How to Choose Your Golf Simulator Enclosure Size

Picking the right golf simulator enclosure is about creating an environment where you can swing freely, play comfortably, and get the best visual experience possible.

And guess what?

Achieving those ideals is not nearly as difficult as you may fear.

If you’re like most people, the topic of setting up a golf simulator in your home is intimidating. There’s so much to consider and learn it seems. And choosing the correct enclosure is one of the trickiest steps. Many would-be simulator users suffer analysis paralysis.

But put those fears behind you. You’ve arrived at the right place, the only place where you’re going to get everything you need to know about picking the correct simulator enclosure in a simple, straightforward, front-to-back, step-by-step guide to getting this right.

We’ve condensed the whole thing down to three key steps.

All you have to do is follow along.

Step 1: Measure Your Golf Simulator Room

First, grab a tape measure. You need to confirm that your room is large enough and determine which golf simulator size will fit.

This step is non-negotiable. We’re taking nothing for granted. Even if you think you know your room dimensions, measure anyway. While you’re at it, go ahead and measure a second (or third) time.

Here’s what we need to know:

1. How high are your ceilings? Measure from floor to ceiling. Go ahead and pick a few places to take measurements to ensure that there’s no variance within your room. Choose a space where you can avoid obstructions like light fixtures, soffits, pipes, etc.
1. We strongly recommend 9 or 10 feet of ceiling height. Of course, various golfer heights and swing lengths will affect the correct height for your space. While we offer golf simulator screen enclosure sizes fit for 8-foot ceilings, most use cases will need at least 9 feet.
2. How wide is your room? Measure the left-to-right width of your available space.
1. We recommend 14 feet of room width. Also, take into account who else might use your simulator space. If you’re going to play with both right- and left-handed golfers, you’ll likely need a wider space to allow for free swings from either side of the golf ball without hitting either side wall. If your room is narrower than 14 feet, consider shifting your hitting area slightly off-center to create more backswing and follow-through space.
3. How deep is your room? Decide on which side of the room your simulator enclosure will be installed. Now, measure from that wall all the way to the wall on the opposite side of the room.
1. Ideally, your room depth should be at least 18 feet. As we’ll discuss in a moment, you’ll want some buffer space between your back wall and your enclosure. For safety, we recommend hitting from at least 10 to 12 feet from the screen to reduce bounce-back risk. If you’re using a radar-based launch monitor, allow an additional 6 to 8 feet behind the golfer for accurate readings.

OK, now that you’ve recorded your official room measurements, let’s address the practical measurements.

Take out your longest golf club (surely, your driver). Stand in the space where you envision hitting your sim studio golf shots from, and take some very slow, very under-control practice swings.

We’re gauging here whether or not you have enough space to freely swing a golf club without hitting the ceiling, any walls, or anything else that might be attached to that ceiling or those walls.

If you’ve been able to slowly swing without hitting anything, go ahead and start to ramp up your swing speed until you get to the point where you’re swinging freely just like you would out on the golf course.

One thing to pay attention to is that swinging freely is more than just physical. You need to be sure that there is enough room so that you don’t have a mental block of fearing that you’re about to hit the ceiling or a wall.

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Step 2: Allow for Some Space Between the Simulator Enclosure and Your Walls (and Account for Golfer Height and Skill)

You’ve measured your room, and you’ve made sure that you have enough space to swing your longest golf club freely. Now, before finalizing your enclosure size, it’s crucial to factor in buffer space around your setup. This helps with both safety and functionality, preventing damage to walls or richochetting golf balls.

Key Buffer Space Guidelines:

• Ceiling Buffer Space - Allow a minimum of 2 to 3 inches of space between the top of the enclosure and your ceiling. If you don’t allow at least this much buffer space, it’s going to be much more difficult to install your enclosure in its final position.
• Side Wall Buffer Space - Allow at least 2 to 3 inches of space between each side wall and the sides of your enclosure. This will prevent golf balls from hitting and damaging your walls.
• Rear Wall Buffer Space - We recommend that you allow 12 to 16 inches of space between the back of your simulator enclosure and your rear wall. Again, you do not want the ball to hit the impact screen and then make contact with the wall.

How Golfer Height and Skill Level Affect Your Setup

Golfer height and skill level play a huge role in choosing the right enclosure depth.

• Taller golfers or those with a wider swing arc may need higher ceilings and more overall space to swing freely.
• Novice golfers may benefit from a deeper enclosure (at least 10 feet deep) to fully contain mis-hits. Additionally, enclosures with a depth of only 5 feet may not fully contain high-lofted wedge shots, increasing the risk of balls escaping the enclosure.
• Skilled golfers who are more accurate may be comfortable with a shallower enclosure, but if you want a fully immersive experience, a deeper setup is always better.

OK, you’ve got your measurements, you’ve allowed for enough buffer space to play simulator golf comfortably and safely, and you’ve even considered the height and skill level of the golfers who are going to use the space.

There’s only one more thing to consider before making your selection.

Step 3: Decide on Your Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio determines the shape of the projected image on your simulator’s impact screen. When your projector’s aspect ratio matches your screen, the image fills the display perfectly with no black bars or wasted space.

Many golfers assume a 16:9 aspect ratio (like a widescreen TV) is the best choice, but the reality is that room size plays a major role in what works best. Let’s break down the most common options:

4:3 Aspect Ratio

• Provides extra vertical space, allowing for a more comfortable swing path
• Works well in spaces with limited width
• Resembles the shape of older CRT TVs

This is one of the most popular choices for golf simulators because it allows for more vertical space without requiring a super-wide room.

16:9 Aspect Ratio

• Ideal for high-definition visuals
• Works best in rooms with at least 14 feet of width
• Matches the standard shape of modern TVs

While 16:9 is great for visuals, it often requires a wider room than many home golfers have available.

16:10 Aspect Ratio

• Works well in spaces that are too narrow for 16:9
• Common among projector models
• Provides a balance between width and height

This aspect ratio is commonly used for computer displays and tablet computers.

1:1 Aspect Ratio

• Useful when space is extremely limited
• More likely to show black bars on the screen
• Best paired with a 4:3-capable projector

If your room is nearly square, this can be a solution. But it’s not the most common choice for golf simulators.

Custom and Non-Standard Sizes

Standard aspect ratios like 4:3 or 16:9 work for most golf simulators, but what if your space doesn’t fit those dimensions? That’s where custom and non-standard screen sizes come in.

A non-standard or DIY enclosure might be the correct choice if:

• Your room size has an irregular shape
• You need to maximize every inch of available space for safety and functionality
• You’re prioritizing enclosure fit over a perfect projector match

While a non-standard size won’t perfectly match your projector’s native resolution, this won’t impact performance. It just means you might see blank areas around the projected image.

Our recommendation is to choose the largest-sized enclosure that will fit in your space. You can select between standard sizes or an endless assortment of customized options.

One very important thing to note is that the dimensions listed with the standard size options are less than the total dimensions of the full enclosure. For example, the height and width of the 8 x 8 x 5 standard option is 100 x 100 inches, rather than the 96 x 96 inches you might have assumed.

You’re Ready to Choose Your Enclosure

You now have what you need to decide on the right-sized enclosure for your space. You’ve measured the room, you’ve accounted for the required buffer spaces, and you’ve selected the appropriate aspect ratio for your space. Now, it’s time to choose your perfect enclosure.

Need a custom fit? We offer golf simulators and screens in configurations down to the inch to ensure you get the perfect size. Just remember:

• If you change the height, the width must adjust accordingly to maintain the correct image proportions.
• Matching your projector’s aspect ratio will give you a full-screen display without wasted space.

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.