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Setups & real rooms
What do home golf simulator rooms look like?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The short answer
Most home simulator rooms are one of five types: a narrow room at our 3.0 x 2.7 x 4.2m minimum, a long family room, a double garage, a purpose-built garden room, or a living space that must stay usable. Each points to a different enclosure and launch monitor. These worked examples show the sizes and kit.
About these examples
We don't yet have a set of finished customer rooms we can show you with their owners' permission, so this page doesn't pretend otherwise. Instead, here are the room types we design for most often. Each is a worked example, planned with the same rules we use on every proposal. One is a real proposal we've published with the customer's first name, and it's labelled as such. The sizes are width x ceiling height x length.
Every example starts from our minimum: 3.0m wide, 2.7m high and 4.2m long. Under that, I'd suggest a garden cage, a launch monitor for the range or a putting setup instead of a simulator.
Worked example 1: the narrow room at the minimum
Room: 3.0 x 2.7 x 4.5m, such as a converted single garage or a long spare room.
- Enclosure: SIM 1. Its outer frame is about 2.7m, and with 8cm clear each side it needs a 3.0m wall.
- Launch monitor: a camera unit beside the ball, such as the Garmin R50. A radar unit such as the Mevo Gen2 needs 5.2m, so it's ruled out at 4.5m.
- Projector: the floor case. Under a 2.7m ceiling, an arm on the enclosure frame puts the projector close to head height.
What to know: width is the measurement you can't fix later. GolfBays, who engineer our custom rooms, put a comfortable driver swing at about 3.3m wide. At 3.0m driver is possible but tight, so I'd say that in the proposal rather than leave it as a surprise.
Worked example 2: the long family room (a published proposal)
Room: 4.3 x 3.0 x 7.5m. This is Max's room, and his proposal is published at /pages/max-golf-room. It's a proposal, not a finished install.
- Enclosure: SIM 1, chosen to fit the wall by the door so the rest of the room stays in use.
- Launch monitor: the recommended option was the Uneekor EYE XR, an overhead unit mounted on the ceiling behind the tee, which keeps the bay clear for a family. The other options were the Garmin R50, the Uneekor Eye Mini and the Foresight GC3S.
- Projector: on a ceiling mount, at Max's request, behind the launch monitor.
- Floor: a 3 x 4m strip of putting turf under the bay.
What we learned: the jobs before delivery matter as much as the kit. His list was to swap a pendant light, fit blackout blinds and add a double socket at the screen end. We also set a layout rule from rooms like this one: the projector always sits behind the launch monitor, so the two ceiling units don't stack up.
Worked example 3: the double garage
Room: 5.0 x 2.7 x 5.5m.
- Enclosure: SIM 4, which needs a 4.26m wall and leaves room to walk past. SIM 6 is ruled out because it needs a 3.1m ceiling.
- Launch monitor: any camera unit, or the Mevo Gen2, which needs 5.2m. The Full Swing KIT needs 5.85m, so it doesn't fit.
- Layout: if left- and right-handers share it, the ball goes in the middle. The width of a double garage makes that easy.
What to check: measure the ceiling under the garage door runners and any lights, not between them. Garages also get cold and damp, so plan heat and air before the kit arrives.
Worked example 4: the purpose-built garden room or new build
Room: 4.2 x 3.1 x 6.5m, specified before it's built.
- Enclosure: SIM 6, 4m wide and 3m tall inside, which needs a 4.16m wall and a 3.1m ceiling.
- Launch monitor: any we sell. With SIM 6, the Full Swing KIT needs 6.45m, which this room allows.
- Power: sockets at the screen end and wherever the PC will sit.
What to know: this is the one room where you choose the numbers, so set them for the simulator first. Check planning height limits for garden buildings early; the garden room guide below covers them.
Worked example 5: the room that has to stay a room
Room: 3.5 x 2.8 x 5.2m, a lounge or gym used for other things.
- Enclosure: the SportScreen Vanish 11, which rolls its screen, sides and ceiling panel up when you've finished. It suits rooms 3.43 to 3.73m wide with a 2.74 to 3.20m ceiling.
- Length: every Vanish is 1.52m deep when it's down, and SportScreen asks for at least 5.18m.
- Launch monitor: a camera unit beside the ball, so nothing has to stand behind you in a room that is also used for other things.
What to know: it fixes into ceiling joists or wall studs and takes two people to fit; SportScreen recommends a contractor.
What every room has taught us
- Width is the hard limit. A low ceiling can sometimes be raised; a narrow room can't be widened.
- Photos catch what a tape measure misses: lights in the swing path, radiators on the screen wall, sockets at the wrong end.
- The launch monitor goes where its manual says, and the room length follows from that.
If your room looks like one of these, the free 3D design turns it into a proposal for your actual measurements.
