Golfbays - Vos spécialistes des simulateurs de golf n°1

A golf simulator enclosure is the frame, the black surround and the impact screen your shots hit and the picture lands on. Its width and height set the size of the picture, and the surround catches the shots that miss. Here are the 5 enclosure ranges we sell, what comes in each box and what it costs, then the room each one needs with space left to swing.

What is the best golf simulator enclosure?

The SimBox, for most UK garages and spare rooms. It comes in 7 sizes with 3 screens to choose from, at £1,161 to £1,709.

The EasySim at £999 suits a first bay on a budget. The Lux is for a room that stays a golf room, and the Vanish for a garage where the car has to come back in.

Our golf simulator enclosures come in 20 sizes and models across 5 ranges, from £599 to £5,279.

Whichever one you like the look of, the tape measure gets the final vote.

1. SimBox: best for most rooms

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The SimBox is our pick for most rooms, because with 7 sizes there's usually one that fits. Its aluminium frame clicks together without tools in under an hour, and nothing gets drilled or fixed into the walls or the ceiling. That's more than most garage shelving can say.

In the box are the frame, a black velvet surround, your choice of impact screen and step-by-step instructions. The surround keeps light off the edges, so the projected picture looks crisp. Hitting mats, lighting and projector mounts are sold separately.

Of the 7 sizes, 4 stand 2.5m tall and 1.5m deep, at 2.6m, 3m, 3.6m and 4m wide. The 3.8m-wide size stands 2.8m tall, and the 2 walk-in sizes are 3m tall and 3m deep, at 3m and 4m wide. Custom builds are available on request.

On the 1.5m-deep sizes you hit from behind the frame, at least 2.5m from the screen. The 2.6m and 3m widths fit a room 3m wide, and the 3.6m to 4m widths need a room at least as wide as they are. The walk-in sizes need a room at least 3m high.

The picture is a little smaller than the frame. The 3m x 2.5m size gives a visible screen 2.7m wide and 2.2m high, and the 4m sizes give a picture 3.7m wide.

It takes launch monitors from "SkyTrak, FlightScope, Garmin, Uneekor, TrackMan and Foresight Sports", so the frame stays when you upgrade the launch monitor. The SimBox enclosure costs £1,161 to £1,709, and £1,214 at 3m wide with the LITE screen.

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The SimBox is also the frame in 20 of our packages, from £1,910 to £19,715. The SkyTrak ST+ SimBox package is £2,540 at 3m, with the SkyTrak+, a PRO+ screen, a Standard hitting mat and a year of SkyTrak Core. It's our pick of the packages for most garages and spare rooms.

The catch: the LITE screen in the starting price is the lowest graded of the 3 SimBox screens, with 6 for durability and 5 for noise and bounce back. Price the PRO+ version before you compare the SimBox with anything else.

2. EasySim: best for a first bay on a budget

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The EasySim is the simplest way into a projected bay, and it was the first enclosure we brought out for DIY home simulator golfers. It comes in a single size, 3.3m wide, 2.5m high and 1m deep, with all the poles, an integrated black fabric surround and our Lite impact screen in the box.

The frame is aluminium clicker tubing, and the screen is 4:3, a shape that makes the projector easier to choose.

The Lite screen's impact sound is quiet enough for a garage. On our own screen grades it scores 5 out of 10 for noise and bounce back, so next door may hold a different view.

At 1m deep, it's the shallowest enclosure we sell. The less room you have, the closer to the screen you hit, and the 1m depth allows for that.

The saving is in floor space around the screen. Your swing and the launch monitor still need 4.5m of room depth with a camera unit beside the ball, or 5m with radar behind you. Across the room it needs at least 3.3m of width, and 2.8m of height for a full driver swing.

The EasySim enclosure is £999. It's also the enclosure in 5 EasySim packages, from £1,657 with a Garmin R10 to £2,559 with a SkyTrak+. At £1,657, the R10 version is the cheapest complete package we sell.

