Simulator Games for Two or More Players

The group round has gone flat. One person plays while three scroll on their phones, or everyone crowds around the mat. Both problems have fixes. Start with the safety one, because it comes first.

How to take turns without anyone getting hit

Garmin's manual warns that skipping its indoor setup steps could result in property damage or personal injury¹. One of those steps is to make sure nothing can block the backswing or follow-through¹. In a group, people are the likeliest thing to block it.

Set house rules before the first shot:

• One hitter at a time inside the hitting area. Nobody else steps in until the hitter has stepped out.
• Spectators stand behind the hitter and out of the swing path, or back from the mat altogether.
• Check your maker's guide for how far from the mat and net people should stay.
• Practice swings happen only when the area is clear.
• No one retrieves a ball or stands near the net while someone is about to swing.
• Keep kids and pets out of the room unless an adult is watching them.

Keep your own swing check in mind too. Swing a club slowly in the space before a group plays, and never aim at a bare wall or a window. Real balls bounce back.

Why games beat a plain round

A normal round takes a long time with four people and one mat. Games shorten the wait because every shot has a point. They also make bad shots matter less.

Match play

In match play, a player earns a point for each hole where they've bested their opponents². A bad hole costs you one hole, not the whole round. It suits two players, or two teams, and it has a clear end.

Stableford

Stableford scores points per hole instead of counting every stroke. Once you've taken two strokes more than the adjusted fixed score, you may abandon the hole and move on³. That helps pace of play too³. In a home group, it's a way to stop a disaster hole from wrecking the day.

Handicaps and fairness

If one player is far better than another, a handicap helps. A golf handicap is a measure used to let players of different abilities compete against one another⁴. Check whether your software can apply one. If it can't, give the weaker player a few mulligans instead. A mulligan is a replay of the shot that doesn't count as a stroke⁵. Tournaments don't allow it, so agree on it with your group first.

Simple games that need no scoring system

• Closest to the target. Everyone hits the same club at the same spot. Closest wins the round.
• Shot-shaping challenge. Each player names a shape, such as a fade, before swinging.
• Relay. Two teams. Each member hits one shot, then the team total counts.
• Last one standing. Everyone hits at a target. Whoever is farthest away drops out.
• Wedge ladder. Targets get closer each round. Miss the window and you sit out a turn.

Rotate who picks the game. Short games beat a four-hour round that half the room has abandoned.

When it still isn't fun

Change one thing: the game, the number of players on the mat, or the length. Cut it short rather than drag. If someone only wants to practise, give them the mat for a focused block while the others wait their turn behind the line. And when you do want a round with some purpose, see how to use a virtual round as practice.