Right now, the hottest trend in golf may be golf simulators, particularly those used at home. Everyone is talking about getting one or how much fun golf is inside when the weather outside is too cold, too wet, or both.
The indoor simulator market is growing by leaps and bounds, as was shown in a recent study by Straits Research.
“The golf simulator business is booming,” says Joe Neumeyer, founder and managing partner of Toledo, Ohio-based Ace Indoor Golf. “It was valued at $1.3 billion worldwide this past year and is expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2030. Both commercial and residential installations saw significant growth in 2022.”
Ensuring you install the simulator that fits your needs and budget can be a daunting. Items like the enclosure, projectors, nets, matting, and screen have to be considered and installed correctly for everything to work properly.
There are two choices for establishing your indoor golf paradise: doing it yourself or having professionals design and install the whole package to your specifications.
The integration of the disparate parts into one smoothly functioning whole is the key to success.
We talked with Ace Indoor Golf, a leading golf simulator manufacturer and retailer, about the factors to consider when deciding between the two. The company sells, designs, installs, and provides maintenance of golf simulators to businesses, golf clubs, individuals, golf teams, sim manufacturers, and the most prominent golf retailers. The company offers turnkey custom-designed solutions and “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY), off-the-shelf packages that fit golfers’ needs at every price point.
The first factor to consider is knowing your room and layout.
One component of the layout is the projector’s aspect ratio or the projected image’s ratio, height to width, and this is critical to giving the best resolution or image quality.
According to Neumeyer, “Aspect ratio is something that if you don’t know what you’re doing, you end up putting up a screen and buying a projector only to discover you have big black bars on the top and bottom and it just doesn’t look realistic. A lot of thought goes into whether your space is better for 4:3 or 16:10. Getting the right projector at the right throw distance to fill the screen can be challenging. Is your projector bright enough if you want to have your lights on while you’re playing or have some ambient light? There are numerous questions, and there’s no way you’re going to prepare for all of them, but a professional installer knows what to expect.”
Safety is the second consideration.
Protecting you, your friends, and your house from errant shots, ricochets or balls that pass through or around the enclosure is critical. Enclosures need the proper screen, framing, curtains, side netting, pads, and baffles to eliminate potential injury for everyone around it.
Dr. Harry Brandt, an Ace Indoor Golf customer and the founder of the largest golf simulator Facebook group, commented, “Safety is a concern of mine. I see a lot of do-it-yourselfers’ sims and think, ‘Somebody’s going to get killed in that thing.’ They’re either going to take a rebound or some kid is going to get hit with a golf club. So there are some safety issues that people might not think of that are really important. But you get a guy like Joe and his team from Ace involved and they’ve done hundreds, if not thousands, of simulators and they know what mistakes to avoid, and they’ve figured out how to do it.”
The third and final consideration is ensuring you have an installation that works right out of the gate.
Assess your abilities to put all the right simulator pieces together and to create a properly built enclosure. Ace Indoor Golf provides top-of-the-line components and experienced technicians that ensure the perfect formula for success. They know what works best in any given environment, what components complement one another, and how to adjust your space so everything works smoothly and safely.
Once you consider these things, you can decide what path works best for you. If a home simulator is on the agenda for this year, Ace Indoor Golf offers e-commerce purchases for DIYers with a free 30-minute consultation and a white glove custom design and installation service for those who want to hire a professional. Whether you’re in the market for a custom simulator package and enclosure or planning to do it yourself, a call to Ace is the first step in having an installation you will be pleased with for years to come.
Visit aceindoorgolf.com or call 888-449-9879.
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Why choose Ace Indoor Golf?
Why choose Ace for your simulator needs? Ace is one of the largest golf simulator retailers, designers, installers and screen/enclosure manufacturers in the United States.
1. Trusted by Top Golf Retailers Ace designs, installs and maintains simulators for the top retailers, country clubs, and for sim manufacturers and their customers.
2. Best Simulator Brands Ace is an authorized dealer for all the major simulator brands.
3. Affordable Payment Plans Available Flexible payment plans including 12, 24, and 36-month options.
4. Free Shipping Free shipping on many items.
5. Low Price Guarantee Ace will match it if you find it cheaper on the exact item.
6. Free 30-Minute Advisor Session Free consultation for customers who wish to purchase any of our products. Upgrade to a custom solution and get the white glove services below.
White Glove Custom Design/Installation Service Available
1. Sim Consultation Ace offers insight into all simulator technologies so you make the right decision. They also offer on-site visits to meet with you and your team.
2. Custom Design Ace has designed 1,000s of simulators and has an engineering team to provide CAD blueprints and three-dimensional drawings.
3. Expert Installation Eliminate the hassle and headaches of installation. Ace has a team of skilled installers throughout the United States who have installed simulators worldwide.
4. Service & Training Ace services and supports all of our simulator products and provides product training as part of their package.
