Looking for a better way to play, practice and enjoy golf year-round? Austad’s Sim Suites is a private, membership-based indoor golf facility in the Cedar Rapids area with 24/7 access, Toptracer technology and room to work on more than just your driver.
Whether you want focused swing practice before work, a virtual round with friends or a place to keep your short game sharp through an Iowa winter, Sim Suites puts the experience on your schedule. Here’s how it works and the eight things that set it apart from a traditional indoor golf facility.
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What Is Austad’s Sim Suites?
Austad's Sim Suites is an indoor golf practice and entertainment facility near Cedar Rapids, located at 1440 Twixt Town Road in Marion, Iowa. Members can reserve private simulator bays, hit real golf balls and use Toptracer technology to practice, play virtual courses or compete in skill-based games.
The big idea is simple: give golfers a comfortable, dependable place to play on their own time. Instead of planning around daylight, weather or standard business hours, members can book a bay and keep their game moving all year.
It is part practice facility, part virtual golf destination and part golf hangout, without the crowded, one-size-fits-all feel.
Austad's Expert Take: The best practice setup is the one you will actually use. By combining easy booking, private bays and 24/7 access, Sim Suites removes a lot of the excuses that keep golfers from practicing consistently.
Quick Look: How Austad’s Sim Suites Works
- Choose the membership term that fits your schedule.
- Set up your account and complete your initial introduction to the technology.
- Reserve an available private bay through the booking app.
- Bring your clubs, check in and choose how you want to play.
- Practice with shot data, play a virtual course or challenge your group to a game.
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8 Things That Make Austad’s Sim Suites Different
1. You Can Play 24/7
Golf rarely fits neatly into a nine-to-five schedule. Sim Suites members get 24/7 golf simulator access, making it possible to practice early in the morning, sneak in a session over lunch or play a late-night round after the rest of the house settles down.
That flexibility is especially valuable during Midwest winters, rainy stretches and the short daylight hours that arrive late in the golf season. Your tee time finally works around your calendar—not the other way around.
2. Every Bay Is Private
At many traditional indoor golf facilities, players practice in a wide-open row of hitting stalls with other groups nearby. Austad’s Sim Suites gives you a private bay, so the reservation is your time and your space.
That means fewer distractions when you are working through a swing change more comfortable conversation during a round with friends and no pressure from another group waiting directly behind you. Practice seriously, laugh loudly or do a little of both.
3. Toptracer Makes Every Shot More Useful
Each bay is powered by Toptracer, technology that tracks ball flight and turns each shot into clear, usable feedback. In practice modes, golfers can review numbers such as ball speed, launch angle and distance instead of judging a shot by feel alone.
That makes the facility useful for more than staying loose. You can chart carry distances, test how different clubs perform, work through specific yardages and build a clearer picture of your game.
Toptracer30 adds more structure with a 30-shot skills assessment that produces personalized insights. Session data can also be shared with a coach, helping connect independent practice with lessons and longer-term improvement.
Practice Tip: Do not chase every number on the screen. Start with one goal—such as carry-distance consistency with your wedges—and track that same measure over several visits. Trends are more useful than one perfect swing.
4. It Is Built for Practice and Play
Some days call for a focused range session. Other days call for Pebble Beach with your buddies, minus the airfare and ocean breeze. Sim Suites handles both.
Toptracer experiences include:
- Virtual golf on well-known courses such as Pebble Beach, St Andrews, Torrey Pines and Royal St. George’s
- Warm Up mode for range practice and shot feedback
- Closest to the Pin and Approach Challenge
- Long Drive and Driving Challenge
- Points Game
- Family-friendly options including Go Fish and Angry Birds
This mix makes indoor golf in Cedar Rapids, Iowa useful for low-handicap players, beginners, families and groups who mainly want a fun night out
5. There Is a Real Short Game Area
Simulators are excellent for full swings, but golf is not played entirely from 150 yards and out. Austad’s Sim Suites also includes a large putting green and a chipping horse course, giving members a place to work on touch, pace and creativity around the green.
