Converting single garage to golf sim room
Discussion
During the first lock down, I bought an enclosure from https://golfbays.co.uk/collections/easysim-kit-for...
It's basically a load of scaffold poles cut to size that you put together. I started off with an Optishot 2 which was... OK. It doesn't track the ball though and is basically just tracking your club swing path. I've since upgraded to a Garmin R10 which is significantly better, and probably nearly as good as a Skytrak or other launch monitors multiple times the price. I bought a second hand projector from Ebay but this will probably be the next thing I look to upgrade.
Main issue for me is there's not really enough room to swing a driver in my garage. So essentially I use mine like a driving range to hit a few different clubs when I get a spare 20 minutes rather than playing courses.
It's basically a load of scaffold poles cut to size that you put together. I started off with an Optishot 2 which was... OK. It doesn't track the ball though and is basically just tracking your club swing path. I've since upgraded to a Garmin R10 which is significantly better, and probably nearly as good as a Skytrak or other launch monitors multiple times the price. I bought a second hand projector from Ebay but this will probably be the next thing I look to upgrade.
Main issue for me is there's not really enough room to swing a driver in my garage. So essentially I use mine like a driving range to hit a few different clubs when I get a spare 20 minutes rather than playing courses.
Largechris said:
A single garage is just about big enough, but ceiling height is the biggest factor. You really need 9.5 or preferably 10 feet, anything less is just too compromised to bother with.
Funny spotting this, as I was visiting one of my cousins at the weekend, and his daughter and her hubby to be, were there, and they are in process of buying a new build 5 bed with double garage, and he's a scratch golfer, and he was asking me about cutting out the trusses of this new build garage on one side, to get the height for installing a golf sim on one side of the garage.....aeropilot said:
Largechris said:
A single garage is just about big enough, but ceiling height is the biggest factor. You really need 9.5 or preferably 10 feet, anything less is just too compromised to bother with.
Funny spotting this, as I was visiting one of my cousins at the weekend, and his daughter and her hubby to be, were there, and they are in process of buying a new build 5 bed with double garage, and he's a scratch golfer, and he was asking me about cutting out the trusses of this new build garage on one side, to get the height for installing a golf sim on one side of the garage.....Even if you just wanted a PH style car lift in a new double garage you'd want the trusses gone.
Bob-iylho said:
what sort of prices are good golf simulators?
Just about doable in a very basic way for £1,000 (Garmin R10, net / mat, no projector, read the data off a phone or ipad etc.)Mid range £4,000 (Mevo + or Skytrak, projector and screen, mat)
High end £20,000 + (Trackman or GCquad, projector and screen, mat)
In relation to the space, its a single (detached) garage, which measures around 6.5 metres in length and around 5m in width. It has a pitched roof, so is rougly 2m at either end (of the longest side) and then around 3m in the middle, so I don't think size will be the issue.
I need to gut the garage and start from new. It has power and water, so ideally want a decent size golfing area and then maybe a kitchen sink, basin & toilet. To start with I'm not that bothered about the 'sim' machine itself as have a Garmin R10 which albeit is far from GC Quad standards, can be hooked up to a projector, etc, and does have the E6 connect software which looks decent enough for starters, although will no doubt upgrade in time.]
My main aim is getting the space emptied, boarded, insulation, the electrics & plumbing done, and then getting the enclosure/impact screen done, and some flooring put down (as already have a driving range quality mat), and then getting a suitable projector sorted and linked to a desktop computer.
I need to gut the garage and start from new. It has power and water, so ideally want a decent size golfing area and then maybe a kitchen sink, basin & toilet. To start with I'm not that bothered about the 'sim' machine itself as have a Garmin R10 which albeit is far from GC Quad standards, can be hooked up to a projector, etc, and does have the E6 connect software which looks decent enough for starters, although will no doubt upgrade in time.]
My main aim is getting the space emptied, boarded, insulation, the electrics & plumbing done, and then getting the enclosure/impact screen done, and some flooring put down (as already have a driving range quality mat), and then getting a suitable projector sorted and linked to a desktop computer.
Hobo said:
In relation to the space, its a single (detached) garage, which measures around 6.5 metres in length and around 5m in width. It has a pitched roof, so is rougly 2m at either end (of the longest side) and then around 3m in the middle, so I don't think size will be the issue.
I need to gut the garage and start from new. It has power and water, so ideally want a decent size golfing area and then maybe a kitchen sink, basin & toilet. To start with I'm not that bothered about the 'sim' machine itself as have a Garmin R10 which albeit is far from GC Quad standards, can be hooked up to a projector, etc, and does have the E6 connect software which looks decent enough for starters, although will no doubt upgrade in time.]
My main aim is getting the space emptied, boarded, insulation, the electrics & plumbing done, and then getting the enclosure/impact screen done, and some flooring put down (as already have a driving range quality mat), and then getting a suitable projector sorted and linked to a desktop computer.
If it's 3m in the middle then I would definitely clear stuff out of the way and convince yourself that you can swing all the clubs you will want to swing freely with plenty to spare.I need to gut the garage and start from new. It has power and water, so ideally want a decent size golfing area and then maybe a kitchen sink, basin & toilet. To start with I'm not that bothered about the 'sim' machine itself as have a Garmin R10 which albeit is far from GC Quad standards, can be hooked up to a projector, etc, and does have the E6 connect software which looks decent enough for starters, although will no doubt upgrade in time.]