The catch: it comes in a single size, 3.3m wide, so a garage 3m wide can't take it. The 2.6m and 3m SimBox sizes both fit that garage.

3. Lux: best for a room that stays a golf room

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The Lux is our enclosure for a room that's going to stay a golf room, and it now comes in 4 sizes. The smallest 2 share a 2.65m height and a 1.5m depth, and the bigger 2 grow taller and deeper as they get wider.

The 4.5m size is the widest free-standing enclosure we sell. The 2.8m Lux fits a room 3m wide, and the 4.5m Lux needs a room at least 4.5m wide and 2.95m high.

The Lux enclosure costs £2,295 to £3,695. It's the enclosure in our Full Swing KIT, ProTee VX and Trackman iO Lux packages, from £10,840 to £23,860.

The ProTee VX and Trackman iO packages put the launch monitor on the ceiling, so they belong in a room that's staying put. Ask us which screen and surround come with your size before you order.

The catch: the 2 bigger sizes stand 2.85m and 2.95m tall, so they need a room taller than our 2.8m minimum just to go up. Order one taller than the ceiling and it stays in its boxes.

4. Vanish: best retractable enclosure for a garage

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The Vanish is the enclosure for a garage that still has to take the car at night. It hangs from universal ceiling brackets and retracts by hand crank or remote control, so the whole bay goes up to the ceiling when the session's over.

It arrives as a ready-to-use enclosure and bracket system, with a front screen, 1.5m side screens, and ceiling and corner protection. It comes in 4 models: the Vanish 11, Vanish 13H, Vanish 16 and Vanish 16H.

Each model suits a range of room widths and heights.

The 13H and 16H suit taller rooms than the 11 and the 16. The picture area runs from 3.05m x 2.29m on the Vanish 11 to 4.65m x 2.59m on the 16H.

Every model needs a room at least 5.18m deep. The screen hangs 20cm to 30cm off the back wall, with 15cm to 20cm clear at each side.

Remote control adds £960 to the price of every model.

The catch: the price buys the enclosure only, and the room has to be 5.18m deep, more than the 4.5m we'd plan for a camera unit. It's an answer for a deep garage, so measure with the bikes in.

5. 24/7 Golf Simulator Enclosure: lowest price, in limited stock

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The 24/7 Golf Simulator Enclosure is the lowest-priced enclosure we sell, from £599, and it's in limited stock in every size.

It comes in 4 sizes: 3m x 2.6m x 1.6m at £599, 3.6m x 2.6m x 1.6m at £699, 4m x 3m x 1.6m at £799, and 4m x 3m x 3m at £899. The last one is 3m deep, like the SimBox walk-in sizes.

The projector arm in the photos is there "for illustration purposes only", so budget for a mount of your own. Ask us what comes in the box at your size before you order.

The catch: stock is limited in every size. The size you want may not be there when you come back for it.

Which impact screen should go in a SimBox?

The PRO+, if the budget stretches. We grade it 10 for durability, 9 for picture and 10 for noise and bounce back, and it adds £159 to £180 to the SimBox, depending on the size.

The Close-Knit Baffle trades picture for toughness, with 9 for durability, 5 for picture and 8 for noise. It costs £45 more than the LITE, or £90 more on the 4m x 2.5m, and it isn't offered on the 3.8m size. The LITE is graded for light home use, with 6 for durability, 6 for picture and 5 for noise.

We grade 6 of our impact screens out of 10 in 3 areas: durability, picture, and noise and bounce back, with 10 the top score. Noise counts for more than it sounds when the garage shares a wall with next door.

Here's every SimBox size with each screen, cheapest first.

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You can replace a worn screen on its own and keep the frame. A PRO+ screen for the SimBox is £399 to £469, or £419 at 3m.

A SimBox screen can't be rotated, so clean balls and strikes on the centre of the screen make it last longer.

How big should a golf sim enclosure be?

