facilities and those in the South East tend to sit at the top of that range; municipal ranges and those further north are often closer to the bottom.

For the sake of honest maths, we will use £10 per session as our baseline.

A golfer who hits the range twice a week spends:

• £20 per week on range balls
• £1,040 per year on range sessions alone

If you only visit once a week, that halves to £520. If you are the type who goes three times a week through summer and once a week through winter, you are looking at roughly £780 per year. Most regular golfers land somewhere between £520 and £1,040 annually on range fees alone.

Green Fees for Pay-and-Play Rounds

Not every golfer is a club member. Many UK golfers play pay-and-play rounds, visitor rounds, or twilight rates. Typical 2026 UK green fees:

• Municipal courses: £15 to £25 per round
• Mid-range pay-and-play: £25 to £45 per round
• Quality courses with visitor rates: £40 to £80+ per round

If you play 20 to 30 pay-and-play rounds a year at an average of £35 each, that is £700 to £1,050 on green fees. Club members avoid this cost, but they are paying annual subscriptions of £800 to £2,000+ instead.

Travel Costs

Here is the cost most people forget. The average UK driving range is 10 to 15 minutes' drive from home. A golf course might be 15 to 25 minutes away. At current fuel prices (roughly 140p per litre in early 2026), a typical return trip costs £5 to £10 depending on distance and vehicle.

If you drive to the range or course 80 to 100 times a year, travel alone costs £400 to £1,000. And that is before you account for the time spent driving — 30 to 50 minutes per round trip that could have been spent practising instead.

Total Annual Spend for a Regular Golfer

Expense	Low Estimate	Mid Estimate	High Estimate
Driving range sessions	£520 (1x/week)	£780 (1.5x/week)	£1,040 (2x/week)
Green fees or membership	£700	£875	£1,050
Fuel and travel	£400	£600	£1,000
Total per year	£1,620	£2,255	£3,090

Even if we strip out green fees (since a simulator does not replace on-course play entirely) and focus purely on the range fees plus travel, a regular golfer spends £920 to £2,040 per year on practice sessions that involve zero data feedback and a significant time investment.

That is the number we are comparing against. Now let us see what a simulator costs per session.

The Cost-Per-Session Calculation

The upfront cost of a golf simulator looks intimidating. But golf equipment is not a one-off purchase — it is an investment you use hundreds of times. The real question is: what does each session cost?

To work this out fairly, we need to assume a reasonable lifespan for the equipment (5 years for the core electronics, 3 to 5 years for consumables like mats and screens) and a realistic usage frequency. We will use 3 sessions per week — which is actually conservative for most simulator owners, since the convenience of a home setup means they use it more than they ever visited the range.

That gives us roughly 150 sessions per year, or 750 sessions over five years.

Tier 1: Practice Net + Launch Monitor (£500 to £800)

This is the entry point. A quality practice net like the EazyNet Golf Practice Net at £279.99, a budget launch monitor like the PRGR HS-130A at £219.99, and a decent hitting mat. Total outlay: roughly £600 to £800.

Metric	Net + Monitor Setup	Driving Range
Upfront cost	£600-£800	£0
Cost per session (year 1, 150 sessions)	£4.00-£5.33	£10.00 + travel
Cost per session (year 2 onwards)	Effectively £0	£10.00 + travel
Break-even point	60-80 sessions (5-7 months)

At this level, you break even in under six months of regular use. After that, every session is free. The data from a budget launch monitor is limited — you will get ball speed and estimated carry, but not full spin data — but it is still infinitely more feedback than a driving range gives you, which is none at all.

Tier 2: Entry-Level Simulator Bundle (£1,779 to £2,498)

This is where the experience starts to feel genuinely premium. The Forza Game Improvement Bundle at £1,778.98 gets you a net, mat, and launch monitor in one tested package. The FlightScope Mevo Gen2 Bundle at £2,498 includes a high-quality radar launch monitor, enclosure with impact screen, hitting mat, and everything you need for a complete simulator setup with projected course play.

