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Will a golf simulator fit my room?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 2 min read
The short answer
We design simulator rooms from 3.0m wide, 2.7m high and 4.2m long, with a ceiling of 3m or more ideal. That length suits camera launch monitors, which sit beside the ball. Radar units sit behind you, so follow the manual: a FlightScope Mevo Gen2 needs a 5.2m room.
The three numbers
Measure where the simulator will stand, at the narrowest and lowest points. Count beams, lights, ducting, boilers and garage door runners; the enclosure and your swing have to clear all of them.
- Width: 3.0m minimum. The room needs the enclosure's outer frame plus at least 8cm clear each side.
- Ceiling: 2.7m is the minimum for a full driver swing, and 3m or more is ideal.
- Length: 4.2m minimum, from the wall behind the screen to the wall behind you. That covers 30cm clear behind the screen, about 2.5m from ball to screen, and room to swing.
If your room is under any of those, I'd rather tell you now than sell you something you can't use. A garden cage, a launch monitor to take to the range, or a putting setup is a better place to start: see the Pro garden cage bundle, our launch monitors and putting.
Which enclosure fits
Our SimSpace enclosures come in seven sizes, and the table on this page gives the room each one needs. SIM 1 to SIM 4 are 2.5m high and 1.5m deep inside, and differ in width. SIM 5 and SIM 6 are 3m high and 3m deep, for taller rooms. SIM 0 is the shallow bay: 3.3m wide and only 1m deep, so it takes less floor, but the room still needs the full 4.2m length.
A SIM 1 is about 2.7m across its outer frame. With 8cm each side that's 2.86m, so it's the bay for a room at our 3.0m minimum. If there's an alcove, a pillar or a boiler where the enclosure stands, size it to the narrowest point.
Radar or camera changes the length
Camera launch monitors sit beside the ball, so nothing goes behind you. The Garmin R50 sits about half a metre to the side; the Foresight GC3, Square Golf and Uneekor Eye Mini Lite also sit beside the ball. They work in our 4.2m minimum room with SIM 0 to SIM 4, or 4.3m with SIM 5 and SIM 6, which are 3m deep.
Radar launch monitors sit behind you, and we follow the maker's manual for how far. The FlightScope Mevo Gen2 manual puts it 2.4m behind the ball, which makes a 5.2m room, or 5.8m with SIM 5 and SIM 6. The Full Swing KIT manual says 3.05m (10ft) directly behind the ball, which makes 5.85m. If your room is shorter than that, a camera unit is the better choice. How a golf simulator works explains the difference.
Left- and right-handed players
If everyone in the house swings right-handed, the mat can sit off-centre to give the swing more room. A mixed household needs the ball in the middle so both sides work, which takes more width. Camera units switch sides between players.
Where the projector goes
The BenQ projector in our packages is short-throw and fills the screen's height from 2.04m away (2.48m for SIM 5 and SIM 6), about 46cm in front of the ball. It can sit in a floor case, which keeps the ceiling clear, or on an arm bolted to the enclosure frame, which keeps the floor clear. Under a 2.7m ceiling the arm puts the projector close to head height, so check that before you choose it.
If the room has to stay a living space
The SportScreen Vanish retracts out of the way when you're not playing. It's 1.52m deep when it's down and needs a room at least 5.18m long; the width and ceiling it needs depend on the model.
Once you know it fits, how much a simulator costs shows what each budget buys.
At a glance
| Enclosure | Inside W × H × D | Wall width | Minimum ceiling | Length, camera unit | Length, Mevo Gen2 | Length, Full Swing KIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIM 0 | 3.3 × 2.5 × 1.0 | 3.56 | 2.70 | 4.20 | 5.20 | 5.85 |
| SIM 1 | 2.6 × 2.5 × 1.5 | 3.00 | 2.70 | 4.20 | 5.20 | 5.85 |
| SIM 2 | 3.0 × 2.5 × 1.5 | 3.26 | 2.70 | 4.20 | 5.20 | 5.85 |
| SIM 3 | 3.6 × 2.5 × 1.5 | 3.86 | 2.70 | 4.20 | 5.20 | 5.85 |
| SIM 4 | 4.0 × 2.5 × 1.5 | 4.26 | 2.70 | 4.20 | 5.20 | 5.85 |
| SIM 5 | 3.0 × 3.0 × 3.0 | 3.26 | 3.10 | 4.30 | 5.80 | 6.45 |
| SIM 6 | 4.0 × 3.0 × 3.0 | 4.16 | 3.10 | 4.30 | 5.80 | 6.45 |
Minimums we plan to, never below 3.0 × 2.7 × 4.2m; a ceiling of 3m or more is ideal. Wall width = outer frame plus 8cm each side. Length = 30cm behind the screen + 2.5m ball to screen + swing space, or + the radar's distance behind the ball from its manual (Mevo Gen2 2.4m, Full Swing KIT 3.05m).
