So we asked an industry expert the best way to dive in and make the dream a reality.
You see all of the cool, sophisticated golf simulators at bars, country clubs and even hotel lobbies. And you start wondering how great one would be at your home. Your next thought: Just how expensive are they? Truth is, they’re probably more affordable than you think. Of course, that also depends on the features and size you’re looking for. There is unprecedented accessibility at various price points with today’s array of technology at every level. With units costing just a few hundreds to luxury options offering the latest Trackman advancements, there’s an entryway for many consumers.
“There is a wide range of price points from a bare bones minimum of around $1,000 up to $60,000+ for a high-end custom simulator,” says Justin Carlson, Vice President of Sales at The Indoor Golf Shop. “With a bare-bones version, you’ll get a hitting net and a lower price point launch monitor. From there, you can add a hitting mat, impact screen, landing pad, projector and gaming PC.”
The Indoor Golf Shop caters to all different budget levels. The beauty of owning a simulator is that you can upgrade components at any time. Thus, starting out with lower price point components gets you the ability to swing a golf club indoors, in your home. And then as time and budget allows, you can swap out and upgrade components, such as the enclosure, hitting mat, impact screen, launch monitor, gaming PC and projector.
But try not to skimp, even initially, and instead get the best parts you can afford. “A few areas that I wouldn’t go cheap on include the hitting mat and insert, impact screen, gaming PC and projector,” says Carlson. “Our SIGPRO line of hitting mats and inserts are designed for better performance, durability and feel, resulting in the most realistic hitting surface that eliminates all possibilities of pain and soreness in your joints. Our SIGPRO Premium and Premier impact screens provide a quality projected image, longevity, low bounce back and reduced noise. When considering a gaming PC and projector, you want to make sure that you are meeting or even exceeding the minimum requirements of the launch monitor you’re going to use. This will allow for no delay or lag after you take a golf shot, while providing a clean and crisp image.”
Planning ahead of time and ensuring there’s enough space to safely swing a golf club is imperative, when you’re considering installing a simulator in your home. You want to take into account having the impact screen at least a foot off the back wall to allow for the impact screen to flex and give in upon impact. The ideal dimensions of a room are 15’ wide, 10’ high, by 20’+ deep, at the least. “That said, we understand that not everyone has that ideal space so we offer many solutions to accommodate your needs,” adds Carlson.
One huge mistake people often make, when going on a limited budget is opting to use their house laptop to run everything, instead of a gaming PC that allows for multiple inputs for a projector, touchscreen/monitors, and a graphics card that will display the software. It all depends on your budget level, as well as your skill level and comfort in doing it all yourself. The Indoor Golf Shop offers products for all different comfort levels, from the DIYer all the way up to a turn-key experience.
Another option is enlisting a little help with money. “We offer financing through a third party, which is almost instantaneous to get your financing amount,” says Carlson. “If you don’t want to go the financing route, you can always purchase components you don’t want to sacrifice on and then upgrade or add additional components in the future.” Either way, your golf game will thank you.
