The first benefit is very obvious—the more “reps” you get in during the empty days between each round of golf, the better. Even one full 18-hole round of simulator golf is as good as or better than a trip to the driving range in terms of staying warmed up and ready.

But I didn’t anticipate that all the 30-50 yard shots in SIM golf would help me on the course until my first round at Torrey Pines South, just two days after playing 27 holes of SIM golf with Foresight’s FSX play software (Spyglass and 2024 Open Championship host Troon in case you’re interested.) 

I typically don’t hit any practice balls before playing Torrey Pines, especially with a 6:40 am tee time. So after my drive found the thick, wet round on the first hole, and my chop hybrid out wound up 30 yards short of the green in the fairway, I stepped up to survey the situation. The channel in my mind flipped back to all of the shots in FSX play, where I get the precise yardage, and even the amount up or downhill the shot is playing. 

In my first couple of solo SIM rounds, I found myself rushing the short shots, only to see one hit to hard bounce over a hill into a bunker, or roll down an unseen slope on the green. I typically play “auto-putt” to keep things moving, but the calculation used to determine how many putts you’re given (it’s fractional) doesn’t start until you actually HIT the green. So I’ve since slowed things down. I visualize and try to “feel” the distance, while also making sure to capture the good rhythm required to make nice ball contact. Off of a mat, finding the bottom at the right time is even more important – shots hit behind the ball can actually go farther.

So, as I took a nice breath and hit my third shot to a back-left pin on the South Course’s difficult first green, I was pleased with the result. Rhythm, ball contact, and spin were all pretty good, even off of a tight, sandy lie. That carried over to a few similar shots later in the round, and my confidence continued to improve from everything with a wedge or less. 

I knew getting a launch monitor would provide me the incentive I needed to practice more and stay loose between rounds. And I hope the unexpected benefits keep coming.