Tweet
Hey guys. I'm putting in 4 simulators and I'm looking for opinions from people that have played many brands of simulators. I do know I want one of them to have multiple sports. I think my top priorities are #1visuals (realness of what you are looking at on the screen) #2 accuracy of post shot info #3 realistic putting #4 price (35-50k) #5 extras options for driving range and/or games within golf #6 extras like different ways to simulate different lies and shots #7 AUGUSTA NATIONAL #8 if I get multi sport one i.e. Swing Track, I'd like to get something similar to that with E6 also. Thanks in advance.
-
-
I've built over a dozen indoor sim centres and have owned 4 myself... can give you a few tips
1. TGC has best visuals
2. SkyTrak, GC2/GCQ are best for indoors
3. As above althought everyone hates putting on sims
4. That budget is WAAAAYYYYY too high. If you have money to burn, I'll give you my bank details
5. Skytrakhas a great range of range and skill sets
6. Waste of time
7. TGC
8. Multisport is a waste of time and money - the market for Golfers vs kicking a soccer ball intoa screen is VERY different.
If you want more (a lot more) detail, happy to answer more questions or PM me.
247 - Golf . com if you want to see a set up for 20k for 2 sim turnkey business
[url]http://www.24-7.golf[/url]
AUS: +61390057975
USA : +14698449353
Flightscope and SkyTrak Distributor -
I think Willie was suggesting 35-50k for 4 sims, no?
Very wise to listen to Igor - too many sim centers disappear from overspending on inferior equipment.
To give you the viewpoint of someone who much prefers JNPG in his home simulator, I also agree TGC would be better suited for a sim center. It's a nice combination of a professional looking interface and good enough play for the visitor. E6 is nice and intuitive for the first time user, but just looks too dated and gets expensive. JNPG of course will have more realistic courses being mostly created from laser scans of the course, and I personally prefer their look, but TGC gives a bit more bling.
I can't say I've ever seen the price of commercial TGC licenses though, but JNPG's are trivial if that's anything to go by. Also not sure of use of user made courses in a commercial environment that hopefully Igor or ProTee can fill you in on.
GC2 vs SkyTrak - I have both and although GC2 leaves SkyTrak for dead as far for giving the most believable golf experience, it would be overkill for a sim center. SkyTrak gives a good enough results for a social hit, the range/GIP sofware is impressive and professional looking, and the price can't be beat. GC2's software is very expensive. GCQ to my knowledge doesn't support any 3rd party software yet like E6, TGC or JNPG. The hundreds of posts you read here of users with problems with SkyTrak are typically new users, but once you get it happy, you'll be good. SkyTrak's flash also doesn't need replacing - GC2's replacement flashes are expensive and won't last long in a busy center.
Simulating different lies with bunker mats etc doesn't really work in JNPG and I assume not TGC or E6 because you're already getting punished by the lie in the game - so you'd be doubly punishing yourself. Same with lie boards like Golfzon - which are only suitable for Golfzon's software which doesn't doubly punish. Fragile equipment, expensive to fix, just not worth it.
Also agree you're worrying too much about putting for a sim center, despite myself and others I play with on tour loving putting. We would feel like it's just not a serious game of golf without it, as it's culmination of every shot on the hole before it. SkyTrak is amply good enough for putting if the game software helps its accuracy along. Nothing bar endlessly trying to get out of the woods has made me not return to sim centers as chipping or hitting putts backwards and forwards across the green.Last edited by shimonko; 12-05-2017, 12:55 PM.Comment
-
The best is Golfzon (rated #1 in Golf Digest) as long as you're willing to spend 50k on each system. Second is Trackman or Flightscope. Third is GC2.
It includes everything you want: great accuracy (approved and used by KLPGA), great visuals, different game modes, auto tee-up, elevation floor, sand/rough/fairway mats.
The reason why GC2 is third in my opinion for your case is, because you need to either have two of those for both right/left handers, or need to keep moving those unit left and right to accommodate left/right users. But Golfzon, Trackman, Flightscope and other camera systems don't require movement. But GC2 is very accurate than those other camera systems. To be honest if you don't care about accuracy I say go with other cheaper systems too. But in terms of accuracy and within 35k-50k budget I would say Golfzon,Trackman,Flightscope,GC2 are the best in my opinion. (I excluded GC Quad because you can't use other software).
Go type Golfzon on Youtube and you'll see a lot of videos. Here is one example where Koreans use it (indoor simulator is so popular in Korea it's like a Karaoke).
Check out 12:00 for elevation floor.
Last edited by LEO MODE; 12-05-2017, 07:23 AM.Comment
-
Golfzon was #1 in the Luxury category, SkyTrak was #1 in the Value category. I doubt any real testing was done however if the entire simulator awards were given 2 paragraphs of magazine real estate. I did enjoy Golfzon better then the previous years luxury #1, FullSwing, though.
Difference to the user? I enjoyed SkyTrak and JNPG more than Golfzon, but that's a longer term thing playing in Tours rather than a casual visit. My golf balls often stick to my screen upon impact so have a good idea of how inaccurate SkyTrak can be with its weak point, HLA. SkyTrak also publish their accuracies despite them not being that flattering. Last time I searched for accuracies for Golfzon I found nothing.
Cost? Well Igor stays afloat charging AUD13/person/week for unlimited sim use, yet my local Golfzon is AUD39/person/18 holes. (btw no affiliation with Igor, never transacted with him and live interstate). There is no way I'd pay $39 for 18 holes more than an initial time to check it out. Lefties and righties is definitely a concern but there are ways to alleviate it.Comment
-
Started out typing a long post, ended up cutting and pasting it to Word after realizing that I had a lot of thoughts. Will post it later (or send in private).