Metric	Entry Bundle (£2,498)	Driving Range
Upfront cost	£2,498	£0
Cost per session (year 1, 150 sessions)	£16.65	£10.00 + travel
Cost per session (year 2 onwards, amortised over 5 years)	£3.33	£10.00 + travel
Break-even point vs range + travel (£15/visit)	167 sessions (~20 months)

A Mevo Gen2 Bundle breaks even in roughly 20 months when compared against range fees plus travel costs of £15 per visit. If you are currently spending more than that per trip — and many golfers in the South East or those driving further certainly are — you break even sooner.

Crucially, from month 20 onwards, every session saves you £15. Over the remaining three-plus years of the equipment's life, that is over £6,750 in avoided range and travel costs.

Tier 3: Mid-Range Premium (£5,289)

The Foresight GC3S Bundle at £5,289 is the serious golfer's choice. Photometric camera technology gives you tour-grade spin and launch data. The enclosure and screen are premium quality. This is the setup that club fitters and PGA professionals use.

Metric	GC3S Bundle (£5,289)	Driving Range
Upfront cost	£5,289	£0
Cost per session (amortised over 5 years, 750 sessions)	£7.05	£10.00 + travel
Break-even point vs range + travel (£15/visit)	353 sessions (~2.5 years)

Even a £5,289 setup breaks even in under three years. And after that break-even point, you are saving £15 per session on a setup that gives you professional-grade data, unlimited practice time, and course play from your garage.

Tier 4: Premium Bundle (£7,999)

At the top end, the Full Swing KIT Bundle at £7,999 delivers the same overhead camera technology used by Tiger Woods in his personal studio. This is an uncompromising setup.

Metric	Full Swing KIT Bundle (£7,999)	Driving Range
Upfront cost	£7,999	£0
Cost per session (amortised over 5 years, 750 sessions)	£10.67	£10.00 + travel
Break-even point vs range + travel (£15/visit)	533 sessions (~3.5 years)

Even the most expensive bundle on our site breaks even within four years. After that, you are looking at another two or three years of use before major replacements are needed, during which every session is effectively free.

Break-Even Summary

Simulator Tier	Upfront Cost	Break-Even (vs £15/visit range + travel)	5-Year Savings vs Range
Net + launch monitor	£600-£800	5-7 months	£10,450-£10,650
Forza Bundle	£1,779	~14 months	£9,471
Mevo Gen2 Bundle	£2,498	~20 months	£8,752
GC3S Bundle	£5,289	~2.5 years	£5,961
Full Swing KIT Bundle	£7,999	~3.5 years	£3,251

Five-year savings assume 150 sessions per year at £15 per range visit (range fee + travel), minus the simulator cost. Annual software subscription of £200 has been factored in for bundle tiers.

For a deeper dive into component costs, hidden expenses, and financing options, see our complete guide to golf simulator costs in the UK.

Data and Feedback: Where the Range Cannot Compete

The financial argument alone is compelling. But the real case for a simulator over a driving range is not about money. It is about the quality of practice you get for your time.

What a Driving Range Gives You

Be honest about what happens at a typical UK outdoor driving range:

• Zero ball flight data. You have no idea what your ball speed was, what your spin rate was, what your launch angle was, or what your carry distance actually was. You watch the ball fly, estimate where it lands (if you can even see it beyond 150 yards in UK light conditions), and move on
• Inaccurate distance perception. Range yard markers are notoriously unreliable. Some ranges inflate their markers to make golfers feel good. Others use worn-out markers you can barely read. And range balls fly 10 to 15% shorter than premium balls, so every distance judgement you make on the range is wrong anyway
• No dispersion data. You might hit 50 7-irons and feel like you were "pretty consistent". But without a measured dispersion pattern, you have no idea whether your spread was 10 yards or 40 yards. Feelings are not data
• No shot shape information. Was that a 2-yard fade or an 8-yard fade? From 150 yards away, staring at a white dot against the sky, you genuinely cannot tell
• No record of improvement. You cannot track your performance over weeks and months because there is nothing to track. Every session exists in isolation

You are, in essence, paying £10 to swing a club in a general direction with no meaningful feedback. It feels like practice. It mostly is not.

