"Indoor golf is playing a huge role in driving more people to the game," says England Golf
By the end of 2028, it is predicted that virtual golf rounds in the UK will outnumber outdoor rounds, according to a leading indoor golf technology company. Globally, the firm suggests that 80% of all golf rounds will be virtual within two years.
This trend is not unprecedented; in South Korea, a country with a strong golf culture, virtual 'screen golf' surpassed traditional outdoor golf nearly a decade ago.
Virtual golf rounds are also providing pathways to professional competition. For example, Scottish golfer Gavin Macpherson won a simulator event that qualified him for the NSW Open in Australia.
The evolution of golf gaming began over 40 years ago with handheld dot-matrix computer games from Japan, which allowed players to simulate golf by pressing buttons. Subsequently, video game consoles gained popularity, with Tiger Woods-endorsed titles dominating the market.
Currently, companies such as Toptracer, Trackman, and Golfzon are advancing the sport through technology, engaging established golfers and attracting new participants.
Recent data from the R&A, which governs golf worldwide outside the United States and Mexico, indicates that more people globally are playing golf off-course than on-course.
Even professional golfers support this shift. The TGL venture, co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has elevated indoor golf by using a large screen measuring 64 feet by 53 feet—approximately 24 times larger than a typical simulator.
"Golf is really good for five months of the year in the UK, OK for four, and rubbish for the rest," says Chris Ingham, co-founder of indoor venue Pitch Golf. "And while he's clearly got a product to promote, he has a valid point."
'Non-traditional formats provide a route to the game'
The PGA Tour-backed TGL facility in Florida features a massive screen within a purpose-built venue that includes bunkers and an adjustable green for each hole.
Since 2026, weather conditions have been challenging for many golfers worldwide. While some enthusiasts brave harsh elements such as strong winds and heavy rain to play outdoors, many prefer indoor simulators.
Indoor golf venues allow players to experience renowned courses like St Andrews' Old Course during winter months. Simultaneously, groups can recreate events such as the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black or participate in virtual tournaments against global competitors. Additionally, these venues offer golf instruction.
Is golf poised to become predominantly an indoor sport?
Statistics from Sporting Insight (SI), provided by the R&A, show that 2025 saw the highest number of on-course rounds in Great Britain over the past five years, with an estimated 90 million full rounds played.
However, data also suggests that most golfers use simulators primarily for swing analysis, lessons, or social play on select trophy holes rather than full rounds. Consequently, simulator rounds currently do not match the volume of on-course rounds.
Many golfers embrace multiple formats. In Britain and Ireland, 82% of traditional on-course golfers have also played alternative formats such as simulators, pitch and putt, or adventure golf.
Globally, 60% of the 108 million golfers outside the US and Mexico engage in formats other than nine or 18-hole on-course golf, a figure that rises to 80% among teenagers.
Simulated golf can serve as an entry point to traditional course play; in England, 36% of players experienced alternative golf formats before playing on a course.
"The growth in non-traditional formats is helping drive participation among adults and juniors on a global scale, with such formats providing an important route into the sport," says R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
In the United States, governed by the United States Golf Association, the National Golf Foundation reported that in 2023, off-course players (32.9 million) outnumbered on-course players (26.6 million) for the first time.
'People want to play iconic courses'
South Korea, where outdoor space is limited, leads in virtual golf adoption, with 87% of players preferring off-course play at approximately 6,000 indoor simulator venues.
A professional indoor league powered by Golfzon technology has operated for over a decade. The 2023 GTour offered a total prize fund of 1.9 billion South Korean won (£1 million) and has inspired a global spin-off featuring players from Asia, Europe, and the US competing virtually for a $300,000 (£224,609) prize fund.
Golfzon reports that over 100 million rounds were played globally using its technology in 2024.
"Indoor golf is playing a huge role in driving more people to the game," says Matt Draper, development and membership director at England Golf. "Our statistics from last year show that visits to driving ranges and simulators match those to nine or 18-hole courses."
"There's a key role to be played in cities where there might not be so many spaces for people to enjoy golf outdoors," he adds.
"More and more venues are popping up where friends and families can play in the warmth using simulators, and also enjoy a drink, food and music alongside it."
Pitch Golf exemplifies this trend. Founded in 2012 by two friends leveraging emerging technology to teach golf during lunch hours in central London, it has grown into a hybrid operation with new locations in Manchester and Dublin.
"Trackman don't see growth in the outdoor market; they think 80% of all rounds will be played indoors by 2028, which is mind-blowing," Ingham told .
"The innovation is getting the social side right. We combined golf, sport, music and social for the first time in our opening site in London."
Ingham notes that the primary revenue comes from the bar and corporate clients, attracting work parties and away days, which often include non-golfers.
To engage non-players, Pitch Golf and Trackman developed London Gardens, a short course that virtually navigates around London's landmarks.
"People always want to play iconic courses like Pebble Beach, but when you see them on the first hole for half an hour, you encourage them to play London Gardens," says Ingham.
'Putting would kill indoor golf'
Technological advances continue to enhance virtual golf experiences.
Toptracer, known for revolutionizing televised golf by tracking ball flight with optical sensors and on-screen graphics, has incorporated popular mobile games like Angry Birds into its offerings.
The company reported over 5.2 billion shots hit across 1,350 range sites globally, including 500 million in the UK during the latest period. The introduction of games has increased the average range session length by 12.3% to 54 minutes.
"In Japan and Korea, almost everything is data-driven—how far you're hitting the ball," says Oskar Asgard, Toptracer's head of product.
"In the UK, 20% is virtual golf, choosing between famous courses to playing games. The younger you skew, the more you'll engage in something more competitive.
"You can go and whack virtual pigs while playing golf, it just makes it fun. You're not trying to tell kids how to grip the club, it's just instant gratification."
Toptracer has also developed technology to transform smartphones into launch monitors.
"We want every driving range to be tech-enabled," says Asgard. "The younger generation expect it. You scan a QR code and get instant data transmitted to your phone, or pop your headphones into your ear and get the data spoken to you."
The ultimate goal is to condense a typical five-hour outdoor game into an hour for recreational players, which necessitates omitting putting, a key component of traditional golf.
Approximately 40% of shots in a typical round occur on the greens as players attempt to hole out. While Korean professionals putt on artificial greens indoors, most local facilities do not offer putting.
"It's the least realistic part of simulator golf," Asgard acknowledges. "In an indoor setting, we don't give you the opportunity because it slows the game down."
"Putting would kill it," agrees Ingham. "Most people book for an hour, have a quick warm-up, then take 45 minutes for nine holes.
"You can predetermine the hole-out distances. The rough guide is zero to six feet is one putt, 30-35 feet is two putts.
"It keeps up the pace of play. People just love smashing driver at that screen."
