Have A Golf Simulator? Here's How You Can Play Augusta National At Home

You won’t find the legendary course in the software, but the right search terms will deliver a similar Masters experience.

The 16th hole of the “Firethorn” course on golf simulators, which is a similar design to Augusta National. Firethorn’s design is so similar to Augusta National that golfers will feel like they’re in Georgia, rubbing elbows with Tiger Woods. | Carl’s Place
By  Ashley Burns April 7, 2023

Golf simulators are incredibly popular because they allow players to try some of the most amazing courses in the world without ever having to leave their homes. The problem, though, is that pesky trademarks make it impossible to play virtual versions of certain world-famous courses. That includes Augusta National, the home of the Masters Tournament and a particularly stern entity when it comes to merchandising, as many golf apparel companies have to be very careful producing green gear without proper licensing.

Virtual golf course designs are no different. Simulator owners probably already know they won't find Augusta anywhere in a database, but creative designers always have a trick up their sleeves. The crew at Carl's Place, who recently unveiled the Train and Entertain home golf concept, want golfers to know a few tricks to not only playing Augusta National at home, but also keeping track of the actual 2023 Masters Tournament at the same time, without missing a magical moment.

For starters, if your simulator uses the TGC 2019 software, search courses with the name "Firethorn" and look for those with the best user reviews and you should quickly recognize the design elements. If you're using the GSPro simulator software, go to "Local Match" and download "Georgia Golf Club." (Who says these hacks need to be subtle?) From there, the only thing left to do is daydream about winning a green jacket.

Now, if you want to play the course and watch the pros in action, Carl's Place also has this handy how-to for setting up picture-in-picture on your simulator screen:

  • Go to your browser's extension store and install a picture-in-picture extension. An example in Google Chrome is "Floating Video with Playback Controls."
  • In your browser, navigate to the video streaming service you are using to watch the Masters. Once it's playing, click on the extensions area of your browser, select the extension you've installed, and the video will then become a floating window on your computer. 
  • Minimize the browser and open your golf simulator software. 
  • Resize the floating video window to appropriately fit your screen.

Just try not to be too disappointed in your own game as you watch Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler make the sport look so darn easy.

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