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Hi Golf SIM Homies,
Well I got the thumbs up to basically tear my garage up and spend about 35K to build a golf SIM. I think I may have used all my brownie points with my lovely wife I have accumulated over 25 years of marriage in one shot...LOL.
I am going to post my journey here and provide updates as I go so that hopefully someone can benefit from the success and struggles along the way. If anyone has any ideas, shortcuts, things you have done that work, or even just a get deal on materials please feel free to let me know. I will give you the basics of what I have to work with a thinking at the moment.
SPACE
3 car insulated garage. I will be using all 3 bays but keeping some for storage. I will upload a rough plan but it is on my other computer. I have a slightly irregular shape room with a useable hitting area of 15W x 18D and 11-foot ceilings. I believe I have calculated enough space to swing drivers. My SIM will require me to hit from a certain spot in the center of the room
FLOOR
Cement floor which slopes right to left. I plan to put 3/4 plywood down in the hitting/standing area and extend 4 feet wide right to the screen. I will have to level it somehow. I am thinking shims and leveling cement? Not sure, any ideas here would be great. Once this is done areas outside of this will have double layer of carpet under pad. Whole room will be putting green with a 3/4 deep cut-out in the hitting area to sink a special strike area mat.
SCREEN
Looks like I have 13.5 feet x 11 feet to work with. I will be making some kind custom frame out of angle iron. Hang moving blankets behind, then archery netting Velcro’s to a Premium screen. The whole thing will be secured to the frame by grommets and bungie cords to the frame. A couple of concerns going in:
1) Should I make the screen a certain finished size to fit a 4:3 projected image perfectly or just go as big as I can?
2) Image quality is high up there on my wish list, does anybody know what is the best? Carl's place Premium seems good but the I have heard Par2Pro in Alberta has a good product and then there is West Cost Netting. This is all very confusing, and I would guess also subjective to say what the best is. I would like close to an HD image at least. Anybody blown away by what they have???
PROJECTOR
Again, I've probably spend 2 evenings researching this and I am probably more confused than ever but based on where I plan to put it (approx. 8-10 feet from screen just ahead of the bell) I'll need a short throw projector. It is looking like 1080 HD short throw gaming projectors may be the right fit. Lumens....OK. Most say 5000 or over are the best and others say that is BS and you must just go by how it looks as some manufacturers sort of play games with Lumen specs. Anyway, looking to spend about $1500 on a projector, does anybody have one they love in the $800 to $1500 range??
LAUNCH MONITOR
Going with Uneekor QED. Was looking at Trackman, Foresight as ball/club metrics are especially important to me to improve my own game. For the money, you cannot justify what might be 'maybe' slightly better accuracy (talking 10 to 20k). Played with QED and it played remarkably similar numbers and ball flight as I normally get of Foresight. Plus, the software is hands down better IMO. The fact you can see face angle and path to me is better than a number (visual learner). Eye XO has a few more features I would rarely use but again cannot justify the price difference. Both have an exceptionally good Down the line and front on camera add on package from Uneekor that I will also be getting. Anyone know where I can get the OPTICS cameras for a good price?
PC/SOFTWARE/Audio
Going to grab a high-end gaming PC on Boxing Day with as much of a kick ass Graphics card I can find. Will also look for a 24ish inch touch screen monitor to add to the SIM room. I am going with TGC 2019 plus I can pay a guy to create my local course for like $400. E6 just seems like such a scam $700 a year to rent courses...LOL...no thanks. Going to run the whole thing through a home theater system and surround sound in SIM room. As SIM room will double of movie night, Sports and PS4.
ELECTRICAL/LIGHTING
Haven't fully landed on where things will be yet but I am going to have a focused Pot light right over the hitting area on one dimmer switch. Switched outlet for QED. 6 more pot light in outer areas of SIM room on a dimmer that will normally be dim or off and can go full on for filming swings. I do not like to fool with this stuff so I will use a Pro for this.
HEAT/COOLING
I have two buried runs in my garage walls that service the upper floor that it looks like I can tap into. It would be nice if I could use these and just run heating and cooling from the whole home HVAC system. I will consult an HVAC guy. I'll be adding an insulated wall in front of two of my garage doors.
TIMELINE; FEB 2021.
I am doing all the work myself, jack of all trades, master of none. I will be YouTubing and relying a lot on this forum.
