Golf Without the Weather: Urban Golf London

Urban Golf has been around for a while now and has firmly established itself among golfers in the City of London.

With centres in Soho, Kensington and Smithfield — our base for the day — there’s really no excuse not to give it a go.

The concept is slightly difficult to explain. Imagine a cross between a trendy London bar and a golf clubhouse, only instead of hundreds of acres of open space, you get eight AboutGolf simulators.

And yes, I know what you’re thinking.

Simulator golf? Seriously?

Yes. Seriously.

I play a fair bit of golf in real life and have tried a few simulators over the years. Most are average at best. But after half an hour and nine holes here, I’m pretty convinced this is about as close to outdoor golf as you’re likely to get indoors.

Even Luke Donald has apparently installed one of the same systems in his Florida home.

Each bay is kitted out with TaylorMade equipment, including Burner irons, R11 fairway woods, Burner SuperFast 2.0 drivers and a selection of Rossa putters. You also hit real golf balls rather than plastic or range balls, which helps make the whole thing feel far more convincing.

In terms of distance, the irons and woods felt surprisingly accurate. My seven iron was carrying around 150 yards, which is exactly what I’d expect out on the course.

Putting is trickier. Judging distance on a screen takes a bit of getting used to, but after a few holes you start to get the hang of it.

Urban Golf’s Smithfield manager, Tom, rarely plays outside these days and has apparently cut his handicap from the mid-teens to six in under two years. That probably tells you more about how good these simulators are than anything else.

More Than Just Golf

With a fully licensed bar, Urban Golf attracts a pretty broad mix of people.

While we were there, there were work groups, couples and stag parties, with ability levels ranging from complete beginner to very serious golfer.

An average four-ball can expect to get through around seven holes in an hour, while someone playing alone should be able to squeeze in a full 18.

Prices are around £50 per hour, per bay, which sounds steep until you remember that up to eight people can share one simulator. There are also lunchtime deals and discounted sessions if you’re looking to keep the cost down.

Proper Golf Credentials

It isn’t all beer and virtual fairways, either.

There are golf professionals on site offering lessons, plus a comprehensive custom club-fitting service for anyone taking things a bit more seriously.

Overall, we came away impressed.

If you’re in London and can’t get out on the course, the weather is terrible, or you just fancy doing something a little different for a couple of hours, Urban Golf is well worth a look.