Provided by: GOLFZON | Written by: Sean Pyun, CEO
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Golfers have become enamored with simulators. These indoor systems provide players with the opportunity to play year-round, receive instant data-driven feedback on their swings, gain easy access to instruction, and play socially with their friends no matter the weather.
With golf simulators, New Yorkers can keep their games warm during the snowiest winters, Arizonans can grind on their games during the sweltering summer heat, and Floridians can get a few swings in even if an evening summer thunderstorm dismantles their outdoor plans.
There is plenty of data supporting this increased demand for indoor golf. According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), total golf participation in the United States reached a record 48.1 million Americans in 2025 when combining both on-course and off-course participation. Additionally, nearly 19 million Americans participated exclusively in off-course golf activities such as simulator golf, driving ranges, and golf entertainment venues. This is a great sign for the game of golf, demonstrating that alternative forms of the sport are not replacing traditional rounds, but rather expanding the overall number of participants.
As simulators continue to grow in popularity, golf clubs, resorts, and public facilities are recognizing that simulators are a valuable business asset that can enhance instruction offerings, increase participation, and create additional revenue streams.
For facility operators, the opportunity lies in more intentionally connecting indoor and outdoor golf experiences to create a holistic golf ecosystem that golfers want to use year-round.
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Expanding Accessibility and Modernizing the Golf Experience
For many new golfers, the traditional game can be intimidating. Walking on to a new course you’ve never played before can be daunting. Rounds take several hours and can be quite expensive.
Indoor golf offers a more approachable alternative to growing the game. Simulator sessions are shorter and more laid-back. Golfers can practice casually with friends and participate in entertainment-driven formats like closest to the pin contests or arcade-style mini-games.
Green-grass facilities that strategically embrace technology and indoor golf experiences offer a wider range of ways to engage with the game.
By re-imagining their facilities, golf course operators can better meet evolving consumer expectations around convenience and social experiences.
According to NGF data, there are more than 21 million Americans interested in playing traditional golf who have not yet entered the game. NGF research shows that many off-course participants eventually transition into traditional golf, reinforcing the idea that alternative golf formats can serve as an important entry point into the game.
Facilities that embrace simulator technology are not abandoning traditional golf values. Instead, they are modernizing how consumers first interact with the game and creating lasting relationships with these golfers.
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The Business Opportunity for Green-Grass Facilities
NGF research shows simulator and screen-golf participation has more than doubled since 2019, signaling growing consumer demand for year-round golf engagement. Furthermore, while only 7% of golf facilities currently have simulators installed, another 13% plan to add them within the next one to two years.
For golf facilities, planning to install simulators provides opportunities to expand programming beyond traditional tee times and practice sessions. Rather than functioning solely as an offseason source of fun, simulators are increasingly becoming a platform that drives engagement through alternative golf experiences.
Facilities can use simulator spaces to create leagues and tournaments, junior clinics, player development programs, club fitting and instruction sessions, and evening golf offerings.
Many operators are also using simulator spaces to activate underutilized indoor areas within clubhouses and resorts. These spaces can help increase food-and-beverage revenue and keep golfers on property longer after their rounds conclude.
Because simulators are controlled environments not dependent on weather, they are especially valuable for clubs, public courses, and destination resorts looking to maintain activity levels during slower seasons.
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Resorts and Clubs Are Expanding Facilities to Include Simulator Experiences
Some of the most recognized names in golf are already investing in simulator technology as part of broader facility expansion and modernization efforts. Rather than viewing indoor golf as separate from the traditional golf experience, resorts and private clubs are increasingly using simulators to extend engagement, enhance instruction, and create year-round programming opportunities.
A critical component of Pebble Beach Resorts’ redesign of The Links at Spanish Bay is to build a new 4,000 square-foot simulator lounge, designed to to keep guests engaged beyond tee times. As destination golf becomes increasingly experience-driven, resorts are looking for ways to provide guests with golf entertainment options after they’ve finished their rounds for the day.
Similarly, Sea Island Resort has invested heavily in technology-driven player development through its Golf Performance Center, which leverages simulators for instruction, club fitting, and year-round training. The resort’s Performance Center offers a unique, premium enhancement to the overall guest experience.
Private clubs are also embracing simulator technology as part of broader efforts to enhance member experiences and expand year-round engagement opportunities. Dormie Network, a collection of destination golf clubs across the United States, has equipped its properties with simulators to create additional opportunities for member engagement, evening activities after golfers complete their rounds, and golf programming regardless of weather or seasonality. For multi-property operators, trusted technology partners play an increasingly important role in ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience across clubs while simplifying implementation and ongoing operations.
These projects represent a common trend: golfers crave year-round access to simulator technology that facilitates greater instruction, practice, entertainment, and social engagement.
As demand for simulator access grows, it’s important to remember that the increased popularity of simulator golf is not diminishing the value of green-grass facilities. Rather, it is expanding the broader golf ecosystem by giving players more opportunities to practice, compete, socialize, and stay connected to the sport when getting to the course is not always possible.
For clubs, resorts, and facility operators, the opportunity lies in creating year-round golf experience that allows golfers to engage with the game they love 365 days a year.