My main aim is getting the space emptied, boarded, insulation, the electrics & plumbing done, and then getting the enclosure/impact screen done, and some flooring put down (as already have a driving range quality mat), and then getting a suitable projector sorted and linked to a desktop computer.
6.5m long is not long - if you're swinging near the middle most radar based systems need 12 to 16ft of ball flight minimum. You might need a camera based system as that doesn't need to see any ball flight beyond a foot.
Skytrak is ten year old hardware now so I'm reluctant to recommend it when there's newer options although more expensive (new GC3, Uneekor Eye mini).
After a lot of testing I deliberately didn't use a projector and screen setup, just reading numbers off a screen instead. Decent image screens can be noisy and do wear out. I went with archery netting which is by far the quietest option.
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Sacrilege...converting a place where a car should live!
You know this is a car enthusiast's site right?
Not quite. The new house has two entrances and the single garage is accessed by one.You know this is a car enthusiast's site right?
Our intention being to build a triple garage (likely oak) that can be accessed via the other access (which is being slightly relocated), making the old garage excess to requirements really. It will ultimately have garage space for 3 cars, but enough space to park many more.
So rather than the old garage just end up being a dumping ground I thought a sim room would be perfect.
Right I'm back on with this, and the garage conversion is starting tomorrow. Seemingly the dimensions I posted last time are miles out as the area to be utilised within the garage is roughly 4m x 4m, and the roof only pitches from front to back, so where I would be hitting from is roughly 3.3m, but where the screen is going is way in excess of 4m.
Its not massive, but will be able to have a 3.5m wide screen, so its all good, and can swing all clubs without any worries of hitting anything. It will also double as a chill out area for the kids, where it they have mates over they can go (as opposed to trashing our cinema room as has found to be the case in the past).
I have a Garmin R10 which will do for starters, and will likely subscribe to 'The Golf Club 2019' which I believe is a one off fee.
So I've chosen a screen, I'm deciding between 4k projectors currently (throw/keystone and all that malarky), and have a floor guy coming around next week to level it up, propose some floor finishes and to drop the mat I already have (being a good one) in place to make the floor flat (and everything flush).
I don't expect it to be fully complete for a while yet as still too busy throwing money at the house we are refurbing so warrant the kind of money to get it done instantly, so things like acoustic panelling, gaming computer, etc, will have to wait, as will the touches to make it 'nice'. Should however have a place to thwack a few balls in the next month or so hopefully, with the intention of it being complete (in its entirety) for winter.
This is it currently (obviously the mezzanine/pigeon loft is coming down);
Its not massive, but will be able to have a 3.5m wide screen, so its all good, and can swing all clubs without any worries of hitting anything. It will also double as a chill out area for the kids, where it they have mates over they can go (as opposed to trashing our cinema room as has found to be the case in the past).
I have a Garmin R10 which will do for starters, and will likely subscribe to 'The Golf Club 2019' which I believe is a one off fee.
So I've chosen a screen, I'm deciding between 4k projectors currently (throw/keystone and all that malarky), and have a floor guy coming around next week to level it up, propose some floor finishes and to drop the mat I already have (being a good one) in place to make the floor flat (and everything flush).
I don't expect it to be fully complete for a while yet as still too busy throwing money at the house we are refurbing so warrant the kind of money to get it done instantly, so things like acoustic panelling, gaming computer, etc, will have to wait, as will the touches to make it 'nice'. Should however have a place to thwack a few balls in the next month or so hopefully, with the intention of it being complete (in its entirety) for winter.
This is it currently (obviously the mezzanine/pigeon loft is coming down);
Edited by Hobo on Wednesday 3rd May 19:04
Have you tried swinging a few clubs in there yet?
I've a mate who's got one in his new garage, standalone beast of a double garage thing with pitched roof, but with a few bits and bobs in there it feels a bit tight once the clubs come out - admittedly he's got bikes and stuff in there too. I forgot to ask for a shot last weekend, beer and poker kinda took over.
I've a mate who's got one in his new garage, standalone beast of a double garage thing with pitched roof, but with a few bits and bobs in there it feels a bit tight once the clubs come out - admittedly he's got bikes and stuff in there too. I forgot to ask for a shot last weekend, beer and poker kinda took over.
4m depth isn't enough for the cheaper radar-based launch monitors (R10, MLM2 Pro, Mevo+) as they need at least 3m in front of the ball to see the flight, and for the unit to sit 2m behind the ball. Realistically you need a 6m space to be comfortable and get reliable readings.
With the space you have you'll want one of the monitors that go next to the ball and face you - which means Skytrak, Foresight, Uneekor and similar. All of which are on the pricier end, unfortunately.
With the space you have you'll want one of the monitors that go next to the ball and face you - which means Skytrak, Foresight, Uneekor and similar. All of which are on the pricier end, unfortunately.
4m deep is only what I’ve classed as the playing area (as that is where the pillars are which stick out a little). It actually goes back another 2m so it’s fine for thr R10 as seemingley 2.5m to the screen and the garmin 2m behind.
Will likely change from the garmin in due course but obviously that is where the money is, and currently have other things to spend on.
Will likely change from the garmin in due course but obviously that is where the money is, and currently have other things to spend on.
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