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Will a golf simulator work in a conservatory?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The short answer
Rarely, and I wouldn't plan a full projected simulator in one. Daylight through glass washes out the picture and upsets camera launch monitors, summer heat can pass what the kit is rated for, glass sits on a mishit's path, and lean-to roofs are low. A conservatory makes a good putting room; put the full swing elsewhere.
Our verdict
A conservatory is built to let light in, and a simulator works best in the dark. Most of the time I'd use the conservatory for putting and chipping, and put the full swing in a garage, a garden room or a garden cage. Here's why, factor by factor, and what a limited setup looks like if you go ahead anyway.
Light on the screen
A projector can't make black. BenQ, who make the AH500ST projector in our packages, say any light from a window or overhead lamp falling on the screen makes the picture look grey and washed out, and that the best approach is to keep light, especially sunlight, off the screen. The AH500ST gives 4,000 ANSI lumens, and BenQ suggests 4,000 to 6,000 for rooms with ambient light. No projector in that range beats daylight coming through three glass walls and a glass roof.
A grey screen helps at the margins. SimSpace says its UltraMAX grey screen boosts contrast and reduces the effect of ambient light, and the enclosure's black velour blocks light from the sides and top. That improves an evening picture. It doesn't make a sunny afternoon playable.
Light on the launch monitor
Camera launch monitors are the bigger problem. In their own words:
- Square Golf: set it up in a room with little to no sunlight, and don't let the front face the sun.
- Garmin: minimise direct sunlight on the front of the R50 and on the clubface, and keep reflective surfaces out of the camera's view.
- NVisage: mirrors or glass in the camera's view may lead to inaccurate measurements, and the NEO-E may malfunction facing a low sun.
- TruGolf: sunlight aimed into the LaunchBox's lens causes inconsistent shot capture.
In a conservatory the glass is the walls, so it is always in view. A radar unit doesn't rely on a camera to see the ball, but it sits behind you and needs a longer room: 5.2m for a FlightScope Mevo Gen2.
Heat and cold
The BenQ AH500ST, the Mevo Gen2 and Square Golf are all rated to run between 0°C and 40°C. Garmin says the R50 runs up to 55°C and may overheat and fail to turn on above that. A glass room in summer sun and in a winter frost can sit outside those ranges, and moving cold kit into a warm room causes condensation. If you play in a conservatory, keep the electronics in the house and bring them out for each session.
Glass on a mishit's path
The shots that cause damage are the topped ball at shin height and the shank that leaves sideways. Building regulations only require safety glass in critical locations: in and near doors up to 1,500mm from the floor, and low-level glazing within 800mm of the floor (Approved Document K). Glass above that can be ordinary annealed glass. Even safety glass is made to break safely, not to stop a golf ball.
So a conservatory bay needs a full enclosure with side netting on both sides, and the bay arranged so a mishit meets the house wall, not glass. I wouldn't put glass directly behind the screen at all.
Roof height
Many conservatories have a sloping roof that is lowest at the outside wall. Measure the height at the lowest point the bay and your swing will reach, not at the ridge.
- SimSpace SIM 1 to SIM 4 enclosures are 2.5m high and need 2.6m to stand.
- Swinging a driver needs 2.7m, and 3m or more is ideal.
- Width and length still need 3.0m and 4.2m.
Roof blinds and bars hang lower than the glass, so measure under them.
The floor and the building rules
Most conservatory floors are tiled. A hitting mat needs a rubber base on tile so it doesn't creep and so your joints take less of the impact. On the rules side, the Planning Portal says a conservatory is normally exempt from building regulations only while it stays separated from the house by external-quality walls, doors or windows, with its own heating controls. Knocking through to make room for a bay needs approval.
If you go ahead anyway
- Choose a radar unit if the length allows, or fit blackout blinds on every glass panel the camera can see.
- Use a full enclosure with side netting, and arrange the bay so the house wall takes the mishits.
- Use a grey screen and play in the evening with the blinds down.
- Keep the launch monitor, projector and laptop in the house between sessions.
- Lay a rubber base under the mat.
Or play to the room's strengths: a putting mat in the conservatory, and a garden cage outside for the full swing. How should I light a golf simulator room? covers light control in any room.
