Frequently Asked Questions

The configurator is the fastest answer — enter your room width, depth, and ceiling height and it outputs the specific enclosure size that fits with proper swing clearance. The manual calculation: your room width minus at least 2 feet per side for frame clearance and swing room. A 14 ft wide room fits a 10 ft enclosure. A 12 ft wide room fits an 8–9 ft enclosure. Don't order to room width — that's the most common return reason.

Minimum functional setup: 10 ft wide × 12 ft deep × 9 ft ceiling (for irons/hybrids). Recommended for a full driver swing: 14 ft wide × 17 ft deep × 10 ft ceiling. Room depth matters for the launch monitor — radar-based monitors (Garmin R10, Mevo Gen 2) need 17–20 ft of total room depth for reliable indoor data. Camera-based monitors (Bushnell LPi, GC3) work in rooms as short as 12 ft. Ceiling height at the hitting position is the binding constraint — measure to the lowest obstruction (garage door tracks, opener motor) not the ceiling itself. See the room size guide for a full breakdown.

Probably, but there's a critical check first: measure to the lowest obstruction at the hitting position, not to the ceiling itself. In a standard garage, horizontal door tracks hang 12–18 inches below the ceiling, and the opener motor hangs another 3–8 inches below that. A 10 ft garage ceiling with a standard chain opener can give as little as 8 ft 4 in of actual clearance directly below the opener. That's below comfortable driver swing threshold for most golfers. Read the garage door track guide for the specific measurement process and three solutions if clearance is tight. The physical swing test at the actual hitting position is the only definitive check.

Yes — basements are an excellent simulator location with one critical check: ceiling height to the lowest duct, beam, or pipe directly above the hitting position (not the average room height). Basements also require a moisture check before installing any flooring — tape 6-mil plastic sheeting to the bare concrete for 48 hours and check for condensation underneath. If present, a vapour barrier is required under any floor system. See the room size guide for basement-specific guidance.

DIY Enclosure Kit: A complete permanent bay — frame, screen, and bilateral side netting — that assembles in 2–4 hours. Best for any dedicated space where the simulator stays set up. Pre-cut pipes, all hardware included, no hardware store run required.

Retractable Screen System: Screen deploys from a ceiling-mounted housing in 30 seconds and retracts fully when not in use. The car parks. Best for shared garages. Ceiling mount required.

Built-In Screen Kit: Wall-mounted for rooms where the screen is part of the architecture. Custom sized, 2–3 week lead time, flush professional finish. Best for permanent dedicated rooms or renovations. Full comparison on the packages page →

Yes — every Gungho enclosure kit includes an impact screen matched to the enclosure size. You don't need to purchase a screen separately for a new enclosure kit build. The Premium Eagle Impact Screen sold separately in our Impact Screens collection is for: replacing a worn screen in an existing enclosure, upgrading a screen in an older build, or building a DIY frame without the full enclosure kit.

Yes — the Gungho DIY Enclosure Kit includes full bilateral side netting as standard. Both the left and right sides of the bay are protected, which matters for safety for any handedness and is especially important for shared LH/RH setups. The retractable system does not include built-in side netting — the open garage design means errant shots are contained by the garage walls themselves, but a separate side netting add-on is advisable for any build where golfers of different skill levels will be using the setup.

The Gungho DIY Enclosure Kit assembles in approximately 2–4 hours for most builders with basic tools (drill, level, tape measure). The frame pipes are pre-cut and pre-labelled with colour-coded connectors — there's no cutting required. The most time-consuming steps are ceiling mounting (if applicable) and screen tensioning. The retractable screen ceiling mount takes 1–2 hours. Installation guides are included with every kit, and our support team is available by phone and email for questions during assembly.

With the DIY Enclosure Kit (permanent frame): the enclosure typically occupies enough of the bay that the door cannot fully close over it. Most builders with a dedicated simulator bay either leave the door functional as a weather barrier or build a simple stud wall inside the door opening. With the Retractable Screen System: yes — the screen retracts fully to the ceiling and takes up approximately 6–8 inches of ceiling space. The garage door operates normally. This is one of the main reasons the retractable system exists.