As wide as the room allows with space to build it, and short enough to stand under the ceiling, with 30cm clear behind the screen. Your swing needs more room than the frame does, so plan on a room 3m wide, 2.8m high and 4.5m deep with a camera unit beside the ball, or 5m deep with radar behind you.

Enclosure width and room width

For the SimBox we recommend a room at least 3m wide, which takes the 2.6m and 3m frames. A wider frame wants a room at least its own width, plus a little space to build it in, and the Vanish hangs with 15cm to 20cm clear at each side.

Plan on 4m of width if left and right-handers share the bay. A left-hander stands on the other side of the mat, and their swing needs the same room as yours.

Enclosure height and ceiling height

Our free-standing frames run from 2.5m to 3m tall:

• 2.5m: the EasySim and the 2.6m, 3m, 3.6m and 4m-wide SimBox sizes
• 2.6m: the 3m and 3.6m sizes of the 24/7 enclosure
• 2.65m to 2.95m: the Lux, depending on the size
• 2.8m: the 3.8m-wide SimBox
• 3m: the 2 SimBox walk-in sizes, and the 24/7 in both its 4m-wide sizes

The frame only has to stand under the ceiling. Your swing is the bigger ask, because the room needs 2.8m for a full driver swing whatever frame stands in it.

Under a 2.44m (8ft) ceiling, none of our free-standing enclosures fits, because the shortest stand 2.5m tall. In a garage, measure with the door open. An up-and-over door hangs below the ceiling when it's up, and it's often the lowest point in the room.

Enclosure depth and room depth

Keep 30cm clear behind the screen. Hit from about 2.5m off the screen in a 2.5m-high SimBox, and from up to 3m in a 3m-high one.

Add the 30cm, the 2.5m to the ball and about 1.7m to stand and swing, and that's why a camera unit beside the ball needs about 4.5m of room.

Radar behind the ball needs more. Garmin's manual puts the tee at least 2.4m from the net and the Garmin R10 1.8m to 2.4m behind the tee (Garmin).

Rapsodo asks for "a little more than 14 total feet", about 4.3m, for the MLM2PRO (Rapsodo). So we plan on 5m with radar.

Every Vanish model needs 5.18m, whatever the launch monitor.

Which enclosure fits which room?

The table gives the smallest room for each frame we stock. Width is 3m or the frame's own width, whichever is bigger, plus a little to build it in. Height is 2.8m or the frame's own height, whichever is bigger.

Depth is set by the launch monitor, because the room runs from the wall to behind the golfer and every free-standing frame here is 3m deep or less.

Matching an enclosure to 3 example rooms

A single garage: say yours is 3m wide, 2.6m to the lowest point and 5.5m deep. The 3m x 2.5m SimBox fits, the 3.3m EasySim doesn't, and the depth takes a radar unit behind you. At 2.6m it's an irons room, with the driver allowed in after a slow test swing.

A double garage the car comes back into: say it's 5.3m wide, 2.8m high and 5.6m deep. A Vanish 16 suits a room 5.03m to 5.33m wide, 2.74m to 3.2m high and at least 5.18m deep, so it fits. It winds up out of the way after a session, for £4,319 with a hand crank.

A ground-floor games room staying a golf room: say it's 4.2m wide, 3.1m high and 6m deep. The 3.8m Lux stands 2.85m tall and leaves 25cm under the ceiling, for £2,795. With 6m of depth, the room takes any launch monitor on the floor.

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If you'd rather see the bay drawn into your own room, our virtual CAD design service draws floor plans for £400, or floor plans and 3D renders for £900, normally within 48 hours.

Do you need an enclosure for a golf simulator?

No. A launch monitor works with a practice net, or with an impact screen hung from a frame of your own.

An enclosure holds the screen with the right amount of slack, and its dark border makes the projected picture look crisp. The surround is there to catch errant shots and protect your room.

Hanging an impact screen without an enclosure

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Our LITE impact screen is a single layer of tight-knit polyester blend with eyelets every 8in, about 20cm, on all 4 sides. It comes in 10 sizes at £199.99 to £279.99.

