When you hit balls on a golf mat in the backyard, the experience probably feels like you’re hitting balls on a golf mat in the backyard. Not exactly the most entertaining way to spend an afternoon. If you want to step things up, try hitting balls on a golf mat with the Optishot 2 Golf Simulator and feel like you’re golfing in beautiful courses from around the world.
The latest version of the award winning game, it combines a practice mat and an immersive desktop application to transport you from that dirty backyard to a detailed digital recreation of legendary fairways from lands far, far away.  Simply hit your ball on the mat and watch it in play on your laptop display (or, better yet, the giant backyard TV).
Optishot 2 consists of a practice mat that plugs into a computer and a software application that simulates how your shot will look in an actual course. It uses 16 precisely-tuned, high-speed 48MHz infrared sensors to detect your swings before, during, and after contact, then accurately shows the results in animated form on the PC. The mat is compatible with practically any club, which you can use to hit both real balls (if you have a net at home) and foam balls, with no difference in the game results, either way.
Not only can you see an actual game unfold on the computer, it gives you detailed feedback on club head speed, face angle, swing path, distance traveled, face contact, swing tempo, and shot shape after every shot, so you can learn a lot about your game with this thing in tow. Each set comes with 15 meticulously-rendered, real-world 18-hole courses, although you can upgrade the software (separate purchase) to get access to even more.
Available now, the Optishot 2 is priced at $499.99.