Screen size = the inside frame opening of your enclosure, not your room width. If you have an enclosure kit, the screen is already matched — you don't need to choose. If you're purchasing a replacement screen, measure your frame's inside opening (edge to edge of the timber or pipe the screen attaches to). If building a DIY frame, your room width minus 2 ft per side for frame and swing clearance gives your screen width. The most common residential sizes are 10×10 ft and 10×12 ft. The configurator outputs the recommended screen size for your room dimensions.

Three things control post-screen ball travel: screen tension, the gap behind the screen, and the landing zone floor. Over-tensioned screen: a screen pulled too tight has no flex — the ball bounces back hard. Correct tension means the screen is flat but has 2–4 inches of flex on impact. No gap behind screen: always leave 12–18 inches between the back of the screen and the wall behind it. This lets the screen flex and absorb energy rather than hitting a hard backing. Bare concrete landing zone: turf directly on concrete produces high bounce. 3/4-inch rubber tiles under landing zone turf reduces ball travel from 6–12 ft to 2–4 ft after the screen. See the flooring guide for the full system.

Any short-throw projector with a throw ratio of 0.5–0.9 works with the Eagle screen. Minimum 3,000 lumens for rooms with controlled ambient light; 4,000+ lumens for garages with any daylight intrusion. The BenQ TK710STi (throw ratio 0.69–0.83, 4K) is the most commonly recommended value option. The BenQ LK936ST is the premium choice (laser, IP5X sealed for garage dust, Golf Mode). Use the Projector Central throw calculator to verify the exact throw distance for your screen size before drilling a ceiling mount. See the full projector placement guide →

Holy Grail Hitting Strip ($199–$249): The strike zone only. Installs into a platform you build — rubber tiles, plywood subfloor, or similar. Three sizes: 12×30", 12×35", and 12×46.5" (covers both LH and RH play). Replace only the strip when worn.

Holy Grail Hitting Mat (from $199): Complete one-piece solution — strip pre-installed into a GrassTex standing area on a 1-inch foam base with velcro anchors. Drop it on the floor and hit. Two sizes: 4×5 ft (single-sided) and 4×9 ft (dual-sided LH+RH). No platform building required. Best for retractable setups since it rolls up and stores between sessions.

No — the GrassTex Money Putt turf surface is not designed for wooden tees. Pressing wooden tees through the turf permanently damages the pile structure. Use Birtees (small rubber peg tees) or Carl's Hot Shot Tees instead — these sit above the surface rather than piercing it and work at any tee height from driver to iron. They're available on Amazon and at most golf retailers for approximately $10–$15 per set.

Rubber tiles are the right subfloor — not the right hitting surface. Hitting off bare rubber produces zero fat shot feedback, transmits full impact energy to your wrists and elbows on fat strikes, and develops an uneven compressed groove in the strike zone within months. Most golfers who skip the mat report joint issues (golfer's elbow, wrist tendinitis) within a few months of regular use. The Holy Grail strip's multi-layer foam construction absorbs impact energy and gives you real contact quality feedback — that's what you're paying for. See the hitting mat guide for a full explanation of the construction difference.

The Holy Grail Hitting Strip 12×46.5" Pro ($249) or the Holy Grail Mat 4×9 ft. Both are wide enough to cover the RH address position (6–10 inches right of mat centre) and the LH address position (same distance left of centre) simultaneously — no repositioning needed between players. The 30" and 35" strip sizes work for one handedness comfortably but may require repositioning for the other. See the left & right-handed setup guide →

No — the Gungho DIY Enclosure Kit is designed for homeowner installation with basic tools. You'll need a drill, level, tape measure, and an hour of prep time to read the installation guide before starting. The retractable screen ceiling mount is the most technically involved installation: you need to locate ceiling joists, drill a solid mount, and align the projector in the same session. If you're not comfortable with ceiling drilling, a local handyman can complete the mount in 1–2 hours. The full DIY build guide covers every step in detail.

