Up until a few years ago, the idea of owning your own Golf Simulator at home had remained an unreachable dream for the average golf enthusiast. However, with the growth of the 'golf at home' market and the advancement of golf simulation technology, having a golf simulator at home is absolutely possible, and you can save some money by doing building it yourself. Let me show you how.
The essential building blocks
A golf simulator is essentially something that will simulate the ball flight once you've hit a golf ball. You can use it for practice sessions, and you can even use a golf simulator to play world famous courses from the comfort of your own home. It can come in a number of configurations, but the fundamental building blocks remain the same. Here are the bits you need to source and install to complete your own home simulator. Some are absolutely essential and some are nice to haves that will really enhance your experience, budget allowing.
Let's go through the essential items first.
The Location / Space
Before anything - decide on where you are going to have your golf simulator and make sure you have sufficient space.
Typically, we recommend building your simulator indoors, with a garage set up being the most popular (this is what I have). However if space is an issue, you could even do an outdoor set up, however there will be compromises and limitations for a outdoor set up - e.g. you wouldn't want to have the launch monitor permanently outside and you may not have the option of using a projector etc.
In terms of minimum space required, here's a rule of thumb:
- Height - 9 feet ceiling will be sufficient for most people to comfortably swing their longest golf clubs. You can still have an 'irons' only simulator if you don't have enough ceiling height.
- Width - 10 feet minimum is recommended, obviously wider the better. I have seen narrower simulator set ups in single car garages, but they tend to get a bit crammed and instead of aiming to the centre of the net or screen, you are hitting towards the sides. Also if you need to cater for a lefty/righty scenario, you may need another couple of feet of width.
- Length - 12 feet minimum to allow for space between the ball and the net/screen as well as provide you with enough space for a comfortable backswing. You may need more if you intend on using a launch monitor that is placed behind the ball, e.g. the minimum requirement for a Mevo+ or a Rapsodo MLM2Pro unit is about 16 feet.
The above are obviously general rules of thumb and everyone's circumstances are different dependent on your height and how you swing the golf club. A good way to figure out whether you've got enough space to swing is to have a few swings with your alignment stick which is roughly the same length as your driver. Start slow and if you can get to a few full swings without hitting anything then you should be good to go.
For my set up, I'm lucky enough to have a double garage with 9+ feet ceiling height, so space was not an issue at all. I have about 15 feet between the back of the garage and the impact screen, and about 2.5 feet of space behind the impact screen.
Golf Hitting Mat
Our number one advice here is, do not go cheap on mats. A cheap mat will not last and may negatively impact your ball flight, but most importantly, a cheap thin mat will cause injuries in the long run. For a complete guide on purchasing a golf mat - please read our buying guide here.
Assuming you are going with a decent mat, another consideration is the size. For a more permanent indoor set up, we recommend getting a full size 1.5m by 1.2m mat. You will be comfortably standing on the same level as your hitting surface for all your clubs and you will be able to rotate the mat from time to mat to spread the wear. If you have a right hand/left hand requirement, then you may need to look into getting a longer mat - be sure to talk to us about getting one custom made for you.
If you are setting up outside, a smaller and more portable mat maybe the way to go.
If you just place the mat on the floor, it will eventually move due to the forces you put on the mat with your golf swing/club impact. Here are a couple of things you can do to "fix" it to the floor
- Double sided carpet tape or Velcro - they are very effective especially if you have a smooth floor
- You can sink it into a padded floor. If you've got padded flooring with either artificial turf or puzzle mats, you can do a 1.5m x 1.2m cut out on the flooring and 'sink' the mat in. There are a couple of advantages with this set up
- You can get a better experience when you putt - instead of the ball falling off the edge of the mat, you have a surface that's level with the mat to give you a smoother roll. This will help your launch monitor with reading the putt too.
- Instead of getting a full size mat, you can insert a "hitting strip" into the floor. This will be a more economical way to get a high quality hitting surface.
Another really popular solution is to build up your flooring using gym tiles with a layer of artificial turf or putting turf. Then you can make a cut out and use a hitting strip or insert instead of a full size mat. That way, as you wear out the hitting strip, you can just swap it out, making things very economical. For some examples of hitting strips, you can check out our Kaizen Golf Hitting Strip or our 3D/Tee Turf Inserts.
For my own set up, as I'm often testing new product designs, I don't currently have a 'go-to' mat.
Golf Hitting Net or Impact Screen
Now that you've got something to hit off, you need something to hit your ball into. There are basically 2 options here:
Golf Net
A golf practice net can provide a simple, reliable and cost effective option for your golf simulator set up, especially if you are considering an outdoor set up.
The downside is that you will not be able to have a more immersive experience as you won't be able to project the image of your ball flight to a screen in front of you.
For indoors, an added benefit of hitting into a golf net is that it is SUPER quiet. If like me, your opportunity to hit balls is after the kids have gone to bed, this can be a great option. You can even place it in front of your impact screen to deaden the noise of the ball hitting into the screen.
Click here for a full golf practice net buying guide.
Golf Impact Screen
If you are after a more immersive experience with your golf simulation, you will have to opt for an impact screen. Dependent on what you are willing to pay, you may get vast differences in terms of durability, image quality as well as level of sound dampening.
There generally isn't any 'portability' when it comes to impact screens and you will have to attach it to your indoor space. Popular options for doing this include:
- Attaching it directly to your wall - you can screw hooks or slotted angles or build a wire rope frame directly into your wall and then attach the screen.
