Another simulator build

[luckypete72]

First time poster here...

Been reading this forum for a long long time getting ideas and learning. So first and foremost a HUGE THANK YOU to this site and community for sharing all your great ideas and builds.

I was going to build my sim in my Garage but the cost to remove the lollycolumns was over 12 grand, so I figured I would build my own golf simulator/pool house.

Took a long time to get someone to do the concrete pad which is 16 X 24.

The rest I have been doing myself.

I'm nearing the end (currently taping and mudding, and boy do I hate that...)

Here are the plans for the sim:

• The simulator itself will be a Carl's enclosure (Custom size) of 113.43 X 175 X 60 which gets me the 9X14 screen I am looking for.
• The sensor I'm going with is the Uneekor eye XO
• I am one of the many waiting on the BenQ LK936ST project.
• The PC I built is an I7 with RTX3080 (can double as a racing/flight simulator also)
• I am also putting speakers in the space (wired for 7.1.4) but have speakers right now for 5.1.4

Questions I have for you fantastic people,

1. I am building my putting/stance and hitting area. I plan to use either 3/8 pile height (Money Putt, NP45 or Precision Putt) are they all the same or is there one of the 3 which you find is better?
2. Another option is 1/2 pile height (NP50, Perfect Putt) same question, are they the same or is one better than the other...
3. For the hitting strip, I am going to do the DIY Divot action, I'm lucky that I have Acme plastics not to far away and can pickup 4X8 sheets of polycarbonate pretty cheap and they sometimes have sales on cutoffs...
   1. Can I use the same putting turf for the hitting strip or should I look for a different material?
4. Lastly, and the most important piece for me anyway, what do you view to be the best software for actual golf (I plan to use Uneekor for the range). I am looking to play the best courses in the highest resolution so any recommendations would be much appreciated...

[luckypete72]

Figured I would share pictures of the current progress...

Started July 5th with the concrete pour (only thing I contracted out...). The rest I have done myself...

Still need to decide on flooring for hitting bay.

Probably end up going with the TFD Putting Elite but wanted to know if using it for the divot action would hold up well so if anyone has experience using it for hitting I'd appreciate the feedback. The other option is the Money Putt from Grass-Tex but I think the shipping costs to NY are quick high...

Would you folks go with a darker paint or lighter paint for the space...i.e. would the 5000 lumens project be fine in a light colored space?

Thanks for any inputs on this...getting close to the end....

[Scottygolf]

Hey Pete -

Nice work, what we all do for golf! I went with the TFD 5mm Batting cage turf. I cut in the Divot Action insert and it works out great. Problem is now, you can't get the Divot Action inserts as it appears the closed shop. I also built a platform and laid two layers of plywood down so the hitting strip would be flush by cutting out a section on one level of the plywood. I was not concerned on the putting aspect so I went with something I thought would wear better. Check out the Gungho Golf guys on their Holy grail mat as an option so it can be replaced.

As for color, I am a fan of more of the darker colors as it helps with the image but think 5000 lumens would be great. It will come down to how much light comes in and there are others in the forum with much better experience than me on that one.

Good Luck.

[luckypete72]

Thanks. Yeah golfers are a passionate bunch for sure...

I did look at GungHos holy grail and it looks great, I figured going the DIY route since I would like to be able to replace them at will so might as well figure out how to bill it now...

As for colors, yeah I was thinking darker colors, and I saw a few posts of folks using dark grey (Iron Ore and stuff like that). I'm torn between Graphite from Benjamin Moore and Iron Ore from Sherwin Williams...

I also have a soft spot for good old Pantone 342 (Masters green) but the misses really doesn't want more green...

[richerod]

Amazing. I still can't get over that you built that structure, did all the taping & mudwork, and built a PC. Just a thought on the stance area and hitting strip. You may want to consider the stance area/mat as a separate embedded item into the flooring/putting turf in the event it wears down from thousands upon thousands of golf swings. You then have the hitting strip embedded into mat. I use the Holy Grail embedded into a hitting surface and it works well and is easy on the joints. There are plenty of options out there

[luckypete72]

Amazing. I still can't get over that you built that structure, did all the taping & mudwork, and built a PC. Just a thought on the stance area and hitting strip. You may want to consider the stance area/mat as a separate embedded item into the flooring/putting turf in the event it wears down from thousands upon thousands of golf swings. You then have the hitting strip embedded into mat. I use the Holy Grail embedded into a hitting surface and it works well and is easy on the joints. There are plenty of options out there

Thanks for the compliment. Takes more time but it's therapeutic for me to do this stuff as I don't get to use my physical skills too much in my line of work...

