Inside the new state-of-the-art golf simulator in Lee-on-the-Solent where you can play whatever the weather

Well, now you can. And stay warm and dry in the process.

Two men have turned their love of golf into a new business venture by opening a state-of-the-art golf simulator in Lee-on-the-Solent.

Greg Thomson and David Bailey – who run ‘a handful’ of companies including Fun and Active Playgrounds, a niche company specialising in school playground markings, and others in that industry – had space to spare in their premises opposite the Lee airfield.

The duo, keen to get their golf handicaps down, decided to utilise the space to build the simulator. And then thought that other people might like to use it, too. And a new business, The Golf Sim, was born.

Indoor golf is seeing a revolution thanks to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who launched a competition in America – Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) – featuring the world’s top golfers.

They hit a ball into a huge screen, playing a futuristic virtual course, and computers assess the flight and spin of the ball. It’s as realistic as playing outside – well, apart from the wind and the rain and the cold…

The Golf Sim has the same set-up of integrated cameras – as well as pressure pads underfoot with 1,100 sensors to make sure golfers distribute their weight perfectly during their swing, and an AI swing trainer.

“It really is an amazing piece of kit – we have been surprised how much it actually does,” said Greg.

“I am a very keen golfer but I had to trek to driving ranges at Hedge End or to Portsmouth whenever I wanted to practice. There was nothing closer.

“When we started building the sim, we were asked by so many people if they could rent it too that we thought it would make a good business. And here we are.

“We used this unit for storage originally and moved things around to fit in the sim. But the way things are going, I think we will need to find somewhere else to store things because we are going to need the space for a second sim.”

Golf simulators are now big business, and many companies worldwide now offer highly-technical systems. Greg admits: “I spent far too long researching what was available to make sure we got it right.

“Trackman is a name most golfers know and they used to be the best available, but the truth is many other companies have now caught up with them. We went with a Uneekor Eye X02 system, which is Korean – and in Korea indoor golf is huge.

“The system integrates some really high frame rate slow motion cameras, which capture not just an image but a slow motion replay of the moment the ball is hit, so players can see if they are hitting it out of the toe or heel of the club, as well as recording the swing from all angles.

“We use GS Pro for playing the game. This allows people to play some of the most iconic courses in the world, as well as design and play courses they have designed themselves. “

The Golf Sim operates a membership system, fittingly called Eagle, Birdie and Par, as well as a pay-and-play option.

“Members can rent the sim at any time of the day and night – when they have booked, we text them the code for the door ten minutes before their session starts so they can access the room,” said Greg.

“It’s perfect for shift workers who can’t play at normal times as well as for parents who want to play after work once the kids are in bed, but especially during the winter months when the daylight doesn't allow for that.”

Pay and play is available all week from 8am to 8pm and costs £40 an hour, with up to four people playing at one time. “People pay for each sim hour, not per person,” said Greg. Clubs are available to rent.

The Par membership option allows play 24 hours a day and costs £10 a month, and members pay £30 per hour. Members can book seven days in advance.

The Birdie package is £20 a month and allows 14-day advance booking and costs £26 an hour. Club hire is included.

The Eagle membership costs £40 a month and offers the same benefits as well as 28-day advance booking and free hot drinks, and costs £20 an hour.

Greg added: “We are limiting it to 50 members because we don’t want people to pay for memberships and then not be able to book a tee time on the sim. We will be reviewing that – we think 70 to 80 is probably the perfect number, though. But we will see how it goes.

“The Eagle package has been the most popular and we have been very busy. People can play an 18-hole course in about 40 minutes – it’s a real advantage not having to find your ball in the rough or losing a ball with a wayward drive!”

Details are available at www.golf-sim.co.uk The premises are at Unit H3 in Daedalus Park in Daedalus Drive, opposite the HVR units.

So how does it play?

I tried the golf sim for myself – and I have to say, it was far better than I’d imagined.

As a keen golfer, I was keen to have a gapping session with my new clubs, using the state-of-the-art cameras to ascertain how far I hit each one – that’s carry, as well as total yardage.

There was, of course, a program for that, which recorded every shot with every club, and gave me an overall average. Perfect.

That data safely tucked away in the golf bag, it was time for fun. Selecting a course on the laptop on the control table was easy – choosing which one was more tricky. Jurassic Park, and dodge the dinosaurs with my drive? The Belfry, home of many a memorable Ryder Cup? Pebble Beach, one of America’s finest?

The ball hits the screen with a thunk, and then the hi-tech infra-red magicians do their thing, calculating the speed of the ball, the side spin, the backspin, and where on the course it lands. If you hit the ball with an ugly fade, it’s horribly accurate.

If you find the safety of the green, the simulator even allows you to putt out. Like real golf, it’s a game within a game – and a lot of fun.

Yes, of course nothing can beat a real game of golf, out in the great outdoors with the sun on your back. But no lost balls? No water gobbling up a tee shot? No thick rough to plod through, searching for that brand-new Titleist? Yes, golf on the sim certainly does have its advantages…