Room types at a glance
| Room type | Example room | Enclosure | Launch monitors that fit | Projector | Enclosure alone, from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow room at the minimum | 3.0 x 2.7 x 4.5m | SIM 1 | Camera units beside the ball | Floor case | £999.99 |
| Long family room (Max's published proposal) | 4.3 x 3.0 x 7.5m | SIM 1 | Any; overhead EYE XR recommended | Ceiling mount, behind the launch monitor | £999.99 |
| Double garage | 5.0 x 2.7 x 5.5m | SIM 4 | Camera units or Mevo Gen2; not the KIT | Floor case | £999.99 |
| Purpose-built garden room | 4.2 x 3.1 x 6.5m | SIM 6 | Any, including the Full Swing KIT | Floor case or ceiling mount | £999.99 |
| Room that stays a room | 3.5 x 2.8 x 5.2m | SportScreen Vanish 11 | Camera units beside the ball | Floor case or ceiling mount | £3,499.99 |
Worked examples, not customer installs, except the long family room, which is a published proposal. Wall width = enclosure outer frame plus 8cm each side. Never below 3.0 x 2.7 x 4.2m (4.3m for SIM 5 and SIM 6).
Best practice
- Start from the widthWidth is the one measurement you can't change later. Choose the enclosure that fits the wall with 8cm clear each side, then plan the rest.
- Let the launch monitor set the lengthCamera units fit 4.2m. Radar needs its manual distance behind the ball: 5.2m for the Mevo Gen2, 5.85m for the Full Swing KIT.
- List the jobs before deliveryLights in the swing path, blinds for bright windows and a double socket at the screen end are easier to sort before the kit arrives.
- Put the projector behind the launch monitorOn the ceiling, keep the projector behind an overhead launch monitor so the two units don't stack up.
Gotchas to avoid
- Measuring between the obstaclesGarage door runners, beams and pendant lights lower your usable ceiling. Measure under them, where you'll actually swing.
- Choosing SIM 5 or SIM 6 for a 2.7m ceilingThey're 3m tall inside and need a 3.1m ceiling. Under that, SIM 1 to SIM 4 are the right sizes.
- Expecting a driver swing at 3.0m wideDriver is possible at our 3.0m minimum but tight. About 3.3m is comfortable, so plan for it if you can.
- Building a garden room to the wrong heightSet the simulator's ceiling height first and check planning limits early, before the building is ordered.
Our recommendation
Find the type closest to your room, then send me your real measurements. The examples show the pattern; your proposal is drawn to your room.
- If your room is about 3m wide and under 5.2m long
- A SIM 1 with a camera unit beside the ball, such as the Garmin R50.
- If you have a double garage with a 2.7m ceiling
- A SIM 4, with any camera unit, or the Mevo Gen2 if you have 5.2m of length.
- If you're building a garden room
- Aim for at least 4.2 x 3.1 x 6.5m and a SIM 6, so any launch monitor fits.
- If the room must stay a lounge or gym
- The SportScreen Vanish, which retracts when you've finished.
For your room we'd pick…
Narrow room at the minimumGarmin Approach R50 Home Golf Simulator Package - Complete Setup, UKSits 0.5m beside the ball, so it fits a 4.2m room, and plays courses with no PC.from£7,199
Double garageSimSpace (Sim 4) Golf Enclosure 4 x 2.5 x 1.5 m4m wide inside and 2.5m tall, so it fills a wide room under a 2.7m ceiling.from£999.99
Purpose-built garden roomSimSpace (Sim 6) Golf Enclosure 4 x 3 x 3 m4m wide and 3m tall inside, for rooms with a 3.1m ceiling or more.from£999.99
Room that stays a roomSportScreen Vanish Series Retractable Golf Simulator EnclosureRolls its screen and panels up to the ceiling when you've finished playing.from£3,499.99
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Questions people ask
Are these real customer rooms?
Four are worked examples planned to our room rules. The long family room is a real proposal we've published with the customer's first name at /pages/max-golf-room. We'll add finished rooms here once owners agree to share them.
What's the most common room type?
The garage, single or double. A single garage often runs into our 3.0m width minimum, so measure the width first.
What room size should I aim for if I'm building?
At least 4.2m wide, 3.1m high and 6.5m long gives you a SIM 6 and room for any launch monitor we sell, including the Full Swing KIT.
Can a simulator share a room with a lounge or gym?
Yes. The SportScreen Vanish retracts to the ceiling when you've finished. It's 1.52m deep when it's down and needs a room at least 5.18m long.
What jobs should I do before the kit arrives?
Move or swap any light in the swing path, fit blinds on bright windows and put a double socket at the screen end. Plan heating and ventilation in garages and garden rooms.
Still unsure? Ask SIM:ON about this page. It knows our full range and live prices, and can pass your room to Tom.
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