Clients of Golf Bays UK come from far and wide – across the UK, Europe, the United States, Japan, the Middle East. In fact, anywhere golf is played, we have customers!   So, if you are looking for a game of golf in the Manchester area, there are 70 or so courses in the locale and here’s a rundown on some of our favourite golf venues.      

Good question! When it comes to the cost of a golf simulator, there are a number of things you need to factor in. The price being one – obviously! But price isn’t everything.  

The number of clubs you are entitled to carry in your golf bag is an often-debated subject and one that can lead to some confusion on occasion (remember the Ian Woosnam mix-up on club numbers at the Open a few years back?). Nevertheless, the rules are quite clear. You are permitted to carry a maximum of 14 clubs in the bag at any one time during tournament play. It isn’t compulsory to carry as many as 14 clubs. If you only want to take out three with you, you are free to do so. But 14 is the maximum. What do the Rules of Golf state about the number of clubs?  The 14-club rule was first adopted by the R&A in 1939, a year after being introduced by the USGA.  Before then, there was no upper limit. The rule stipulates that players are only allowed to carry 14 conforming clubs for a sanctioned competition event, or during any round that counts towards your handicap. Anyone found to have more than 14 clubs or replacing clubs during a round can be penalised - with anything from disqualification to the loss of up to four strokes in stroke play, or two holes in match play. During casual play, which would be any round where your score isn’t considered competitive or being attributed towards your handicap, then you can carry as many clubs as you wish. As long as they fit in the bag and you can haul them round the course! Which clubs can make up the 14 in a golf bag? The 14-club rule applies to any piece of equipment that you would intend to use to execute a shot – drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putter. There is no stipulation about which types of clubs you need to include in the 14. If you wanted to carry 14 drivers or seven putters and seven wedges (not advisable!) then you are within your rights.       Can I replace a golf club if it is damaged during a round? If you already have 14 clubs in your bag and one of the clubs breaks or is damaged during a round, whilst you can continue using it, you aren’t allowed to replace it. In the event that there is a break in play (like a thunderstorm) this does provide you with the opportunity to make repairs to the club, although you must only use the original components.  Anyone modifying a club or clubs outside these guidelines would face disqualification.  However, if you have less than 14 clubs in your bag and one of them gets broken during a round for whatever reason, you are allowed to add a replacement club. What clubs do amateur golfers most commonly use? Typically, most amateur golfers would take out the following set of clubs during a round. Does this tie in with your own experiences? 1 x driver 1 x fairway wood 2 x hybrid rescue clubs (alternatives to 3 and 4 metals) 5 – 9 irons (5 irons) Pitching wedge Sand wedge Putter   Which 14 Clubs do Pro Golfers Carry? This selection can vary and will depend on the particular preferences of each individual pro. Longer hitters might prefer taking more clubs that play to their strengths, whilst those who focus on their short game might favour a slightly different combination, e.g., more wedges in the bag.   Generally, though, this is what you would expect to see in a professional’s bag: 1 x driver 1 x fairway wood 1 x hybrid 4 to 9 irons (6 irons) Pitching wedge Gap wedge Sand wedge Lob wedge Putter   Which 14 Clubs should you Carry? Depending on your standard, a set of twelve clubs would normally be sufficient – but you may find that less than a round dozen will suffice. When you are starting out as a raw beginner, you might find it easier to leave longer clubs, like drivers and fairway woods, to one side. These take more practice to use effectively, so initially focus on slightly shorter clubs in your bag, until you have built up confidence to hit these consistently. Once you become more adept, start adding a broader range of clubs to your bag – such as drivers, or even an extra wedge or two, to help you with approach shots to the green, for instance.   Don’t end up humping loads of clubs around with you, half of which you are never likely to use. There is no stipulation that you must have 14 clubs in your bag, when a number of around 10 will probably be more than ample. Linking into launch monitors you will need to select which club you are using, these launch monitors include Skytrak, Trackman, Garmin R10, FlightScope Mevo+

Trackman 4 vs GCQuad Review   The Trackman 4 and GCQuad are priced in a similar range and are commonly compared to each other. This is due to that similar high price but also because they both are out to be the leader in the same space. They are not after mass adoption like some other cheaper launch monitors but they are after the true professional golfers who want to focus on fine tuning their swing and those who get into the data of their club swings and ball flight. Right now it seems that the consensus is that the Trackman is the leader in this space. It is essentially used by every single pro right now while the GCQuad is used by some of the pros but doesn't have the full trust of the majority like the Trackman does.   Accuracy Both of these manufacturers claim that they have the most accurate launch monitors in the industry. While one can’t be telling the truth it is really hard to say which one is actually more accurate. These launch monitors both use cameras to get the most accuracy possible but the Trackman uses doppler radar technology as well. Some people feel that lasers give more accuracy than radar but the Trackman has found a way to make theirs exceptionally well, using radar technology. It could come down to a personal preference of what technology you find is more accurate to decide if you want to use the Trackman or GCQuad.   Features These both have essentially the same features. If there was a tie it would be in the features that they offer. Where the real tie breaker may come in is in the technology that they each use to get their data and the price. The GCQuad is a bit more affordable and does offer a similar product. If you are interested in a simulator that is this expensive it won’t matter as much to you probably to save a few thousand going for one or another tough. What matters is the accuracy and what you are comfortable with.   Data Both of these will provide real time data after every swing. There are also logs of data that can be reviewed after the fact. It is not without reason that professionals use the Trackman and even some have begun to use the GCQuad now as well. They both give exceptional data that can’t be found with other golf simulators.   Conclusion When it comes down to it the price, technology, and comfortability between the two models are really the only differences. If one of those or two of those matter more to you than the other, that one could be a good fit for you. Experiment playing on these simulators to see which one you think tracks your specific swing and shot the best before making a choice.