What a Simulator Gives You

Every single shot on a simulator is captured and measured. Depending on your launch monitor, you get some or all of the following on every swing:

• Ball speed — the single best indicator of how well you struck the ball
• Launch angle — tells you about your angle of attack and dynamic loft
• Spin rate — backspin and, on better monitors, side spin and spin axis
• Carry distance — how far the ball flies in the air, measured to the yard
• Total distance — carry plus roll, accounting for landing angle and spin
• Club path and face angle — on many mid-range and above monitors, telling you exactly why the ball went where it did
• Dispersion pattern — your shots plotted on a virtual range, showing you the exact spread and any directional bias
• Shot history — data from every session saved and available for comparison

This is the difference between guessing and knowing. Between hoping you are improving and watching the numbers prove it week by week.

Why Data Changes Everything for Improvement

Here is a practical example. You decide your 7-iron is inconsistent. At the range, you hit 50 balls and "work on it." Some feel good, some feel bad. You leave feeling vaguely better. Nothing measurable has changed.

On a simulator, you hit 20 balls with your 7-iron. The data shows your average carry is 148 yards with a standard deviation of 11 yards. Your spin ranges from 5,200 to 7,800 RPM. Three shots launched at 8 degrees (too low — you hit them thin). Now you know the problem: strike inconsistency is producing a 2,600 RPM spin range and a 22-yard carry range. That is why your 7-iron is unreliable.

Next session, you focus specifically on striking the ball on the centre of the face. Your spin range tightens to 1,400 RPM. Your carry range drops to 14 yards. You have improved by a measurable, trackable amount. Over four weeks of targeted work, you cut your 7-iron dispersion by 40%.

That is the kind of improvement that is simply impossible to achieve without data. And a driving range, by definition, provides none.

For structured practice routines built specifically around this data feedback, see our 10 golf simulator practice drills that actually improve your game.

Convenience: The Hidden Multiplier

Money and data are the measurable advantages. Convenience is the one that actually changes your behaviour.

No Travel Time

The average return trip to a UK driving range takes 30 to 50 minutes. That is 30 to 50 minutes of driving that adds nothing to your golf. If you visit the range twice a week, that is 52 to 87 hours per year spent in a car.

With a home simulator, your commute is the walk from your kitchen to your garage. You can be hitting balls within 60 seconds of deciding to practise. That saved time either converts into more practice or more time for everything else in your life.

Practice at Any Time

UK driving ranges typically operate from around 8am to 9pm, with shorter hours in winter. Golf courses have even more restrictive daylight windows — in December, you are finished by 3:30pm.

A home simulator does not care what time it is. Want to hit 50 balls at 6am before work? Done. Want to practise at 11pm after putting the children to bed? No problem. Feel like a quick 20-minute session during your lunch break if you work from home? Step into the garage.

This flexibility is not a luxury — it is the single biggest reason why simulator owners practise more than range-goers. When practice requires zero planning, zero travel, and zero time commitment beyond the practice itself, you do it more often. And more frequent practice, even in shorter sessions, produces better results than occasional marathon range visits.

Weather Independence

This matters enormously in the UK. The country receives an average of 156 rainy days per year. In western and northern regions, that number climbs well above 180. Even covered driving range bays are unpleasant in driving rain and cold wind — frozen fingers do not produce your best golf swing.

A simulator eliminates weather as a factor entirely. Your practice environment is always warm, dry, well-lit, and comfortable. January or July, the conditions are identical. For UK golfers, this alone recovers weeks of practice time that would otherwise be lost to weather.

We covered the full winter case in depth in our article on why a home simulator changes winter golf in the UK.

No Queues, No Waiting

Anyone who has visited a busy driving range on a Saturday morning or a dry evening after work knows the frustration. Fifteen-minute waits for a bay. Being stuck between someone smashing driver next to your head and a beginner having a lesson on the other side. Feeling rushed because there is a queue behind you.

At home, the bay is always free. You never wait. You never feel pressured to hurry up. You can take as long as you want between shots, film your swing from any angle, step away and think, then come back. The psychological comfort of owning your practice environment should not be underestimated.

Practice Quality: Structured vs Random Hitting

Here is a distinction that separates golfers who improve from golfers who just feel busy: structured practice versus random ball-hitting.

