Do Golf Simulators Have Clubs? Rental Guide

You do not always need your own clubs at a golf simulator. Many indoor golf venues have loaner or rental sets, but the fee, set makeup, handedness, and pickup process vary enough that you should confirm before paying for a bay.

The useful question is not simply, “Do golf simulators have clubs?” It is: Does this location have the right set available for my booking time?

Quick answer: bring, rent, or borrow?

Your plan	Best choice	Why
Casual first visit	Use venue clubs if confirmed	Less gear to carry; enough to learn the bay
Travel or date night	Reserve a rental set	Easier than transporting a full bag
Distance practice	Bring your own clubs	The numbers apply to the equipment you actually play
Lesson or club fitting	Ask the coach or fitter first	The session may require your set, fitting heads, or both
Left-handed, junior, or women’s set	Confirm the exact set in advance	“Clubs available” may describe only one standard set
Self-service booking	Treat clubs as unavailable until confirmed	An unstaffed studio may have nobody there to issue equipment

GolfSimMap’s live directory snapshot on October 2, 2026 contained 2,128 active venues tagged for club rentals out of 3,871 active listings—just under 55%. That is a useful starting point, but it is not a promise that a set will be available for your time slot. Start with GolfSimMap’s club-rental venue listings, then verify the current policy with the exact location.

Do golf simulators have clubs for customers?

Some do. Some charge. Some include clubs with the bay. Others require every golfer to bring a set.

Current venue policies show the range:

Five Iron Golf says its booking guests can use clubs at no additional cost, including women’s, kids’, and left-handed options.
Perfect Shot Indoor Golf lists complete right- and left-handed rental sets for $25 per session.
Smash Box Golf says clubs are not provided at its fully unmanned studio.

Those are examples, not national price benchmarks. They prove why “indoor golf” does not come with one standard equipment policy.

The venue format often gives you a clue. Social golf bars and staffed entertainment venues are more likely to keep guest sets because beginners and groups arrive without equipment. Practice-first or self-service studios may expect golfers to bring their own clubs. But there are exceptions in both directions, so the booking page still wins.

What is usually included in a rental set?

Do not assume “rental clubs” means a complete 14-club bag.

A venue may provide:

a shared house set for the entire bay;
a basic set with a driver, several irons, a wedge, and a putter;
separate right- and left-handed sets;
men’s, women’s, or junior lengths;
a few loose clubs for casual games rather than a full virtual round;
demo or fitting clubs that are available only during staffed hours.

The exact makeup matters more than the label. A beginner playing target games may be fine with a driver, mid-iron, and wedge. A golfer trying to map carry distances needs the clubs they use outdoors. A group with two left-handed players needs to know whether the venue has two usable sets, not merely one left-handed club somewhere behind the desk.

Ask this before you book:

“Do you have a complete rental set for a [right- or left-handed] [adult or junior] golfer, what does it cost, and should I reserve it with the bay?”

That one message prevents most equipment surprises.

Are golf simulator rental clubs free?

Sometimes. The examples above range from included clubs to a separate per-session fee, while other venues provide no clubs at all.

Check how the fee is applied:

Per set: useful if one guest needs clubs and everyone else brings a bag.
Per person: can change the budget for a beginner group.
Per hour: a longer booking may increase the rental total.
Per session: the fee may stay the same whether you book one hour or three.
Included with the bay: simple, but the number and type of sets may still be limited.

Also ask whether the rental must be added during online checkout. Some automated venues store rental clubs in a separate locker or require advance ordering. Arriving at 6 a.m. because the studio is open 24/7 does not mean a staffed rental counter is open too.

Prices and procedures change. Confirm them on the venue’s own booking page rather than relying on an old review, search snippet, or social post.

Should you bring your own clubs instead?

Bring your own clubs when the session is about your golf rather than simply having fun.

Bring your set for meaningful practice

If you want carry distances, dispersion patterns, or a club-by-club comparison, rental clubs answer the wrong question. The simulator may measure the shot well, but it is measuring a shot made with unfamiliar equipment.

That does not make the session useless. It just means you should not copy rental-club distances into your yardage chart.

For a structured session, use your own equipment with the 60-minute golf simulator practice plan. Familiar length, loft, shaft, grip, and clubhead give you a baseline you can repeat later.

Rent for convenience and casual play

Rental clubs are a good fit when:

you are trying golf for the first time;
you are traveling without a bag;
the plan is a social round or target game;
one person in the group does not own clubs;
you want to see whether indoor golf is enjoyable before buying equipment.

