New Mevo+ Sim in a 3000ft2 16ft ceiling shop

[kberjian]

In 2017 I built a 3000ft2 building with the intent of using it as a place to work on my car projects, store a few things, and building a golf simulator. I held off for the last few years since I was busy with work and getting a decent function simulator setup would be 10k.

This winter I found a special to pickup a Mevo+ for 2500 CAD from par2pro.com . I purchased a 9'x12' screen from heavydutytarps.ca which is the sawdust mesh for 330 CAD which included the hem on the edges and grommets all around, the picture shows when I tried some mattresses behind but they were not needed. I built a basic frame from 2x4s, and mounted it with some cheap amazon bungee cords. I purchased a small hitting mat to shoot from and used some basic floor mats to stand on. The "enclosure" was some tarps I had in my shop that were bungeed to some left over 2x4s. I use the free E6 ios setup off my iPhone through an HDMI adapter to a projector that was free on kijiji. Image quality is pretty damn good considering I have 0$ invested in it. I was less than 3000$ into the setup and was playing rounds with my buddies and having a great time.

Overall the temp setup performed decently and I was very impressed with the accuracy of the Mevo+ and the durability of the screen. The enclosure did allow a few balls to go out, specifically wedge shots that would shoot the gap at the top of the screen. I have a few drywall dings from the errant balls but no big deal. The hitting mat worked great. The standing surface moved a bit as you played your round. The putting did not function great due to the uneven surface. I also was playing in freezing temperatures since my shop did not have heat in it, biggest issue was the golf balls shattered occasionally.... Heat is being addressed this summer to be prepared for the upcoming winter.

Now that the warmer weather is here I am going to build out the simulator in its final home. I am spoiled with floor space and ceiling height compared to the rest of the builds on this forum. First task is finishing the insulation and drywall in the space. Stay tuned, I intend on playing some rounds in the new location before the end of the weekend.

[kberjian]

Picked up 50 sheets of drywall and finished off the walls and ceiling. I had a friend over and in one day we finished the strapping, insulation, vapor barrier and drywall. Hard physical work but worth it in the end.

The simulator was built in the corner of the shop. I mounted the screen 1' off the wall and have a black tarp hung behind it to help with the projector image quality/brightness. I found some free green carpet on Kijiji and it really helped the aesthetics and the bouncing. I am using some tarps on the side for now, but will be upgrading with some better materials in the near future. The projector is ceiling mounted 22' away from the screen and it is great! No shadows when you play at all. The putting registry concerns I had before are all gone now with the new carpet for it to roll on.

After a long day of work we only played one round on the new setup but it performed flawlessly. No balls outside the containment, no missed shots, and mediocre golf play as expected.

Next round of improvements are to finish the hitting platform with some 3/4" plywood and cover it with underlay/carpet, some good blackout curtains, and some containment netting/screens. Also looking at ideas for a wall mounted golf bag holder setup.