Comparing Home Golf Simulator Enclosures UK: SimSpace vs GolfBays vs DIY (2026)

The enclosure is the physical heart of your home golf simulator. It frames the impact screen, catches mishits, protects your walls, and defines the look and feel of your entire setup. In the UK market, there are three main routes: a premium manufactured enclosure like the SimSpace, a mid-range option like GolfBays, or a DIY build. Each has clear advantages and trade-offs, and the right choice depends on your budget, room dimensions, and long-term expectations for your simulator setup.

This guide compares the leading home golf simulator enclosure options available to UK buyers in 2026, covering build quality, features, pricing, installation complexity, and long-term durability so you can make an informed decision.

Why Your Home Golf Simulator Enclosure Matters

Some golfers treat the enclosure as an afterthought. They spend the budget on the launch monitor, buy the cheapest frame available, and consider the job done. This is a mistake that becomes painfully obvious within weeks of regular use. A poor enclosure creates several serious problems that affect your experience.

Safety: Mishit shots including topped drives, shanks, and thin irons can fly sideways or upward at significant speed. An enclosure without adequate side panels and ceiling baffles lets these shots escape the frame and hit walls, windows, light fittings, or people standing nearby. A proper enclosure contains every shot safely within its boundaries regardless of how badly you mishit it.

Image quality: The impact screen stretches across the enclosure frame. A poorly tensioned frame creates wrinkles and sags in the screen surface, which distort the projected image and create visible creases through the golf course display. Premium enclosures maintain consistent screen tension across the entire surface area, delivering a smooth, cinema-quality projected image.

Noise: Ball impact on a screen produces a loud crack that reverberates through the room. Enclosures with foam padding on the frame and velour-lined interior panels absorb this sound significantly, reducing it to a dull thud rather than a sharp crack. This matters enormously if your simulator room shares a wall with bedrooms, living rooms, or neighbours.

Aesthetics: A golf simulator is typically a permanent fixture in your room. A well-built enclosure looks like a piece of premium entertainment furniture. A cheap aluminium frame with sagging nets looks like temporary sports equipment. If you are investing thousands of pounds in a launch monitor and projector, the enclosure should match that quality level visually.

SimSpace: The Premium Home Golf Simulator Enclosure

SimSpace is the enclosure included in all OpenGolfer simulator bundles. It is purpose-built for golf simulator use and manufactured in the UK with a steel frame and premium finishing throughout.

Build Quality

The SimSpace uses a powder-coated steel frame in a black finish with foam padding on all exposed edges. The padding serves two purposes: it dampens sound from ball impacts and protects you if you accidentally brush the frame during your backswing. The frame is modular, assembling with bolt connections, and is engineered to maintain rigidity even as a freestanding unit without wall mounting, though wall mounting is available as an option for additional stability in larger sizes.

Interior Finish

This is where the SimSpace distinguishes itself from every budget alternative. The interior panels are lined with premium dark velour fabric. This velour lining eliminates reflections that can interfere with camera-based launch monitors like the GC3S and GC3. It absorbs sound energy from ball impacts, reducing noise levels noticeably. And it gives the enclosure a professional studio appearance that transforms any room into a genuine golf facility. The dark interior also dramatically improves projected image contrast because bright projector images pop more vividly against a dark surrounding frame rather than a reflective one.

Impact Screen

The SimSpace ships with a Platinum triple-layer impact screen. The front layer is a smooth white projection surface optimised for image clarity and colour accuracy. The middle layer absorbs ball impact energy and distributes it across the screen surface. The rear layer adds structural strength and prevents tearing. The result is a screen that shows minimal ball marks even after thousands of hits and maintains consistent projection quality over years of regular use.

Available Sizes

SimSpace enclosures range from the SIM 1 for compact rooms through to the SIM 6 for large dedicated simulator rooms. Each size variant specifies exact internal dimensions so you can match the enclosure precisely to your room measurements. Check the room size guide to determine which SimSpace model fits your space.

Pricing

SimSpace enclosures range from 800 to 2,000 pounds depending on size. When purchased as part of a complete bundle such as the GC3S bundle or Mevo Gen 2 bundle, the enclosure is included at a bundled price with significant savings over buying components separately.

GolfBays: The Mid-Range Enclosure

GolfBays is a well-known UK-based golf simulator retailer that sells its own enclosure range. Their products sit in the mid-range price bracket and are a popular choice for golfers who want something better than DIY but do not need the premium finish of the SimSpace.

Build Quality

GolfBays enclosures use an aluminium frame structure, which is lighter than steel but less rigid under stress. The frame assembles with push-fit or screw connections. Some models include foam pelmet borders along the top edge for additional ball containment. Side barriers are typically mesh netting rather than solid fabric panels, which affects both noise levels and aesthetics.

Interior Finish

Most GolfBays models use dark mesh or netting for side and ceiling panels. This catches mishit balls effectively but does not provide the same level of sound absorption or visual finish as velour-lined panels. Mesh surfaces can occasionally cause interference with camera-based launch monitors due to reflections, though this depends on the specific model and lighting conditions in your room.

Impact Screen

GolfBays screens are serviceable for their price point. They handle ball impacts well and provide a reasonable projection surface for simulator use. Image quality is good but sits below the SimSpace Platinum level. You may notice slightly more visible ball marks accumulating over time and marginally less colour contrast in the projected image.

Pricing

GolfBays enclosures range from 500 to 1,500 pounds depending on size and model. This makes them approximately 20 to 30 percent less expensive than equivalent SimSpace models, which directly reflects the difference in materials, interior finishing, and overall build quality.

