Looking to create the ultimate golf simulator man cave? Or thinking about adding a golf simulator to your current man cave setup? You’ve come to the right place. Welcome to the ultimate guide on setting up a golf simulator in your man cave. We’ll cover the top simulators, provide setup ideas, inspiration and photos, as well as answer all the key questions you may have. Like cost, how to build, space needs, and more!
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Best Golf Simulators For A Man Cave
Golf simulators require many different components. The launch monitor, the software, turf, hitting bay, and more. Start to add in system requirements, which launch monitor is compatible with which simulation software provider, and things get confusing fast.
That’s why here at Rain or Shine Golf we offer golf simulator packages that include everything you need. We even include all the tech and adapters that you need to make it as simple as possible.
For man caves, the simulator you go with largely comes down to how much space you have, and the quality of technology you want in your simulator. Here are our top man cave golf simulator recommendations based on these factors:
The Best Overall Man Cave Golf Simulator
1. SkyTrak SwingBay Golf Simulator Package
In this package, our top selling SwingBay Hitting Enclosure is paired with our top selling launch monitor, SkyTrak. It also comes with the mat, turf to screen covering, projector and enclosure, a gaming laptop for running SkyTrak and any golf simulation software, as well as a ton of important accessories such as a ball tray, extra-long HDMI cable, and more. However, you can customize a lot of this. So if you already have a quality laptop, for example, you can take it out of the package.
Not pictured is the included side netting that attaches to the hitting bay. The side nets extend around 10′ adding some great protection to any important items in your man cave like tv’s, pool tables, etc..
Golf Simulator for Small Man Cave
2. SkyTrak Retractable Golf Simulator Package
This is one of our favorite setups because it features a retractable hitting screen. The retractable hitting screen is perfect for man caves because it allows the ultimate flexibility.
If you need to make room for other things simply retract the screen, roll up the turf, and return your space back to it’s original form.
This setup is slightly smaller than the SwingBay setup so it works great in smaller rooms.
Budget Friendly Golf Setup for Man Cave
3. SkyTrak Practice Golf Simulator Package
This package is the way to go if you’re wanting to save some money. The Net Return Pro Series Net replaces the golf simulator screen and projector. However, you can view your shots on a TV, iPad, or laptop. Our preferred method is to connect your laptop to a wall-mounted television.
This alternative is cost-effective, space-efficient, and can even be relocated outside on a sunny day!
Premium Man Cave Golf Simulator
4. Uneekor EYE XO Golf Simulator Package
The Uneekor EYE XO, in our opinion, is the best golf simulator available on the market. It provides a blazing fast response time on a large list of club and ball metrics. It also features super slo-motion footage of your club face through impact – one of the only systems that provides that.
The accuracy, speed, and depth of data make the EYE XO the best premium pick. Combine it with one of the most popular hitting bays on the market, and you have yourself a world class setup.
Man Cave Golf Simulator Setup
Now that we’ve covered the top golf simulator choices let’s answer some of the most common setup questions about man cave golf simulators. Here the top questions we get:
How Much Space Do I Need?
Your room will need to be at least 10’W x 10’L x 9’H for a smaller mat and net setup.
For a larger setup with a hitting enclosure like SwingBay, you will want an extra 6′ of length to accomodate a projector. For our SkyTrak SwingBay Golf Simulator Package, we recommend a space that is at least 11’W x 16’L x 9’H.
10′ ceilings are ideal. The average swing doesn’t go much higher than 8′. But the additional space adds some extra security and helps you to swing freely with less fear.
These space recommendations are for golf simulator only man caves. If you want to have other amentities such as couches, table games, bar area, dart board, etc..you will need some extra space.
Doubling your simulator as a home theatre
One of the most underated parts of owning a golf simulator is that it can also act as a home theatre. Other than a premium sound system and some recliner couches, you have everything you need to watch sports or a movie on your enclosure screen.
All you would do is hook up your computer to your projector and play whatever you want on your computer. It’s super easy and doesn’t require any setup changes from golf simulation!
Which launch monitor is best for a golf simulator man cave?
The best launch monitor to pick for golf simulation in your man cave largely depends on the amount of space you have, and the quality of launch monitor you are willing to pay for.
SkyTrak is the most popular choice because it’s a good combination of affordability and quality. SkyTrak also requires the least amount of space of any launch monitor. It costs just under $2,000. The next step up from SkyTrak is somewhat of a large jump, into the $7,000-$10,000 range. The best choices in this range are the Uneekor QED or Uneekor EYE XO.
For the additional cost you will get faster shot read times (nearly instantaneously with qed and eye xo), more shot data, and some additional features like slow motion club footage. Although the same golf simulation software providers are available for both SkyTrak and Uneekor systems, the play experience will be improved on Uneekor systems due to it’s faster processing speeds and better accuracy.
It should also be noted that the Uneekor QED or EYE XO are mounted on the ceiling vs on the floor. While ceiling mounted setups aren’t always ideal, if you have the ceiling height to make it work, then these units will free up some floor space.
Lastly, popular launch monitors such as Trackman, FlightScope Mevo+, and the FlightScope X3 all require around 8′ of space from monitor to ball and from ball to screen. These units are fantastic, but you will need a decent sized room to use these systems comfortably indoors.
For a complete guide on launch monitors, read our Best Golf Launch Monitors Guide.