Golf Simulator
Planning Guides
Everything you need to plan, build, and optimise your home golf simulator — from room sizing and enclosure selection to projector placement and flooring. Written by people who supply the components, not sell the monitors.
Room Planning
Start here
Planning
Golf Simulator Room Size Guide
Ceiling height by club type, minimum width and depth for every enclosure size, projector throw distances, and the 2.5 ft rule that most buyers miss. The first guide to read before ordering anything.
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Planning
Garage Golf Simulator Guide
Door track clearance, 1-car vs 2-car layouts, heating and lighting considerations, electrical requirements, and the 8-step planning process specific to garage builds.
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Planning
How Much Does a Golf Simulator Cost?
Every component at every tier, from $2,500 starter builds to $22,000 facility-grade setups. Includes honest 5-year subscription cost math.
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Planning
Best Home Golf Simulator Setups for 2026
Four complete builds at every budget. Honest launch monitor recommendations. What The Hitting Bay supplies for each one.
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Planning
Budget Golf Simulator Build Guide
Three complete builds from $1,500 to $3,000 — which corners to cut, which to never cut, and the phased build strategy that means nothing gets wasted when you upgrade.
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Step-by-step
Build
DIY Golf Simulator Build Guide
Step-by-step from empty room to first swing. Assembly order, tools needed, and the 6 mistakes that cost most first-time builders time and money.
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Build
Retractable Golf Simulator Guide
How retractable screen systems work, who they're right for, installation requirements, and an honest comparison with permanent enclosures.
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Build
Golf Simulator Projector Placement Guide
Throw ratio formula, the 8–14 ft ceiling mount window, shadow causes and fixes, 4:3 vs 16:9 aspect ratio, and specific projector recommendations for 2026.
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Build
Ceiling Height Guide for Golf Simulators
Club-by-club clearance requirements, how to measure correctly, the wedge paradox most builders miss, garage track considerations, and the psychological effect on your swing data.
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Build
Garage Door Track Guide
How door tracks reduce usable ceiling height, the exact measurement process, three ranked solutions — jackshaft opener, high-lift conversion, repositioning — and how to position around tracks you can't move.
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Build
Left & Right-Handed Golf Simulator Room Guide
Room width requirements, hitting mat sizing for both handednesses, launch monitor placement, bilateral side netting, and the offset strategy for rooms under 14 ft wide.
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Component guides
Equipment
Golf Launch Monitor Comparison 2026
Every monitor worth considering — Garmin R10 to Uneekor EYE XO2. Real prices, true 5-year subscription costs, and which fits your simulator. Unbiased: we don't sell monitors.
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Equipment
Golf Simulator Hitting Mat Guide
Mat construction anatomy, how cheap mats damage your swing over time, hitting strip vs full mat, size selection, DIY platform setup, and launch monitor compatibility.
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Equipment
Best Flooring & Turf for Golf Simulators
The four-layer floor system, rubber tiles vs foam vs wood subfloor, turf types by zone, ball bounce control, basement moisture barriers, and cost-per-sq-ft comparison.
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