The conservatory, factor by factor
| Factor | What the source says | What it means in a conservatory |
|---|---|---|
| Light on the screen | BenQ: ambient light makes the picture grey and washed out | Daytime play needs blackout blinds on every panel |
| Projector brightness | BenQ AH500ST: 4,000 ANSI lumens; BenQ suggests 4,000 to 6,000 with ambient light | No projector at this level beats direct daylight |
| Camera launch monitors | Square Golf: little to no sunlight. Garmin, NVisage: no reflective surfaces or glass in view | Glass walls are always in view; blinds needed |
| Radar launch monitors | Mevo Gen2: 2.4m behind the ball | Less troubled by light, but needs a 5.2m room |
| Heat and cold | BenQ, Mevo Gen2, Square Golf: 0°C to 40°C. Garmin R50: -10°C to 55°C | Keep electronics in the house between sessions |
| Glass safety | Approved Document K: safety glass only in doors, near doors and within 800mm of the floor | Higher panes may be ordinary glass; nothing is ball-proof |
| Roof height | Our minimum 2.7m; SIM 1 to SIM 4 need 2.6m to stand | Measure at the low side of the roof, under blinds |
| Building regulations | Planning Portal: exempt only while separated from the house | Knocking through for space needs approval |
Safety glazing rules are from Approved Document K (England). Not every conservatory pane will be safety glass; check the kitemark etched in the corner of each pane.
Best practice
- Use it for puttingA putting mat suits a bright conservatory with almost no risk. Put the full swing in a garage, garden room or garden cage.
- Point the mishits at the house wallArrange any bay so a topped or shanked ball meets brick, not glass, and use side netting on both sides.
- Black out before you buyFit blackout blinds to every pane the screen or camera can see, then check the room at the sunniest time of day.
- Keep electronics in the houseStore the launch monitor, projector and laptop indoors and bring them out for each session.
Gotchas to avoid
- Glass is always in the camera's viewGarmin and NVisage both warn that reflective surfaces or glass in view cause misreads. In a conservatory there is no avoiding them.
- Not every pane is safety glassBuilding regulations only require it in and near doors and within 800mm of the floor. Higher panes may be ordinary glass.
- The low side of the roofA sloping roof can be well under 2.7m at the outside wall. Measure the lowest point over the bay and swing.
- Knocking through for spaceRemoving the doors between the house and the conservatory loses its building regulations exemption and needs approval.
- Summer heatMost projectors and launch monitors here are rated to 40°C. A sunny glass room can exceed that.
Our recommendation
I wouldn't build a full projected simulator in a conservatory. Use it for putting, and put the full swing in a garage, garden room or garden cage.
- If you want the full swing at home
- A garden cage outside, or a simulator in a garage or garden room.
- If the conservatory is the only space
- Radar if it is 5.2m long, blackout blinds, side netting and evening play.
- If you mainly want to putt
- A putting mat in the conservatory needs no enclosure.
What I'd buy instead
The full swing, outsidePro Golf Cage & Hitting Mat BundleA garden cage with a hitting mat takes the driver outdoors, away from glass.from£734.99
Putting in the conservatoryFORZA Professional Golf Putting MatA roll-up putting mat with several target holes suits a bright room.£299.99
If you go ahead anywaySimSpace UltraMAX Golf Enclosure — High-Contrast Grey ScreenSimSpace's grey screen holds contrast in ambient light, and its velour blocks light from the sides and top.from£1,499.99
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Questions people ask
Can you put a golf simulator in a conservatory?
You can, but I wouldn't plan one. Daylight washes out the projected picture and upsets camera launch monitors, the glass is on a mishit's path, heat can pass what the kit is rated for, and many roofs are too low at one side. A conservatory is better as a putting room.
Would a radar launch monitor work in a conservatory?
Radar doesn't use a camera to see the ball, so sunlight matters less. It sits behind you, though: a FlightScope Mevo Gen2 needs 2.4m behind the ball and a 5.2m room. The projector still needs the room dark.
Will a grey screen fix the glare?
It helps in the evening. SimSpace says its UltraMAX grey screen reduces the effect of ambient light and the enclosure's velour blocks light from the sides and top. It won't make a sunny afternoon playable without blackout blinds.
Is conservatory glass safe if a ball hits it?
Building regulations require safety glass only in and near doors and within 800mm of the floor. Safety glass is made to break safely, not to stop a ball. Use side netting and keep glass off the mishit line.
Do I need building regulations to use a conservatory for golf?
Not to use it. A conservatory keeps its exemption while it stays separated from the house by external-quality walls, doors or windows. Removing them to make space needs approval.
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