I think I understand what you mean about the hitting mat, but to be sure, are you saying have a hitting mat with the DIY Divot strike strip separate from the putting turf instead of having putting turf cover all the gym tiles with only a cutout for the divot strike strip? I think thats a great idea for replaceability....

[richerod]

Yes, that is what I am suggesting as it is not uncommon to change hitting strips and stance mats as new iterations hit the market. Having flexibility on a hitting surface is a good thing. I've done the CCE which put great stress on my elbows, then the FB grass-hitting strip which is a really good product and took a lot of pressure off my joints, and now the HG strip which has been my favorite so far for feel and impact forgiveness on the joints.

[MongoOnlyPawn]

richerod makes a good point, having it be replaceable/changeable is a solid idea. I also use a Holy Grail mat, which is cut into an a old stance mat. If you can find a simulator near you see if you can wander around in it for awhile and ask questions, maybe hit a couple of balls. I live in SE Minnesota, if you are anywhere near me you are welcome to stop by.

We use manual putting. I have a 23' Big Moss putting strip on one side of the room. When playing a round and we get on the green, if it's 23' or less from the pin we putt out using the strip, if it's 23'1" to 55' it's an automatic 2 putt, if it's 55'1" or greater we go automatic 3 putt, then 2 putt, then 3, etc. We just never felt like we could consistently figure out what we were doing, and we're anal enough to make it an issue.

Sorry, bit of a ramble there, try to see a couple setup's before you committ. Also, you'll change a thing or two after you use it for awhile, preferences and usability always throw a curve at you, so don't glue/screw/fasten anything that doesn't need to be initially.

[Brettster]

Fantastic build luckypete72 - I already had my structure in place, but had to insulate, put the walls in, and insulate the gable end with it's awkward angles. You did a great job, I know how much work it can be. Just wondering how long the whole build took you?

I'm nearing the end (currently taping and mudding, and boy do I hate that...)

I know it's too late... but I hated that part too - so I didn't do it. I found this really cool tape product that let's you get away with just taping seams, and corners, and even around outlet/switch boxes then just paint over it and done All because I couldn't fathom the fact that I was going to have to do all that mudding/sanding and re-sanding.

Here's the product:

https://tinyurl.com/StressCrackTape50ftx2inch

and:

https://tinyurl.com/DrywallOutletSwitchCoverPatch

I hope that saves someone the trouble of mudding...

Thanks,
-Brett

[luckypete72]

Thanks Brettster - The concrete pour was July 5th (I had to wait 7 weeks to get someone to come pour...). I spent 2 weeks including the 5th of July essentially framing and sheathing everything.

Electric took me a weekend to do (I had to dig a 2ft trench about 180ft to the house then I had to run conduit in my basement before I could run the wire...I ran 2-2-4-6 Mobile home direct burial wire)

The rest I have been doing an hour or 2 max 3 times a week and weekends (after my tee time which is 6AM) --- shingle, house wrap, windows and doors, siding, mini split AC and then drywall and tape... Thanks for the suggestions on the tape, unfortunately you're right I am done.

For taping I would recommend the following (it was about $40 and sped up taping too much especially for someone who doesn't tape very often...it takes a lot of the guesswork out of how much mud to put in the joints...

https://www.amazon.com/Buddy-Tools-TapeBuddy-Drywall-Taping/dp/B0045K53N0

and I would strongly recommend watching this video a few times for anyone wanting to get better at taping...(It's over 90 minutes, but the guy is really good and explains well)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naBal346_9c

tl;dr; I would say the I have about 300 hours into the project but I love building stuff so it has been fun to watch it come together...

[Brettster]

Hey luckypete72, thanks for the tip on the Buddy Tool, I never knew that existed.

Still, I feel the tape I bought and outlet covers/switch covers was easier...as you know, no sanding. I was just so fed up with the idea of sanding, especially with my turf being already down that I had to find a way to do it without any sanding.

