Garmin Golf Simulators — the R10 & R50, set up properly

A Garmin golf simulator turns any garden, garage or spare room into a place you can hit real shots and see real numbers — carry, ball speed, launch angle, spin and shot shape — on the free Garmin Golf app. Everything here is built around the two launch monitors that make it happen: the portable Garmin Approach R10 and the premium all-in-one Garmin Approach R50.

Garmin R10 vs R50 — which simulator is right for you?

Both are genuine Garmin golf simulators; they suit different setups and budgets.

• Garmin Approach R10 — the best-value way in. A pocket-sized Doppler radar that sits behind the ball, pairs to your phone or tablet and drives full simulator software. Ideal outdoors in a net or cage, or indoors into a screen. The unit most people mean by "Garmin golf simulator".
• Garmin Approach R50 — the premium, near-all-in-one. A built-in touchscreen and three cameras, more data straight out of the box, and our R50 full home-simulator package pairs it with an enclosure and mat in your exact room size.

What you need for a full Garmin golf simulator

Four things turn a Garmin launch monitor into a complete simulator:

1. The launch monitor — your R10 or R50.
2. Somewhere to hit — a golf cage or net outdoors, or an impact screen & enclosure indoors.
3. A hitting mat — a proper turf mat on a rubber base for a true, wrist-friendly strike.
4. Software — the free Garmin Golf app for range and Home Tee Hero, or add E6 Connect, GSPro or Awesome Golf for full courses.

Not sure what fits your space or budget? Send us your room or garden measurements and we'll spec the whole thing for you — cage or screen, mat, and the right Garmin.

Do you need a subscription? An honest answer

No — the free Garmin Golf app gives you every shot's data, a driving range and Home Tee Hero course play at no cost, with no subscription. The optional £8.99/month Garmin membership only adds extra indoor course content; for practice and most simulator use you simply don't need it.

UK prices, price-match and real advice

We hold Garmin to genuine UK prices — the R10 at £421 is the lowest we know of — and we price-match. More useful than the price, though, is the help: OpenGolfer is run by golfers who build these setups at home, so you get an honest steer on what to buy and what to skip before you spend a penny.