Pls Help Newbie Wife Trying to Surprise Hubby

[sgb]

Hi All,

im in desperate need of help....I've got information overload! The forums have been super helpful but my head is spinning.

im not a golfer. I'm trying to surprise hubby with his own man cave aka golf room. He loves golf and being in the north east I'd love for him to "play" all year round. Plus both of our kids (7, 12) are interested and taking lessons and I think a simulator at home would help motivate practice and improve their game.

heres what I think I've deduced so far...

i need:
a) a simulator - this is the actual sensors, cameras, etc?
b) software
c) screen and net
d) projector
e) computer
f) mat, greens

anything ive missed?

the simulator - I'm thinking of going with protee based on all the discussions. It seems to be the best option for swing improvement with analytics within my budget (ideally I'd like to do the whole room in less than $5k - am I dreaming?)

the software - I'm thinking of the tgc software pack. Any reason I should do the protee plus tgc?

the screen and net - the room is 17.5' x 20' x 10' ceiling. Any advice on screen size? I'd like 16:9 aspect ratio. And also want this room to double as home theater given all the equipment would be the same . Has anyone done this? If so what's the best way to protect the speakers? Place them outside the netting? Is that enough protection? If I want to do the built in screen any advise or anything specific I should tell contractor? I'm assuming whoever I buy the screen/net from should help me with specs to communicate to contractor.

projector - deciding based on all the great advice in forums

computer - I'm kinda lost here. Seems like I need specific hard drive? Can a laptop I have sitting around at home make do?

finally, I was considering the premium divot action simulator from custom design golf since they could help me get an all inclusive solution but the reviews on this forum didn't sound too great.

any help and advice you can give this confused would be greatly appreciated. And I apologize in advance for my novice knowledge. Thank you!

[aeroburner]

i am selling a protee base pack 2 with impact screen the unit is only 6 months old and this does come with TGC and protee 2.0, the software alone is 1100.00 and the impact screen which is 400.00. let me know if your interested. I am looking around the 3500.00 for everything the only thing you will need then is the projector which i got a really good one for 400 off craigslist and a computer. I saw you said something about the hard drive the computer needs have at least a 970 graphics card, The 10 series graphics cards is the best to have and this is the most important part of your computer. Good luck on your build out.

[penrose]

If you are cautious regarding buying used by a person you do not know, I can tell you, and many others on the board would confirm aeroburner is a straight up person. Another option, and the option I went with is these guys...http://www.allsportsystems.com/golf-simulator-setup.php they offer a one shop stop and are very nice

[Joko]

pfft aeroburner is a punk ------ ahhhhhhhhhhhh I kid I kid I kid, he is a good guy to work with for sure.

[BWJones]

First, Kudos to you for doing this for your husband. I am also in the cold climate so playing year round is nice. I have a couple of things to consider. Ensure you decide on how you are going to project your display, particularly considering a short-throw projector vs. a regular projector. I started with a regular, and then added a short throw. I use one for movies, and one for golf. I also use my screen for a movie theater. I have the speakers further away from the screen so they are not hit by balls or clubs. I have the top of the line screen from partopro and it is wonderful for catching balls and displaying an image.

Also consider how much "set-up" is required for the launch monitor. I have a skytrak and love it for the price, and it is all in the one unit. Someone else that owns a pro-tee may want to chime in on how much set up is involved with cameras and sensors. This may, or may not, be something your husband wants to accomplish.

There is a ton of information here, and I am sure people will also help with questions along the way.

[sgb]

Thank you, I'll also look into skytrak. Our pro that we go to recommended sky trak to me but that was also the only one he had heard of. My only reason to not go with sky trak is because from what I read it doesn't give you club and ball data?

[mthunt]

Here's 2 suggestions:

GC2 Launch Monitor, TGC software, CCE Matt and any short throw projector. 10 grand. swap gc2 with skytrak and cut the costs in half.

[Jwheels9876]

First off, Wife of the year.. My wife won it last year for basically building me a whole room for my 40th birthday. I had to actually build it but she footed most of the bill lol...

Skytrak can be anywhere from $1500-$2000 depending on new or used.. GC2 refurbished $5300

TGC $$899-$999 for a lifetime subscription depending on a sale or not. JNPG $250 for the year rental.. Both great options

screen and net have many options. There's super expensive ones and pretty cheap ones I think called supertex? Many guys have here have used the cheaper one and liked it. West coast netting gets mentioned quite a bit here. Prices vary depending on size

not sure how great the screen will double as a home theater screen. They're built differently to take the impact of golf balls. ,mine looks half decent with a movie on it but not anywhere as close to my theater screen but I also use a $700 projector for golf and $3000 for movies so who knows

projectors mostly BenQ and Optoma short throw seem to be the ones most people use for the golf sims.

my computer ran me around $1200 built piece by piece from Amazon. Make sure it has a nice graphics card to run software smoothly now and future proof. Nvidia gtx1060 or up would be my suggestion.

Mats are a personal preference. lots of choices.

No matter what you get he will be happy I'm sure.

