New Sim Build, Need Advice Please

[Drboosted]

Hi everyone,




I have a room that is 15.5’ wide × 17.5’ long × 10.5’ high. However, there is a bulkhead with ducting around the perimeter, which limits my enclosure height to 9’4” where the screen would go. I’m looking into a Carls Pro simulator.




The main restrictions are: one side has a floor-to-ceiling glass sliding door along the entire length, and the other side has a bar. I really want to protect these areas as much as possible. I’m a relatively new golfer (2 years in), so I’m still in shank territory. I’d also like to include seating—ideally an L-shaped sectional in the corner.




I was thinking of setting up the hitting mat at 8 feet from the screen, which would give me 8.5 feet behind me for some seating in the corner.




Here are my concerns:

1. If I make a 9’4” high enclosure that is 8 feet deep to cover the full glass, would my driver hit the crossbar?
2. I’d like to take advantage of the full 10.5’ ceiling height without risking breaking any glass. Could I make a 6-foot deep enclosure and still hit from 8 feet? Would the crossbar be affected with my driver? How far out of the enclosure do I have to be to avoid that crossbar entirely?
3. Can I have seating in the corner if I have 8 feet behind me, assuming I lose about 1 foot for the screen and hit from 8 feet?
4. Would my 15 wide enclosure hitting from the Center cause any visual issues while I swing if I were to be inside the sim.
5. I also hate that between the enclosure and the potential couch it would block my entire access to use my walk out. If I was. A good golfer I would get 3'6, have it open and hit from 8 feet to screen. I did a rough drawing of my dream I don't know if it's possible in this space. I really want a nice couch I can lounge and watch movies. I would even hit from 7 feet if I need to, I've read some doing that. But then I'm worried about my driver hitting the enclosure height of 9'4

Please advise the best way to set this up. Sorry for my rant.





I’m an extreme newbie, so any guidance would be very helpful. I want the space to work for watching movies with my wife and kids as well, so seating is just as important to me. I feel like my space might not accommodate both activities, which is why I don’t mind hitting from 8 feet to the screen.




Thank you so much for everyone’s help!

[Drboosted]

[wem]

Have you tried to swing a driver in the space to make sure the bulkheads aren't a problem? An 8' deep enclosure will visually take up the room. In your pictures, you have curtains for the sliders. Keep in mind that the speed of mishits that go sideways will be much slower than the balls that go straight forward into the impact screen. Many people use blackout curtains to protect the sides. Perhaps you can protect the sliders with a heavier weight curtain. If you use curtains on both sides of the enclosure, it will allow you to use an enclosure that is not as deep which should address your concerns of your club hitting the enclosure. And when you aren't using the enclosure, you can retract the curtains.

In an ideal set up, the hitting area is about 10 feet from the impact screen. The middle of my hitting strip is 9,5" from my impact screen. My screen is over 15' wide. Because of the scale of the screen, it feels like I am very close. I cannot imagine hitting from 7' into a large screen and in all likelihood you will cast a shadow from the angle of the image from the projector. I have seating behind my hitting area. I measured the distance and the front of the sofa cushion is 8.5' to the center of my hitting strip. There are other considerations too. Are you going to use an overhead launch monitor, or one on the side or behind? Will the hitting area be centered or offset? What is the throw ratio of the projector (you don't want to cast shadows when addressing the ball).

[Drboosted]

Thanks for the reply, the curtains are sheers they aren't thick. I can't just replace them I'd have to get rod thick curtains that sit there and that isn't as visually pleasing imo. I'm getting a short throw 0.75 ratio. I'm doing an over head uneekor or a floor model. Your sim is way deeper. I think I can have a really nice sim, but not both with seating that plays as a movie room. I have 17.5 feet so I could hit from 9 feet and still have 8 feet behind Me. The bulkheads are no issues for me because they are in the perimeter. The centre where you are swinging is 11 feet. I was hoping to Center hit in the 15.5 wide space I don't see that being an issue. I was thinking maybe getting a 5'-6' deep enclosure and get side netting. I just want to know how far out of the enclosure do I need to be not to be affected by a 9'4 crossbar. If I hit from 8 feet and make the enclosure 6 feet will that be suffice. I agree I don't want 8 feet and close up half the space. But 6 could be a happy medium. I just want to make sure I have the clearance overhead

[wem]

If you haven’t used it yet, BenQ has a free online tool to see if your dimensions will work. Also keep in mind that the highest point of the golf swing is not directly overhead. In addition to the crossbar, you need to check the distance to the vertical pipes for the front of the enclosure when you swing the driver. With my first enclosure, I ordered side netting. The depth of the enclosure was only 42 inches. As a right handed golfer, I never used the left side netting even when my 7 year old son used the sim. Even my hosel shanks stayed within the 42” enclosure on the right side. My current enclosure is 16’ wide. The side and ceiling padding are 48” from the screen. With a hitting area of 9-10 feet from the screen, none of my really bad shots have come close to missing the padding. Perhaps if my hitting area was 11 feet or more away the angles would make it possible to miss the padding, but at 9 to 10 feet, the balls don’t veer off at severe enough angles to miss the 4 feet of protection. After using the sim for a couple of months and hitting some really bad shots, I got comfortable enough that I installed a 55” touchscreen monitor close to where the padding ends on the right side.

[wbond]

Have you actually swung all clubs in this space from where the ball will be positioned? If you have a flat swing, you may hit the wall behind you being 15.5' wide, especially if taking practice swings inside of a teed up ball. Also, the bulkheads could be in the swing path behind you based on club length and path. Keep in mind you will lose about 1' of depth or so when positioning the enclosure to ensure the ball doesn't hit the wall behind it.