Research Sources & Editorial Policy
GolfSimIQ is an independent directory — we do not accept payment from simulator manufacturers or facility operators in exchange for listings or rankings. Every factual claim published on this site is traceable to a primary or peer-reviewed secondary source listed below.
How We Verify Data
- Facility information is collected via automated web scraping, then scored for confidence and reviewed by the editorial team before publication.
- Technology claims (e.g. “official Tour partner”) require a first-party announcement or press release from the relevant organization.
- Accuracy and performance comparisons are sourced from independent reviewers with documented hands-on testing — not manufacturer spec sheets.
- Industry statistics (market size, growth, participation) must originate from a recognized research body such as the National Golf Foundation.
Tour Technology & Official Partnerships
GolfSimIQ references official announcements from professional tours and league operators to verify technology partner claims displayed on facility pages.
- PGA Tour & TrackMan renew two-decade technology partnership (Aug 2025)
Publisher: PGA Tour
First-party announcement from pgatour.com confirming TrackMan as the official Tour technology partner powering ShotLink. Used to verify TrackMan partnership claims on facility pages.
- Full Swing returns as official TGL technology partner (2025)
Publisher: TGL (Tomorrow's Golf League)
Official league announcement from tglgolf.com. Used to verify Full Swing partnership status referenced in simulator brand descriptions.
- The R&A and TopTracer announce five-year strategic partnership (Jul 2024)
Publisher: Topgolf (press release)
First-party press release confirming TopTracer as official ball-tracking technology for The Open and AIG Women's Open through 2029. Used to verify TopTracer brand descriptions on city and facility pages.
- TrackMan launches Virtual Golf 3 (Sep 2024)
Publisher: BusinessWire (TrackMan press release)
Official press release distributed via BusinessWire announcing the Virtual Golf 3 software platform. Used to verify TrackMan software capability claims referenced in facility technology descriptions.
Independent Testing & Comparisons
Launch monitor accuracy and feature comparisons referenced on GolfSimIQ come from independent reviewers with hands-on testing methodology, not manufacturer marketing.
- Foresight GCQuad vs TrackMan 4: independent accuracy comparison (citing MyGolfSpy)
Publisher: PlayBetter (citing MyGolfSpy testing data)
Third-party comparison synthesizing MyGolfSpy hands-on testing data. Reports GCQuad measuring more consistently on off-center strikes. Used to substantiate accuracy claims in brand descriptions.
- How We Test and Rank Golf Clubs (testing methodology)
Publisher: MyGolfSpy
Documents MyGolfSpy's independent testing protocol: Median Absolute Deviation outlier elimination, Strokes Gained metrics, diverse tester pools, and multi-session randomized club order. Establishes the credibility of testing data we reference for launch monitor comparisons.
Industry Data & Market Reports
Market sizing, growth projections, and participation statistics cited across GolfSimIQ originate from golf industry research organizations with access to proprietary survey data.
- The Golf Simulator Opportunity (2025 white paper)
Publisher: National Golf Foundation (NGF)
Peer-level industry research from the NGF, the primary statistical authority for U.S. golf participation and facility data. Covers market sizing, operator confidence metrics, and session pricing benchmarks referenced across the site.
- The Golf Simulator Market: Trends, Insights, and Information
Publisher: National Golf Foundation (NGF)
NGF research summary reporting 8.1 million simulator users (up from 3.8M in 2015), 51% non-golfer participation rate, and 75% user retention. Used to verify participation and demographic statistics cited on homepage and city pages.
If you see a claim on GolfSimIQ that you believe is unsourced or inaccurate, send us the statement text and we will confirm or correct the underlying reference.
Contact GolfSimIQ Editorial