Measuring Your Space for an Indoor Golf Simulator

The Honest, No-Nonsense Guide to Making Sure Your Dream Golf Room Actually Fits

There’s a moment every golfer hits—the moment you realize you’re tired of begging the weather to cooperate, tired of crowded ranges, and tired of guessing whether that “pure” 7-iron was actually pure or just felt good. That’s when the idea of an indoor golf simulator sneaks into your brain and refuses to leave. And suddenly you’re staring at your garage, basement, spare room, attic, workshop, or whatever space you can claim without starting a family war.

Then the big question hits:
“Is this room even big enough for a golf simulator?”

You’re not alone. The #1 mistake people make is buying the launch monitor, the impact screen, the mat, the projector—only to realize the ceiling says “nope.” Before you spend a dime, before you haul anything into the house, you need one thing: accurate measurements. Not guesses. Not eyeballing it. Actual numbers.

This guide walks you through everything you should measure, think about, avoid, and double-check. The goal is simple: make sure your golf simulator fits beautifully and swings comfortably… without you denting a wall, breaking a light fixture, or chipping your ceiling fan.

Let’s dig in.

Step One: Measure Ceiling Height (The Deal Breaker)

This is where most dreams die, so we start here. Ceiling height is the heart of your setup. Doesn’t matter how wide the room is. Doesn’t matter how deep. If you can’t swing without fear, you don’t have a simulator—you have a stressful yoga studio with golf clubs.

The sweet spot:

9–10 feet is the gold standard.
8.5 feet is workable for most golfers under 6 feet tall.
8 feet can work, but only with careful planning.
Under 8 feet… you’re entering “maybe try putting only” territory.

To measure correctly:

Stand where you plan to hit from.
Grab your driver—yes, the longest stick you own.
Take a slow-motion swing.
Watch the club apex relative to the ceiling.

If you flinch even once, the ceiling is too low. A golf simulator must feel free, not claustrophobic. A tense swing is a useless swing.

Step Two: Measure Width (The Silent Killer of Lefties)

People obsess over ceiling height, but width is the second dream crusher—especially for left-handed golfers or households with one lefty and one righty. A simulator should allow you to stand centered on the mat without:

Feeling like your club will scrape a wall
Leaning sideways while addressing the ball
Standing off-center from the impact screen

The ideal width is:

12 feet for total comfort
10 feet workable for a single golfer
9 feet possible with compromise
Anything below 9 feet becomes tricky, tight, or both

Lefties: double-whammy. You need more room for your backswing. If the room is narrow, you might be forced to stand off-center, which throws off launch monitor alignment.

Pro tip: Your wingspan matters almost as much as your room width.
Tall golfers (6'2"+) often need more lateral space than they think.

Step Three: Measure Depth (Your Projector Will Thank You)

Depth determines everything—from tee-to-screen distance to projector throw ratio to whether your radar-based launch monitor will work indoors.

For depth, calculate from the back wall to the screen. You want enough room to place:

The hitting mat
The golfer
The launch monitor (some need 6–9 feet behind the ball)
The ball-to-screen distance (usually 7–10 feet)
Safe landing room for ball recoil

The ideal depth:

18–20 feet = excellent
15–16 feet = standard, very workable
13–14 feet = doable with careful setup
Under 12 feet = limited launch monitor compatibility

If you plan to use a radar launch monitor (Mevo+, Garmin R10, Trackman), check your space twice.
Radar units need space behind the ball to track the flight. If your room is shallow, a camera-based launch monitor (SkyTrak+, Bushnell Launch Pro, GC3) is often the smarter choice.

Step Four: Tee-to-Screen Distance

A lot of golfers measure their room… but forget about the space between the ball and the impact screen. Stand too close and the ball rebounds too hard. Stand too far and your image looks tiny.

The sweet spot:

7–10 feet between golfer and screen

Radars typically track better with the tee closer to the screen (7–8 feet).
Camera units don’t care as much and often allow a bit more flexibility.

Step Five: Space Behind the Golfer

This is a sneaky measurement. You need space behind you for:

Your backswing
Your follow-through
Launch monitors
Camera stands or tripods
Cable management

You’d be surprised how many people forget this part.

Ideal space behind golfer:

5–7 feet

If you’re using a radar unit, check the manufacturer requirements—they vary widely.

Step Six: Consider the Shape of the Room

Some rooms look huge on paper but are shaped like a trapezoid, or have beams, or sloped ceilings, or ductwork exactly where your driver arcs.

Things to watch for:

Angled basement ceilings
Garage rails
Support beams
Water heaters and utility equipment
Low-hanging lights
Doors that open inward
Pillars (older homes love these surprises)

If your swing intersects with anything—even once—it’s a no.

Step Seven: Sound and Echo Considerations

Golf simulators sound amazing to us, but to other humans they sound like:

Tennis balls hitting garage doors
Someone hammering sheet metal
A squirrel falling through drywall at 120 mph

Measure the thickness of your walls. Are they insulated? Drywall? Concrete?
This isn’t just a measurement issue—it’s a peace-and-quiet issue.

If your room echoes, consider:

Acoustic foam panels
Curtains around enclosures
Carpet instead of hard flooring
Padding behind the impact screen

Step Eight: Flooring Matters More Than You Think

Your floor determines ball bounce, injury risk, and realism. Measure the floor area where your:

Hitting mat
Putting turf
Landing pad
Enclosure frame
Cables
Projector stand

…will be.

Flooring checklist:

Level?
Concrete or wood?
Enough room for a full landing pad?
Enough room for a 4' x 9' hitting mat?
Enough length for a continuous putting turf roll?

If your room slopes (common in garages), note this. A sloped floor affects projector alignment and how the screen hangs.

Step Nine: Screen and Enclosure Size

This is where people get overly ambitious. They buy the biggest screen only to realize it eats the entire room like a giant marshmallow. A perfect screen size should respect:

Ceiling height
Room width
Stand distance
Projector throw ratio

Example pairs:

8x10 screen → 10x12 room
9x12 screen → 12x16 room
10x14 screen → 14x20 room

Do not buy a screen until you measure all three: height, width, and depth.

Step Ten: Launch Monitor Placement

Every launch monitor has its own space requirements.
A few examples:

Mevo+ – needs 7–9 feet behind the ball and 7–10 feet ball to screen
SkyTrak+ – sits beside the ball
GC3/GCQuad – sits in front and to the side
Garmin R10 – needs 6–8 feet behind the ball

Your measurements must match the unit you pick, or the data will be unreliable.

Real-World Scenarios

Garage Setup

Great depth
Watch out for ceiling rails and opener motors

Basement Setup

Excellent sound control
Watch out for low ceilings and ductwork

Spare Bedroom Setup

Great width
Depth may be the limiting factor

Attic Setup

Sloped ceilings are the enemy
Heat can be a problem for projectors

What If Your Room Is Too Small?

If you’re close—but not quite there—you still have options:

Use a camera-based unit
Lower your tee-to-screen distance
Install a slightly smaller screen
Offset your hitting mat
Use a screen-to-floor simulator setup to maximize image height

Small rooms can absolutely work—you just have to be intentional.

Final Thought

A golf simulator is a dream project, and dreams deserve planning. Measure everything twice. Swing slowly in the space. Picture yourself hitting a driver at full speed. Picture your ball flying into a crisp, clean impact screen. Imagine rain outside and you’re inside working on your strike like a mad scientist.

That vision becomes real only if the room fits.

This guide makes sure it does.