Backyard simulator suggestions

[Goose06]

I recently moved and the buyer of my old house elected to buy my old garage simulator (GC2) so I'm starting over from scratch. I don't think I'm willing (or my wife) to give up my garage space again and no other room in the house will work. So I'm thinking about getting a mat, net and launch monitor and going with a backyard system to get started.

I'm not familiar with the skytrak other than what I've learned in the last few days reading on here and a few other places but it seems to be the best value. If I go with the skytrak I expect I could set up a tripod to hold an IPad which would be what I use to see the visual outcome of each shot or play courses, etc. some questions I have here: 1. As long as I charge the skytrak, I assume I don't need power nearby? How important is a strong wifi connection? does anyone suggest a cheaper option than the skytrak that would give you the same quantity of information in this setting?

With respect to net, I need to choose between a permanent setup vs. something that's easy to take down and setup. How easy is the net return pro to setup and take down? Does anyone have a different net they suggest? How far from the net do I need to be for the skytrak to work? How close do you need to be to the net return pro to hit a 56 degree wedge without going over? Is the net return pro something you could leave setup out in your back yard somewhat permanently?

Does anyone have a particular mat they'd recommend for this? How badly will mats get damaged by the weather if you leave it out? I live in the woodlands texas (near Houston) so lots of rain and I have pine trees all around (lots of straw falling on the ground).

Lastly: am I going to be disappointed going from the GC2 to Skytrak?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[DirtyGarry24]

I have SkyTrak, a Net Return, and a moveable hitting platform. It works great and I can move things out of the way as my bonus room is not dedicated to golf. The Net Return is quite easy to setup. With that said, I'm not sure I'd want to tear it town each session as I use it everyday. I have a smaller one (not the Pro) so I can slide it off to the side. You only need enough room to freely swing your club with SkyTrak. I have my Net Return about 8 feet away. I have never hit over the top of it with my highest 60 degree shot. If I'm hitting a super high shot, I'll slide it a bit closer to me. You'd need good wifi for the SkyTrak. I would suggest building a moveable platform for your mat as I wouldn't want to leave any mat that I liked out in the elements. I can't answer your last question about going from GC2 to SkyTrak. I like my SkyTrak, but often wonder if I'll end up with a GC2 at some point. I'd love to hear your comparison if you end up going the ST route.

[shalabe70]

I do not have a dedicated sim room and use my SkyTrak almost exclusively in the backyard. I have the Net Return Pro that I set-up and tear down each time I play - usually takes about 20 minutes from start to hitting full shots. I also went with the monster mat, which is a pretty decent mat and light enough to roll up and store in the garage when not in use. I recently bought TGC and use it with my laptop - my laptop has a 960M card but it plays fine on medium settings and looks pretty good on my laptop screen in the backyard.

As long as the Skytrak is charged you do not need power - unless you're doing a marathon grind session (4+ hours). You do need a decent wifi. I have the Net Return about 8 feet away and hit full 60* wedges without going over - I can get a super high flop shot over if I really try but it's not a shot I ever hit during normal play.

The most difficult thing is dealing with the sun and/or bright reflections behind you (windows, pool, etc). Doing the backyard thing is far from perfect but it's my only option for at home practice/sim play and it's been great for me.

[penrose]

agree with all above and really stress the wifi connection. With the IpAD solution the only simulation available is WGT- which is just OK.

[Goose06]

Just so I understand...

WGT = driving range only?
TGC = online course play?

With the GC2 the course play was downloaded so I did not need wifi for course play. I take it this is not the case with skytrak?

Can you do course play lay on an iPad at all or are you limited to just the driving range?

[DirtyGarry24]

I haven't used WGT so don't know for sure, but I believe people play golf. Good or bad, can't say. TGC is online course play and you need internet. You can use the ST range on an iPad/iPhone.