Outdoor Golf Range v Indoors on Trackman

During summer you have two practice options, head to the range or practice on a simulator indoors (Check out our Summer Program page HERE!). While we’ve all been waiting to get outdoors, the benefits of practicing indoors during summer are significant, especially in terms of cost, but also in terms of technology.

Cost:

The cost differential between driving ranges and the indoor golf environment are much larger than people typically realize. In the Toronto area, a bucket of 90 balls typically costs $20. 90 balls doesn’t even allow for a player to hit ten shots with each club. That single bucket becomes more of a warmup than a practice session. If a player wants regular range sessions to refine their game, the costs of the outdoor range start to mount up. A weekly bucket of balls now means a monthly cost of $80, and that’s still only to hit 360 balls; not much in a month if a player wants to improve.

Compare that with both our summer hourly, and especially with our monthly and seasonal packages at Swing Golf Lounge. Our hourly rate of $25 enables a golfer to hit approximately 180 balls in an hour session at a comfortable pace (one shot every 20 seconds). With monthly and seasonal packages, the cost falls precipitously. With a $100/month 1 hour per day package, even if a player chooses to practice for only an hour indoors on Trackman each week, they will hit approximately 720 balls for their $100, compared to only 360 balls hit on the outdoor range for only $20 less. If a player decides they want to utilize their monthly indoor package to the maximum (we’re open 5 days/week) they can probably hit almost 3,000 balls in a month for their $100/month. The superior value of the indoor option is huge and undeniable.

The value of the indoor environment increases further if a player chooses to purchase a full summer season package.

Technology and Performance:

Outdoor driving ranges typically do not offer any golf performance technology such as Trackman. You hit the ball, it goes somewhere, and you don’t know why. You can’t understand result patterns or develop understanding. That’s golf practice from a prior century. Even Trackman’s ‘Trackman Range’ product doesn’t offer you the same insights to your shot impact data like the Trackman 4 radar does indoors. That range product captures ball flight data as it flies down the range with everyone else’s balls, but it doesn’t capture full club delivery data such as club speed, club face angle, club path angle, attack angle or clubface impact location which fundamentally determine where the ball goes. That means little specific knowledge, less insight, and slower progress if any.

The Ever-Present Golf Cart:

We’re a licensed facility offering beer, wine and cocktail all-year round. You just need to wave your hand, and someone will be over to take your order. It’s a standard we set for ourselves – at least at the quality of the GTA’s best private golf clubs that will now cost you in excess of $60,000 entry fee, before your $10,000 annual dues. Our kitchen isn’t open for summer, so you can bring in snacks.

In Summary:

So, consider pricing, technology, purpose and overall experience when you decide where to practice this summer. Golf is a challenging game, and we all need the best opportunity to improve.