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The DIY pelmet kit puts a black foam edge border around the screen. It's made to fit your screen size, so allow 10 working days. It costs £340 to £670.

For a home-made frame, bungee the top and sides, leave the bottom loose, and keep a 5cm to 7.5cm gap left and right of the screen. The frame itself is the hard part, because a home-made frame has to hold the screen with enough slack to take the strike and stay square to the projector.

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Side protection is on you as well. Our heavy-duty curtains start at £239.20 for a 2.3m drop and 1.3m width, made to order in 5 to 7 days.

A practice net and a launch monitor

A practice net and a launch monitor give you real yardages in a room too low or too short for a projected bay. There's no big picture, so the shots go on a phone or tablet.

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The TrueStrike TS-5 net is 1.7m x 1.7m x 1.7m with a ball return, for £229.

You lose the picture and keep the numbers, and the numbers are the part that tells you the truth about your 7-iron.

How long does it take to put up a golf simulator enclosure?

Under an hour for a SimBox, without tools. Its click-tube design lets you "set it up, take it down, or move it whenever you like", with no damage to walls or ceilings.

Because nothing is fixed to the house, a SimBox comes down without tools and moves house with you. The EasySim goes together the same way, on click-together aluminium poles.

Each SimBox kit comes with a step-by-step video guide. The fiddly part is the screen, which wants the right slack before the first ball hits it.

The Vanish goes up once, on its ceiling brackets, and after that it winds up and down by hand crank or remote. If you're after a portable golf enclosure, that makes the SimBox and the EasySim the 2 to look at, and the Vanish the one that clears the floor.

A tight screen sends the ball back faster, so make sure yours isn't tensioned too tightly.

What else do you need with a golf simulator enclosure?

A launch monitor, a hitting mat, a short throw projector with a mount, and a phone, tablet or PC to run the software.

A short throw projector sits close to the screen and out of your shadow: at 0.5:1 it fills a 3m-wide picture from about 1.5m. It can hang from the ceiling or from the enclosure itself.

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Our enclosure mounted projector arm is £249 in its 1.5m length, for 1.5m-deep enclosures, and it takes Optoma and BenQ projectors with a 0.5 throw ratio.

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A blackout screen fixes behind the impact screen and stops the projector's light coming through the back. It comes in 7 sizes that match the SimBox, at £199 to £319.

The room lights matter too: lights over the mat pointing down at the ball and away from the screen keep the ball lit for the launch monitor and the glare off the picture.

A 1.5m x 1.5m hitting mat sits in front of a 1.5m-deep frame with room for both feet and the ball.

If you're buying the launch monitor too, price the package first. The SkyTrak ST+ SimBox package at 3m costs £330 less than the same parts bought one at a time.

Golf simulator enclosure FAQs

Is a 12x12 room big enough for a golf simulator?

It's wide enough for an enclosure, but short of the depth a projected bay needs. 12ft is 3.66m, so a SimBox up to 3.6m wide, the EasySim or the 3.3m Lux fits across it, while the bay wants 4.5m of depth with a camera unit beside the ball. A practice net fits easily, because the TrueStrike TS-5 is 1.7m deep.

Is 10 ft wide enough for a golf simulator?

For a single golfer, yes. 10ft is 3.05m, which takes the 2.6m or 3m SimBox, the 2.8m Lux or the 3m 24/7 enclosure, though the 3.3m EasySim is too wide for it. If left and right-handers share the bay, plan on 4m.

What size of room do I need for a golf simulator?

2.8m high, 3m wide and 4.5m deep with a camera launch monitor beside the ball, or 5m deep with a radar unit behind you. Make it 4m wide if left and right-handers share the bay, and allow at least 5.18m of depth for any Vanish model.

Is a 9 foot ceiling enough for a golf simulator?

