Is ZEN GOLF RANGE Expensive? Reviews and Is Membership Worth It?

This time I took the free trial lesson at ZEN GOLF RANGE, an indoor golf school with unlimited lessons and unlimited practice swings, where every bay comes equipped with a high-precision simulator.

• Actually took the free trial lesson
• After the free trial, joined as a member and have been taking several lessons a month since

To cut to the conclusion first: if you’re a beginner who’s just started golf, and you either have the chance to practice on your own or you’re simply motivated, I’d strongly recommend joining ZEN GOLF RANGE.

Here’s a detailed explanation, along with the reasoning.

There Are So Many Indoor Golf Schools Out There!

With the golf boom of recent years, indoor golf schools have multiplied everywhere.

More schools means more choices close to home, which is great — but it also makes it genuinely hard to decide which one to actually join.

I went back and forth myself, and in the end I quit (or put on hold) the other golf lessons I was taking and decided to join ZEN GOLF RANGE.

ZEN GOLF RANGE Offers Unlimited Lessons

The defining feature of ZEN GOLF RANGE is, above all, unlimited lessons!

Once you pay the monthly fee, it stays the same no matter how many times a month — or how many times a day — you take a lesson (though the bay-usage fee is separate).

There’s a dedicated golf coach pro, and lessons run in 50-minute group sessions, but the fact that you can take them back-to-back as many times as you like is a great perk!

Beyond unlimited lessons, ZEN GOLF RANGE also offers a separate “unlimited range” course — whether that’s by design or not, I can’t say for sure.

In other words, once you’ve learned the theory, the causes behind your swing issues, and practice methods through lessons, all that’s left is to put in the reps!

If that’s the stage you’re at, you can skip lessons entirely and just hit balls on your own, like at a regular driving range.

In that case there’s no coach pro involved, so naturally the cost comes down.

What Does ZEN GOLF RANGE Actually Cost?

Unlimited lessons sounds like it might be pretty expensive, right? Let’s talk pricing.

Here’s ZEN GOLF RANGE’s fee structure.

Rates vary slightly by location, but what’s listed below comes from the official website.

<Lesson Membership>

Membership Type	Monthly Fee	Enrollment Fee	Bay Fee (55 min)
All-Day	¥18,700 (tax incl.)	¥22,000 (tax incl.)	¥550 (tax incl.)
Day (weekdays 10:00–18:00)	¥15,400 (tax incl.)	¥22,000 (tax incl.)	¥550 (tax incl.)

If you want to take lessons, the all-day plan comes to an ¥18,700 monthly fee plus a ¥550 bay fee paid each time.

So if you took a lesson twice a week — 8 times a month — that works out to ¥18,700 + (¥550 × 8) = ¥23,100 total.

For comparison, private lessons in central Tokyo typically run around ¥8,000 for 50 minutes. If you’re learning from a famous golf YouTuber or a well-known pro, it can go even higher — ¥10,000 to ¥20,000.

Group lessons really are reasonably priced by comparison.

<Range Membership>

Membership Type	Monthly Fee	Enrollment Fee	Bay Fee (55 min)
All-Day	¥13,200 (tax incl.)	¥22,000 (tax incl.)	¥550 (tax incl.)
Day (weekdays 10:00–18:00)	¥9,900 (tax incl.)	¥22,000 (tax incl.)	¥550 (tax incl.)

There’s also a practice-mode membership with no coach pro attached.

For example, you could be a lesson member one month and a range member the next, alternating to keep your overall cost down.

As a member, you can apply to switch your membership type on a month-by-month basis.

Group Lessons or Private Lessons — Which Is Better?

This raises the question: are group lessons actually any good?

In a ZEN GOLF RANGE group lesson, one coach pro works with up to 6 students, so on a simple average that works out to roughly 8 minutes of direct attention per person.

In a group lesson, the pro typically does about two rounds, so that’s two roughly 4-minute segments.

Private lessons, on the other hand, are exactly what the name says — one-on-one, so for 50 minutes you get the coach’s full attention.

RIZAP GOLF is a well-known example of that style.

So which is better: 50 straight minutes of instruction, or around 8 minutes at a time?

You Need Time to Absorb What You’re Taught

A full 50-minute, one-on-one session is, without question, a content-rich lesson.

That said, almost nobody can immediately execute what they’re told and instantly improve!

If that were possible, everyone would become a pro, and there wouldn’t be a need for this many indoor golf schools to exist.

You need a process of understanding what the lesson pro taught you in your own head and then letting your body absorb it — and in my own experience, roughly 8 minutes at a time, checked by a pro about twice per session, with the rest of the time spent practicing at your own pace based on what you were told, is the ideal rhythm.

Sports are just like studying in that way.

This point matters a lot — a golf swing lasts only a few seconds, so even after a dense, detailed lesson, actually executing everything you were told in that instant is genuinely difficult.

At most, you can focus on fixing one thing per swing.

Trying to fix two or three things at once just isn’t realistic for most people!

What Happens During the ZEN GOLF RANGE Free Trial Lesson?

You can book the free trial lesson either online or by visiting a location in person.

The free trial is run almost identically to a regular lesson, within a 55-minute time slot.

Here’s roughly how the lesson flows:

• 1. Fill out a short questionnaire
• 2. Take the trial lesson (55 minutes)
• 3. Decide whether to join (if you choose to)

Questionnaire

First, you’ll be asked to fill out a short questionnaire, so you’re asked to arrive at the location 10 minutes before your reservation time.
This covers basic personal information, how you heard about them, and your golf experience, if any.

Trial Lesson

Next comes the lesson itself, at your reserved time.

