Wanting to play golf alone, the single-booking slots on a course are few, and you are often grouped with strangers. It is hard to call that casual.
With indoor simulation golf you can hold a bay to yourself and go at your own pace. Here is how to choose, starting from the difference between outdoors and in.
Booking a course as one is hard work
Single slots at a golf course are limited, and when you get one you play round with three people you have never met. Matching pace with strangers is a different thing from a relaxed hour alone.
The travel adds up too. Getting from central Kyoto to a course and back takes hours beyond the play itself. That is a lot to carry for a spur-of-the-moment day.
Indoors you can hold one bay to yourself
Indoor simulation golf is usually hired by the bay or the booth, for a block of time. Arriving alone, you never have to match anyone else's pace.
You choose whether to play a round on screen or hit balls in the driving-range mode. How many you hit, and when you stop, is also yours to decide.
- Whether one bay can be held for one person
- Whether there is a driving-range mode
- The minimum numbers and minimum charge
What to check about the pricing when alone
A per-booth charge is at its most expensive per head when one person uses it. Check first whether there is a time-limited plan built for one.
Some venues set a minimum of two people. Where the booking page does not say, a phone call to ask about coming alone is the certain way.
If you mind being watched, look at the dividers
At a driving range, experienced players line up beside you. If the time you cannot hit it cleanly bothers you, check whether the bays are partitioned.
In a semi-private or fully private booth you are out of other guests' sight. Even at the stage of fixing your swing, you can repeat it without self-consciousness.
- Whether the bays are partitioned
- Whether staff explain the controls
- Whether it is easy to walk into alone
Golf in Gion from one person
Gion Country Club is an indoor golf and bar lounge three minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station, open from 5pm until 5am. We take single guests.
We open at 5pm and take single guests. Clubs, gloves and shoes are lent free of charge, so you can come empty-handed.
Frequently asked questions
Is it all right to come to a golf bar alone?
Gion Country Club takes single guests. We open at 5pm, so you can come early in the evening.
Does it cost more per person when alone?
A per-booth charge raises what one person pays. Look at the time-limited plans available from one person.
Can I come alone without any equipment?
Clubs, gloves and shoes are lent free of charge. You can come empty-handed.