The Range Default: Block Practice

At a driving range, the default behaviour is what sports scientists call "block practice". You grab your 7-iron and hit 20 balls. Then 20 balls with your driver. Then 20 with a wedge. Each block feels productive because by the tenth shot, you have grooved a rhythm and the shots start going well.

The problem is that block practice produces artificially good results during the session but poor transfer to the course. On the golf course, you never hit the same club twice in a row. You hit a driver, then wait five minutes, then hit a 7-iron from a different lie to a different target, then chip, then putt. Every shot requires a fresh setup, a different club, and a different distance.

Research in motor learning consistently shows that interleaved practice — mixing up clubs, distances, and shot types randomly — produces significantly better long-term retention and on-course performance, even though it feels harder and less satisfying during the session itself.

What a Simulator Enables

A simulator naturally encourages better practice because the software provides structure. You can:

• Run specific drills with defined targets and scoring systems — not just "hit balls in that direction"
• Switch between random clubs and distances for interleaved practice, with the software tracking your performance at each
• Play virtual rounds that replicate real course management decisions — club selection, risk/reward, shot shaping under pressure
• Track dispersion patterns over time, giving you objective evidence of improvement or decline
• Set specific goals for each session: "I want to hit 12 out of 20 shots within 5 yards of my target carry distance with a 7-iron"

None of this is possible on a driving range. You cannot measure your 7-iron carry to the yard. You cannot see your dispersion pattern. You cannot simulate the pressure of standing on a par 3 tee with water on the left. The simulator turns practice from a vague activity into a measurable training programme.

This is not theoretical. Golfers who follow structured simulator practice routines regularly report 2 to 4 stroke handicap reductions over a single season. The difference is not talent — it is data-driven feedback and structured repetition. For a complete practice programme, see our practice drills guide.

Playing Virtual Courses: Something the Range Cannot Offer

A driving range is, by definition, a range. You hit balls at a field. There is no hole, no fairway, no consequence for a bad shot, and no reward for a great one.

Simulator software like GSPro, E6 Connect, and Awesome Golf gives you access to thousands of real and fictional golf courses that you can play as full rounds, with every shot tracked and every score counted. Play St Andrews on a Tuesday evening. Take on Pebble Beach before breakfast. Compete against friends in an online fourball, each hitting from their own simulators at home.

This matters for practice because course play develops skills that range hitting does not:

• Course management: When to hit driver and when to lay up. How to play a dogleg. Where the safe miss is on an approach
• Mental resilience: Hitting a shot that matters, with a score on the line, engages your brain differently than range balls
• Shot variety: A round demands drives, long irons, approach shots, wedge pitches, and every shape and trajectory in between. No two shots are the same
• Pressure performance: Can you hit a 150-yard approach over water when you are two under through 14? That is a skill you can only develop by experiencing it

The entertainment value alone is substantial. Simulator golf is genuinely fun — for you, for your partner, for your children, for your mates. Closest-to-the-pin challenges, longest drive competitions, TopGolf-style mini-games, and full 18-hole rounds all turn your practice setup into a social entertainment system.

The Social Factor: When the Range Wins

This is where we stop selling and start being honest. A driving range is not just a practice facility. For many golfers, it is a social outlet. And that matters.

What the Range Gives You That a Simulator Does Not

• A reason to leave the house. For golfers who work from home or spend a lot of time indoors, the drive to the range and the time spent outside has genuine mental health value
• Casual social interaction. Bumping into club mates, chatting to the person in the next bay, grabbing a coffee afterwards. These small social moments add up, especially for golfers who live alone or whose partners do not play
• The outdoor experience. Hitting a golf ball and watching it fly through actual sky, feeling real wind, hearing it land on real grass — there is a sensory richness to outdoor practice that no screen can replicate
• Fresh air and daylight. In a country where seasonal affective disorder is common, time spent outdoors in natural light has genuine health benefits, even on a cloudy day
• Professional instruction. Most ranges offer PGA professional lessons. A face-to-face lesson with a qualified coach is worth more than any amount of solo simulator time for fixing fundamental swing issues

The Simulator Social Experience

That said, the "simulators are antisocial" argument is overstated. Modern simulator software supports online multiplayer, meaning you can play a full round with friends who have their own setups, each hitting from home. Many golfers run winter leagues, knockout competitions, and regular fourball sessions this way.

