How High of a Ceiling for Golf Simulator? (4 Major Factors)
Meet Jake
Jake was a competitive golfer for over a decade dating back to the days of being the Captain of his high school golf team. He has played more than 200 courses across 32 different states in the US. Now semi-retired, Jake continues to golf 3-4 days a week with a current 2 handicap, gives golf lessons to his friends and family, and provides a wealth of knowledge to Golf Circuit from his competitive playing days. Jake combines practical expertise with technical knowledge to create golfing strategies and training techniques for both beginners and scratch golfers.
When you’re considering making your own golf simulator, there are many factors that you’ll have to take into account before you commit to the process. For us, the greatest of these factors is the space provided for the simulator, specifically the height.
Golfing indoors can feel a bit off-putting, especially if it’s not something you’re very familiar with. You can feel paranoia when taking a swing indoors, even on a spacious golf simulator.
The easiest way to remedy this is by going through the process of measuring your golf simulator yourself. That way, you can ensure your swings won’t hit anything around you.
Generally, a 10 ft. ceiling is all the height you need for a golf simulator.
But lets, dive into some of the other factors that affect how high of a ceiling for a golf simulator.
Pick a Location
Before taking any measurements, decide on where you want your golf simulator to be.
Depending on what you have available, you can select from various locations, as golf simulators can work in garages, basements, game rooms, and spare rooms.
Many people assume that golf simulators can only go in spaces dedicated to using them, but this is incorrect. I have even golfed in an office with a simulator!
The only thing limiting the location of your golf simulator is the space itself and your budget (since golf simulators can be expensive.)
So, pick whatever room you want to golf in the most and determine whether it has enough space for the activity. However, if you live with other people, don’t forget to account for them.
You don’t want to put the golf simulator in a room that other people regularly use unless you have to, as that’ll limit the ease with which you can use it.
Consider the Height of the Golfers You Want To Accommodate
Once you decide on a room you like, the next thing to figure out is the height of the people that will use the golf simulator. Again, you’ll want to consider other people if you’re not the only person who will use the simulator.
Luckily, you only have to consider the height of the tallest golfer and ensure the golf simulator can accommodate them.
So, how high of a ceiling for a golf simulator? If you’re 6ft tall or shorter, a 10ft ceiling will suffice.
However, If you intend to use a driver or any long clubs, it’s highly advisable to go for a ceiling higher than that (even if you’re shorter than 6ft) simply because the extra height will let you swing more comfortably.
Take the Necessary Measurements
To get the correct measurements, start by measuring the swing of your tallest golfer. I always advise people to use their driver to measure their swing, as that’s typically the longest club, so there’s little reason to measure any shorter clubs.
The easiest way to measure your swing accurately is to stand with your back to a wall and hold the club out in front of you.
Extend your arms forward and hold the club high enough so that its bottom is level with the top of your head.
Put a mark on the wall where the top of the club reaches to get the measurement of your backswing, then add another mark ten inches higher to get the measurement for your follow-through.
Golf simulators can be expensive, so taking measurements beforehand to make sure it fits with your ceiling is important. Read our review of the best golf simulators for under $5000 to help you out.
Give Yourself Enough Length and Width
With the height of your swing out of the way, you can move to measure the width and length. These are less complicated to acquire because they do not require exact measurements.
You can eyeball the distance more reliably, and most rooms are generally longer and wider than tall.
While it changes from one golfer to the next, I recommend giving yourself anywhere from 15ft-20ft of width.
This may seem like a lot, but remember that you want to have a little extra swinging room to avoid feeling cramped.
Also, 15ft-20ft isn’t as spacious as it sounds when you consider the space that the impact screen will take up.
As a general rule of thumb, having excess space is always better for golf simulators, even if you doubt the need for a little extra legroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some questions that you may still have about setting up your golf simulator.
Is a 10-foot ceiling high enough for a golf simulator?
It depends on the height of the golfers, but a 10ft ceiling is what I consider the absolute bare minimum for a golf simulator room. Still, you may want to consider making the simulator higher than necessary in case someone taller comes along and wants to use the golf simulator.
How do I protect my ceiling and walls in a golf simulator?
There are many ways to protect your ceiling and walls in a golf simulator. One of the most common methods involves using foam panels that do a good job absorbing the impact of flying golf balls.
I strongly recommend giving these a look to see what you think, as they’re affordable, work well, and can last a long time even if you golf frequently.
Another popular option is netting. Depending on the type, netting can prove more challenging to set up than foam panels. Still, it works amazingly well and keeps you from having to add anything to the walls.
The only real difficulty behind setting up netting is ensuring it is strong enough to absorb head-on hits from golf balls if you swing directly at it.
However, the process is not too tricky, and I find it well worth what time and effort it takes to get it right so your walls and ceiling are safe.
Conclusion
Since their inception, golf simulators have come a long way and are one of the best additions you can make to your home.
They might not provide the actual golfing experience, but the experience they do provide is still incredibly authentic.
The issue of asking ourselves, “How high of a ceiling for a golf simulator?” is something that we all run into when installing a simulator for the first time, and for a good reason.
It doesn’t have to be a troublesome process, though. By following the points we went over in this guide, you’ll be able to get your golf simulator set up and working in no time at all!
