How do you set up a golf simulator at home?

Before you buy: check the space

A golf simulator setup lives or dies on the room. Most problems people hit later, such as a club clipping the ceiling or a radar unit with no room behind the golfer, come from skipping this step.

GolfBays gives these minimums: 2.8 m high (ideally 3 m), 3 m wide, and 4.5 m deep for camera-based launch monitors or 5 m for radar units that sit behind the golfer. Trackman describes 3.0 m high, 4.6 m wide and 5.5 m deep as comfortable for most golfers. Our golf simulator size guide explains how to measure each one.

Measure the ceiling where you will actually swing, and include anything hanging down: lights, beams, a projector, or a garage door when it is open.

The parts of a simulator

A typical home simulator has six parts:

• Launch monitor: measures the ball and club and sends the data to the software.
• Software and computer: turns the data into a shot on a course or range. Some run on a tablet; many need a Windows PC.
• Screen or net: stops the ball; a screen also shows the picture.
• Enclosure: the frame, side panels and top net that catch mishits.
• Hitting mat: the surface you hit from, sometimes set into turf.
• Projector: throws the picture onto the screen.

Step-by-step setup

1. Fix the screen wall

Pick the wall the screen will face, usually the shortest end of the room. The screen must not sit flat against it. SimSpace Golf advises at least 30 cm between a fully framed screen and the wall, and 50 cm for one that hangs loose, so the ball can slow down.

2. Build the enclosure

Assemble the frame, hang or fix the screen, and add the side panels and top net. Make sure the screen is tensioned evenly and the edges are secure. Ready-made enclosures are designed for this; a wall-to-wall custom screen is usually installer work.

3. Place the hitting mat

Most setups put the ball about 3 m from the screen; Trackman gives 3.0 m or more for its ceiling unit. Centre the mat side to side if left and right-handed players will share it (GolfBays suggests 4 m of width for that). For one golfer, the mat can sit off-centre to give more room on the backswing side. Trackman’s garage guide says the mat should be centred in the swing zone and kept level and stable.

4. Position the launch monitor

Where it goes depends on the type, and the maker’s instructions come first:

• Camera units beside the ball sit to the side of the mat, level with the ball.
• Ceiling-mounted units fix above the hitting area.
• Radar units behind the golfer need the most room: Trackman gives 5.5 m or more from the unit to the screen for its radar model.

5. Mount the projector

Mount it on the target line. BenQ recommends roughly 7 to 8 feet (about 2.1 to 2.4 m) from the screen and no more than 3 to 4 feet behind the golfer, so there is no shadow. Check the throw ratio fills your screen from that spot. See our projector guide.

6. Sort the lighting

Trackman recommends dimmable room lights with a bright spot on the hitting area: the screen looks better in a dark room, and camera-based monitors need light on the ball. Its iO unit uses infrared cameras that strong daylight can affect, so blinds may help.

7. Connect the computer and software

Put the PC where cables can reach the projector and monitor without crossing the hitting area. Check the software’s system requirements, especially for 4K. Our guide to golf simulator software compares the main options.

8. Calibrate and test

Align the projector image to the screen edges, run the launch monitor’s set-up and alignment, and hit some easy shots. Check the ball flight on screen matches what you feel, then swing a driver slowly to confirm the clearance one last time.

Power and electrics

A simulator needs several sockets: projector, PC, monitor charger and lighting. Plugging into existing sockets is fine. Adding a new circuit is notifiable work in England under Part P, according to the IET, so it must be done by a registered electrician or signed off. This applies to a new circuit run to a garden room, cabin or garage.

Garage and garden building setups

In a garage, Trackman advises keeping doors, beams and storage clear of the simulator, and using a dehumidifier if the space is damp. In a garden building, insulation, a dry floor and a proper power supply come first. See our pages on garage golf simulators and golf simulator garden rooms.

DIY or installer?

Many people set up an entry or mid-range kit themselves. An installer earns their fee where there is ceiling mounting, hidden cabling, new electrics, a tight ceiling height, or a premium enclosure to calibrate. See golf simulator installation, and use the cost calculator to price both routes.