As the traditional season for golf comes to an end in September, novices learning the game and experienced players looking to improve now have an option to play year-round. Simulated golf is a huge and rapidly developing market. The global golf simulator market was valued at $1.77 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $4.34 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 10.5%. To take advantage of this burgeoning market, ViewSonic has introduced an extensive range of projectors to suit both commercial and residential immersive golf simulator applications.
For years, entry level consumer golf devices, from the likes of Nintendo and Oculus, were fun and entertaining but did little to develop the skills and understanding of the actual sport of golf. Those new to the game and even experienced players demand solutions that closely simulate playing the sport on real golf courses, using real golf clubs and real golf balls, allowing players to experience the thrill of driving, chipping and putting in lifelike setting.
With extensive experience in providing projector solutions, ViewSonic has identified two markets for golf simulation solutions – commercial organisations (including golf clubs, specialist retail outlets and social clubs) plus the residential market for golfers to continue their practice in the closed season for outdoor golf courses. A golf simulator is a solution that enables users to play golf indoors in a simulated environment for an immersive and realistic golfing experience. It allows golfers to practice, receive feedback on their strokes, and play virtual rounds of golf irrespective of weather conditions or time of day.
Market opportunity
For the typical systems integrator, golf simulation represents a growing and readily accessible market opportunity. The game’s popularity in the UK saw a huge initial surge in 2020 with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. During that year, a staggering 5.2 million adults played on either a nine or 18-hole course across Great Britain, with 540,000 in Ireland (north and south of the border) for a total of 5.74m.
For the systems integrator, the golf opportunity uses existing skill sets in situations ranging from a single unit in a residential environment, through to a multi-system installation in a commercial setting. We have even heard reports of six figure installs in golf centres. And the number of golfers is growing throughout Europe: the 2021 European Participation shows that England had the most registered golfers in 2021, with Germany in second place with just 40,000 fewer participants.
What are the AV technologies in play?
A golf simulator is a projection-based solution with ancillary devices for ball tracking, driving, iron play and putting. A golf simulator enables individuals to play golf indoors in a simulated environment for an immersive and realistic experience. It allows golfers to practice, receive feedback on their shots, and play virtual rounds of golf irrespective of weather conditions or time of day.
Early adopters of the latest golf simulation technology include the ViewScreen Screen Golf Centre. An initial installation of lamp projectors has recently been upgraded with a ViewSonic LS740HD high-brightness laser projector, which offers 5,000 ANSI Lumens and1080p, Full HD resolution and vivid colours. Not only does the projector deliver the consistent colour quality and clarity essential for a genuinely immersive experience, the lamp-free light source also reduces costs, maintenance overhead and downtime. Kim Seong-hui, ViewScreen’s owner explains the positive impact of the hardware change: “As a store operator, cost is a top priority, and the ViewSonic projector offers significant savings on maintenance costs, such as lamp replacement and filter cleaning. Our customers are pleasantly surprised by the impressive brightness and vivid colours produced by this compact projector”.
Reseller opportunity
Growing public interest in golf, the development of new courses and technological advancements in projector technology have seen golf simulators becoming more popular and affordable. Design and installation of a golf simulator solution is well within the capabilities of any competent VAR or SI. Installation of the projector is the vital element for projecting the virtual golf course and gameplay onto a screen.
ViewSonic offers a comprehensive selection of brightness level, resolutions, throw ratios, light sources, and advanced installations features, designed to meet the diverse requirements of different environments. For a commercial application, ViewSonic recommends a 1080p Full HD model, but some B2B storeowners may opt for 4:3 aspect ratio resolutions, like XGA, enabling more screens to fit within the same space. Again, depending on space, either standard or short-throw projectors can be used. Important considerations include lifelike colours to enhance realism – making players feel truly on the golf course. ViewSonic projectors include a Golf Colour Mode that adjust the colours to make elements like greens and skies appear more natural, helping to create a more realistic golfing experience. Features like H/V keystone correction enable side projection, while offset, lens shift and optical zoom facilitate easy installation and accurate image adjustment to fit screen size and setup.
For commercial installs, a brightness of 5,000+ ANSI Lumens is recommended by ViewSonic, compared to 2000+ ANSI Lumens for a residential install. For both use cases, ViewSonic recommends lamp-free projector models eliminating the hassle of lamp replacement, lowering the total cost of maintenance.
An opportunity for all the skills
The opportunity presented by golf simulators represents a growing market for both commercial and residential business, with demand for AV and audio hardware products, software, digital content and aesthetic shills such as decoration of the playing area. Installations call for virtually the entire gambit of VAR and SI skills and services, and, as such, represent an almost unparalleled market opportunity on a commercial or residential scale. For more information and advice please speak to your local ViewSonic representative on.
