Golf simulator

I assume that most of the U.S. is moving into spring. Here in the Snowbelt southeast of Lake Ontario we're still getting snow and cold - about 3 inches of the white stuff yesterday and a dusting today. Warmest temp no higher than 35. Last year I had been playing golf for a month by now, but this year there has only been 1 day so far that might have been tolerable.

So today I headed out to the golf dome at Turningstone Resort and Casino in Vernon, NY - quite a little drive for me, but something I've been doing once a week for the past month as I'm getting anxious for the golf season.  When I got there I found that there was a half-hour wait, so I inquired as to the availability of one of their golf simulators - one was available. I assume because they are a bit more expensive than just using the driving range.

The desk manager came over to start the system for me - put me on Pebble Beach. Big mistake. I'm not a very good golfer to begin with and I quickly discovered that hitting on a simulator isn't the same as playing on a course. I was awful.

First of all, the simulator is a cube with one open face and the dimensions are about 12 to 15 feet on a side. It is very different swinging a golf club in a closed space like that without the contextual clues of surrounding grass, trees, sky, etc. I found myself over-swinging and thrashing around like a whirling dervish. Not good.

The screen I was hitting into was awkwardly close - you couldn't follow the natural flight of the ball on each shot at all, though it was reflected on the screen based on speed, direction and spin as the ball hit the screen and passed by some sensors. Still, it was not the same and so adjusting from one shot to the next was difficult. Not only that, but the ball was bouncing back at me after each long shot and that distracted my attention from what was going on on the screen.

Finally, although the simulator allowed putting, either the greens at Pebble Beach are about 20 times as fast as what I'm usually playing, or the machine is super sensitive. I'd have a 30 foot putt, hit about as hard as I'd hit an 8 foot putt on our local courses, and still slide 12 feet past the hole.

So, my overall take on the golf simulator? A neat toy but nothing like really playing golf. I might give it a try again some time, but I think I'd really rather just spend my time on the driving range.

Anybody else ever try one of these things? What was your take?