The one rule: short throw only. A standard throw projector (ratio 1.0+) will cast your shadow on the screen on every backswing — it's not fixable without a different projector. Short throw ratio: 0.5–0.9. Ceiling mount 8–14 ft from the screen behind the golfer. Minimum 3,000 lumens (4,000+ for garages with any daylight). The BenQ TK710STi is the most recommended value option at around $700–$900. Use the Projector Central throw calculator to verify the exact ceiling mount distance for your screen size before drilling. Full guide: projector placement guide →

3/4-inch rubber interlocking tiles across the hitting area and landing zone are the standard. They're car-friendly (the car can park on them), inexpensive ($0.80–$1.50/sq ft), and easy to install without adhesive. The Holy Grail Hitting Strip installs into a pocket in the tile layout — remove tiles at the strike zone position and place the strip in the opening, shimming to achieve flush height if needed. For basements, always test for moisture (48-hour plastic sheet test) and install a vapour barrier if condensation is present. Full system: flooring & turf guide →

Only if you want to run GSPro or E6 Connect. Both require a Windows machine with a dedicated GPU — not integrated graphics, and not a Mac. A mid-range Windows gaming laptop ($700–$900) or a used desktop with an RTX 3060 ($400–$600 used) runs GSPro at 1080p without issue. The Garmin R10's native Home Tee Hero app runs on iOS/Android — no PC required. The Rapsodo MLM2Pro also runs on a tablet. If you're starting on a tight budget, use the native app until you're ready to upgrade to a dedicated simulator software subscription.

No — we sell enclosures, screens, and hitting mats. We deliberately don't sell launch monitors so our monitor recommendations stay unbiased. Our launch monitor comparison guide covers every monitor worth considering — from the Garmin R10 at $499 to the Foresight GC3 at $6,999 — with honest trade-offs at each price point and specific guidance on which monitors work in short rooms vs deep rooms. We have no financial stake in which one you choose.

Camera-based monitors only. Radar monitors (Garmin R10, FlightScope Mevo Gen 2) need 17–20 ft of total room depth for reliable indoor spin and club data. In a room under 15 ft, radar data degrades significantly — especially spin rate, which is the metric that matters most for improvement. Camera-based monitors (Bushnell LPi at $1,499, Foresight GC3 at $6,999) have no depth requirement behind the ball — they work in rooms as short as 12 ft. The Rapsodo MLM2Pro ($699) uses a camera + radar hybrid and performs significantly better than pure radar in shorter rooms. See the full guide: monitor comparison →

The Garmin R10 is compatible with: Garmin Home Tee Hero (free, iOS/Android, 42,000+ courses — no PC required), GSPro (free tier available, full subscription $250/yr, requires Windows PC), and E6 Connect (subscription, Windows PC). Home Tee Hero is the fastest way to get playing — download the app, pair the R10, and you're hitting virtual rounds in under 10 minutes. GSPro has the best course library, ball physics, and active development community if you want to invest in the software longer term.

Gungho DIY Enclosure Kit: Ships 5–7 business days from order.
Retractable Screen System: Ships 1–2 weeks from order.
Built-In Screen Kit: 2–3 week lead time (custom sizing).
Holy Grail Hitting Strip (Standard/Extended): Ships 2–3 business days.
Holy Grail Hitting Strip (Pro 46.5"): Ships 3–5 business days.
Holy Grail Mat 4×5 ft: Ships 2–3 business days.
Holy Grail Mat 4×9 ft: Ships 5–7 business days.
Eagle Impact Screen: Custom sized — ships approximately 1 week from order.

All orders ship free to the contiguous US. You'll receive a tracking number by email when your order ships.

Returns are accepted on unused, unassembled products within 30 days of delivery. The product must be in its original packaging. Return shipping costs are the buyer's responsibility — golf simulator enclosure kits are large and return freight can be significant. Custom-sized products (Built-In Screen Kit, custom Eagle Impact Screen) are not returnable once manufactured. Before ordering, we strongly recommend using the configurator to confirm the right size — it prevents the most common return reason (wrong enclosure size for the room). For specific return questions, contact us at support@thehittingbay.com before returning.

Email us at support@thehittingbay.com with your order number and photos of the damage within 48 hours of delivery. We'll arrange a replacement or refund — damaged items are covered and there's no cost to you for a shipping damage claim. Don't discard the packaging until the claim is resolved, as we may need the original packaging photos for the freight claim.

Currently we ship to the contiguous 48 US states only. We don't ship to Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, or international addresses at this time. If you're outside this area, contact us at support@thehittingbay.com — for large orders we may be able to arrange freight to a US forwarding address.