Toptracer vs Trackman: Which big-name driving range is worth your time and money?

As new digital driving ranges open all the time, we’ve put Toptracer and Trackman to a head-to-head test to find out which is most worthy of your time and money.

Like many amateur golfers, I find myself aimlessly whacking balls when I go to a normal range. I always arrive with the best intentions, to work my way through the bag, practising various drills I’ve seen in our magazine and trying to overcome the problems that have dogged my latest round. But within 15 minutes I find myself reaching for driver and bashing shot after shot until my 100 balls have run out.

But if anything is going to change my ways, it’s the new tech-laden ranges where we, the regular amateur golfers, can feel like Tour pros for an hour or two, getting data from all of our shots, and saving our stats to our phones.

They’re attracting more people to the game with families using the facilities to take part in fun games and groups of youngsters heading down on a Friday night to have a beer and a burger while seeing who can win closest to the pin or secure the long drive prize.

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Toptracer and Trackman are the big-name brands behind these ranges which are popping up across the world, but if you’re going to spend your money on an afternoon at one, which should it be. I sampled a couple of hundred balls at each to give you the definitive answer.

Where is your nearest Toptracer driving range?

With around 200 ranges now in the UK (and more than 1,000 worldwide), Toptracer is the dominant player in the market (75% market share). Find your nearest range.

Where is your nearest Trackman driving range?

There are half as many Trackman ranges as Toptracer locations currently in the UK, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t got one on your doorstep! Check out their locations.

Which driving range is easiest to use?

Toptracer: 10/10

Whether you download the app and scan the code (to access and save your data) or just want to play as a guest, it’s very easy to navigate. The game modes are intuitive, quick to load and quick to display ball flight info. The screen is also fast and responsive.

Trackman: 9/10

The iconic orange box is a familiar sight on tour ranges and fitting bays, but Trackman don’t have as many UK ranges as Toptracer, with half as many locations. As with Toptracer, you really need to download the app to get the best from it. That will access your stats and let you play with other golfers, either at the range or all over the world. It’s simple to sync, but not as slick as Toptracer’s – game modes were a bit laggy at times.

Which driving range is best for game modes?

Toptracer: 10/10

Toptracer have 11 game modes and something for everyone. As well as options for beginners, including classic courses from forward tees, Toptracer also cater for serious golfers who want to get better.
You can keep track of your stats on an app, too.

Trackman: 8/10

Trackman have three game modes: Courses (virtual golf), Practice (data-driven) and Games (play alone or with others). It feels more geared to seasoned golfers, but a lot of the data is similar, as is the quality of the graphics. If you want to improve, Trackman offers data on ball speed, launch angle and much more. And if you hit ‘convert’, it swaps numbers from the range ball into numbers for a tour ball. 

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Which range is best for user experience?

TopTracer 10/10

Toptracer uses 3D graphics rather than the 2.5D found on most other systems. This is most evident in Virtual Golf, where the camera moves to follow the flight until the ball comes to rest. With other systems, the ball comes into view in static/fixed cameras at the end of a flight. Graphics are superb; playing the Old Course is super realistic and the drive on 17 over the hotel is still nerve-racking.

Trackman 8/10

The graphics are superb. We played the front nine at Troon, moving the target on the screen to reflect the markers on the course, but it wasn’t quite as intuitive as Toptracer’s virtual golf offering. The games also weren’t quite as comprehensive. Great for data and practice; not quite as good for fun.

Which driving range is best for data?

TopTracer 10/10

You’ve got all the numbers you’d get on a launch monitor: total distance, carry distance, ball speed, launch, curve, apex, hang time, offline yardage… and you can have all that data for every club in the bag and every shot. It’s all kept in the Toptracer app, too. You can analyse it to your heart’s content, or just skim the top-line numbers.

Trackman 10/10

Exceptional insight on every shot. We used the ‘My Bag’ function, where you can see a quick average yardage for each club in the bag. Of course, you can get into minute detail if you want to, and it’s all kept on the Trackman app.

The Best Driving Range: Final Verdict

Toptracer: 40/40

We paid £10 for 100 balls at Woodhall Spa. That’s more than you’d pay at a traditional range, but it felt like a much more involved, immersive experience. And you can’t underestimate how much more fun it is having a real purpose to your practice. If there was a Toptracer near us, we’d go to it over a normal driving range every time, because they are just much more fun and made our practice more engaged.

Trackman range: 35/40

While Trackman’s data is undoubtedly accurate, the user experience is not quite as slick as Toptracer and a little laggy in places. It still massively elevates the traditional driving range experience – but if we had the option of either, we’d rather buy a bucket of balls at Toptracer.

About the author

Chris Jones – Today’s Golfer Editor

Chris Jones is the Editor of Today’s Golfer magazine, Britain’s biggest and best-selling golf magazine.

Chris worked in newspapers, and for Bird Watching and MCN before joining Today’s Golfer in 2005. He became the editor of Golf World in 2007, building its audience and enhancing its reputation throughout Europe, and also edited Golf Illustrated, a luxury coffee table magazine, before returning to edit Today’s Golfer in 2013.

Playing off a 12-handicap, Chris is a classic amateur golfer, capable of both the sublime and the ridiculous. A long-hitter, he prefers the bomb and gouge method to the shorter fairway finder.

He plays a mixed bag of clubs, including Callaway woods, and TaylorMade irons.

You can get in touch with Chris here.