Wow, you did some fast work, to complete the whole thing in a little over 3 months is amazing! Mine took 6 months and already had a structure in place, though I did have to remove a garage door and build a wall on one end. The hardest part of my job was the odd angles of the Gambrel Roof, sure takes a lot of cutting/measuring and triangulating to finish gable ends with insulation and cover them up with Luann board. wow... Also, hanging fabric baffles was an all day task - using Chicago Canvas cloth. You can see that at my post here:

https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum/golf-simulator-forum/simulator-builds/348365-golf-sim-shed-build-finally

I never thought about the amount of hours, but I'm sure I was close to the 300 number you mentioned... as I was not working during that time, I spent many entire days building, but did take weekends off... man, it's a job that's for sure!

[Brettster]

Hey MongoOnlyPawn

I love your idea of handling the manual putting, maybe start a separate post about it?

When you say this:

We use manual putting. I have a 23' Big Moss putting strip on one side of the room. When playing a round and we get on the green, if it's 23' or less from the pin we putt out using the strip, if it's 23'1" to 55' it's an automatic 2 putt, if it's 55'1" or greater we go automatic 3 putt, then 2 putt, then 3, etc. We just never felt like we could consistently figure out what we were doing, and we're anal enough to make it an issue.

I've often wondered about doing something similar myself. What I'm most concerned about though, are you just hitting straight putts on your Big Moss? What do you do if that's a big breaker on the course, or even a little breaker? Do you try to setup for some breaks with inserts or something? I know there is a tray mounted Putting Platform you can design where you adjust break that might work, but that's where I always come down to, using sim software that allows you to putt at angle from center, so you can aim at a spot on the screen when hitting breaking putts. That's what I'm hoping to achieve, eventually, of course you have to have the right LM to do that with, and software that it works best with, so testing out those possibilities.

That's great, but wow a 3 putt every other time over 55' would drive me nuts. Just wondering how you came up with that number of every other time...

[MongoOnlyPawn]

Thank you. No slopes or breaks. I could recreate that, but I'd need to buy a flight simulator from Boeing, probably wouldn't fit in the Sim! The every other 3 putt came from here: https://golf.com/instruction/putting...ly-three-putt/ Technically we should go 1 every 4, but then you have to pay attention. Alternating them is easier to remember.

[Brettster]

MongoOnlyPawn - you don't need a flight simulator. There are putting tables you can create that use Furniture adjusters, and some have even wired them to make adjustments to create break in the putt, here's one thread that I was involved in:

https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum/golf-simulator-forum/golf-simulators/353448-anyone-ever-built-their-own-adjustable-putting-green#post353457

[Tom Howarth]

Looks awesome!

[luckypete72]

So I decided to go with Benjamin Moore paint called Blueberry Hill

It's their color 812

I will have white trim

the flooring will be Money Putt turf for half and then Pergo Extreme Longer and Wider Toasted Peanut

I should be done painting Today then I have to wait for the flooring...

[luckypete72]

Finished the paint today...Walls and Ceilings including speaker grills and all the outlet covers...

The LED lights were taken down and the rim painted to match...

interestingly enough the picture with the Mini split shows what looks like a hump and it's there but in person you really don't see it...If I flash a bright light at it then you can see it, but in the daylight and with the lights on, I can't see it...depending on how it looks tomorrow I may want to fan that out more and then re-touch it up....

Not a big deal but seeing that picture now bothers me


Trim will be white, but waiting for carpet and Laminate flooring first...

[Brettster]

Looks good luckypete72 - great job. Mini Split looks fine... I don't see a hump...

[luckypete72]

Sub-flooring is in I used Drycore which is pretty easy and offers some insulation on the concrete flooring....

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DRICORE-1-in-x-2-ft-x-2-ft-R-Plus-Insulated-Subfloor-Panel-Specialty-Panel-FG10042/315863010?ITC=AUC-168405-23-12140

Enclosure is assembled it's a lot bigger than I thought it would be....Still waiting on the turf and vinyl flooring to put the enclosure in it's final location...

Question for the group...

I have the padding that comes with the enclosure from Carl's, but I was wondering if anyone has also covered the front facing EMT (shown with the red arrows)...

[Tigerbass]

Sub-flooring is in I used Drycore which is pretty easy and offers some insulation on the concrete flooring....

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DRICORE-1-in-x-2-ft-x-2-ft-R-Plus-Insulated-Subfloor-Panel-Specialty-Panel-FG10042/315863010?ITC=AUC-168405-23-12140

Enclosure is assembled it's a lot bigger than I thought it would be....Still waiting on the turf and vinyl flooring to put the enclosure in it's final location...

