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Previously I posted a thread asking where to get an impact screen in the UK. Since then I've had a few PM's from members asking about my simulator build and where I got parts from in the UK. Unfortunately the UK market for golf simulators seems to be non existant compared to that in the USA. I thought this thread might be useful for any UK guys to see what I've done with my garage.
I'll try and describe what I've done in stages, but as it's still an ongoing project, it will be an ongoing thread!
Background
I moved house a couple of years ago into a new build home. I have a double garage, which has a ceiling of 2.85m (9.4ft) high. I've often stood in the garage and swung my golf clubs and thought about putting in a practice net.
Since discovering that my wife and I are having a baby, I've wondered how much time I'll get out on the course over the next year or two! This seemed like the ideal motivation to get some sort of practice setup in the garage - so that I can hit some balls at the odd times I'll be up throughout the night.
I wondered how I could measure my shots to see where they went... which started a google investigation launch monitors. That led me to a few gof simulator forums, and ultimately here - where I have learned from the best!
After my whole thought process being upgraded from a simple mat / net setup to a full simulator, I decided to try and plan out how I could get the best use of my garage. The main issue for me is that I like to put my cars in the garage when I go on holiday - so I wanted something that I could remove / collapse with minimal effort. I also have some existing racking in the garage that I needed to work round, and had a couple of bicycles on the wall which I needed to re-home.
Being a new build, the garage is all decked out like any other room in the house - with nice plasterboard walls and skirting boards. I needed to make sure that the area was going to be safe from flying golf balls.
Here are a couple of photos of my garage before I started. Both side walls have things on them, which meant the back wall was the only real candidate for putting a screen on. I wanted the garage to stay functional even when the simulator is set up, so the door had to still be accessible. There is a fridge / freezer and other racking up the right hand side which needed to be accessible too.
What Type Of Simulator?
Once I'd convinced myself that I 'needed' more than just a mat and net, I had to figure out what type of simulator was best for me. I needed to quickly be able to make my garage a garage, so I thought a portable launch monitor was the best option. I wouldn't have to worry about cameras being positoned in certain spots, I wouldn't need to worry about a certain type of lighting, and a launch monitor can generally be picked up and put in a corner. My hitting distance to the net is fairly close, so I needed something that could work over a short distance... which ruled out some of the radar monitors.
I decided on a Foresight GC2, and made enquiries about getting a friend to take one from the USA home to the UK when he came back for Christmas. It was a whole 1/3rd cheaper to do this than buy it in the UK.
Just when I was away to pull the trigger on the GC2, the SkyTrak announcement was made - so that threw a bit of a spanner in the works. After a bit more research I decided to stick with the 'proven' ability of the GC2, knowing that it would do simulation and work with FSX, TGC and Protee. If I was short of cash, I could use the Foresight iPad app for a while before paying for the simulation software. At this time no one had received a SkyTrak yet, and there were no reviews availble. Although it was significantly cheaper than the GC2, it was an unknown system, and had no form of simulation.
Foresight USA have a rule where they will only sell a GC2 to a US resident, so I had to get my friend to order it for me using his US credit card and have it delivered to his house. He hand carried the GC2 over to save it getting damaged in his hold luggage.
I'll try and describe what I've done in stages, but as it's still an ongoing project, it will be an ongoing thread!
Background
I moved house a couple of years ago into a new build home. I have a double garage, which has a ceiling of 2.85m (9.4ft) high. I've often stood in the garage and swung my golf clubs and thought about putting in a practice net.
Since discovering that my wife and I are having a baby, I've wondered how much time I'll get out on the course over the next year or two! This seemed like the ideal motivation to get some sort of practice setup in the garage - so that I can hit some balls at the odd times I'll be up throughout the night.
I wondered how I could measure my shots to see where they went... which started a google investigation launch monitors. That led me to a few gof simulator forums, and ultimately here - where I have learned from the best!
After my whole thought process being upgraded from a simple mat / net setup to a full simulator, I decided to try and plan out how I could get the best use of my garage. The main issue for me is that I like to put my cars in the garage when I go on holiday - so I wanted something that I could remove / collapse with minimal effort. I also have some existing racking in the garage that I needed to work round, and had a couple of bicycles on the wall which I needed to re-home.
Being a new build, the garage is all decked out like any other room in the house - with nice plasterboard walls and skirting boards. I needed to make sure that the area was going to be safe from flying golf balls.
Here are a couple of photos of my garage before I started. Both side walls have things on them, which meant the back wall was the only real candidate for putting a screen on. I wanted the garage to stay functional even when the simulator is set up, so the door had to still be accessible. There is a fridge / freezer and other racking up the right hand side which needed to be accessible too.
What Type Of Simulator?
Once I'd convinced myself that I 'needed' more than just a mat and net, I had to figure out what type of simulator was best for me. I needed to quickly be able to make my garage a garage, so I thought a portable launch monitor was the best option. I wouldn't have to worry about cameras being positoned in certain spots, I wouldn't need to worry about a certain type of lighting, and a launch monitor can generally be picked up and put in a corner. My hitting distance to the net is fairly close, so I needed something that could work over a short distance... which ruled out some of the radar monitors.
I decided on a Foresight GC2, and made enquiries about getting a friend to take one from the USA home to the UK when he came back for Christmas. It was a whole 1/3rd cheaper to do this than buy it in the UK.
Just when I was away to pull the trigger on the GC2, the SkyTrak announcement was made - so that threw a bit of a spanner in the works. After a bit more research I decided to stick with the 'proven' ability of the GC2, knowing that it would do simulation and work with FSX, TGC and Protee. If I was short of cash, I could use the Foresight iPad app for a while before paying for the simulation software. At this time no one had received a SkyTrak yet, and there were no reviews availble. Although it was significantly cheaper than the GC2, it was an unknown system, and had no form of simulation.
Foresight USA have a rule where they will only sell a GC2 to a US resident, so I had to get my friend to order it for me using his US credit card and have it delivered to his house. He hand carried the GC2 over to save it getting damaged in his hold luggage.
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