Even though it’s a trial, the content is exactly the same as what members receive, cycling through about two rounds within the session.

It’s the standard format: your swing gets assessed, you receive advice, you try the swing again, and you get some follow-up comments.

Of course, if there’s anything specific about your swing that’s bothering you, feel free to ask questions too.

Deciding Whether to Join

After the trial lesson wraps up, staff will ask whether you’d like to become a member.

If you join on the spot, a campaign may apply giving you your first month’s fee free along with a few other perks, so it’s worth going in with your mind at least partly made up.
If you decide not to join, there’s no pressure at all — you can simply leave.

You don’t have to start your membership the same month you sign up.

I was attending a different golf lesson at the time, so for procedural reasons I had them start my “All-Day Lesson Plan” membership the following month. That kind of flexible timing is apparently fine.

What Do They Actually Teach You in Lessons at ZEN GOLF RANGE?

The content naturally varies from person to person — everyone has a different golf history, swing quirks, and specific concerns, so there’s no single answer.

In my case, I brought up that I was struggling with a hook, and after having my swing reviewed, I was given these three points of feedback:

• 1. Open your left foot slightly at address
• 2. Don’t overdo a hands-forward position
• 3. Avoid an overswing

What do you think?

Some of this terminology might not mean much if you’re totally new, but since I already had some golf experience, I had no trouble following along.

Some of the feedback is as simple as paying attention to your address position, and some points are easy fixes.

They say the fundamentals of golf start at address, after all.

My Honest Impressions After Joining ZEN GOLF RANGE

It’s been a month since I joined ZEN GOLF RANGE, so here’s my honest take.

The Simulator Is Easy to Use

Most modern indoor golf schools come with some kind of simulator feature these days, but the quality of that simulator varies a lot.

ZEN GOLF RANGE uses GDR (GOLFZON DRIVING RANGE), which syncs your swing video to your smartphone, letting you review and analyze your own swing on your own time through the app.

GDR is built specifically for lesson and practice purposes, so if improving your game is the goal, it’s really the clear choice.

It’s a different thing entirely from wanting to casually play a simulated round with friends.

There are other simulator services out there too, like OKongolf, but these tend to have weaker mobile integration — you can review swing video on your phone, but without reliable distance data, it’s hard to objectively judge whether a shot was good or bad, which makes them less suited for anyone serious about improving.

Your Lesson Record Is Shared Between Pros

ZEN GOLF RANGE has multiple dedicated lesson pros on staff, and after a lesson with any one of them, a simple record gets kept of which club you focused on, what you practiced, and what feedback you were given that day.

And if you take a later lesson with a different pro, that record is shared, so you won’t get repeated or wildly contradictory advice — no need to worry there.

That said, once you’ve tried a few different pros, I think it’s better to settle on the one whose teaching style fits you and keep learning from them — the consistency speeds up your progress.

Of course, the pros hold outside certifications such as PGA, JGTO, USGTF, NGF, or KGRA. It’s worth double-checking with the specific location just in case.

With the current golf boom, new indoor golf schools keep opening one after another, and some of them do have instructors without any formal certification. The quality of your pro’s instruction really matters for your improvement, so don’t hesitate to ask about it.

My Approach Shots and Hook Have Improved

At a regular driving range, short approach shots can cost anywhere from ¥10 to nearly ¥30 per ball, so I used to feel like I was wasting money and ended up avoiding that kind of practice.

With both the lesson and range memberships, balls are unlimited, so it opened up way more opportunities to practice my approach shots, and getting swing feedback from the lesson pro broken down by 20, 40, and 60-yard increments improved my distance control on approach shots quite a bit.

Your tee shot with the driver matters for your score, but your approach shots around the green matter even more.

I also no longer get the hook that had been one of my biggest struggles.

When I was practicing alone, that hook used to show up almost like a habit — now, if anything, I’m more likely to hit a slight slice instead.

Balls Are Automatically Teed Up for You

At ZEN GOLF RANGE, a machine collects the golf balls and automatically sets them on the tee for you.

This is incredibly convenient.

There’s no wasted time at the end picking up and putting away balls, so you get to spend that extra time practicing instead — a small but genuinely nice touch.

When hitting with a driver, the tee height adjusts right on the GDR screen. For reference, I use the default height of 40cm.

ZEN GOLF RANGE Locations

ZEN GOLF RANGE is operated by Treebell Co., Ltd., an established and reputable company in the industry.

Their first location opened in Kagurazaka in November 2012.

Since then, they’ve steadily expanded, and as of January 2023 they operate 35 locations, mainly concentrated in Tokyo and Saitama.

That kind of growth is clear evidence of real popularity.

And as of June 1, 2022, they launched a cross-location usage service, so even if you’re out and about and have some free time, you can drop into a different location than your usual one for a quick practice session ♪

Who Is ZEN GOLF RANGE a Good Fit For?

To wrap up, here’s a summary of who ZEN GOLF RANGE suits well:

• Someone who wants to learn from a lesson pro at a moderate pace and time commitment
• Someone who can go about twice a week, roughly 8 times a month
• Someone whose budget doesn’t quite stretch to private lessons

If even one of these applies to you, start with the free trial lesson and see what it’s like learning from an actual lesson pro.

Open 24 hours for booking! Limited-time offer — your first month’s membership fee free!!

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About the author

Joe

I love hotels, hot springs, and saunas across the whole country!!
I’ve made it to 40 prefectures so far.
Around 100 hotel stays and 50+ saunas visited, and the count keeps climbing.
My hobbies are travel, golf, snowboarding, saunas, and the gym.

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