Golf simulators are becoming standard in many homes around the country. The reason behind this is that the equipment used to create golf simulators is becoming much more affordable. Luckily even if you have a small budget, you can still work around it to create a golf simulator room in your home. A home golf simulator setup is not hard to put together as long as you have the right amount of space and the correct ceiling height for an indoor golf simulator. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know before getting involved in this process.
What Ceiling Height Is Required For Golf Simulator?
The absolute minimum ceiling height needed for a golf simulator setup is 8.5 feet. However, most golfers will need at least 9 feet of ceiling height to make an unrestricted golf swing. The golf simulator ceiling height is crucial because, in addition to impacting the golf game of a player, it can also cause issues with your home. Hitting the ceiling with a golf club is a major problem.
If you are going to play golf indoors, you will want to make it feel as close to the outdoors as possible. This requires ensuring that you can swing freely without any feeling of restriction.
The ceiling height that most players will feel the most comfortable with is 9.5 to 10 feet. If you have a room with this extra foot and are not just 8.5 feet tall, you will have plenty of room. In addition, when setting up golf simulators, you also need to think about who is using them.
Taller golfers need more ceiling height in a golf simulator room than shorter golfers. It is essential to ensure that there is clearance, even when swinging the longer clubs like the driver.
How Much Space Is Needed For A Golf Simulator?
Although not having the perfect ceiling height could crush your golf simulator dreams, there are other important factors that also need to be considered in this process. The first is the width of the room. Although you won’t need to worry about being able to swing, you will need room to move around and set up the equipment.
Also, Read – How accurate are golf simulators?
It is typically agreed upon that about ten feet of width in a room is necessary for a golf simulator to be able to work. In addition, the golf screen that you purchase to work with your simulator will also need to fit in this room.
When it comes to depth, you must ensure that you have at least 9 to 10 feet of depth in the room. The depth gives you the room necessary to correctly set up the computer screen, the cameras, lights, and more. In addition, you will be able to have room to see your initial ball flight after making contact with the golf ball.
Overall expect that you will need about 10 x 10 x 10 to have a really comfortable setup and golf simulator ceiling height.
How To Test If A Room Is Big Enough For A Golf Simulator
If the room that you have been dreaming of putting your golf simulator in is a bit too close to call when it comes to having the proper space, there are a few ways that you can test to see if this will work. Before we get into further details about these testing methods, we do warn you to proceed with caution. The last thing you will want to do is damage a wall or injure yourself when testing out this space.
Short Golf Club Practice Swings
The first step is to take one of the shortest golf clubs in your bag and make a few practice swings. This will likely be your pitching wedge. Take these practice swings at a very slow pace and ensure that you have enough clearance and room to swing freely. If your room passes this test, you can move on to the longer clubs.
Longest Club Practice Swings
Next, you will want to try swinging with the longest club in your bag. This is very likely going to be your driver. Again start very slow and don’t swing the golf club with much speed. If the driver is not going to work for you, don’t damage your club and your room in the process.
Extension Test
The next step is the extension test. If you feel as though you can swing freely with both the short golf clubs and the long, you will now start to see if you can really swing with extension as you would outdoors and still get the same clearance. The extension is important in golf, and if your swing feels too compact or stuck, you won’t get the proper extension and will have some issues with this long term.
What Is The Ideal Room Size For A Golf Simulator?
Many avid golfers are determined to make a golf simulator work, regardless of the size of the room. However, this can do damage to your home and your golf swing. The ideal room dimensions for a golf simulator are 10ft high, 15ft wide, and 15ft deep. If you have this amount of space, you can get a great setup going.
Remember that how you plan to use the simulator is also going to have an impact on the ideal room size. A golf simulator that will be used with a bunch of friends to play a round of golf is undoubtedly going to need much more room. If you use the simulator to hit a few golf balls at a virtual driving range after work, a smaller setup should be fine.
What Size Screen Is Necessary For A Golf Simulator?
Purchasing a screen to go with your golf simulator is an option. Some people will set a net up and then just use a sheet to hit into. The picture won’t be nearly as clear, but it can work for some people for an initial setup. Another option is just to use a laptop or TV screen.
