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GearCaddie

Play all winter.
Practise at home.

A launch monitor, something to hit into, a mat and a screen. Check your room, pick a budget, and see the complete setup for it.

Will it fit?

Measure the spot you would hit from.

Ceiling height at the hitting position with the mat's thickness taken off, the width of the room, and the depth from the back wall to where the screen or net would hang.

Enter the three measurements.

  • Measure at the exact spot you would hit from, and take the mat's thickness (2 to 3 inches) off the ceiling height.

Then do the swing test: take your driver to that spot and swing slowly, then at full speed. The numbers are a guide; the swing is the answer.

Rules from: Carl's Place, Measuring your space for an indoor golf simulator; Golfers Authority, Golf simulator ceiling height requirements. Ceiling 10 ft recommended, 8 to 9 ft limited; width 10 ft minimum, 14 ft to centre the tee; depth 18 ft ideal, 15 ft or less possible but tight.

Budget

Home simulator setups

Complete lists by typical total. Every price is on Amazon or the store, never here.

Starter setup · Under $1,000

What you'll be able to do: See carry distance, ball speed and launch for every shot, hit real balls into a net at home, and play simple range games on your phone.

Full simulator · $1,000 to $3,000

What you'll be able to do: Play full courses on a projected picture or a TV, watch a video of every swing, see spin, and practise all winter in one bay.

Premium setup · $3,000 and up

What you'll be able to do: Tour-level ball data, club data on the top units, a bright projected course on an impact screen, and a bay that feels like the one at the fitting studio.

  • Launch monitorSkyTrak ST MAX →Camera unit beside the ball, or step up to the Bushnell Launch Pro or Foresight GC3 for fitting-grade data.
  • Net or enclosureThe Net Return Pro Series V2 Large →A pro-grade return net sized for a full bay. The impact screen and enclosure at this level come from specialty stores (Carl's Place, Rain or Shine Golf); GearCaddie will link them once it joins their programs. The GoSports cage is the budget option if you want a screen today.
  • ProjectorBenQ AH700ST golf simulator projector →A laser projector made for golf simulators; the Optoma GT2400HDR is the other common pick.
  • MatFiberbuilt, TrueStrike or Real Feel Country Club EliteAt this level the mat matters as much as the screen: a studio-grade mat with a forgiving surface. These brands sell through specialty stores (Carl's Place, Rain or Shine Golf), not Amazon; GearCaddie will link them once it joins their programs. Budget for one.
  • ComputerA Windows desktop with a separate graphics cardCourse software at full quality wants a Windows desktop with a separate graphics card, not a laptop with built-in graphics. Look for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX card (a 3060 or newer is a sensible floor), 16 GB of memory and an SSD, then check the minimum and recommended specs that your simulator software publishes before you buy.

Launch monitors

12 products GearCaddie opened and checked on Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.

Questions

Radar or camera?

Radar units (Garmin R10, Mevo+, Rapsodo) sit a few feet behind you and track the ball in flight, so they need room behind the ball and some flight distance in front. Camera units (SkyTrak, Launch Pro, Foresight, Garmin R50) sit beside the ball and read it at impact, so they work in a shorter room and indoors with a net right in front. If your room is shallow, choose a camera unit.

Do I need a projector?

No. Every launch monitor shows its numbers on a phone, tablet, PC or its own screen. A projector only matters if you want a life-size course on an impact screen. A TV beside the net is the cheaper middle step.

Net or impact screen?

A net stops the ball and costs less; you watch the shot on a screen beside it. An impact screen stops the ball and shows the projected picture, so you watch the ball fly into the course. Screens need an enclosure to catch misses.

Can I use it in a cold garage in winter?

Usually, with care. Check the manufacturer's operating temperature for the unit, keep the battery warm between sessions, and give a cold unit time to warm up before you turn it on so condensation does not form inside. A frozen mat is hard on the joints, so let the garage warm a little first.

Do I need a subscription?

The basic numbers never need one. Simulator courses often do: some units include the first year, some charge yearly, some include courses outright. Each product page on this site has a row that says which.

Which mat should I buy?

Not a thin one. A thin, hard mat is one of the most common regrets after a build: hundreds of balls off it lead to wrist and elbow pain, worse on concrete. Budget for a proper mat or at least a proper hitting strip. The brand-name mats Amazon carries are in Nets & mats; the studio-grade brands (Fiberbuilt, TrueStrike, SIGPRO) sell through specialty stores.

What does a full setup include?

The launch monitor; software (some units include a year, most charge a yearly plan after); a PC, tablet or phone, with a proper graphics card if you want courses on a big screen; a short-throw projector; an impact screen or a net; an enclosure or side barriers; a hitting mat; and blackout for daylight, because a projector picture washes out in a bright room. Underestimating the total once software, a PC and a projector are added is the other big regret.

Sources: Golf Simulator Forum, Best mat to prevent golfer's elbow; Carl's Place, How much does a golf simulator cost; Foresight Sports, Complete golf simulator room setup.

More on Amazon

GearCaddie lists what it has checked by hand. Amazon carries far more.

These searches are tagged, so a purchase still supports the site. Prices and reviews are on Amazon.

Simulators & launch monitors
See all on Amazon.ca See all on Amazon.com
Nets & putting greens
See all on Amazon.ca See all on Amazon.com

Complete simulator packages (enclosure, impact screen, projector, mat) come from specialty stores such as Carl's Place and Rain or Shine Golf. GearCaddie will link those once it joins their programs; the launch monitor itself is the piece you can buy on Amazon today.

As an Amazon Associate, GearCaddie earns from qualifying purchases. The price is shown on Amazon; GearCaddie never displays or estimates it.