THE IN CROWD: Golf goes indoors as duffers practice their craft amid drinks and burgers.

• Author: King, Brad

The most popular way to play golf is now indoors.

Of a record 41.1 million golfers who participated in 2022, about 15.5 million played indoors, while 13.2 million played on green grass, says David Lorentz, head of research at the National Golf Foundation. The remaining 12.4 million played in both venues.

It was the first year that more people played golf indoors than outdoors.

Sure, purists will say hitting balls while enjoying a beer at Topgolf isn't "playing golf." But with off-the-course golf doubling since 2014, there's no doubt that the game is forever changed.

"You couldn't possibly overstate the importance of (off-course golf) in creating demand for golf," Lorentz said during a speech at the annual PGA Show in Orlando in January. "This is the drug that hooks people to the game. Those in the green grass business should feel very fortunate to have these experiences that are administering the golf drug to now millions more people."

Demand for nontraditional forms of golf has escalated so rapidly that indoor golf entertainment facilities, not including miniature golf, are now the industry's fastest-growing sector. Then there's the simulator and launch monitor market, which is expected to soar to $244 million in 2028, from $178 million in 2021. What began as hitting off a mat into a net in the basement has made its way to more than 50,000 family rooms and living spaces nationally, along with many commercial settings.

Andy Allen, vice president of revenue and partnerships for Winston-Salem-based SkyTrak, has enjoyed an inside-the-ropes view of indoor golf for more than a decade. SkyTrak has sold more than 70,000 units since 2015, making it the leading seller of consumer simulators and launch monitors. The company reached record sales in 2021 as overall simulator sales surged around the world.

"[Simulators] introduce people to the game," he says. "Not everybody becomes an avid golfer or a single-digit handicap, but nontraditional forms of golf are a fun introduction to the game.

Many then aspire to add a gif simulator to their available space and enjoy practicing, improving and playing si mluated courses with friends on their own schedule from the convenience of home."

Last August, Colorado-based GolfTec bought SkyTrak for undisclosed terms. GolfTec has about 250 locations and 1,000 coaches who provide lessons and services using video analysis and motion measurement sensors. The company provided nearly 2 million lessons last year. Its North...