Although the screen won’t be directly in front of you, you can still get a good view of the golf course and be able to see where your shots are going and whether or not they were hit well. Although the screen is not necessary, it is a great thing to have.
If you find that your room has the proper ceiling height and you can set up a golf simulator, then think about trying to get at least an 8 foot and ideally a ten-foot screen. The thing to remember here is that sometimes a larger screen is not always better.
When the screen gets too large, the image can appear distorted, and you may not have the right distance from the net at this point. Although you want your screen to help the experience seem more real, don’t get too hung up on this concept and have it cause you more issues.
Also, for those looking to save money, the screen can wait until you have the rest of your setup in place.
Things To Consider When Installing A Golf Simulator Room
When installing a golf simulator, there are quite a few things to consider. In addition to the size of the room and the ceiling height, you must think about how you are going to use this golf simulator. Let’s take a look at some of the most important considerations when planning out your new indoor golf space.
Overall Room Size
The overall room size is the most critical consideration. Ensure that you have room for the golf mats, the net, the computer system, and more. The room should feel comfortable and enjoyable so that you are tempted to use it as opposed to leaving it alone. Golf simulators cost quite a bit of money, and it makes sense to ensure that you use the one you put in.
Ceiling Height
As we mentioned, it really doesn’t make sense to go less than 9 feet in ceiling height for your golf simulator room. The ceiling height should be closer to ten to have full swing capability and the ability to swing through your shots without fear. Remember that if you restrict the swing in any way to accommodate a lower ceiling height, you could make some poor changes to your swing.
Purpose Of Simulator
What is the purpose of your simulator going to be? Are you going to learn to work out this slice during the winter months, or will you play golf with friends on rainy days? Try to consider the purpose of your golf simulator before you purchase it and set it up in your home.
The purpose of the simulator may make you change your mind regarding the net, screen, projector, software, and even the golf mats that you purchase. Have this all figured out before the purchase so that you don’t regret this in any way.
Will Room Serve Other Purposes
Some people are lucky enough to have enough room in their home for a dedicated golf simulator room. If you have a golf simulator room, you can put in a permanent set up with all the bells and whistles. However, not all golfers are lucky enough to have this kind of space.
If your room serves multiple purposes, you may need a golf simulator option that can fold up or be put away. There are smaller-scale options out there that may even require a lower minimum ceiling height when it comes to net size or screen size.
In addition to whether or not the simulator will serve other purposes, also try to consider whether you will ever take your simulator out of this room. Some golfers like to be able to take the simulator to their back deck when the friends come over for a BBQ. If you do this, make sure that your launch monitor is an indoor-outdoor model.
Left or Right Handed Player
Golf simulators need to be configured and set up to accommodate either a left-handed or right-handed golfer. If your golf simulator is not set up correctly for a lefty, some of your friends may not be able to participate and use the simulator with you.
Try to consider who will be using the simulator and what they will need the setup to look like. It’s much easier to work these issues out before the install than after.
Damage To The Home
The net is in place to help ensure that you don’t hit any shots into the wall behind the simulator setup. However, we all know that there are times when a golf ball can come off the heel or the toe of the club. This is where it may make sense to have more of a cage-type setup.
Many nets for golf simulators will have more of a hitting bay experience than a net experience. This is really the best overall solution for protecting all areas of your home, not just the area behind the simulator net.
Pricing
Although the price of your simulator should not be the only consideration, it should be part of the overall decision. Many golfers struggle with how expensive these simulators cost, yet they don’t realize that the pricing was tens of thousands of dollars more just a few years ago. We are only going to see these prices start to decrease now that this is becoming so popular.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have all the information you need to determine if a golf simulator will work in your home. Many people like to install these simulators in basements and garages, but the height in those areas is not going to cut it for the golf simulator to work correctly. Instead, this is a situation that may work in a loft or a guest room. Some golfers even have large offices that can install simulators in to help them get the performance they need. Overall it’s important to keep in mind that the proper golf simulator setup will give you a much greater overall experience and more accurate results when the simulator is in use.
