Estimated simulator handicap to real life conversion

[Monovision]

I know they're different games, and the sim preferentially covers over some real life golf weaknesses, but does anyone have an estimation of converting sim handicap from the tour to real life handicap?

[Jwheels9876]

I'd guess 12 to 15 shots difference once you reach your plateau on the sim. I'm about a 15 in real life and a scratch online. My best round this year is 81 and I'm usually around 85-88 every round outdoors. In the sim I've shot a few under par rounds in the last few weeks

penalties and 3 putts make up probably half that difference lol

[Monovision]

Thanks. That sounds about right to me. I don't play enough outdoors to know for sure. Sim has been a great way to practice and improve at night though!

[BadEddieKit]

I have recreated my local course on TGC and I keep my stats for golf league. Im finding for me, its about 10% difference. So if i shoot a 75 on the sim, its about an 83 irl. That also means an even par round of 72 irl, is about a 65 on the sim..

[Monovision]

Cool info. Thanks!

[mthunt]

I'd guess 12 to 15 shots difference once you reach your plateau on the sim. I'm about a 15 in real life and a scratch online. My best round this year is 81 and I'm usually around 85-88 every round outdoors. In the sim I've shot a few under par rounds in the last few weeks

penalties and 3 putts make up probably half that difference lol

I'm a scratch in the sim and a 1 in real life. I must be doing something wrong. lol

[frodaddy00]

I am guessing the sim covers up more weaknesses of your higher handicap players, such as myself. So, I could easily see it being 10-15 stroke advantage for a hack like myself where its only a stroke or 2 for players like mthunt.

- Always know the exact distance
- Bad lie? I'd usually chunk or skull it but not on sim
- In sand? I may not get out on my first shot much easier on my mat
- Land in the bushes or high rough? Never lost a ball this way in sim
- Leave a putt 6 feet short or blast it 6 feet by? Pick it up its good!

[Monovision]

I think you're onto it, frodaddy. I can spray drives all over the place on sim and not truly get punished by rough or sand. Just take an extra club or two at most. And 6 foot gimmes, for those with this setting on, make a big difference.

[Jwheels9876]

I'm a scratch in the sim and a 1 in real life. I must be doing something wrong. lol

Chipping and putting is way easier in the sim imo. Half my birdies and pars are gimmies if I had to guess. 6 footers are by no means a gimmie IRL and I lose at least 2 shots in penalties a round IRL.

[sb944]

Difference of about 18 or so shots at the moment for me, for reasons mostly mentioned above. The lost shots are spread around, but I'd guess about 1/3rd of the difference is full swing and the remaining shots lost around the green. The gap for full swing I think I can continue to narrow through skytrak use, around the green is going to require more time and effort at the course, which is still very limited at this stage.

[cmckelvmi]

This is very interesting! My handicap IRL according to the Swing X Swing app that I use has me at 11.5 and my TGC tour HC is 16.4. I find the sim to be a mirror image with my driving, mid/long irons, and approach shots. However, my IRL game around the green is much better than what I am able to generate in the simulated rounds. Aside from the rare bladed shot that shoots across the green into the adjacent rough, I don't do that like I do in the sim rounds. I also would never putt the ball 20 feet short or 20 feet past the hole IRL. However, as mentioned above, bunker shots are much easier in the sim. Good topic!

[Gresh12]

I also shoot worse in sim than my IRL handicap of 8. I have 10-12 GIR IRL and in sim but instead of about 32-33 putts IRL I have 40+ in the sim. I don’t make any putts on sim outside of gimmies and it often takes me 2-3 putts to find my way inside 6 feet. IRL I almost never 3 putt because I have good distance control but for whatever reason it doesn’t translate to sim. My sim chipping is also worse but it only costs me about 1 stroke a round on average.

I now play with 2 putts outside the 6 ft gimmies range and shoot roughly my normal scores but no online tour for me. I have a Skytrak and Fiberbuilt which I don’t think helps but I think most of it is me not being able to judge distance based on a number versus standing on the green.

[Jwheels9876]

I'm surprised people chip better IRL when you get the same exact lie every time in your sim. If anything it's made me struggle outdoors because I'm used to a certain swing off my mat chipping and that doesn't work all the time IRL. You get varying rough lengths and lies outside that you'll never replicate indoors.

[mthunt]

The thing about sim golf is once you get the short game down it gets pretty easy to chip.

[doublebogey]

I agree 10-18 strokes differential seems about right...