Must Have Golf Simulator Accessories   Some people have top of the line golf simulator setups. These can be in their house, basement, or garage and have the best systems, screens, and software. There always is a way to upgrade your setup though. For those looking for the next best thing to add to their golf simulator setup, you should want to check out these items below. These all can add to the experience of your golf simulator for you and your friends.   Artificial Turf Most of the golf simulators won’t come with a full artificial grass to hit off of and have as the path up from the launch monitor to the impact screen. This can not only make a huge difference in the surface that you hit off of but it can give the full experience and a much more realistic feel. Having a full turf area really adds to the full effect of playing a real hole of golf. This can definitely take your golf simulator setup to another level.   Club Display Rack These are a great way to fully display your clubs on your golf simulator setup. It looks cool and makes finding a club easier and more convenient. This makes it simpler to play especially when having friends over as they don’t have to dig through your bag to find a club to hit with. Putting them on a rack clearly shows the order of each club from the wedges to the irons to the woods. Put your clubs out on display on your golf simulator, it organizes them and can even hold your balls and tees as well.   Top of the range projector The projector is one of the easiest things that you can upgrade with your golf simulator setup. This may seem like an unnecessary thing to upgrade or to change but it can make a massive difference. It is the difference in some cases between actually looking like you are out on a golf course or just playing a video game. The quality on some of the projectors is crazy and make the simulator experience that much more realistic. Epson is one of the leaders in projectors and they make some that are designed to be used for golf simulators specifically.   Pyramid ball tray This is all about the look of your golf simulator. It is a small price to pay to wow some of your friends with a small touch that takes your simulator setup to the next level. Some of the best courses in the world use these pyramid ball trays and it really ups the class and overall feel of a golf course when they have these to display your balls. It is also a convenient way to hold all your balls in one place.

Can you improve your game using a golf simulator?   The question of if you can improve your game from a golf simulator really comes down to how good you think golf simulators really are. This means how accurate and consistent these golf simulators are at tracking your shots. A lot of this comes down to having the proper set up and using the equipment properly. If you can do that and hit the same golf shots from the simulator launch pad that you do out on the course, then it is definitely a great way to improve your golf game.   The first thing to think about when playing on a golf simulator is the set up. This doesn’t just mean which system you buy or how good it looks, but it means more of how you have it all setup to play so the system can work properly and track your shots accurately. If your systems aren’t set up properly it may be hard to get an accurate reading and truly improve on your game.   Golf simulators have come such a long way in just the past few years. These systems are so advanced and use some of the top tracking technology in the world that are used for military equipment and radar that it makes them super accurate. Because these simulators are so accurate it makes them essentially like playing a real round of golf.   For those who have their simulators set up perfectly, you can expect to get big improvements to your game from a golf simulator. While it takes about two hours to play nine holes on a real course, players on golf simulators can play nine holes in about 30 minutes. So if you are playing for two hours you can play 36 holes instead of just nine. This gives you a ton of additional practice which should improve your game.   Golf simulator users rave about how they can play a ton of holes and get in so much more actual play time with them. For those who believe that playing more equals improving your golf game, then the answer should be 100% yes that you can improve your game from a golf simulator.   The last thing to think about to improve your game from a simulator is getting the top of the line system. There are golf simulator systems priced in all different ranges. Essentially paying more for better technology that tracks balls better will give you a more accurate experience and better practice. The Optishot 2 is a great option in the lower-priced range and has great reviews. Skytrak is a little bit more expensive simulator but it also can track your ball just a little bit better that makes it better to play on and gives a better golf experience than a lot of the others.  