In-person simulator golf is also genuinely social. Having mates round for a virtual round on St Andrews, with drinks and banter and a closest-to-the-pin side bet, is a brilliant evening. The whole family can play — including non-golfers, who often enjoy the novelty more than you would expect.

The social gap exists, but it is narrower than most people assume.

When the Driving Range Still Wins

We sell simulators. We believe in them. But we also believe in honest advice, and there are situations where the driving range is the right choice:

1. You Do Not Have the Space

A minimum viable simulator setup needs roughly 3 metres wide by 3 metres deep by 2.5 metres high (10ft x 10ft x 8ft 2in). A full projected setup with enclosure ideally wants more like 3.5m x 4.5m x 2.7m. If your home, garage, and garden cannot accommodate those dimensions, a simulator is not practical right now. Check our room size guide for exact requirements.

2. You Play Fewer Than Once a Week

The economics of a simulator depend on frequency. If you play golf once a fortnight and visit the range once a month, your annual spend on practice is probably under £400. At that rate, even a budget simulator takes years to pay for itself, and the equipment may sit unused for long stretches. The range makes more financial sense for very casual golfers.

3. You Primarily Need Short Game Practice

Simulators excel at full-swing practice but have limitations with chipping and putting. You cannot replicate the feel of chipping off real grass, reading a real green, or playing a bunker shot. If your biggest scoring weakness is within 50 yards of the green, you may benefit more from time on a real short game area than from simulator sessions.

4. You Are a Complete Beginner

If you are genuinely new to golf, invest in lessons with a PGA professional before investing in a simulator. A qualified coach will build your fundamentals far faster than any amount of solo practice, and most coaches operate out of driving ranges. Once you have a functional swing and understand the basics, a simulator becomes an incredible accelerator. But it is not the right starting point for someone who has never held a club.

5. The Outdoor Experience Is What You Are Really After

Some golfers do not go to the range to improve. They go because they love being outside, hitting a golf ball, and switching off from everything else for an hour. If that resonates with you, no simulator will replace it. The fresh air, the sky, the sound of a well-struck ball disappearing into the distance — a screen cannot reproduce that experience.

The Verdict by Budget Level

Here is our honest recommendation based on what we see from UK golfers every day.

If You Spend Under £500/Year on Range and Practice

Stick with the range. Your usage does not justify the investment. If you want to improve your practice quality, consider adding a standalone launch monitor like the PRGR HS-130A at £219.99 or the FlightScope Mevo Gen2 at £1,199 that you take to the range for data feedback. You get the best of both worlds — outdoor practice with real data.

If You Spend £500 to £1,000/Year on Range and Practice

A net-and-monitor setup is a strong choice. For £600 to £800 upfront, you break even within a year and gain unlimited practice at home with data feedback. You can still visit the range for the outdoor experience when you want to — but your workhorse practice happens at home, with data, at your convenience. The Forza Game Improvement Bundle at £1,778.98 is a step up that adds a proper enclosure and net system.

If You Spend £1,000 to £2,000/Year on Range, Green Fees, and Travel

This is the sweet spot for a simulator bundle. The FlightScope Mevo Gen2 Bundle at £2,498 gives you accurate radar-based tracking, a complete enclosure, and access to virtual courses. You break even within two years and then save over £1,000 per year indefinitely. The practice quality is incomparably better than the range, and the convenience means you will practise more.

This is what we recommend to the majority of our customers, and the feedback is consistently the same: "I wish I had done this two years ago."

If You Spend Over £2,000/Year on Golf Practice and Play

A premium simulator pays for itself faster than you think. The Foresight GC3S Bundle at £5,289 delivers tour-grade data accuracy. The Full Swing KIT Bundle at £7,999 is the same technology used by professional golfers. At your spending level, even these premium setups break even within three to four years — and the data quality means your practice is genuinely professional-grade.

Regardless of Budget: The Hybrid Approach

The best approach for most golfers is not simulator instead of the range. It is simulator plus occasional range visits. Use the simulator for data-driven technical practice — distance gapping, dispersion work, spin consistency, structured drills. Visit the range for the outdoor experience, social golf, and short game work that a simulator cannot replicate.