DIY: Building Your Own Home Golf Simulator Enclosure

The DIY route appeals to handy UK golfers who want to save money and customise their setup to exact room dimensions. A DIY enclosure can be built for significantly less than a manufactured unit, but the trade-offs in quality, durability, and aesthetics are real and should be understood before committing.

Common DIY Approaches

Timber frame with impact screen: The most popular DIY method uses 50mm by 50mm or 75mm by 50mm treated timber to build a rectangular frame, with a separately purchased impact screen stretched and stapled across the front face. Side panels are typically garden netting, blackout fabric, or heavy-duty curtain material. Total materials cost: approximately 200 to 500 pounds.

Steel conduit frame: EMT conduit, which is electrical metallic tubing available from Screwfix or Toolstation, assembles with corner connectors to create a lightweight but rigid metal frame. It is stronger than timber and creates a more stable structure. Total materials cost: approximately 150 to 400 pounds.

Wall-mounted screen only: The simplest approach skips the enclosure entirely and mounts a batten across the wall at the correct height, then hangs an impact screen from it with side protection from rubber gym mats leaned against walls. Total materials cost: approximately 100 to 250 pounds. This is only suitable for golfers with accurate ball striking as there is minimal protection from mishits going sideways or upward.

DIY Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages include custom dimensions that fit unusual rooms, lowest possible cost, the satisfaction of building it yourself, easy modification over time, and no delivery wait. Disadvantages include no sound dampening since timber and netting are inherently loud, inconsistent screen tension leading to wrinkled projection, less frame rigidity that can shift during use, aesthetics that rarely approach manufactured quality, a time investment of 8 to 20 hours for a good build, and no warranty on the overall structure.

Many UK golfers find that the DIY route makes an excellent starting point that they later replace with a manufactured enclosure once they have committed to the hobby and understand exactly what they want from their long-term setup.

Head-to-Head: Home Golf Simulator Enclosure Comparison

Here is a direct comparison across the key factors that matter for your enclosure choice.

Frame material: SimSpace uses powder-coated steel. GolfBays uses aluminium. DIY typically uses timber or steel conduit. Steel is the most rigid and durable option, followed by aluminium, then timber.

Side panels: SimSpace uses velour-lined fabric panels. GolfBays uses mesh netting. DIY uses netting, blackout fabric, or nothing. Velour absorbs the most sound and completely eliminates problematic reflections.

Impact screen quality: SimSpace Platinum triple-layer is the benchmark for the UK market. GolfBays screens are solid mid-range. DIY screens vary enormously depending on what you purchase separately.

Assembly time: SimSpace takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes with two people. GolfBays takes approximately 45 to 90 minutes. DIY takes 8 to 20 hours depending on design complexity and your experience level.

Sound dampening: SimSpace is the quietest option thanks to foam padding and velour panels. GolfBays provides moderate noise reduction. DIY is the loudest unless you invest in aftermarket acoustic treatment materials.

Price range: SimSpace 800 to 2,000 pounds. GolfBays 500 to 1,500 pounds. DIY 100 to 500 pounds. The price differences directly reflect real differences in materials, finish quality, and long-term durability.

For a deeper look at impact screens specifically, read our impact screen and enclosure guide.

Which Home Golf Simulator Enclosure Should You Choose?

The right choice depends on three factors: your budget, your room situation, and your expectations for how long you will keep the setup.

Choose SimSpace if: You want the best build quality, quietest operation, and best projected image quality available. You plan to keep your setup for 3 or more years. You have guests or family who will use the setup and you want it to look impressive. You are pairing it with a premium launch monitor like the GC3 or GC3S and want the enclosure to match that quality level.

Choose GolfBays if: You want better-than-DIY quality at a lower price point than SimSpace. You are comfortable with mesh side panels and the noise level they produce. You are starting with a budget launch monitor and may upgrade the enclosure later as your commitment to the hobby grows.

Choose DIY if: You have unusual room dimensions that no manufactured enclosure fits properly. You enjoy building things and have the tools, time, and skills. You are testing whether a simulator is right for you before committing to a premium setup. Your total enclosure budget is under 500 pounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upgrade from DIY to SimSpace later?

Yes, and many UK golfers do exactly this. Start with DIY to confirm the hobby and your room layout work, then upgrade to a SimSpace when you are ready for a permanent premium setup. Your launch monitor, projector, mat, and PC all transfer directly. Only the frame and screen change.

Does the enclosure affect launch monitor accuracy?

Camera-based launch monitors like the GC3S can be affected by reflective surfaces in the enclosure. Velour-lined interiors like the SimSpace eliminate this risk entirely. Mesh netting can sometimes cause interference depending on lighting conditions. Radar-based monitors like the Mevo Gen 2 are not affected by enclosure materials as the monitor sits behind you.

How long does an enclosure last?

A steel-framed enclosure like the SimSpace lasts indefinitely as the frame does not degrade with normal use. Impact screens typically last 3 to 7 years with regular use before needing replacement. Timber DIY frames may warp or shift over time, especially in damp environments like unheated UK garages.

Is assembly difficult?

Manufactured enclosures from SimSpace and GolfBays are designed for home assembly by two people and typically take 60 to 90 minutes. No specialist tools are required beyond a basic socket set or Allen keys. DIY builds require significantly more tools, time, planning, and construction experience.

Can I move an enclosure to a different room?

Yes. Both SimSpace and GolfBays enclosures disassemble into modular components for relocation. This is a significant advantage over many DIY builds that are constructed in situ and can be difficult to dismantle without causing damage to the frame or screen.

Browse our complete bundles with SimSpace enclosure included, or read the full buyers guide for more on building your ideal setup.