Home › Golf simulators › Try before you buy
Before you orderHow to try a golf simulator before you buy
Three routes work: a free demo at a specialist’s showroom, an hour at an indoor venue running the software you want, or buying from a retailer with a clear returns window. A showroom demo is the only one that lets you compare several launch monitors side by side.
Free showroom demos
These specialists invite buyers to try launch monitors and software before ordering. Book ahead, and say which systems you want to compare.
| Company | Where | What you can try | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| GolfBays | Holmes Chapel, Cheshire | Radar: TrackMan 4, FlightScope Mevo+, Rapsodo MLM2PRO, Garmin R10. Overhead: ProTee VX, Uneekor EYE XO2. Camera: SkyTrak, SkyTrak+, Foresight GC3 | Free and no-obligation; book online or by phone, or ask for a video consultation |
| Golf Swing Systems | Cranleigh, Surrey and Warrington, Cheshire | Simulators and equipment from its range; ask which models are set up | Free demo; book through the online form |
| Golf Tech Systems | Abingdon, Oxfordshire | TrackMan iO with Virtual Golf 3 software | By appointment only, through its online calendar |
Other installers may offer demos too: see the companies on our installation page.
What to test at a demo
- Your own swing with your own clubs. Ask whether you can bring them, and hit driver as well as wedges.
- The exact package you would buy. A showroom’s overhead TrackMan room tells you little about a £600 portable unit in a garage.
- The setup for your room. Bring your measurements and ask the staff to set up the monitor at your room’s depth and width. Our room checker gives you the numbers.
- The software. Play a few holes on the software you plan to buy, and check whether it needs a PC and a yearly subscription (costs).
- Left- and right-handed play, if both will use it: watch how the monitor is moved and realigned.
- The noise of a ball hitting the screen, if neighbours are close.
- A written quote for what you tried, so you can compare it with online prices.
Indoor golf venues
Booking an hour at an indoor golf venue is the easiest way to feel what playing a simulator is like week to week. Many UK venues run TrackMan, Foresight or Uneekor systems, and some run GSPro or E6 Connect software. It is a good test of the software, the screen and whether the family will use it.
It is a weaker test of a specific home launch monitor. Venues usually have larger rooms and premium overhead or camera units, so a session on TrackMan says little about how a Garmin R10 will read your shots in a single garage. Use a venue to decide whether you want a simulator, and a showroom to choose which one.
Buying with a returns window
If you can’t get to a demo, buy from a retailer whose returns terms you have read. For goods bought online from a UK business:
- You have 14 days from the day after delivery to cancel, without needing a reason.
- You then have a further 14 days to send the goods back, and the seller must refund you within 14 days of receiving them or proof of posting, including standard delivery.
- The right does not cover custom-made or personalised goods, such as a made-to-measure enclosure or a fitted room.
- Handle the kit as you would in a shop. A seller can reduce the refund if goods were used more than needed to check them.
- Check who pays for return delivery before you order. For a boxed enclosure or a heavy mat it can be costly.
- Activating a software subscription or membership may be treated separately from the hardware, so read those terms before you start one.
Some retailers go further: SimSpace says it accepts returns within 30 days. A faulty product is different again: you can reject it for a refund within 30 days under the Consumer Rights Act (see returns and warranty).
Frequently asked questions
Can I try a golf simulator before I buy in the UK?
Yes. GolfBays (Cheshire), Golf Swing Systems (Surrey and Cheshire) and Golf Tech Systems (Oxfordshire) offer showroom demos by appointment, and indoor golf venues let you try simulator software by the hour.
Are golf simulator demos free?
GolfBays and Golf Swing Systems describe their demos as free. Golf Tech Systems works by appointment; ask about any cost when you book.
Can I return a golf simulator if I don’t like it?
For goods bought online from a UK business you usually have 14 days after delivery to cancel and a further 14 days to send them back. Custom-made items and fitted rooms are excluded, and you may pay return delivery.
Is an indoor golf venue a good way to test a launch monitor?
It is good for testing the software and the experience, but venues usually run premium systems in larger rooms, so it says little about a portable home unit. A showroom demo is better for choosing a model.
Sources
GolfBays: book a demo · Golf Swing Systems: book a demo · Golf Tech Systems: showroom · Citizens Advice: changing your mind. Checked 5 October 2026; showroom details change, so confirm when you book