FriendlyGolfer.com is a site dedicated to golf simulators and using launch monitors and other technology to improve your game. Here you’ll find reviews and guides for building and enjoying your home golf simulator.
The goal for this site is to become one of the best resources available for those interested in building or purchasing their own golf simulator.
About Me
I started playing golf in high school so that I could get a period off campus to go to the driving range. I definitely wasn’t any good but eventually I got hooked. I’ve never been much of a team sport guy so golf definitely suited me. I really enjoyed competing in high school tournaments (even though I wasn’t going to win anything) and having goals to improve.
I continued playing for a few years into my twenties but eventually gave up the game when I no longer had friends to play with or the time to play.
Around 12 years later I decided to pick up the clubs again. My wife and I had lived in a golf course community for years and I had never even played the course. After a solid year and a half I had gotten rid of all the rust and was playing better than I ever had.
Then our daughter was born. I knew my days of playing 2-3 times a week were over.
I didn’t want to lose all the progress I had made so after the first month or two of being a dad I decided that I should invest in a launch monitor and net so that I could practice without leaving the house.
I researched for weeks and eventually bought a Flightscope Mevo+ and a Net Return Pro. I was very afraid I was spending thousands of dollars and I was going to be let down once I set everything up.
I was pleasantly surprised. The launch monitor worked great, I fit everything in my garage and I was really enjoying my practice sessions. I absolutely loved it!
At first I wasn’t interested in setting up an actual golf simulator. I just wanted my launch monitor and net to practice. I connected my iPad to a TV mounted in the garage and that was all I needed to use my Mevo+ and FS Golf app. Every once in a while I would play a round on the E6 connect app that’s included with Mevo+.
At some point I realized that setting up and using an actual golf simulator could improve my game. Have you ever heard the best way to get better at golf is to play golf and not just hit balls at the driving range? Well I think the same idea applies in my garage. Instead of just hitting balls, it might be good to get extra rounds in where I’m actually playing golf.
I decided to take the plunge and buy a screen and enclosure, projector, and gaming laptop to get the full experience. All I can say is I wish I would have just gone all in from the beginning.
Why I Created This Site
All of this stuff is really expensive plus you really have to research, plan, and put together all of the components to your simulator on your own. That alone can create a lot of anxiety about your purchases.
Since I became absolutely obsessed with all of this stuff I thought I should create a website where I can share what I’ve learned from my experience AND continue to test and review products.
I love talking about all this stuff so if you have any question at all – contact me and I’ll try to point you in the right direction.