With millions of golfers finding the joys of playing golf indoors, there's more interest in golf simulators and indoor golf than ever. Having an indoor golf setup is a great way to pass some time, either playing simulator golf by yourself or with your family.
However, for a lot of people, spending thousands of dollars on a golf simulator is just not in the budget -- either normally or especially now.
(DISCLOSURE: Golf News Net is a member of Rain or Shine Golf's affiliate program, and we may earn a percentage of sales from purchases made through our links. We think they're great and can help you with your setup, regardless of budget or space constraints.)
The good news is that you can get a basic, portable golf simulator setup in your home for under $1,000.
The OptiShot 2 is the lowest-priced mass-produced golf simulator in the market, coming in at $449. The OptiShot 2 uses infrared sensors on a special golf mat to detect when a shot is hit and record a variety of data points about the shot that is then visualized through its software. There are a variety of replicated famous championship golf courses -- though they can't legally use the names -- and range functionality with various games to work on your game.
You can play on OptiShot using a real golf ball or provided foam balls.
Like with any golf simulator setup, you're going to need more than the OptiShot 2 unit and the software loaded onto it (that connects via USB to a PC or Mac). You'll also need a net of some kind, and perhaps other accessories like a bigger mat and a projector. With a more feature-filled setup, you can spend several thousand dollars, and that may mean you look at other units like SkyTrak, which offers more features but costs nearly seven times as much for the base unit.
However, if you're on a budget or want to dip your toes into the golf-simulator water, the OptiShot 2 is a great way to get an indoor golf setup in your home.
