Up in arms

[xdreamgolf]

Figured I would post a bit of my experience with my maiden venture installing two simulators for a local golf course.
Note i am not affiliated with any one sim co. Like most others on this forum I realized early on in my own quest that this is the only place you are likely to find any "real" simulator information.

First- I have just completed a custom two bay simulator installation for a local course. How and why I got the job is another story.

My area Southern Maine.

Course is "The Links at Outlook" Great course owned by the family of a high school class mate (my connection)

Their goal-
Keep the staff employed! Each previous season they had lost a good employee because during the off season they would find temp work which turned permanent. Leaving the owners to train and hire someone new. Always a huge risk and pain in the A%^.
Oh and make some profit in doing so was also on their mind.

They decided adding two simulators to the bar area might just do the trick.

What they were looking for-

Two simulators they could use all winter for the typical commercial situation. The sims could be torn down and stored during the outdoor season because of the limited space avail.

They did not have the massive budget the only "competition" had three years ago when they added 3 About Golf simulators for what turned out a very successful addition to the club. (generally paid for the first year). But, they did have a good year and were willing to give it a go with what they had.

They almost made a huge mistake. When the GM remembered I was doing something with sims he called me in for some advice. Like many, they went online did some calling and found it very hard to speak with a real person. I am sure if they mentioned a 50k per sim budget they might have received a bit more attention, but that was not the case. In their searching the had landed on a Trugolf system for 16,000 each. That was in range and they nearly ordered them. That's when I went down for my free round of golf and explained to them how real golf balls would be bouncing around with varying degrees of speed. Most would hit the screen, but far too many would end up being very dangerous. Fortunately they immediately understood.

With some reluctance I took on the job.

All in all It could not have turned out better!

The system I decided on was Trugolf. Far too much different lighting for any camera based system and really other than protee the only system I thought might have a chance at being up to par with the competition, or at least close.

The only other systems in our area being played in the winter are some antique Full Swing sims still working that were all from the same failed 90's indoor golf center. (Other than the "most accurate simulator available About Golf" 35 mins south.

The customers so far have found NOTHING more accurate about the About Golf sims. The full swing is a different story!, the guys that have only used those, well, let's just say they are dumbfounded!

In the eyes of the very good players and up to the hacks, which find it very easy to blame a computer!. In fact there are areas where theses sims are even proving more accurate (240+hitters)

Now being the only person involved in every aspect of the surround construction sensor placement from top to bottom I can see how this type of system could be viewed quite differently. There are a lot of little things that could make it seem not so.

Mic placement, projector type, enclosure materials, and one also very important, simply telling the player how to use the system properly.

Flop shots impressed me and players the most. You can hit one and it is just that on the screen (if you do it right). Most of all it does a very good job replicating a terrible shot! That's the hard part. Ease of use, not worrying about bright shoes, other balls in the field of view, using marked balls, stances that don't seem to work and other.

Putting is about the only thing that originally I thought might be better on the About Golf sims. However I soon figured out it is just plain harder with this software. The greens might be too real. The other sim is seems to be quite watered down and I am hoping eventually trugolf leads me to a way I can do the same with theirs.

Software wise as is still up for debate. I am learning as we go on that one. It can be changed, and modified, but mostly through a back door if you will. I am feeling more confident as I get more familiar with it I will be able to do what will be needed to fine tune one for a future client.

It's been fun watching some players hit something dead left into the screen and complain that it should have been straight. I have found that in each foursome at least one guy is saying "that's not right". Funny though the other three guys are all saying it's dead on.
Hmmm sounds like golf to me.

Even better were the first bunch that played the sims as soon as I had them playable. I had yet to get tech support for some calibration and they both were about 15 percent long. So a guy normally getting out 250 was nearing 300 and it surprised me how many said "That's about right" !!! I did not say anything. It was about 50/50.. I know now who I will avoid on the course this spring. I would rather play with the guys that said "I don't hit it that far"..

If you have had experience with turgolf please send it my way. Also I am very interested in know more about the About Golf software. I am sure it or others like it will be something I use as well.

And to M@rt!n, "I am glad you thought I was just another waste of your time". Seems I could have made a mistake.

[bubs3141]

I used to own a trugolf. There are some settings that you could tweak in the settings file. If you look on this forum you will find a thread titled Trugolf Technique. Search through that for settings. I did make some tweaking that did improve on the accuracy. As far as flop shots. You can also adjust the distance from the green that will work more from the sensors in the floor than it would for the mics. Because as you know there is little sound on the flop or chip.