Indoor Golf in Zurich: What Actually Matters When Choosing

Zurich has caught up on indoor golf. If you want to play a round in November or work on your swing in January, there are now several good venues to choose from — and conveniently, they sit in different directions: Golfflix in Adliswil to the south, Zurich Golf in Kreis 5 in the middle of the city, INGOLF in Opfikon to the north, right next to the airport. The websites all read much the same, though. TrackMan, year-round, whatever the weather. What they rarely mention are the things that actually decide, after two hours in a bay, whether you come back. Here are the four we would look at. ## Space — the most underrated criterion First-timers look at the screen. People who play regularly work out quickly that something else decides whether it is enjoyable: how much room you have around you. Indoor golf has a basic problem that rarely gets discussed. You are swinging a club a metre and a half long at over 150 km/h — indoors. Whether that feels good or cramped comes down to two dimensions. Height decides what happens to your driver. Through the backswing and follow-through the club travels a wide arc well above head height. If the ceiling is tight, something happens that most people never consciously notice: you shorten your backswing. Not as a decision, but as a reflex — your eye catches the ceiling at the edge of vision and your body brakes pre-emptively. For a few wedges that hardly matters. For driver practice it is the difference between genuinely training and simply occupying a bay. Width decides whether it feels like golf or like a booth. A narrow bay works technically but feels tight: you stand in the middle, there is wall to your left and right, and anyone watching ends up behind you. A wide bay changes the whole session — left- and right-handers play in turn without rebuilding anything, and whoever came with you stands to the side with a view of the screen instead of at your back. That is exactly what we built for at INGOLF: 3.5 metres of ceiling height and bays 5 metres wide. Three and a half metres is more than a normal storey — enough for a full driver swing at any height, without ever glancing up. ## How you are charged — per bay or per person This one is easy to overlook and changes the maths completely. Some venues sell playing time per person, others per simulator. When the price is per simulator, a group shares the bay — which turns indoor golf from a training expense into an ordinary evening or weekend outing for couples, friends and families. So do not only ask what an hour costs; ask how many people that hour covers. With us the price is per simulator, not per person, and up to four people play in one bay — which at 5 metres wide genuinely works in practice, not just on paper. ## When you can actually play It sounds like a detail and is the biggest day-to-day difference of all. A staffed venue is open when staff are there. An unmanned venue with self-access is open when you have time. If you want to practise regularly, that matters more than any other criterion — because the session you can squeeze in early in the morning, at lunch or late in the evening is the one that actually happens. The honest counterpoint: if you value being greeted in person, want to ask someone about the technology on the spot, or fancy a drink after your round, a staffed venue with a lounge suits you better. Both models are valid — you just want to know which one you are after. INGOLF is unmanned and runs on self-access: book online, let yourself in, play. Members have access daily from 05:00 to 24:00. For guests we are open Monday to Friday from 16:00 to 21:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 21:00. ## The technology — and how much of it you need TrackMan is the reference point in the simulator world: used on the PGA Tour and by a large share of golf instructors, and it measures not just where the ball lands but how it got there — ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, face angle and club path at impact. In Zurich the larger venues all use it, so it is less a differentiator than a baseline. The more useful question is what you do with it. For a round with friends, any decent system is plenty. If you are working on your swing, you benefit from clean data and from having it explained — so asking about lessons and coaching will tell you more than asking which sensor is mounted. At INGOLF you currently play on TrackMan 4. In winter 2026/27 we are moving to TrackMan iO — the generation built specifically for indoor use, mounted overhead, for more precise data and a tidier bay with nothing standing in the way. ## And in the end: which direction Let us be honest — the best venue is the one you actually go to regularly. With three good options in three directions, distance decides more often than technology does. If you live on the left bank of the lake you will not drive north; if you work in Zurich North you will not drive to Adliswil. INGOLF is at Stelzenstrasse 6 in Opfikon, in Glattpark. Tram 10 connects us to Zurich city centre and to the airport in a few minutes; from Glattbrugg, Wallisellen, Kloten and Zurich North you can reach us easily without a car. Parking is available in the AirCenter garage for CHF 5, payable by TWINT. ## Frequently asked questions Isn't indoor golf cramped? That depends entirely on the venue, and it is the point on which venues differ most. At 3.5 metres high and 5 metres wide per bay you swing freely here, including with the driver and including with four of you in one bay. Do I need my own clubs? No. We recommend bringing your own, but rental equipment can be added during booking. Can I come as a complete beginner? Yes — everyone from a first swing to a low handicap is welcome. There is no age limit; children need to be accompanied by an adult for safety reasons. Private lessons with our coaches are the fastest way in. Come and try it: book a simulator at booking.ingolf.ch. We are at Stelzenstrasse 6 in Opfikon — a few minutes from Zurich city centre and the airport on tram 10.