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Golf Simulator Room Sizes, Setup & Space Guide

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Room First, Kit Second

Before you pick a single piece of kit, start with the room. The space you choose shapes everything that follows, from the launch monitor that'll fit to whether you can swing a driver without clipping the ceiling. Whether you're converting a garage, clearing out a spare room, or building a dedicated garden cabin, this guide walks you through exactly what each space needs so you can build with confidence. Once you know what your room can take, you can explore our full range of golf simulators and match the right setup to your space.
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Step 1: How Much Room Do You Really Need?

The honest answer: less than you'd think, but ceiling height is non-negotiable. You need enough height for a full driver swing with your arms extended, plus clearance for the club above your head. Here's our recommended minimum:

Needed:

  • Height – 2.8m
  • Width – 3m
  • Depth – 4m (Photometric / camera)
  • Depth – 5m (Radar)


These are the dimensions where you'll feel genuinely comfortable swinging. We can occasionally go slightly smaller, but drop below these and you'll start compromising either your swing or your setup. Ceiling height is the one to watch. It's almost always the limiting factor, and it's the one thing you can't work around with clever positioning.

Taller player, or an upright swing? Add a little headroom on top of that 2.8m. The quickest way to check is to take your driver, get into your address position indoors, and make a slow full swing. If you're brushing the ceiling, you'll need more height or a different room.

Unsure if your space measures up, or just want a second opinion? Book a video consultation and we'll go through it with you before you spend a penny.

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Step 2: Spare Room, Garage or Garden Room?

Most home setups land in one of three spaces, and each comes with its own quirks. Here's how they stack up.

The Spare Room is the easiest starting point. It's already insulated, heated and wired, so you're only adding the kit. The catch is ceiling height. Standard UK rooms sit around 2.4m, which is often too low for a comfortable driver swing, so measure before you commit to it.

The Garage is the most popular choice, and usually the best balance. You typically get more height and width than a spare room, plenty of depth for the ball, and you're not sacrificing living space. Add a little insulation and a power supply and you've got year-round comfort. Take a look at our garage golf simulators for setups built exactly for this.


The Garden Room or Cabin is the premium route. A purpose-built garden cabin gives you the correct ceiling height from the off, full insulation for winter play, and a dedicated space that never has to be packed away. It's the bigger investment, but it's a proper golf den you'll never want to leave.


Not sure which suits your home and budget? That's exactly what our design service is for.

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Step 3: Does Your Launch Monitor Change the Space You Need?

Yes, and it's the bit most people miss. The technology you choose directly affects how much room you need around the ball. Here are the four things that matter for your space.

How Much Depth You Need

The kind that tracks the ball in flight needs more room front-to-back, both behind the tee and towards the screen. The kind that reads the ball at impact needs much less. So if your room is short front-to-back, a camera one like the SkyTrak+ is the safer bet.

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Where It Sits in the Room

Camera launch monitors mount one of two ways. Ceiling-mounted models keep your floor clear, ideal for tighter rooms or a clean permanent install. Floor-standing models sit beside the hitting area and are easy to move or pack away, but take up a little floor space.

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Right and Left-Handed Play

If you'll have both righties and lefties hitting, a ceiling-mounted model is easiest, since it stays put no matter who's swinging. Floor-standing models usually need a quick shift across when you change hands, so allow a bit of extra width.

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Indoor or Outdoor Use

Playing on the range as well as at home? Floor-standing models travel well and work outdoors. Ceiling-mounted ones are a fixed indoor install. Worth a thought if you want to take your game outside.

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SkyTrak+ Launch Monitor - Dual Doppler radar for unmatched accuracy in club and ball data
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Step 4: Getting the Details Right – Light, Sound & Floor

A few finishing touches make the difference between a setup that's "fine" and one you never want to leave.

Lighting – Being able to darken the room makes the projected image far crisper and the colours richer. Try to avoid windows directly behind or beside the hitting area, or fit a blackout blind so you can control the light whatever the time of day.

Sound – If you're playing while the rest of the house sleeps, noise matters. A foam-backed or baffle impact screen softens the thud of every strike, and acoustic tiles tame the echo in a hard-walled room like a garage. Your neighbours will thank you.

Flooring – A solid, level base is ideal. A concrete garage floor is perfect as it is. Suspended timber floors can flex and bounce, so a firm sub-base under your hitting mat keeps everything stable and quiet.

Ventilation – Your projector and PC throw out a fair bit of heat, so a little airflow keeps the room comfortable on those longer sessions.

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Step 5: What Fits in My Room?

Got your measurements? Here's a rough guide to what works in different sized spaces. Whatever you've got, there's a setup to suit it.

Compact (around 3m x 4m) – Plenty for serious practice. A camera launch monitor like the SkyTrak+ keeps the depth down, paired with a smaller SimBox enclosure. Sleek, tidy, and everything you need to play.

Standard (around 3.5m x 5m) – The sweet spot. Almost any launch monitor works at this size, you've room for a full enclosure, and you can add a chair or two to make it social. Browse our golf simulator packages for complete setups built around this kind of space.

Generous (5m+ each way) – Room for the full premium build, a seating area, and multiple players. This is proper golf-den territory, where you can go for a premium package and make it the room everyone wants to be in.

Whatever your space, send us the dimensions and we'll spec a setup around it. No guesswork, no obligation.

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Final Thoughts: Building Around Your Space

There's no need to dive headfirst into a top-of-the-range setup. You can start small, just a simple net and a basic launch monitor in whatever space you've got, and upgrade in stages as the room allows. That's the beauty of modern golf tech: it's flexible, increasingly budget-friendly, and works around the space you have rather than forcing you to find more.

Above all, the right room beats the fanciest kit. Even a modest setup in a well-planned space will help you refine your swing, as long as you've got the height to swing freely and enough depth for your launch monitor to read cleanly. And having a simulator at home means you can squeeze in a 15-minute session whenever you fancy it, instead of braving bad weather or trekking to the range. Ideal for anyone juggling work, family, and a passion for golf.

Finally, don't worry about chasing the latest gear every year. Software updates and new features roll out all the time, keeping existing setups fresh. Whichever space you choose, the key is finding a balance that suits your room, your budget, and your goals, so you can keep improving, have fun, and never lose that love for the game.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For comfortable swings with any club, we recommend:

  • Height: Minimum 2.8m (9.2ft), ideally 3m (9.8ft)
  • Width: Minimum 3m (9.8ft)
  • Depth: 4.5m (13.1ft) for photometric systems, 5m (16.4ft) for radar-based launch monitors

For in stock items, please allow 1-4 days. We also offer worldwide shipping.

They are designed to be very straightforward to erect and dismantle. The whole process should take about 30 minutes. Each kit comes with a step-by-step video guide to help you along the way.

Yes an HD Simbox screen is included along with poles black enclosure and everything you will need. There are two options to upgrade to a Close-Knit Baffle and PRO+ screen for higher durability and improved image options.

All our products are tested over long periods of time at our headquarters. The GolfBays SimBox screen and enclosure can withstand ball speeds of over 200mph. It is also used by numerous PGA Professionals which is a testament to its quality. 

Yes, we can. Please get in touch with your specific requirements and we will do our best to meet your needs. We will always aim to work within your space limitations.

Yes, apart from the quad pro and Pro+ impact screens.

Unlike most suppliers we offer a minimum of 6 months warranty on all our screens for peace of mind. Please ensure you use clean balls and clubs to extend the life of your screen as they will need to be replaced from time to time.