Golf sim as a business is something that I have thought a bit about. Not seriously, other than crunching a lot of numbers.
I'm really hoping that you are looking at $35-50K total and not per station.
You need to start the business plan with:
1. What can I reasonably charge per hour, per station?; and
2. How many hours per week can I reasonably expect the simulators to be utilized?
Next consideration is operating costs. Rent, employees, utilities, advertising, and most importantly insurance.
Finally, you think about the other build out costs (e.g. a front counter, making it look nice inside, etc).
Will this be a stand-alone facility, or will it also be a bar and grill? I have mixed thoughts on that. Golf alone is tough as a single source of income. But insurance may be an issue if you serve alcohol.
Then, circle back to sim equipment. I will say this. If you plan to go $140-$200K in the hole on four simulators alone, you better be located in or near an ultra-high-net worth zip code. Think NYC, Greenwich CT, Scottsdale, etc. Otherwise, not a snowballs chance in hell that you don't lose your shirt.
Strongly consider the suggestions about left-hander friendly options like ProTee or other ceiling-mounted, camera bases stuff. If you do something like Skytrak, GC2 or Trackman, you need a quality video surveillance system, period. Stuff like that can walk out the door VERY easily, especially in a location that gets crowded with bar business.
As much as we may like it, golf is declining in popularity, and is perhaps not the best vehicle for business ventures. That said, a sim center is a far better investment than a course or a driving range right now.
Comment
-
Check out www.goxgolf.com Several simulators, bar, food, etc. I haven't tried it yet (San Antonio)...but it looks awfully reasonable...cheap to play...and it appears to be camera based. It looks they hope to make a profit from the bar and food. It is in a high falutin area where you see fancy cars, Ferraris, etc.Comment
-
Top of the line HDGolf http://hdgolf.com/hd-golf-simulator/ (very expensive) Or TruGolf has several variations of their sims. Here are their permanent models: https://trugolf.com/simulators/built-in/
Also, I can't imagine opening up a Golf Sim business with SkyTrak. Way too many duffers out there that will KILL that machine. That Said, not a bad back up if you Sim goes down.--
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?Comment
-
It seems to be a tough business to get into. I'd say your best chance for success is to open a restaurant, that also has golf simulators. The problem is, then you're running a restaurant, when you're love is for the golf. It also seems that reliability would be a concern as well, paying customers might not be so forgiving for a PC that crashes mid round, or when the launch monitor needs to be reconnected to the interface.. Im with ya though, sounds great in theory!
*Not a SIM business owner myself, just an outsider perspective.Last edited by BadEddieKit; 12-05-2017, 04:16 PM.Comment
-
i have a friend who owns a golf sim business has two bays and rents them out in his real life business i think he gets ok activity but he gets better business out of being a chiropractor and physical therapist, kind of a weird guy now that i think about it. but pull a muscle playing golf walk 30 feet and get adjusted.Comment
-
I have taken lessons on an HDGolf setup. Whole wall projector. Good part is that on that setup you can aim pretty far left and right. The downside of that system is that you need to play with reflective tape on the balls to pick up spin, and I noticed a lot of spin misreads which leads to occasionally very inaccurate shots when the tape was wearing out. Hard to picture a good ROI on that unless you could buy it used. On Skytrak, I have one at home, I too would be afraid to allow beginning golfers or kids anywhere near a Skytrak. I'm leery of even inviting friends over to my house to play on it.Originally posted by mikemcd22 View PostComment
-
This is X-Golf... $50k PER BAY ... and MUCH worse than GolfZon... I agree GolfZon is best in luxury mode... a friend of mine owns a GolfZon centre here in Melbourne. I run unmanned golf centres using Skytrak and TGC. Works like a charm with almost no operating costs. Most golf centers I know have etiher gone out of business or going out of business due to overcapitalisation and too high opEx.Originally posted by Dan McWhirter View Post
Also, as sim prices come down (such as SkyTrak) more and more will go to home use. For Example: I also sell SkyTraks... this year I sold mroe skytraks than I signed up members in my shop. I think that trend will only accelerate. Why pay $$$ when you can have it with you all the time.
Also... if you want a golf "bar"... like I see many people open... just buy a bloody Pub and put a few sims in there... not the other way around!!! lol[url]http://www.24-7.golf[/url]
AUS: +61390057975
USA : +14698449353
Flightscope and SkyTrak DistributorComment
-
I ran a study of existing indoor golf centers asking what drove their choice of simulator. Choice of simulator was primarily driven by realistic graphics, ease of use along with good service and support. While not included as a choice in the survey, several centers reported that shot accuracy also played a key in their choice of brand. I attached a chart of the responses on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important. I have not run any sort of satisfaction survey by brand, but I thought this might be helpful to you.Comment
-
Hmmm, I haven't seen were reflective tape is used for their top of the line sims... but I have never hit on them either. I have looked through much of their online information and don't see that anywhere. Are we sure it's the same units as seen here: http://hdgolf.com/hd-golf-simulator/Originally posted by A.West View Post
And I couldn't agree with you more about Skytrak. Had someone hit it the other day and had a panic attack!!!--
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?Comment
-
My skytraks have been hit hundreds of times... never had to replace one.
[url]http://www.24-7.golf[/url]
AUS: +61390057975
USA : +14698449353
Flightscope and SkyTrak DistributorComment
Comment