Best Golf Home Simulator $60k-$100k

[BostonGolf]

Hey guys, I’m currently building a home which will include a 20x21 area of the basement where the foundation is 2 feet lower than the rest of the basement creating 11ft ceilings. What’s the best full package simulator I should be looking at in the $60k-$100k range? Ultimately looking for the company to come in and design/install it. I appreciate any feedback/help here.

[Sixmudd]

Hey guys, I’m currently building a home which will include a 20x21 area of the basement where the foundation is 2 feet lower than the rest of the basement creating 11ft ceilings. What’s the best full package simulator I should be looking at in the $60k-$100k range? Ultimately looking for the company to come in and design/install it. I appreciate any feedback/help here.

basically with that budget, you can go balls to the wall. I’m a foresight guy so I would go with that. And also get some real nice cameras set up for swing videos. The new trackman that just came out looks pretty baller too

[BostonGolf]

Appreciate it, so Trackman i0 or Foresight GC hawk are pretty much my two top options

[Dax]

With this budget, I would go with either the new TM indoor solution (all in with all courses etc) or go with a Hawk plus alternate software add on that is not from Foresight at the moment.

[BostonGolf]

Thanks.. what software are thinking?

[Dax]

Sorry just picked this up now. I am sure you found the software that can’t be named. Hopefully this site allows it to be named now that Foresight has an agreement with them now.

[Anansi]

Given your stated budget, and your desire to have a turnkey setup installed, you should contact GolfZon and inquire about their TwoVision simulator. GolfZon willl come out and custom-build your installation for you, and their hardware is impressive. They have the only fully-integrated movable hitting platform on the market. The platform can move the stance area and hitting area independently to create uneven lies and better recreate course conditions. GolfZon also has a multi-surface hitting area with distinguishable fairway, first cut, fairway bunker, and green side bunker surfaces. GolfZon has integrated cameras for swing replay, can save your swings for analysis and coaching, and allows for networked online play. It is a top ranked comprehensive simulator system that most people never get a chance to play on because they are very expensive.

[StalefishFS3]

I am firmly in the camp that going with one company (Trackman, GolfZon, Foresight, Full Swing) is a complete money torch and will lead to a golf simulator experience that will eventually be dissatisfying.

If I had that budget, the money is best spent to find in Boston (I'm using that town based on your user name) the best 3rd Party sim installer in town. Work with him/her. Design your space. You have full freedom to use whatever components you want, to build the computer you want, to buy the exact projector you want, to use the exact LM you want, your lighting, your wiring, your sound system, your "other" AV (like extra TVs and monitors). The dirty little secret is that these full turnkey installs, from one company, while they look nice and cool and are convenient, leave the end user with sub-standard projectors, or computers, or impact screens, or software, or any combination of factors, etc...

The 3rd party sim installer if worth a damn will recommend contractors to work with your general to build out your space, or at the very least design plans that your subs can follow.

It is slightly more work then just wiring a 75,000 fee, but it will be well worth it in the end and I guarantee you will come well under that 60K budget.

[BostonGolf]

I appreciate your response here.. I think I’m struggling with finding the right 3rd party company to guide me through that process here in Boston.. I’ll have to do more research but if anyone has an recs, definitely feel free to share. From a LM and projector standpoint, are you leaning towards anything specific? Ideally my LM will be ceiling mounted which pushes me towards Hawk/TM i0

[StalefishFS3]

Contact COGolfengineer on these forums. He is an installer out West. He may have some recommendations.

tou could also join the Simulator Golf Tour Discord. Tons of knowledge over there for building sims.

I will note if you are wanting to play simulator rounds, Trackman is a closed system Vs others like Foresight which are more open to other softwares, like TGC2019 or GSPro.

[Blaiser]

I agree with others that I would not go with a turnkey solution.

IMO, it's not really hard to pick your hardware. Figure out which LM/software combo you want the most and you'll be very happy with it.

The rest of the budget I would use to find someone with great interior decorating chops. To me, what really makes a sim stand out is the actual layout/room décor. Hell, it might be better to just hire an interior decorator rather than an expert on sims.

People have posted their sim rooms and the ones that really pop are the tastefully done "man cave" setups. You can figure out which theme you'd like best for your room. Could be theater style, classic speakeasy bar style, sports den, all-out golf theme....etc.

Custom wall padding, sexy lighting, functional seating/hang out area....that's the good stuff.

[cruggiero]

Great post. I'm in the same boat. Just finishing a new home build and have the same budget. Was looking at Golfzone, HD & Full Swing Pro. Would be interested in thoughts on these? Also would be great to go the installer route but not sure how I go about finding one? Did a quick search and nothing came up. I live in Sarasota, FL - does anyone know of an installer in this area or a website I can go to in finding one?

[StalefishFS3]

No way would I go with any of those three options. I could write for an hour on each, but my fingers would be tired. Here are the two major reasons: cost (you are way overpaying) and no access to 3rd party software (GSPro, TCG2019 or E6). They are closed systems. And their software has much to be desired. For example, GolfZon has a cartoony feel and Full Swing is just not good.

Furthermore, each of these companies has a reputation of not helping their customers post-sale. It's like buying a new Mercedes. Mercedes gives wonderful service when buying a new car and extracting dollars from you, but once off the lot, you are an oil splotch on the road to them. This is one reason I always try and educate folks on GolfZon. Great, their moving plate is really cool and unique. But that is one complicated moving part, and moving parts break. And that thing is moving all the time. You want to deal with that nonsense? You want uneven lies? Go outside and play.

There has to be someone in Tampa area who can help you. But if you are patient and willing to absorb things and learn what works and what doesn't, you can build your own (using qualified sub contractors to do it). Is your home already pre-wired, or is it still in the stage of being able to be wired?

When I came to GSF and Discord a 2-3 years ago all of this felt overwhelming. But the more you ask and do research, you will learn these turnkey systems are money-makers for the company, and not so great for the consumer.

And to summarize, I would go for an indoor solution one of three ways: Uneekor EyeXO2, GCHawk or if you want the gold standard (but want it on the floor and want portability), GCQuad.