Question for the group...

I have the padding that comes with the enclosure from Carl's, but I was wondering if anyone has also covered the front facing EMT (shown with the red arrows)...

I know some people put pipe insulation (dark grey/black) over the front EMT for safety. That is what I plan on doing since I will have some beginners taking hacks.

[PapaKlix]

First time poster here...

Been reading this forum for a long long time getting ideas and learning. So first and foremost a HUGE THANK YOU to this site and community for sharing all your great ideas and builds.

I was going to build my sim in my Garage but the cost to remove the lollycolumns was over 12 grand, so I figured I would build my own golf simulator/pool house.

Took a long time to get someone to do the concrete pad which is 16 X 24.

The rest I have been doing myself.

I'm nearing the end (currently taping and mudding, and boy do I hate that...)

Here are the plans for the sim:

• The simulator itself will be a Carl's enclosure (Custom size) of 113.43 X 175 X 60 which gets me the 9X14 screen I am looking for.
• The sensor I'm going with is the Uneekor eye XO
• I am one of the many waiting on the BenQ LK936ST project.
• The PC I built is an I7 with RTX3080 (can double as a racing/flight simulator also)
• I am also putting speakers in the space (wired for 7.1.4) but have speakers right now for 5.1.4

Questions I have for you fantastic people,

1. I am building my putting/stance and hitting area. I plan to use either 3/8 pile height (Money Putt, NP45 or Precision Putt) are they all the same or is there one of the 3 which you find is better?
2. Another option is 1/2 pile height (NP50, Perfect Putt) same question, are they the same or is one better than the other...
3. For the hitting strip, I am going to do the DIY Divot action, I'm lucky that I have Acme plastics not to far away and can pickup 4X8 sheets of polycarbonate pretty cheap and they sometimes have sales on cutoffs...
   1. Can I use the same putting turf for the hitting strip or should I look for a different material?
4. Lastly, and the most important piece for me anyway, what do you view to be the best software for actual golf (I plan to use Uneekor for the range). I am looking to play the best courses in the highest resolution so any recommendations would be much appreciated...

Chiming in on #4 - I use TGC2019, the course variety was my reason for choosing it and it has not disappointed. There are thousands of courses and there's no subscription/recurring fee. A good friend is a member at a local course and the version on TGC2019 is spot on. I have the same projector you're waiting on (mine took 5 months to get 😣) and while I was waiting borrowed a friend's 1080p projector. When I got the 4k BenQ and dialed in the resolution in the TGC2019 settings, it was incredible! The detail is just amazing. Several people have tried to tell me 4K doesn't matter for golf sims, not sure what those people are smoking because it's night and day.

When you get it up and running, if you have a TV connected to your PC you can pop out a few windows from View to your TV and PC monitor for club/ball data, club details, swing video, etc.

[luckypete72]

Yup, I plan to do exactly that...

1) Projector - Main display for the sim
2) 55 - 65 inch TV for ball data or club impact from Uneekor (plus can watch sports while playing golf)
3) Computer Monitor for club data etc when using the TV for other stuff...

as for Software...thanks for the feedback...

I purchased TGC2019 specifically for the number of courses available...

Can't wait to get the projector...

[Brettster]

PapaKlix - that's great on the 4K. Do you have some pics of the projected image? Really would be cool if you had pics of 1080p, and then 4K side x side to see the difference. I also know that the screen has something to do with it as well. Which Impact Screen are you using?

Also, that's cool with the TV/PC Monitor. likely what I'll be doing, as soon as I move my mess of a desktop and install a high-powered Gaming Laptop and mount it on a wall-mount desk. Seems the only way to get back more floor space as I don't have any space behind the wall.

[PapaKlix]

Brettster I don't have any side by side pictures, didn't really take many of the old projector but will try and grab some closer pictures of the 4K one. My screen is fresh Par2Pro, I forget what it's called but it was the best one they sell.

[Brettster]

PapaKlix - great, I'm looking forward to how those might look, especially the 4K up close... I'm trying to get an idea if it's worth dropping the money to do it... I assume it's short throw? Do you have to do any Keystone Adjustment? One problem I'm having with a long-throw mounted 14' back from screen, keystone can barely handle it.