Is TrackMan the Same Thing as a Golf Simulator?
No. TrackMan is a Doppler-radar launch monitor that measures the club and the ball; a golf simulator is a screen-and-projector room where you hit into a net. Golf Center of Arlington uses TrackMan outdoors on its real range in supervised sessions, and offers Toptracer Virtual Golf on every bay screen as its closest thing to simulator golf.
"TrackMan golf simulator" is one of the most common searches that brings people to Golf Center of Arlington, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a sales pitch. TrackMan and golf simulators overlap in one way and differ in every other. Here is the honest distinction, what we actually have on site, and which option fits what you are looking for.
What is TrackMan, precisely?
TrackMan is a launch monitor. It is a radar unit that sits on the ground behind the golfer and reads the changing frequency of microwaves reflected off the clubhead and the ball, much like a Doppler weather radar reads rain. From that it reports club data (Club Speed, Attack Angle, Club Path, Face Angle, Dynamic Loft) and ball data (Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Carry), and it records swing video alongside every shot.
A launch monitor is a measuring instrument. It does not need a screen, a projector, a net or a room. At Golf Center of Arlington it is used outdoors on the driving range at 1301 NE Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006, in a booked session run by a professional supervisor. You hit real balls at real targets and receive a web report by email with all the data and swing videos.
What is a golf simulator, precisely?
A golf simulator is a system for playing golf indoors. You hit a ball into a screen or net, a sensor of some kind (radar, cameras or a mat) reads the shot, and software draws the ball flying down a virtual fairway on the screen. The defining parts are the enclosure, the screen and the software, not the sensor.
That is where the confusion starts. Some simulator rooms use a TrackMan unit as their sensor, so people hear "TrackMan" and picture the room. But the radar is only one component. A simulator without the room is just a launch monitor, and a launch monitor used outdoors, the way Golf Center of Arlington uses it, is not a simulator at all.
| TrackMan at Golf Center of Arlington | A typical golf simulator | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Measure the club and the ball; diagnose the swing | Play virtual golf indoors |
| Where the ball goes | Onto the real range, at real targets | Into a screen or net a few yards away |
| Setting | Outdoors, in real wind and weather | An enclosed room with projector and screen |
| Ball flight | Real; carry and curve are what you see | Computed from the first few feet of flight |
| Output | Ten metrics plus swing video, emailed as a web report | A virtual hole or course on screen |
| Supervision | Professional supervisor runs every session | Usually self-serve by the hour |
So what does Golf Center of Arlington actually have?
Two separate systems on one outdoor range, and neither is an enclosed simulator room.
TrackMan (booked session)
- Doppler-radar launch monitor used outdoors
- Supervised by a professional
- Ten club and ball metrics plus swing video
- Web report emailed at the end of the session
- Also used in Refinement Program lessons
- See current pricing when you book
Toptracer (every bay, any bucket)
- Camera-based ball tracking on all 18 covered bays and 28 grass areas
- Virtual Golf on Pebble Beach, St Andrews, Torrey Pines, Royal St. George's and more
- Games: Closest to the Pin, Long Drive, Points Game, Angry Birds, Go Fish and others
- Session history in the official Toptracer app
- Included with a $21, $28 or $35 bucket
If what you really want is to play a famous course on a screen, Toptracer Virtual Golf is your answer, and it is available every day without a booking. Our page on where you can play Pebble Beach on a golf simulator-style screen in DFW explains how it works. If what you want is to know why your driver slices, that is TrackMan, and where you can use a TrackMan launch monitor in Arlington covers the booking.
Want the radar, the video and a supervisor reading the numbers with you? That is a TrackMan session, outdoors on the real range.
Book a TrackMan SessionWhy does Golf Center of Arlington use TrackMan outdoors instead of in a room?
Because the ball flight is real. In an enclosed simulator the sensor sees the first few feet of flight and the software estimates the rest. On the range at Golf Center of Arlington, the radar tracks the ball all the way to the ground, so Carry is measured, not modeled, and you can watch the shot curve with your own eyes while the numbers explain why.
Real conditions
Wind, heat and turf are part of the data. A carry number from an outdoor session is one you can trust on the course.
Still rain or shine
The range's 18 bays are covered and heated, so regular practice never stops for weather, and the range is lit at night.
A person, not a kiosk
A professional supervisor sets up the radar and interprets the numbers, which matters more than any screen for actually improving.
