Building your own golf simulator can save a lot of money compared with buying a packaged enclosure, and it lets you fit the setup exactly to your room. The trade-off is time, a few tools and careful planning. This is what you’ll need, and the order to tackle it in.
What a DIY simulator needs
- Launch monitor: the one piece you can’t build. It measures every shot.
- Frame: holds the screen and side netting. Many DIY builders use metal conduit or pipe with connectors, or build a wooden frame.
- Impact screen or net: an impact screen lets you project an image; a net is cheaper but can’t show one.
- Side and top netting or padding: catches mis-hits and protects walls and ceilings.
- Hitting mat: protects the floor and your joints.
- Projector and computer or tablet: to run the simulator software and display the course.
Step 1: Measure and plan the room
Measure width, depth and the lowest ceiling point where you’ll swing. Enter them into the room planner to confirm you have room for a full swing, then note the recommended screen size and ball-to-screen distance. Those two numbers set the size of everything you build.
Step 2: Choose the launch monitor
Pick your launch monitor before building the frame, because its type changes the layout. Floor units beside the ball need the least depth. Radar units behind the golfer need extra depth. Overhead units need ceiling height and a solid mount.
Step 3: Build the frame and hang the screen
Build the frame to the screen size from your plan, leaving space behind the screen so it can absorb impacts without hitting the wall. Most impact screens attach with bungees or ties so they can flex. Follow the screen maker’s recommendations for tension and distance from the wall.
Step 4: Add netting, padding and the mat
Side netting and a top baffle catch shanks and skied shots, which happen to everyone. Pad any nearby hard surfaces, especially in a garage.
Step 5: Mount the projector and set up the software
Mount the projector at the distance your throw ratio calls for, out of the swing path or inside a protective cage. Then calibrate the image to the screen and connect your launch monitor to the simulator software.
Safety first
- Never swing at full speed until you have tested clearance with slow swings.
- Keep people and pets out of the hitting area.
- Have a qualified electrician handle any new wiring or ceiling outlets.
- Check that ceiling mounts are anchored into solid framing.
Start with the room planner: it turns your room measurements into a screen size, layout and parts list you can build from.
This guide is general information, not professional installation advice. Confirm each product’s requirements with its manufacturer.