Well I got the thumbs up to basically tear my garage up and spend about 35K to build a golf SIM. I think I may have used all my brownie points with my lovely wife I have accumulated over 25 years of marriage in one shot...LOL.
I am going to post my journey here and provide updates as I go so that hopefully someone can benefit from the success and struggles along the way. If anyone has any ideas, shortcuts, things you have done that work, or even just a get deal on materials please feel free to let me know. I will give you the basics of what I have to work with a thinking at the moment.
SPACE
3 car insulated garage. I will be using all 3 bays but keeping some for storage. I will upload a rough plan but it is on my other computer. I have a slightly irregular shape room with a useable hitting area of 15W x 18D and 11-foot ceilings. I believe I have calculated enough space to swing drivers. My SIM will require me to hit from a certain spot in the center of the room
FLOOR
Cement floor which slopes right to left. I plan to put 3/4 plywood down in the hitting/standing area and extend 4 feet wide right to the screen. I will have to level it somehow. I am thinking shims and leveling cement? Not sure, any ideas here would be great. Once this is done areas outside of this will have double layer of carpet under pad. Whole room will be putting green with a 3/4 deep cut-out in the hitting area to sink a special strike area mat.
SCREEN
Looks like I have 13.5 feet x 11 feet to work with. I will be making some kind custom frame out of angle iron. Hang moving blankets behind, then archery netting Velcro’s to a Premium screen. The whole thing will be secured to the frame by grommets and bungie cords to the frame. A couple of concerns going in:
1) Should I make the screen a certain finished size to fit a 4:3 projected image perfectly or just go as big as I can?
2) Image quality is high up there on my wish list, does anybody know what is the best? Carl's place Premium seems good but the I have heard Par2Pro in Alberta has a good product and then there is West Cost Netting. This is all very confusing, and I would guess also subjective to say what the best is. I would like close to an HD image at least. Anybody blown away by what they have???
PROJECTOR
Again, I've probably spend 2 evenings researching this and I am probably more confused than ever but based on where I plan to put it (approx. 8-10 feet from screen just ahead of the bell) I'll need a short throw projector. It is looking like 1080 HD short throw gaming projectors may be the right fit. Lumens....OK. Most say 5000 or over are the best and others say that is BS and you must just go by how it looks as some manufacturers sort of play games with Lumen specs. Anyway, looking to spend about $1500 on a projector, does anybody have one they love in the $800 to $1500 range??
LAUNCH MONITOR
Going with Uneekor QED. Was looking at Trackman, Foresight as ball/club metrics are especially important to me to improve my own game. For the money, you cannot justify what might be 'maybe' slightly better accuracy (talking 10 to 20k). Played with QED and it played remarkably similar numbers and ball flight as I normally get of Foresight. Plus, the software is hands down better IMO. The fact you can see face angle and path to me is better than a number (visual learner). Eye XO has a few more features I would rarely use but again cannot justify the price difference. Both have an exceptionally good Down the line and front on camera add on package from Uneekor that I will also be getting. Anyone know where I can get the OPTICS cameras for a good price?
PC/SOFTWARE/Audio
Going to grab a high-end gaming PC on Boxing Day with as much of a kick ass Graphics card I can find. Will also look for a 24ish inch touch screen monitor to add to the SIM room. I am going with TGC 2019 plus I can pay a guy to create my local course for like $400. E6 just seems like such a scam $700 a year to rent courses...LOL...no thanks. Going to run the whole thing through a home theater system and surround sound in SIM room. As SIM room will double of movie night, Sports and PS4.
ELECTRICAL/LIGHTING
Haven't fully landed on where things will be yet but I am going to have a focused Pot light right over the hitting area on one dimmer switch. Switched outlet for QED. 6 more pot light in outer areas of SIM room on a dimmer that will normally be dim or off and can go full on for filming swings. I do not like to fool with this stuff so I will use a Pro for this.
HEAT/COOLING
I have two buried runs in my garage walls that service the upper floor that it looks like I can tap into. It would be nice if I could use these and just run heating and cooling from the whole home HVAC system. I will consult an HVAC guy. I'll be adding an insulated wall in front of two of my garage doors.
TIMELINE; FEB 2021.
I am doing all the work myself, jack of all trades, master of none. I will be YouTubing and relying a lot on this forum.
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