Driving range vs golf simulator

A driving range lets you see the real ball flight and costs least per session, about $8 for a small bucket at a typical range. A golf simulator measures every shot and works in any weather, but you hit into a screen and usually pay by the hour: the simulator rates we have recorded run from $15 to $46 an hour per bay. Toptracer ranges and golf domes sit in between.

By the Range and Putt editorial team. Published November 12, 2026, updated November 12, 2026. Figures are recalculated from our listings whenever they change.

Side by side

	Outdoor range	Toptracer range	Golf dome	Simulator
You see	Real flight	Real flight and a traced line with numbers	The first part of the flight, into netting	A projected flight on a screen
Weather	Exposed, unless covered or heated	Same as the range	Indoors	Indoors
Usually priced	By the bucket	Bucket or by the hour	By the hour	By the hour
Typical price in our data	$8 smallest bucket	Sometimes included; $15 an hour at Seattle's city ranges	$34 to $58 an hour	$15 to $46 an hour

Figures come from the 318 driving ranges listed on Range and Putt, each checked against the range's own website or operator, most recently in November 2026.

When a range is the better choice

You want to see what the ball really does in the wind and on landing.
You are working on contact and want to hit from grass (see grass tees vs mats).
You are practicing alone on a budget.

When a simulator is the better choice

It is dark, raining or below freezing and there is no heated range nearby.
You want exact numbers for each club, for example for a club fitting.
A group wants to play a virtual round together, where the hourly price is shared.

Ranges with simulators on site

You do not always have to choose. 21 Golf Range, Alley Pond Golf Center, Big Swing Golf Center, Bunker Hills Golf Club, The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers and Emerald Greens Golf Course have simulators as well as an outdoor range, and Bunker Hills Golf Club charges from $46 an hour, Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club charges from $35 an hour and San Pedro Driving Range & Par 3 charges from $15 an hour.

Find a range

Questions people ask

Is a golf simulator better than a driving range?

For exact numbers and bad weather, a simulator is better. For seeing real ball flight and for cheap solo practice, a range is better.

How much does a golf simulator cost per hour?

At the ranges we list that publish simulator rates, from $15 to $46 an hour per bay, usually shared by a group.

Is Toptracer the same as a simulator?

No. Toptracer tracks real shots on an outdoor range with cameras, so you see the real flight as well as the numbers. A simulator projects the flight onto a screen.

Sources

About Toptracer Toptracer, read November 12, 2026
Range and Putt listings: 318 driving ranges, each checked against the range's own website or operator, most recently November 12, 2026. Each listing links to its own sources.

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Quick answers

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