That turns Sim Suites into a more complete golf practice facility near Cedar Rapids. You can spend part of a visit learning your carry numbers in the bay, then finish with a putting drill or friendly short-game competition.
Austad's Expert Tip: Divide a 60-minute practice visit into three blocks: 20 minutes of distance control, 20 minutes of random targets and 20 minutes of putting or chipping. It feels more like golf and keeps you from mindlessly emptying the bucket with a driver.
6. Memberships Reward Consistent Golf
Austad's offers monthly, six-month and annual golf simulator membership options, so golfers can choose a commitment that matches their goals and calendar. Longer terms bring the monthly price down, while the monthly option gives players more flexibility.
Membership Pricing
Explore the benefits of an Austad's Sim Suites membership more in-depth below
7. It Works for Solo Golf, Friends and Friendly Competition
Private does not mean antisocial. Members can use a suite for solo practice or bring their crew for virtual golf and games. That makes the space flexible enough for a serious Tuesday practice session, a weekend round with friends or a little family competition.
The variety of Toptracer modes also helps mixed-skill groups have fun together. Experienced golfers can take on a virtual course while newer players and kids may prefer points-based or entertainment games. Nobody has to pretend a four-hour stroke-play grind sounds fun.
8. It Is Backed by Austad’s Golf Expertise
Sim Suites is not a random room with a screen and a launch monitor. It is backed by Austad’s, a golf company that has helped players find better equipment and enjoy the game for more than 60 years.
That connection matters when your practice reveals an equipment question. If your gapping looks crowded, your driver launch is consistently off or your wedges leave a distance hole, the Austad’s team can help you decide whether the answer is technique, equipment or a little of both.
For a deeper equipment evaluation, explore Austad's custom club fitting or lean more about affordable and premium golf simulators.
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How to Get More from Your Indoor Golf Membership
Joining is the easy part. A simple practice plan helps turn regular access into better golf.
Establish Your Real Carry Distances
Hit a small sample with each scoring club and record average carry, not just the longest shot. Knowing that your pitching wedge normally carries 118 yards is far more useful than remembering the one you caught perfectly at 126.
Mix Block Practice with Random Practice
Start with repeated shots using one club to build a feel. Then switch clubs and targets every swing. Random practice is messier, but it better reflects the decisions you make on the course.
Use Toptracer30 as a Checkpoint
Complete the assessment periodically rather than after every visit. Comparing results over time can show whether your work is transferring across different shots and distances.
Practice Your Weakness Before Playing a Round
Give the first 15 to 20 minutes to the part of your game that needs attention. The virtual round becomes both the reward and the test.
Bring the Right Gear
Use the clubs and golf ball you normally play whenever facility guidelines allow. A clean clubface, quality golf glove and comfortable golf shoes can help make indoor sessions feel more like on-course golf.
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Who Is Austad’s Sim Suites Best For?
Sim Suites is a strong fit for:
- Golfers who want a reliable indoor golf practice routine
- Players who need early-morning, late-night or otherwise flexible access
- Golfers who prefer a private bay over a crowded hitting line
- Friends or families who enjoy virtual courses and casual games
- Players who want ball-flight data and measurable practice goals
- Iowa golfers who refuse to let winter have the final word
If you only expect to play once or twice, compare current trial or introductory options before choosing a membership. If you plan to visit regularly, calculate the effective cost per session for each membership term, the longer plan may become the better value surprisingly quickly.
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Your Next Tee Time Does Not Need a Forecast
Golf in Iowa has always required a little patience with the weather. Austad’s Sim Suites changes that. With private bays, 24/7 member access, Toptracer technology, virtual courses, skill games and dedicated short-game space, it gives Cedar Rapids golfers a convenient place to practice with purpose, or just have a ridiculously fun round with friends
See it for yourself
Location: 1440 Twixt Town Road, Marion, IA 52302
Phone: (319) 826-6870
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