The full comparison of the two technologies, including a side-by-side table and who should use which, is in our complete guide to shot tracking and swing data: Toptracer and TrackMan compared.
Which should you book?
- Want to play a course with friends? Buy a bucket, pick a covered bay and choose Virtual Golf on the Toptracer screen. No booking needed for a small group; groups of about eight or more should call 817-469-9005.
- Want to fix a swing fault or check your numbers before buying clubs? Book a TrackMan session. It is supervised, outdoors and ends with an emailed report and video.
- Want both? Book TrackMan first, then use the bay to practice what the supervisor flagged. The TrackMan page and the Toptracer page list everything each offers.
If you are used to indoor simulators, expect your outdoor TrackMan carry numbers to differ from your indoor ones, sometimes by a lot. The outdoor numbers are the ones the golf course will agree with.
When is an enclosed simulator the better choice?
Being honest about the distinction means admitting what a simulator room does that a range does not. If you want a private, enclosed space to play a full virtual round with scoring for a small group, or you specifically want to hit indoors with no wind at all, a simulator room is built for that, and Golf Center of Arlington does not have one.
What the range offers instead is real ball flight with tracking on every shot. Toptracer Virtual Golf lets a foursome play famous courses from a covered, heated bay while watching the actual ball fly, and the games and leaderboards keep newer players involved. TrackMan gives serious golfers the measurement side without ever leaving the grass. For most people looking for "simulator golf" in Arlington, one of those two covers what they were after, and the bay is open every day without a booking.
Hours, location and cost
Golf Center of Arlington is at 1301 NE Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006, about two miles north of the Arlington Entertainment District. The range is open Monday–Saturday 8 AM–11 PM and Sunday 8 AM–10 PM, seven days a week, year-round, with the last bucket sold one hour before closing. Toptracer Virtual Golf is included with any bucket: $21 for 60 balls, $28 for 90 or $35 for 120, with member prices of $15, $20 and $25. TrackMan is a booked session; no session price is published, so see current pricing when you book.
Frequently asked questions
Does Golf Center of Arlington have an indoor golf simulator?
No. Golf Center of Arlington does not have an enclosed simulator room. It has Toptracer Virtual Golf on every covered bay and grass hitting area, where you hit real balls onto the outdoor range while the screen shows the shot on a famous course, and it has TrackMan launch monitor sessions that run outdoors on the same range with a professional supervisor.
Can I play Pebble Beach on TrackMan at Golf Center of Arlington?
Not on TrackMan. Virtual courses at Golf Center of Arlington run on Toptracer, which is on every bay and included with any bucket. Toptracer Virtual Golf includes Pebble Beach, St Andrews, Torrey Pines, Royal St. George's and more than 20 courses in total. TrackMan is used here as a measuring tool for supervised swing analysis, not for course play.
Is a TrackMan session more accurate than an indoor simulator?
For real ball flight, yes. Outdoors, TrackMan's radar tracks the ball to the ground, so Carry is measured rather than estimated from the first few feet. Golf Center of Arlington runs every TrackMan session outdoors on the real range, which means wind and turf are part of the result, the same way they are on the course.
Do I need to book to use Toptracer Virtual Golf?
No. Toptracer is on all 18 covered bays and 28 grass hitting areas and comes with any bucket, so walk in, buy balls and pick Virtual Golf on the screen. Reservations are not needed for the range; larger groups of about eight or more should call 817-469-9005 ahead of time. TrackMan sessions, by contrast, must be booked online.
Can I use TrackMan and Toptracer in the same visit?
Yes, and it is a good way to do it. Book the TrackMan session first so a supervisor can identify what to work on, then buy a bucket and take a covered bay to practice that change with Toptracer showing carry and accuracy on every shot. Members pay $15 for a medium bucket instead of $21, which makes the follow-up practice inexpensive.
What does TrackMan give me that a simulator does not?
Club data and a person. TrackMan reports Club Speed, Attack Angle, Club Path, Face Angle and Dynamic Loft alongside Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Spin Rate and Carry, and records swing video, all in a web report emailed to you. At Golf Center of Arlington a professional supervisor runs the session and explains what the numbers mean for your swing.
See your numbers on TrackMan
A supervised session on the real range, with a web report and swing video emailed to you afterward.
Golf Center of Arlington · 1301 NE Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006 · 817-469-9005 · Open Mon–Sat 8 AM–11 PM, Sun 8 AM–10 PM