Best practice
- Measure at the lowest and narrowest pointTake the ceiling under beams, lights and ducting, and the width at any alcove or pillar where the enclosure stands.
- Do the driver swing testStand where you'll hit and make a few slow, full swings with your driver. If the club touches anything, the ceiling is too low.
- Choose the launch monitor with the roomUnder 5.2m long, pick a camera unit that sits beside the ball. Radar needs the length behind you that its manual gives.
- Leave space around the enclosureKeep at least 30cm clear behind the screen and 8cm each side of the frame. The screen should never touch a wall.
- Building new? Build past the minimumAim for at least 3.3m wide, a ceiling of 3m or more and 5.2m long, and both camera and radar launch monitors stay open to you.
Gotchas to avoid
- Measuring the ceiling in the wrong placeBeams, lights and ducting lower the real height. Measure at the lowest point over the hitting area, not the middle of the room.
- Sizing to the wide part of the roomAn alcove, pillar or boiler can make the room narrower where the enclosure stands. Size the bay to the narrowest point.
- Radar in a short garageThe Mevo Gen2 manual puts it 2.4m behind the ball, and the Full Swing KIT 3.05m. In a shorter room, a camera unit beside the ball avoids it.
- Screen against the wallWith no gap behind it, the screen can't give and the ball comes back harder. Leave at least 30cm.
- Offsetting the mat in a mixed householdMoving the mat off-centre only works if everyone swings the same way. Left- and right-handers need the ball in the middle.
Our recommendation
Measure first. At 3.0 × 2.7 × 4.2m or more, a camera launch monitor fits; radar needs 5.2m for a Mevo Gen2. Under the minimum, I'd start with a cage.
- If your room is 3.0 to 3.25m wide
- A SIM 1 enclosure with a camera launch monitor.
- If your room is 5.2m long or more
- Radar is open to you, such as the FlightScope Mevo Gen2, as well as camera units.
- If your ceiling is 3.1m or higher
- Look at SIM 5 or SIM 6, which are 3m high inside.
- If your room is under 3.0 × 2.7 × 4.2m
- A garden cage, a launch monitor for the range, or a putting setup.
For your room we'd pick…
For a room near the minimum lengthGarmin Approach R50 Home Golf Simulator Package - Complete Setup, UKIts cameras sit beside the ball, so it works in a 4.2m room with SIM 0 to SIM 4.from£7,199
If you already own a launch monitorSimSpace (Sim 2) Golf Enclosure 3 x 2.5 x 1.5 mSIM 2 needs a 3.26m wall and a 2.7m ceiling, and the same page offers every size from SIM 0 to SIM 6.from£999.99
For a tall, dedicated roomSimSpace (Sim 6) Golf Enclosure 4 x 3 x 3 m3m high and 3m deep inside, for rooms with a ceiling of 3.1m or more.from£999.99
If the room has to stay a living spaceSportScreen Vanish Series Retractable Golf Simulator EnclosureRetracts out of the way between sessions; it needs a room at least 5.18m long.from£3,499.99
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Questions people ask
My ceiling is 2.6m. Can I still have a simulator?
Not a full-swing simulator from us. Below 2.7m most people can't swing a driver freely, so we don't design rooms under it. A garden cage, a launch monitor to take to the range, or a putting setup would be a better start.
How do I measure my room?
Measure width, ceiling height and length where the simulator will stand. Use the narrowest width and the lowest ceiling point, counting beams, lights and ducting. Length runs from the wall behind the screen to the wall behind you.
Can I use a radar launch monitor in a 4.5m room?
Not by the manual. The FlightScope Mevo Gen2 manual puts it 2.4m behind the ball, which makes 5.2m the shortest room we plan with it; the Full Swing KIT needs 5.85m. In 4.5m, a camera unit beside the ball is the better fit.
Does the enclosure need space around it?
Yes. Leave at least 30cm behind the screen so it can give when the ball hits it, and at least 8cm each side of the frame. The screen should never touch a wall.
I'm building a new room. What should I aim for?
At least 3.0m wide, 2.7m high and 4.2m long for a camera launch monitor, and 5.2m long for a Mevo Gen2. A ceiling of 3m or more is ideal, and 3.3m of width gives you a SIM 2 with room to spare.
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