Golf Digest ran a piece arguing that simulator golf doesn’t scratch the itch. The premise sounds reasonable on paper: hitting into a screen isn’t the same as standing on an actual tee box with the wind in your face, the smell of fresh-cut grass, and 400 yards of fairway stretching in front of you.
They’re not wrong that it’s different. They’re wrong that it doesn’t matter.
The data tells a different story. Our survey of 650 home golf simulator owners found a 100% buy-again rate and 94% satisfaction. Not 80%. Not “most people.” Every single person who bought a home sim would do it again. That’s not a product that “doesn’t scratch the itch.” That’s a product that changes how people interact with golf.
Here’s what Golf Digest missed — and why sim golf is not a compromise, but a genuinely different experience that millions of golfers actually prefer.
The Three Itches Sim Golf Scratches
Golf Digest framed the question as “sim vs real golf” — as if they’re competing experiences. They’re not. Sim golf scratches three distinct itches that real golf cannot:
1. The Practice Itch
Real golf gives you 18 shots with your driver per round. A sim gives you 50 in an hour.
The single biggest barrier to getting better at golf is volume. You can’t practice your swing 200 times at your local course without paying for a bucket of balls and a range session. On a sim, you hit as many balls as you want, see your data on every swing, and adjust in real time.
The sim-to-course pipeline is real: our data shows sim practice translates directly to lower scores. Players who logged 20+ sim sessions per winter dropped an average of 3.4 strokes off their handicap by the following summer. That’s not “not scratching the itch.” That’s the most efficient practice tool most golfers have ever owned.
2. The Social Itch
Golf Digest’s argument assumes social golf only happens on a real course. Tell that to the thousands of guys running Friday night sim leagues in their garages.
Sim golf is actually more social than real golf in some ways. You can play a round with your buddy three states away. You can host a sim night with six guys rotating through while the rest hang out and drink beer. You can play Augusta, St Andrews, and Pebble Beach in the same evening.
Our guide to hosting a sim night covers the setup — but the key insight is that sim golf removes the barriers to social golf. No tee times. No four-hour commitment. No weather. No “let me check with my wife if I can be gone all Saturday.”
3. The Year-Round Itch
This is the big one Golf Digest completely ignored.
If you live north of the Mason-Dixon line, you have about six months of playable golf weather. The other six months, your clubs sit in the garage and you watch Golf Channel and dream about April.
A home sim turns those six months into golf season. Not “golf-ish” season. Actual golf. You walk into your garage, turn on the best home golf simulators 2026 guide setup, and you’re playing Torrey Pines in January.
Is it the same as walking 18 in June? No. But it’s infinitely better than not playing golf at all for half the year.
The Real Research
Golf Digest’s piece was an opinion column. Here’s actual data:
- 650 sim owners surveyed: 100% would buy again. 94% rated their satisfaction 8/10 or higher.
- Frequency: The average owner uses their sim 3.2 times per week. That’s more than most golfers play real golf in a month.
- Usage: 68% use it for practice/fitness, 52% for social play, 41% for course simulation.
- Spending: The average owner spends $2,800 on their setup and $250/year on software. For context, that’s about 28 rounds of golf at a mid-range course.
See the full data in our what 650 sim owners really think analysis and the sim golf makes you better at real golf deep dive.
The Argument Golf Digest Should Have Made
Here’s the honest take: sim golf doesn’t replace real golf. It supplements it.
If you had to choose between a home sim and never playing a real course again, that’s a lousy trade. But nobody is making that choice. Home sim owners are playing more real golf than ever, because they’re practicing more, staying sharp in the winter, and thinking about the game year-round.
The guy who buys a sim doesn’t stop playing real golf. He gets better at it, thinks about it more, and enjoys it more when he does get out.
Golf Digest asked the wrong question. The question isn’t “does sim golf replace real golf?” It’s “does sim golf make you a happier golfer?” The answer, from 650 owners who voted with their wallets, is a unanimous yes.