Going golfing in the garage, basement, or spare room may not sound like the ideal course, but try telling that to the hundreds of time-poor tradies perfecting their swing without leaving home.
Playing golf is one of the most popular pastimes for many construction workers, but it’s time-consuming nature means spending half the weekend out on the green is also one of the easiest ways of landing in the rough with the missus.
With half of tradies on the tools for more than 50 hours per week, it’s no wonder many perform poorly on the scorecard of juggling work, family, and social commitments.
Thankfully, home golf simulators are getting many golf lovers off the ‘hook’ with work and the family, allowing tradies to tee off without missing tea time.
The popular practice systems have previously been associated with only the pros and the world’s most affluent amateur golfers due to their high price tag.
But more affordable models of golfing simulators have come to market thanks to the tech boom of recent years, allowing time-poor tradies to hit the green without putting a divot in their weekend plans.
Big Swing Golf distributors were at the Sydney Build 2024 Expo earlier this year showcasing their Full Swing simulator, where they recorded one of the highest stall visitor counts at the event.
Big Swing Golf spokesperson Ian Peebles says the increased interest among skilled workers is a result of simulators becoming known as the most efficient way for golf-loving tradies to improve their game while still scoring a whole-in-one with family commitments.
“Many tradies are too busy to be taking 6 hours out of every weekend to play golf,” Ian told Build-it.
“Clients often say to me they are time-poor in daylight hours. They have younger families and are trying to be a good dad on the weekend after a week of working hard.”
“(But thanks to their golf simulator) they go down to the golf room when kids are in bed at the end of the day and can still be playing golf on simulated courses and practising.”
It’s not just the affordability of golf simulators that has improved, with mapped course drone footage and over 80 data points to determine swings, allowing for real-world simulation and perfect accuracy of shots.
Developed in conjunction with pros such as Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm and Jason Day, the Full Swing simulator features 15 worldwide courses, 8 of which on the PGA roster.
Complete at-home set-up can be achieved for $20,000, although this comes down to around $8,000 for those with a compatible projector and iPad system set up already.
While that price tag will still be out of reach for some golf fans, FIFO and job sites are already installing the systems to keep tradies entertained outside of work hours.
“Providing things like this has become more of the norm on site as it’s become more affordable, as historically, they simply weren’t available at a cost level people would think is reasonable,” Ian told Build-it.
“Worksites, in general, you are asking people to work hard, which is a way to reward them with more than just a salary.”
“Meanwhile, with FIFO accommodation and rigs, people can be stranded out there 24/7, allowing them to have a round of golf during those non-working hours.”