- Building a frame or enclosure to attach your screen onto (see below). You can either buy one from a store, or build one yourself. You can fashion one out of metal tube or even PVC pipes.
I'm in a fortunate position where I've had one of our Kaizen Masters Golf Simulator Enclosures custom made to suit my dimensions. Our Masters enclosure features our flagship Professional Golf Impact Screen which offer high picture quality at a competitive price point. See photo below of what the latest set up with our Professional Impact Screen looks like under full ambient lighting.
If you are looking to find the perfect impact screen for your needs, be sure to check out our comprehensive Buying Guide for Golf Simulator Impact Screens.
Golf Launch Monitor
Now to the brains of the entire set up. The launch monitor is the star of the show for any golf simulator set up. Essentially you need something that can accurately measure or (less preferred) calculate ball launch data such as speed, side and back spin, launch angle etc to then simulate ball flight.
Also another key requirement is that the launch monitor is able to output the simulated ball flight through it's own app or through a 3rd party app.
In this market, it's very much a matter of 'you get what you pay for' in terms of features and accuracy. As this is not a launch monitor guide, I will just briefly provide some popular examples of launch monitors you would find at each price point
- < 1K - examples include the Optishot 2 and the new Garmin R10 launch monitors. The Garmin is slightly more expensive but offers a lot more features and uses doppler radar technology which is a lot more accurate than the Optishot 2 which uses infrared that only measures club data. The shortfall with the Garmin unit is that uses club data to estimate ball spin data instead of directly measuring it.
One exception to this rule is the Rapsodo MLM2 Pro, which retails at around the $1k mark. It actually has a radar as well as a camera system is able to measure club and ball data, including spin. Through our own testing, we have been seriously impressed with how accurate it is.
- < 5K - the Skytrak and Mevo+ units are the prominent players here. At this price range, you get a much more accurate unit that is sufficient for all golf simulation purposes and these are by far the most popular units for home golf simulators. The Skytrak is what I have and I absolutely love it.
- High end - a step up from the Skytrak and the Mevo+ are the more commercial grade units which are more typically used for coaching/fitting scenarios.
Display
Finally to complete your set up, you will need something to display the simulated ball flight. Most launch monitors will pair with phones, tablets as well as PCs. You can just use those devices to cast the image to a TV or you can project the image to your impact screen via a projector.
...and for a basic set up, that's all there is to it!
What sort of total budget am I looking at?
Dependent on what you go with costs will vary significantly. Generally the launch monitor is the most expensive part of your set up. Let's tackle the cheapest and the most expensive set ups.
If you are budget conscious or just want to give golf simulation a try, you can get your own golf simulator set up for just touch over $1K with the following items (assuming you BYO a phone/tablet).
- Net + Mat - we've currently got a net + mat package for as low as $215 (3m Portable Net + Portable Mat)
- Garmin R10 launch monitor - $879 through Garmin or if you can stretch the budget slightly, we recommend spending a little bit more on the Rapsodo MLM2 Pro.
You can always upgrade your set up as you go. And given how portable this combination is, you can easily set this up outside in the backyard.
If budget is no issue, you could be spending up to $20-30k for the latest and greatest trackman or GC Quad launch monitors, and the enclosure + projector will cost another $10K ball park.
Optional extras
For the full experience, especially if you want to have an immersive experience playing world famous golf courses, consider adding the following to your set up.
- Projector - having your ball flight projected to the impact screen will definitely enhance your golf simulation experience, especially when you are in 'playing' mode. You can opt for an entry level projector or you can go for the high end HD/4K options. If you are looking for a high quality projector, be sure to check out our range of projectors.
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Simulator software - although most launch monitors come with their out of the box software offerings. But for ultra-realistic gaming experience, you will again need to shell out for third party software, especially when it comes to course play. The high end software packages could cost over $1K and would require a gaming PC to run smoothly due to the picture quality. I'm currently testing the no-frills 'Fitness Golf' software which has ~160 golf courses (including Augusta, St Andrews and Pebble Beach) and offers everything I need for ~$300 (AUD). Note 'Fitness Golf' is only available for Skytrak users and would require an upgraded Skytrak annual subscription plan. See below for a "simulated vs real" of the famous 7th hole at Pebble Beach, the angles are slightly different but you get the idea...
- Sound proofing tiles - add some dark foam sound proofing tiles to the top and sides of your screen will not only dampen the noise levels, it will also enhance the looks of your set up as well as offer added protection for the odd stray shots and ricochets. You can also use black curtains for this too.
- Flooring/Putting Green - make your mates more jealous by finishing off your simulator set up with some floor padding (foam puzzle mats are good for this) with some putting turf/Putting Green on top for the ultimate look.
Final Thoughts
If you are a keen golfer and are lucky enough to have the space required, the idea or the dream of owning your own golf simulator is becoming more and more affordable to achieve. In fact, you can get a high end, premium golf launch monitor set up for less than $5,000 but getting our Kaizen Golf Complete Golf Sim Package, be sure to check it out!
I hope this article has given you the inspiration to start your golf simulator journey, regardless of your budget. If you are planning to build you own golf simulator or have already set up a simulator, I hope this has given you some ideas to improve your set ups. We also hope that you will consider our products for your simulator build.
I still remember when Sydney was in the middle of our strictest COVID lockdown and I no longer had access to my golf club due to travel distance restrictions, having a sim set up right in my garage has just been simply incredible.