[DFDubb]

This is just my opinion, but I'd surprise him with the "OK to go ahead and do this" and let him be in on the design and decision making process. I'm betting he knows quite a bit more about this technology than you do and has a pretty good idea of what he wants already. He's the one that is going to be spending a lot of time in said room practicing and it would be a total bummer if he imagined it setup differently from the first time he walked into a room completed by a non golfing contractor.

[GolfGuy72_2000]

Jwheels9876 hit the nail on the head - wife of the year! I also agree with DFDubb. You could hand your husband a self-created gift certificate in whatever amount you see fit (if you want to stick to a certain budget) and let him pick the items he wants. He might want to spend more on the projector and less on the tracking device, or vice versa. It takes the pressure off of you, and will make for a totally fun experience for him. It sounds like you've got a great room there - good luck and have fun, and best wishes to your husband on his forthcoming surprise!

[Stingreye]

I am SURE others will disagree but..... I think I would rather have a GC2 with a net and cheap LCD TV than a skytrak/projector/impact screen combo. GC2 is simply the gold standard for simulation. After having now talked with several people that have upgraded from other sim hardware to a GC2, my recommendation would be buy a GC2 and let your husband figure out the rest He will be beyond excited. Alot of people end up with a GC2 at some point (and several $$$) later. My recommendation to some friends has been skimp out on other areas of your sim and get a gc2 and then add the rest when yoour budget eventually recovers from that shock. I am sure others would disagree with me but that's my vote....


EDIT: Also refurbished GC2s without needing foresight software will not be available for ever. They will be $8k+ again soon after they run out of refurbished GC2s sell out. I think now is a great time to get into a GC2. Who knows what tomorrow may bring I think there is alot of value in a refurb gc2 currently.

[Jwheels9876]

I'd disagree about the tv vs the projector combo. I think it adds a world of immersion hitting into the big screen and seeing your ball take off in front of you. It's like being on the course itself. I would like to have a GC2 as well but not at the cost of the other stuff.

[Bryndom]

I'm happy to share my build, though far more complicated than I originally expected. I use the room in 3 modes, if you like:

Movie theater (with leather movie recliners)
Man room (multiple TVs showing sports at same time with beer fridge and food table)
Golf Sim (putting green, skytrak, etc)

Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. Happy to answer them and very lucky hubby!

[V8burble]

That's a great wide room and gives you room for 16:9 aspect ratio.
You mentioned doubling as cinema room so source a 1080p projector bright enough for your room (normally 3000 lumens minimum for a little ambient light). If you can ceiling mount it towards back of your room(and avoid shadows of golfer hitting) it'll give you the best price. Longer the throw(distance from screen to projector lens) the cheaper you can get a projector.
GC2 launch monitor is great but budget of $5k qualifies that out so SkyTrak will give you easiest installation/setup as you don't need any other sensors, but as you said you will sacrifice club data. Can always upgrade to GC2/HMT for big money in future. ProTee another option but I have no experience of how much hassle it is to setup/configure and how accurate/reliable club data is.
Agree with all previous comments re: PC. TGC is great choice for software, as is JNPG(which is my personal favourite).
On a limited budget go for archery weave type netting, it'll be much more durable and far cheaper, but you will sacrifice some of the image quality. If you have solid walls/fixings you can also use tensioned 4mm steel rope as a means of hanging the screen with very little cost.
Mat - no reason to spend big, your hubby will be delighted with sim and can always upgrade the mat at any time if you use a portable SkyTrak/GC2 type launch monitor.
Greens - I wouldn't bother, it's one of those things you can add in future if it's really wanted but personally more hassle than it's worth for a sim, in my opinion. If you want to just source a cheap offcut of artificial turf and lay that down in the room.

If you can find someone who can help you source the correct projector and components it'll make it easier.
Good luck and have fun. Going with this modular type design means all components can be upgraded in the future.

[Stingreye]

Agree with V8Burble... 5k budget, it is a no go for GC2 and if you guys become addicts and want to upgrade later, its an easy swap out.

[sgb]

Ok guys, I'm going to take your advice and let hubby decide on the sim. It does make the most sense! And all your input here has been valuable too. Just one more question... I've got the electrician here now and would be lot easier if I could have him do the basic stuff needed in the room now. How far does the projector need to be from the screen. Is there a calculation or ratio to follow? I'm likely going to do 16 x 9 screen. Or 14 x 9. Pls advise. Thx!

[Stingreye]

It will depend on the projector you buy. One of the most popular projectors used is the Benq2150St (its almost the same as a 1080ST and 1085ST which were the older model versions).

http://projectorcalculator.benq.com/

If you pick the 2150ST model, then pick 192" wide and 108" high (16 feet by 9 feet), it will be just over 11 feet (132.5 inches) (you likely want to verify I did it right on their site before running off with those calcs). You can do a similar calculation on Optoma or Benq or other brands.

Sounds like you have the room to have the ball directly in the middle of your screen for when you hit. That's a great benefit! I wish I had the room to do that!

You guys are going to absolutely love it! I started getting regrets about spending that kind of cash but on the first swing that all went away and I wish we would have bought one sooner!