It can be extremely hard to decide what launch monitor to use for your golf simulator setup. The prices can be all over the place and it is hard to actually know which ones provide the best experience. What really matters in the end is that the simulator allows you to easily play and is accurate based on your hits. Skytrak is one of the best and is at a fairly affordable price. For golf simulators in this price range, you likely won’t find one that will out-do the Skytrak. Let’s take a look in this review at what makes the Skytrak so good.   Photometric Technology   Most of the golf simulators on the market now will use camera-based or radar-based tracking systems. The Skytrak uses a camera-based photometric launch monitor that uses high-speed cameras to get the most accurate read on your hits. After that data is collected there are also complicated algorithms that will add that data together with some additional factors to come up with all of the metrics of your shot essentially in real-time.   Shot Accuracy   At the price range that the Skytrak is at, it is one of the most accurate on the market. That is a main reason as to why so many go with this model. You can save thousands by using this model versus a more expensive one and still get extremely close to the accuracy that those provide. If you are buying a golf simulator in this price range, you should feel good about the accuracy you will get with the Skytrak. The Skytrak is marketed as an indoor and outdoor simulator but the outdoor accuracy is not as good as some other models that are for this. For indoor use, it is spectacular though.   Features   The features on the Skytrak are plentiful. It is another reason why this is such a popular launch monitor. The features you get at this price are unmatched. Their users rave about how user friendly the features are and how easy it is to figure out. Some features to note are multicolour shot tracers to track different club hits, different skill tests, competitions, and much more. Player's love comparing their clubs with some of these special features they provide to see how different clubs hit.   The Data   A lot of users love golf simulators due to the immense amount of data that they return. This is used to further tweak your swing and ball striking. There is a ton of information that Skytrak gives you on both the club data and ball data. Over a dozen different metrics are tracked and the only thing that is really missing from their data is the advanced club info that tracks things like club path and angles.

One of the biggest questions for those who are looking to get a golf simulator in their house, business, or wherever is how much room do you need for a golf simulator? Any golf simulator will essentially be usable as long as you have enough space to swing your longest club. This isn’t an excessive amount of space and most people can fit one in their house or building easier than they thought.   For an average height person, you will only need about eight and half feet of ceiling height to swing a club. While it is recommended to have taller ceilings than that for the projector or for taller players, it is definitely possible to fit one into a room that has average or shorter ceilings like this.     The next thing to think about is the width and length of the golf simulator area you are planning. A good rule to go by is having at least 10 feet in either direction. This gives simulators the space needed to properly track your hits and also enough space to swing your club freely. At minimum when setting up a golf simulator, make sure you have ceilings at least eight and half feet tall with 10 feet of width and length as well.   There is a lot that goes into a golf simulator that people don't account for when planning the set up of one of the machines. The first thing is the launch monitor which should be in a protected place where it won’t get hit by a club or a ball. This needs a good amount of room as well because some can be fairly big. It should also be set up at least 10 feet from the next piece of equipment to ensure you have room for the impact screen. The impact screen shouldn’t be right up against a wall either as it could affect how the simulator tracks and could damage the wall.   Finally people will normally choose to buy a sim enclosure to keep everything within the space you have allotted for the golf simulator. This keeps errant shots from being launched out into your living room or good shots from bouncing off of the screen as well.   The room for a golf simulator depends on each person and the set up that they have. For the most part all of these steps in this article can be followed and you should have the adequate space for a golf simulator. Make sure to account for all of the equipment you will be getting and how it will be set up when planning your golf simulator of your own.

The Optishot 2 is an interesting model of launch monitors. It was built to be small, easy to use, and to be affordable. They definitely were successful in making this as it is one of the best selling golf simulators of all time. Just because it was made simply and at an affordable price for the masses doesn't mean that it isn’t good though. It is great for those who want a golf simulator at a good price that works really well and can be used essentially anywhere.   Infrared Sensors   Optishot 2 doesn't use any high speed cameras to get the data they need to analyze your swing to decipher how the ball will travel. They use these infrared sensors to track the club as you swing it back and through where the ball is teed up or where it would be teed up. We say where it would be teed up because it isn't even necessary with Optishot to use a ball. They analyze the club data and determine based on your swing where the ball will travel and how it will travel. This can be a downside for some people or a bonus for those who don't want to chase around balls or don't have a ton of space to set up a screen and sim enclosure.   Shot Accuracy   While there is no actual ball that the Optishot tracks, just the club, it is remarkably accurate with how it displays your shots. Users say that it is the most accurate for iron and wood shots but can struggle a bit with chipping and putting. A lot of players on simulators don't even use the putting feature on most simulators so it is somewhat unimportant for a lot of people. Optishot also has a club calibration feature where users can calibrate their clubs to get an even higher accuracy rating.   Features   For a good price Optishot has it all. While it may not rival some of the more expensive models that can be five or even 10 times more expensive, they do offer a good amount of features that those more expensive models have as well. It is impressive what is packed into this launch monitor. A really cool feature is the ability to play online against other users. It is one of the few simulators to have this feature.   The Data   Optishot doesn't track the ball and a ball isn't even needed to play. With this being said, there is a good amount of data that you can find out about your club and overall swing. Not having a ball can be a big reason why players may not want to go with this model, but for the price you get so much with the Optishot 2.