For a first visit, comfort matters more than having every club. Pick a mid-iron and make a few easy swings before reaching for the driver. The goal is to learn the hitting area, screen, and software without burning half the booking on equipment changes.

Bring a small selection when you do not need the whole bag

You can split the difference. For a short practice booking, bring the four or five clubs tied to your goal. A driver, one mid-iron, one short iron, a wedge, and a putter cover plenty of sessions.

That is easier to carry and more useful than borrowing a full set you have never touched.

Left-handed, women’s, and junior rental clubs need an extra check

“Rental clubs available” is incomplete information.

Five Iron’s current national booking FAQ specifically mentions women’s, kids’, and left-handed options. Perfect Shot specifically lists complete right- and left-handed sets. Those details are useful because many venue pages stop at the word “rentals.”

Confirm all four points:

Handedness: Is there a complete left- or right-handed set?
Length: Is the set suitable for an adult, junior, or shorter player?
Quantity: Can two golfers reserve the same type at once?
Bay compatibility: Can that golfer make a normal swing in the assigned bay?

Equipment availability does not fix a one-sided bay. Left-handed golfers should also use the clearance and setup checks in our guide to left-handed golf simulator bookings.

Parents should not assume an adult set can be shortened by gripping down. If a child is joining, confirm junior clubs and the venue’s age and supervision rules. Our parent checklist for kids at golf simulators covers the rest of that decision.

What to check before using house clubs

Give the set a 60-second inspection before the clock becomes expensive.

Grip: It should not twist, slide, or feel loose.
Shaft: Look for visible dents, splits, or damage.
Clubhead: Make sure it is secure before making a full swing.
Length and lie: The club should let you stand naturally enough for a casual session.
Set makeup: Find the driver, a reliable iron, a wedge, and putter before starting a round.
Cleanliness: Wipe the face if needed, and follow the venue’s equipment rules.

If something looks damaged, stop and tell staff or contact support. Do not make a “test swing” with a loose head or cracked shaft.

And do not adjust, tape, or add stickers to venue clubs unless staff approves it. Some launch-monitor setups use clubface markers for additional club data, but borrowed equipment is not yours to modify.

Can a group share one rental set?

For a casual simulator round, venues may allow a group to share. But it can slow the session when golfers need the same club and the bag keeps moving across the bay.

Sharing works best when:

the group is small;
everyone swings from the same side;
you are playing a scramble or target game;
nobody is collecting serious practice data.

It works poorly when a mixed-handed group has one incomplete set, or when four players are trying to finish 18 holes inside a tight booking window. If several guests need clubs, ask how many sets the venue can reserve and review our simulator group-size guide before choosing one bay.

How to find an indoor golf venue with rental clubs

Use a two-step check:

Browse indoor golf venues with club rentals or start from GolfSimMap search to narrow by location and other needs.
Open the venue’s current booking or FAQ page and confirm the set, fee, handedness, and pickup process.

If you are comparing larger markets, start with indoor golf directories for California, Texas, or Illinois, then look for club-rental details on the venue page.

Treat the directory tag as discovery data, not live inventory. Rental sets can be damaged, already reserved, moved between locations, or unavailable during unstaffed hours.

The bottom line

You can visit many golf simulators without owning clubs. But there is no universal rental policy, and “clubs available” does not tell you whether the set fits your handedness, height, group, or practice goal.

Rent for convenience. Bring your own clubs for useful personal data. And if the booking matters, confirm the exact set before you pay.

Already planning your first visit? Pair the venue check with our full what-to-bring simulator checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do golf simulators provide clubs?

Many indoor golf venues provide loaner or rental clubs, but not all do. Some include them with the bay, some charge per set or session, and some self-service studios require you to bring your own. Confirm with the exact location before booking.

Are golf simulator rental clubs free?

They can be. Five Iron currently says clubs are available at no additional cost, while other venues publish separate rental fees. The fee structure and equipment availability are set by each location.

Do simulator venues have left-handed, women’s, and junior clubs?

Some venues do, but the phrase “rental clubs available” does not guarantee every length or handedness. Ask for the exact set you need and reserve it in advance when possible.

Should I bring my own clubs to a golf simulator?

Bring your own clubs for distance mapping, lessons, fittings, or serious practice because the results will reflect your normal equipment. Rental clubs are usually the better fit for travel, first visits, and casual social play.

Do I need a full set for a golf simulator?

Not for every session. A driver, mid-iron, short iron, wedge, and putter can cover a casual visit or focused practice block. Bring the full set only when you plan to play a complete round or map every club.