Golf Simulator Games for Kids

[hamerg]

Hi,

I need to keep my 6 year old golfer interested in our SkyTrak golf simulator. He is golf mad and it's still difficult to get him to leave from a real course without tears! We have TGC and I have found (and made) some shorter courses for him, but unless I am there playing alongside him, he will lose interest and either start pinging plastic balls around the living room or play TGC on the Xbox with the controller, where he can hit the ball 300 yards rather than 100 yards.

It seems like there is a real lack of engaging golf simulator software for kids:
- hard to find short courses.
- hard to find suitable opponents.
- multiple players not properly supported & handicaps getting messed up.
- minimal feedback on shots and scores - got a birdie? All you get is a subtle comment on the audio and the scorecard shown on the screen - there's no BIRDIE! and congratulatory music like you would find in a fun mobile golf game (e.g. Golf Clash, Mini Golf King).

There needs to be a whole different UI for kids, where the adult stuff is hidden and everything is big and bold, encouraging and rewarding - and where it is tailored to the range that they can hit the ball (not necessarily age). It needs to keep their scores and allow them to see progress.

I have tried the Creative Golf demo, and there is a bit more kid focus there, but really, it isn't a "fun game for kids" in my book. The demo is so restrictive that I haven't even bothered showing it to him, because it will just annoy him.

We often play the SkyTrak built-in challenges, but there is no longevity to it, you do your 3 or 6 shots and then it is done, there isn't even a high score table or any persistent challenge for him.

Are there any other games that I'm missing?

Is WGT & SkyTrak any good for kids, or would it be a disaster because he can only drive the ball 100 yards?

Any other ideas?

[Peteraiden10]

Have you looked at creative 3D golf for skytrak it has a few other games than on golf courses
I would not go near wgt have it and it is not good at all

[Mirek_62]

CG3D has everything you need (just missing the online game). There is a course suitable for children (short holes), standard minigolf, adventure golf, lego course, demolition golf (points for broken windows - my son loves this part), islands (game on islands at different distances) and so on. You can play nearest to pin on any 3PAR hole available at "adult" courses. Most courses have tee for juniors.
This program is also used by our PRO in children's training on a commercial indoor simulator.

[gnomike]

hamerg Have you discovered anything new since you wrote your OP? My 5yo is finally starting to get excited about golf, and I was wondering if CG3D was the way to go. The funny thing is that I just got my simulator up and running, and that is was got him to finally get excited about golf... but outside! Outside golf didn't get him excited about golf, but video golf did. How backwards is that, lol? Anyway, now I want to fuel his new passion with both angles...

PS - what are some of the good shorter courses that you've found?

[hamerg]

It looks like ProTee Play is the way to go for kids.

https://proteeplay.com/