Building a golf sim at home.. advice

[vkurup]

Thinking of building a golf practice area at home when we do an extension next year.. was initially planning a basement, but won't have the monis to do so.
New plan is to convert one of the garages into a simulator. Start with simple net and paddings and then over time when money and HID permits add interesting things like projector, gc2 etc.
Does anyone know how much space is required for building a sim? I need to increase the height of the garage, so need to plan now.

(Ofcourse all this might change when the Mrs torpedoes the idea)

 

[Foxholer]

If you are going to have one, make sure it's one worth having!

Nosevi appears to have a proper setup! http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?72201-Is-distance-embarrassing/page6 And can probably advise on somewhat lesser setups too.

guest100718 mentioned his basic setup.

 

[guest100718]

If you are going to have one, make sure it's one worth having!

Nosevi appears to have a proper setup! http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?72201-Is-distance-embarrassing/page6 And can probably advise on somewhat lesser setups too.

guest100718 mentioned his basic setup.

Yes mines the Tesco value version.

I built a level area from decking at the bottom of my garden and have a range matt on it. I hit balls in to a Izzo big mouth net. I was using a swingbyte 2 but will be getting a launch monitor of some sort in the new year.

 

[Matty2803]

I was going to optishot sim, but swinging in our garage was just too tight, it was fine for space but roof was only 8.5 foot, so your roof would need to higher than 9.5 I'd say!

 

[Sybez]

All the info and advice you could ever need is here...

http://golfsimulatorforum.com/

 

[Nosevi]

Hi there vkurup. I've got a set up that uses a GC2 and it's a very good bit of kit. Have had a few forumers over to have a go and all said they gained a great deal from using it. This is my 'rig':



The surround is a Net Return Simulator Series which I shipped from the States - added bonus over many is that it breaks down into a couple of duffel bags if you want the space back. The mat is a Huxley golf 400.

http://www.thenetreturn.com/products/simulator-series

The 'turf' (other than the mat) also packs away as I used Astro turf designed for mobile sports pitches:

http://www.softfloor.co.uk/astro.shtml

Height wise you need 9 feet minimum for the Net Return Sim enclosure (possibly 9.5 feet) but I wanted the roof to be well out of the way of any visitor's driver swing so my roof is up at a shade under 12 feet.

The expensive bit is the GC2 but you could always think about this enclosure as a starting point and maybe add the GC2 as it became possible. One advantage of it is that you can use it as a home cinema, to watch the sports on or, as my youngest found out yesterday, to play Elite Dangerous on. Not sure when I'll be getting me sim back.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKLtvTyTk4o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHKsQBWIz_E

Obviously a bit out of your way but if you're ever over this way (Lincolnshire) and want a look or go on at my setup just give me a shout.

 

[Alex1975]

Yes mines the Tesco value version.

I built a level area from decking at the bottom of my garden and have a range matt on it. I hit balls in to a Izzo big mouth net. I was using a swingbyte 2 but will be getting a launch monitor of some sort in the new year.

This is me... apart from I use door mats. I think I shall get a proper mat in the new year.

Fancy this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Regenix-Pro...=UTF8&qid=1419419889&sr=8-5&keywords=golf+mat

 

[guest100718]

This is me... apart from I use door mats. I think I shall get a proper mat in the new year.

Fancy this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Regenix-Pro...=UTF8&qid=1419419889&sr=8-5&keywords=golf+mat

Thats a lots for a mat... I picked mine up 2nd hand from my local range, still has loads of life in it

 

[Alex1975]

Thats a lots for a mat... I picked mine up 2nd hand from my local range, still has loads of life in it

Ye, it looks good and reviews well. My gaffer just gave me £50 of Amazon vouchers so I guess I shall put it towards this.

I have not mentioned to HID that the part of the garden we have been cutting and digging back for months is going to be a bunker yet

 

[Alex1975]

OP Look out for this in the new year:

http://www.skytrakgolf.com/content/welcome-skytrak

 

[fundy]

OP Look out for this in the new year:

http://www.skytrakgolf.com/content/welcome-skytrak

Assume youve already got as pot with $2k in for when this is launched Al

 

[Alex1975]

Assume youve already got as pot with $2k in for when this is launched Al

Na just $1k, I am going half and half with you!... however I have been poking around on some of the launch monitor forums and sim forums and it would seem there is some work still to do on there software. Spin numbers on wedges are a little off so totally carry is too.

 

[fundy]

Na just $1k, I am going half and half with you!... however I have been poking around on some of the launch monitor forums and sim forums and it would seem there is some work still to do on there software. Spin numbers on wedges are a little off so totally carry is too.

let me know when it passes quality control and ill send you my share

 

[simmb]

OP Look out for this in the new year:

http://www.skytrakgolf.com/content/welcome-skytrak

Depends what you are after really, If you want a launch monitor only, there are apparently some new options on the horizon in 2015. Skytrak has some issues at the moment and no confirmed course sim software route at the moment, although it's more than likely to be E6(expensive). Also Think the app for Skytrak is currently IOS only and needs the latest hardware to run so older iPads are no go. And finally an annual subscription for certain stats is not ideal in my eyes.
Depending on budget I would look at a Protee base pack. The benefit of Protee at the moment is that they have included free integration into The Golf Club game, so potentially unlimited courses to play. If you have the cash and want a more portable solution you can use GC2 with protee software. At the cheaper end of the market you have Optishot and P3 pro which are good value for money if accuracy is not the main priority.

 

[vkurup]

Looks like a few options, I reckon the garage is about 8 feet or so. I could make it at the bottom of the garden but it will be out of service during the non-summer months.
Doing in the garage may be a better option other than the height and HID s permission...

 

[SocketRocket]

Dave Pelz has a base mat that can be tilted for simulating side and up/down hill lies. It also has a strip for sand.

 

[vkurup]

If I use this as template
http://www.amazon.co.uk/GOLF-CAGE-Includes-Galvanised-Professional/dp/B003DCUCC8

then effectively need a 10 foot clearance or effectively 10fx10fx10f

 

[jpxpro]

i built a optishot sim in my garage very basic setup at moment however I'm already planning to upgrade lol

height is only 9 foot so drivers are a nono however you can swing every other club without fear, in optishot u can also change settings to allow you to use a 3 wood and get the numbers your driver would normally go.

i used pvc piping to build a surround and wrapped it in netting, my impact screen is actually a decorators sheet with a cheap white shower curtain over the front of it to allow for projected image, my turf is an off cut of astroturf i got from a 5 aside place.

it does the job with no issues at all tbh. its pretty accurate although does give the odd shot that is 146mph and 350 yards for some reason

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zanRS_btKU&index=6&list=UUwJLQK4B-aS5mczR0Y5oQmg

total cost for setup excluding projector was about £100

 

[Sweep]

If I use this as template
http://www.amazon.co.uk/GOLF-CAGE-Includes-Galvanised-Professional/dp/B003DCUCC8

then effectively need a 10 foot clearance or effectively 10fx10fx10f

You will certainly need 3m x 3m x 3m. I went to Net World Sports.
If you search the forum, I have posted on here about this kind of set up before. For me the most important part is the choice of mat.
I will certainly be looking at the Skytrak when it becomes available in the UK. It does seem to be more about practice rather than sim at present, but an accurate replication of shot shape and distance is what I am really looking for, so hopefully it will work for me.

 

[Farneyman]

Wish I hadn't found this thread lol

Give me a good excuse to clear my new garage...