Tee off without fear of bad weather

The biggest party pooper for golfers is the weather. All the anticipation of a fun day on the greens goes down the drain when it rains.

This is where golf simulator centres are helpful, as golfers are not at the mercy of nature and the women do not have to bother with suncreen.

"I have been looking for a venue in Singapore where I can play golf without worrying about having a tan and the unpredictable weather in Singapore," said Ms Eileen Goh, 31, a housewife.

Simi Golf is one of several golf simulator centres here. Situated at the second level of Bukit Batok Golf Range, the two-bay simulator centre opened last month.

It has 20 golf courses - from the famous Pebble beach to the historic Pinehurst - for golfers to choose from and play. There is a trainer on site for guidance.

Simi Golf was started by local businessman Benjamin Chng and his friend, who share an interest in golf and saw there was a lack of golf simulators in Singapore compared with countries such as South Korea and Japan.

In addition, not many people can afford a country club membership.

At Simi Golf, an 18-hole game costs $38 per person during off-peak hours on a weekday from 10am to 5pm. It costs $10 more after 5pm.

Comparatively, it would cost you at least $120 if you play at a private golf course on a weekday.

Simi Golf also provides golf clubs for those who do not have their own equipment.

The simulators at Simi Golf are from Golf HD, a company based in Canada which specialises in golf simulators.

The simulator uses a total of three high-speed cameras to capture all angles of the ball. Two infrared motion detectors measure other components, such as the golf club head's speed and angle, and the ball's speed and spin to give an accurate projection of the ball's flight.

Golfers can then see the flight of the ball on the large projection screen measuring 5m in width and 3.75m in height.

"It is quite realistic, as you can see how the flight of the ball corresponds to the way you hit it," said engineer Hans Tjhung, 44, who was playing at the centre for the first time.

Recently, Simi Golf installed a new Epson projector after the previous one broke down.

"Projectors are an important part in making the whole experience of playing in simulators enjoyable," Mr Chng said.

The 40-year-old said a sharp and high-end projector is able to deliver bright and sharp images of the golf courses, giving customers a cinematic feel. This is because the simulators use photorealistic images of actual golf courses, instead of computer graphics.

"The new projector has better definition and resolution, which enhances the whole experience," said businessman Hoon Dai Loon, 60, who is a regular at Simi Golf.

trevtan@sph.com.sg

[[{"fid":"53193","view_mode":"default","type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":57,"width":243,"border":"0","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.