You will visit the range less often (saving money), but each range visit will be more enjoyable because it is a choice rather than your only option. And your home practice sessions will be dramatically more productive because every shot is measured, tracked, and purposeful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a golf simulator really worth the money?

For a golfer who practises at least twice a week, yes. The financial break-even point ranges from 5 months (budget net + monitor) to 3.5 years (premium bundle) when compared against UK driving range fees and travel costs. Beyond the money, the data quality, convenience, and weather independence make a simulator dramatically more effective for improvement than the same time spent at a range. Our complete buyer's guide covers the full decision framework.

How much does it cost per session to use a home golf simulator?

Amortised over a five-year lifespan at 150 sessions per year, a budget net-and-monitor setup costs around £0.80 to £1.07 per session. An entry bundle like the Mevo Gen2 at £2,498 works out at about £3.33 per session. A premium GC3S Bundle at £5,289 comes to roughly £7.05 per session. All of these are cheaper than a typical UK driving range session of £10 plus travel.

Can a simulator replace the driving range completely?

For full-swing practice with data feedback, yes — a simulator is superior to the range in every measurable way. For the outdoor experience, casual social interaction, and short game practice on real grass, no. Most simulator owners still visit the range occasionally, but far less frequently than before. The hybrid approach — simulator for technical work, range for outdoor enjoyment — is what most people settle into.

Do I need a big space for a golf simulator?

You need a minimum of about 3m x 3m x 2.5m (width x depth x height) for a basic hitting setup. A full projected simulator with enclosure works best in a space of 3.5m x 4.5m x 2.7m or larger. Garages, spare rooms, and garden rooms are the most common UK locations. See our room size guide for detailed minimum dimensions.

What data does a golf simulator give you that a driving range does not?

Every shot on a simulator is measured. Depending on your launch monitor, you get ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance, total distance, club path, face angle, and dispersion patterns. A driving range gives you none of this. You watch the ball fly into a field with no measurable feedback. Even the best range session cannot tell you your carry distance to the yard or your spin rate to the RPM.

How long before a golf simulator pays for itself?

At UK driving range costs of £10 per session plus £5 travel, a net-and-monitor setup (£600-£800) breaks even in about 5-7 months. An entry simulator bundle (£2,498) breaks even in around 20 months. A premium bundle (£5,289) breaks even in roughly 2.5 years. Even the most expensive bundles on the market break even within 4 years. After the break-even point, every session is effectively free.

What is the best value golf simulator for UK golfers?

For the best balance of data accuracy, complete setup quality, and value for money, the FlightScope Mevo Gen2 Bundle at £2,498 is our most popular choice. It includes a proven radar launch monitor with accurate spin data, a full enclosure with impact screen, and a quality hitting mat. It breaks even against range costs in under two years and gives you professional-grade practice at home. See our launch monitor comparison for a detailed breakdown of accuracy at each price point.

Can I improve my handicap faster on a simulator than at the range?

Yes. The combination of measurable data, structured practice routines, and higher practice frequency (because convenience removes barriers) means simulator owners typically improve faster than range-only golfers. A realistic expectation for a committed golfer following structured practice is a 2-4 stroke handicap reduction over a full season. The key is structured practice, not just hitting balls — see our practice drills guide for routines that produce real improvement.

The Bottom Line

A driving range is not a bad way to practise golf. It is an accessible, familiar, and social option that has served golfers well for decades. But it is expensive, time-consuming, weather-dependent, and provides zero data feedback. For a golfer who wants to actually improve, it is a remarkably inefficient use of time and money.

A home simulator costs more upfront. But it pays for itself in one to four years depending on the tier, gives you unlimited practice with professional-grade data, fits around your schedule rather than the other way round, and works perfectly in January when the range is a cold, dark, miserable experience.

The golfers who arrive at spring already in form, hitting their numbers, confident over every club? They are not spending November to March freezing at the range. They are practising at home, in comfort, with data on every shot, three or four times a week.

If you are ready to make the switch, browse our full range of golf simulator bundles or start with our complete UK buyer's guide if you want help choosing the right setup for your space and budget.