👀 The Three-Putt: 3 Golf Picks You Can't Miss

📰 Must-Read: GSPro is FINALLY available on the Rapsodo MLM2Pro! 🎉 Check out everything you need to know here. 

⛳ Must-Try: Skytrak is calling THIS the most underrated feature on the software. Try out the greens randomizer and let us know what you think. 

👀 Must-See: Min Woo Lee blind ranking golf swings. How’d he do? 

🔥 Sim Steals and Golf Deals

Amazon is springing into golf season with some big deals…check ‘em out!

⛳ The Ultimate Golf Man Cave on a Budget

Thinking about building a sim man cave but not sure where to start? Lukas from Toronto makes a strong case that it’s so worth it. From avoiding the brutal winter to getting in quality family time (and improving his swing along the way), he’s turned his space into a year-round golf haven. His strategy? Invest in a solid launch monitor and let everything else fall into place. Check out how he made it happen—without breaking the bank.

What inspired you to install a golf simulator, and why did you choose your specific location?

Like many others I really caught the golf bug over the Covid-19 lockdowns. Living in Toronto your golf season is only ~6 months and the long winters with no golf were tortuous. My main motivation to install a golf simulator was to be able to stay golfing year-round. I chose to build my simulator in the garage because it was the only suitable space I had access to, and the space was already sort of a ‘man-cave’ so it made sense to add it there.

Walk us through your decision-making process—what factors influenced your choices for the enclosure, launch monitor, software, and other components?

My decision making was very much governed by costs and the available space. I initially was looking for a budget friendly simulator that was functional in a relatively tight garage space. I did research online and watched YouTube videos and eventually decided to purchase a SkyTrak unit. I decided on the TGC 2019 software given the 100k+ courses. I saw local courses I play, as well as world renowned courses on there and thought it would provide never ending variety, which it has. 

The rest of the build has come together piece by piece over time. I got some turf and a hitting mat for free, purchased the projector, enclosure, and impact screen a few years later after originally just hitting into a net and using the TV for visuals.

What was the most difficult part of setting up your sim, and how did you solve it?

The most difficult part was the space constraints. The garage originally had only 8ft ceilings and then space above for storage. This would not allow you to swing anything comfortably. Luckily, the ceiling joists were not load-bearing so were able to remove a section and vault the ceiling up to ~12ft. This allowed us the necessary space to swing comfortably have a simulator.

Where did you spend the most money in your setup, and do you think it was worth it?

The most money was expectedly spent on the simulator itself and the software. I was able to save costs on the other aspects by acquiring them cheaply over time. But the upfront cost of the simulator and software was significant. Despite the price, it was 100% worth it. The amount of time and enjoyment the space has given people has made it worth every penny.

For those on a tight budget, where do you think it’s most important to invest in a golf sim setup?

I would say you should make sure the simulator and software are what you want, and what you will enjoy. It will likely be the biggest expense in the build, but it will also determine how much enjoyment you get out of it. If you buy a simulator that is inaccurate and has many bugs, or software that only has minimal functionality, you will eventually get bored. If you spend a bit more initially and can get years of enjoyment out of the simulator, it’s worth the money. The rest of the build you can do yourself, shop around, cut costs, etc. I would also recommend if you have the money on hand, buying everything at once as a package from an indoor golf company. It can be a great way to save, especially with sales like Black Friday.

If money was limitless, what’s the first thing you’d upgrade?

If money was limitless, I would look to upgrade the simulator itself to a professional quality unit like Trackman or GC Quad. It would be nice to have no second thoughts about whether my yardages and stats are accurate. In addition, if I could add additional space to my area I would—some of my taller friends are still uncomfortable swinging drivers in a small-ish space.

What’s your favorite part of your setup, and why?

The overall enjoyment that I and numerous other family/friends get out of the simulator and the garage more broadly are the best part. There is rarely a day in the winter that someone is not in the garage working on their game, playing a round with friends, watching a sports event, or just hanging out. The total hours of enjoyment that can be attributed to that space is immeasurable and makes the price of the build truly worth every penny.

Thank you to Lukas for letting us share your space! 

‼️ Launch Monitor Madness

You voted…here’s our Final Four. Who will be the last two standing?

🏌️The Best “Lies” of April Fools: Golf Brands Edition 

Ah yes, April Fools’—the one day a year brands unleash their inner class clown. Golf companies (and even some pros) got in on the mischief, delivering a few scroll-stoppers and double-takes across our feeds. Here are our favorite swings at humor from the day:

Carl’s Place

Carl’s Place dropped a “new product” launch: a touchscreen impact screen. Yes, a golf sim that doubles as a massive iPad. Is it a prank... or a prototype we’d actually buy? Honestly, not the worst idea we’ve ever heard.

Full Swing

Full Swing turned the tables and pranked their own engineers. While filming content, every single tee shot registered as a “hole-in-one.” Engineers were stressed, recalibrating, troubleshooting, probably questioning everything.

My Golf Spy

MyGolfSpy dropped a bombshell: LAB Golf is tossing putters aside to enter the driver game. Bold move for the kings of the flatstick. Is it fake? Definitely. Would we still line up to test it? Also yes.

Sunday Golf

Sunday Golf “signed” Happy Gilmore—and no, not Sandler. Turns out there’s a real golfer at Ball State actually named Happy Gilmore. We couldn’t make this up if we tried.

Tiger Woods

And finally, the GOAT. Tiger teased that he was healed up and ready to tee it up at Augusta. Was it real? No. Did we want it to be? Desperately.

Recommended Read

Up & Down by Tim O’Connor

Explore your relationship with golf, mindfulness, and music with award-winning writer and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductee, Tim O’Connor. Through his weekly essays, Tim shares insights that will elevate your game and mindset. Join 1K+ subscribers for empowering  3-5 minute reads and game-changing wisdom.

And don’t miss Tim’s podcast, Swing Thoughts.