Long time lurker and occasional poster here.
After 3 years or so of waiting for the right components to come out and convincing the wife, the golf sim is now complete, and quite frankly... I think its pretty damn impressive.
I’ll go into fairly extensive detail here so that folks can follow my lead, as during this time I really didnt find many threads that gave the full write up about how to do this.
Here we go:
I did an addition on my home and convinced my wife to give me the basement. I had the contractor dig a 12 foot room which is 22x22. (This is not included in the 10k price)
I had a white box, now it was time to convince the wife to let me build my sim. I gave myself a 10k budget with which to do so. My goals were the following...
Accurate and immediate feedback with as little lag as possible.
Largest screen possible.
Mat which replicates turf as closely as possible
Efficient use of time so that i can hit as many balls in as short of a time as possible.
After much debate and research, I was able to pin down the following components – prices attached.
GC2 Launch monitor- $3,550 – I found this used online- got very lucky to get such a good deal. This machine is amazingly accurate. Dramatically more accurate than I expected. I would pay full price in retrospect.
Trustrike Mat gel section- $340- I haven’t tried other mats, but this works like a dream. Very consistent. You know when you make a good swing and when you hit it fat. Highly recommend.
Teego automatic teeup- $140- Found this on craigslist- allows you to tee balls up with a flick of the wrist. Very cool and the ultimate lazy man’s golf buy.
Computer- $1,350 Found a HP online with a 980 graphics card. Very fast, no complaints whatsoever on graphics. It plays Perfect Golf without a hitch, ever. Don’t skimp on the computer. You will get lag and other issues which will take away from the overall enjoyment.
Interface/Software- Went with Perfect Golf. Graphics aren’t as cool as TGC, but it feels more realistic. Wish there were more courses, but honestly, I only play about 10.
Projector - $775 – Optoma EH415st http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-EH415ST.htm
I did a lot of research on this because my screen is huge (16ft wide) and needed to be sure to project an image bright enough. Since my room is totally light controlled, I am able to manipulate the lighting and have no complaints. I basically bought the brightest short throw that was available.
Screen- 16 ft wide x 10 ft high HQ Screen from Par2Pro - $575 – Everyone said this was the best so I ran with it. No complaints. Price is very fair IMO. I took it to an awning place and they sewed straps every foot so I can connect to the frame with bungee cords.
Mats- I built a platform about 8 inches high on casters so I can move it a little forward or back. I have two cheapo mats off ebay ($100 each) to stand on with the truestrike in the middle. This allows me to accommodate for lefties and righties without having to buy a super expensive (1000+) truestrike full mat. Also the platform works great for keeping you elevated so that the balls you hit don’t bounce back into your hitting area and mess up the GC2 on the next hit. I also used some excess turf carpet to make it look pretty. All in all, with all the trips to home depot, this setup cost around $350.
Stereo receiver- $185- Got a cheapie at best buy. I had an extra set of floor standing speakers that I set on either side behind the screen. I hooked it into the computer and can stream Pandora or whatever music I like. Works perfectly.
55” TV- $350- amazing how cheap these are now. Got it at target. Don’t know the brand, but works for what I need.
Carpet Tiles- $525 + 8 hrs of work. Found on craigslist for super cheap. Did the walls/ceiling. Love the look. Really sets it off-
Curtains- $500- Bought material off amazon and had an awning place sew to my dimensions. With a 16ft screen this needed professional help.
Cabinets/Granite- $2,000- I got some cabinets from menards and some nice granite for a bar which also houses all of the computer /stereo components.
Turf/carpet- $1200- Menards. Looks great.
Frame- Bought some fence posts at home depot and screwed them to the ceiling/wall. This could be done with eye bolts or a million different ways. Since it is behind the curtain, aesthetics don’t matter.
Total came out to a little over 11k, but don’t tell my wife!!!
Best of luck in your builds. It was quite the process, but it is a huge addition to my home. I love having friends over to play and just mess around. Winter will really be the time that this earns its value. For 11k, you can’t even redo a bathroom nowadays. This is a lot cooler.
https://youtu.be/VdUVrqGxSNg
https://youtu.be/MF8j_QHsrhk
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