Golf simulators gain popularity as technology makes sport more accessible

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Most people won’t make it to Augusta this weekend, but 13-year-old Josh Stone came all the way from London for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“With my mom and dad for my dad’s 50th birthday,” Stone said.

But ahead of visiting Augusta National on Thursday, Stone and his family stopped by the new PGA Tour Superstore in Buckhead to play some indoor golf.

“They’re getting to a point where they can’t really get any better, because they’re so accurate,” Stone said.

Simulators have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. The superstore sells them at the front, ranging in price from just a few hundred dollars to five figures.

Store general manager Brian Williams said it’s revolutionized several aspects of golf.

“The great thing about the data and technology that we have now is, Josh can look at this impact video and see in real time where he hit that club face. He can track that club path,” Williams said.

But more than giving minute corrections and observations about a swing, its appeal is much more basic.

“This kind of technology just makes it that much easier to play,” Williams said. “You don’t need to have access to a nearby course. You can set this up in your home. You can set it up in your backyard.”

Or come into one of nearly 1,500 simulator businesses in the United States. According to the National Golf Foundation, 51% of people who play golf simulators would otherwise not golf.

Many professional courses are available on various simulators. Williams says Augusta National isn’t one of them, which is why Stone and his family traveled thousands of miles to be here.

“Nobody’s really counting down the days for the British Open, but for the Masters they definitely are,” Stone said.