For the enclosure, yes, and for the driver it depends on your swing. 9ft is 2.74m, so our free-standing frames up to 2.65m tall fit under it. It's 6cm short of the 2.8m we plan on for a driver, so try a slow swing in the room first.

Is an 8-foot ceiling enough for a golf simulator?

For irons and wedges with a net, yes, but it's too low for any enclosure we sell. 8ft is 2.44m and our frames start at 2.5m tall, so the bay becomes a practice net with a camera launch monitor beside the ball and the numbers on a tablet.

Is there a portable golf simulator enclosure?

Yes. The SimBox and the EasySim both click together without tools, so they come apart again and move house with you. The Vanish retracts to the ceiling after every session, but its brackets stay where they're mounted.

Is there a retractable golf simulator enclosure?

Yes, the Vanish, in 4 models at £3,359 to £4,319 with a hand crank or £4,319 to £5,279 with a remote. It hangs from ceiling brackets and winds up out of the way, and every model needs a room at least 5.18m deep.

How far should you stand from a golf simulator screen?

About 2.5m in a 2.5m-high SimBox, and up to 3m in a 3m-high one. Stand further back and wedges can go over the screen into the black surround, which is there to catch the odd stray and protect the room.

How long does a golf simulator enclosure screen last?

We don't put a number of years on it. Every screen we sell carries a minimum 6-month warranty, and clean balls and centred strikes make it last longer. A SimBox screen can't be rotated, and a replacement costs £329 to £469 depending on the screen and size.

What is the cheapest golf simulator enclosure?

The 24/7 Golf Simulator Enclosure, from £599 while its limited stock lasts. A LITE impact screen with a pelmet kit comes to £609.99 at 3m x 3m if you build your own frame. At £999, the EasySim comes with its frame, surround and screen in the box.

Spornia makes pop-up golf practice nets in 3 sizes, and we sell all 3: the SPG-5 at £249, the SPG-7 at £359.99 and the SPG-8 XL at £559.99, plus 6 bundles built on the SPG-7. Each one goes up faster than it goes back in the bag. Here's each size in metres against a British ceiling, set-up and folding, garden or garage, what each bundle saves, and the known problems.

Is the Spornia SPG-7 worth it?

Yes, if you want to hit full shots, driver included, in a garage or the garden. It pops up in a couple of minutes, rolls the ball back and folds away after. It's a weaker buy if the net has to stay up outside all season.

Spornia gives all 3 sizes a pop-up frame, a ball return and a target sheet.

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The Spornia SPG-7 is £359.99. A noise reduction target sheet, a roof attachment and a chipping basket come in the box.

It's a good buy for:

• A garage with a standard ceiling: it stands about 2.1m high with the roof off, under the 2.39m of a typical British room.
• The garden, between showers: it goes up for a session and folds down after.
• A launch monitor, now or later: every Spornia bundle we sell is built on the SPG-7.
• Wedges and chips: the roof keeps the high ones in, and the chipping basket gives chips a target.

It's the wrong buy for:

• A net that lives on the lawn: weather damage sits outside Spornia's warranty terms.
• A golf course on a big screen: that takes an enclosure with a full-width impact screen and a projector.

The catch: the roof takes it to 2.44m, taller than a standard 2.39m room, so under a standard ceiling it goes up without the part that's there for short irons and wedges.

What is the difference between the Spornia SPG-5, SPG-7 and SPG-8?

Size, weight and price. Spornia says all 3 pop up, take any club including a driver, and send the ball back to you. Spornia's spec for the SPG-7 is a 7ft (2.13m) cube with a 1ft roof on top, 2.44m in all.

The SPG-7 costs £110.99 more than the SPG-5 and is 46cm bigger in every direction, with 36cm more target sheet. The SPG-8 XL costs £200 more again for another 32cm each way and 28cm more sheet.

Spornia SPG-5: the compact net

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The Spornia SPG-5 is £249. Spornia sells it as the Compact Edition, about 1.67m (5.5ft) square, and it weighs 7kg. Plugged In Golf's 2021 review was of a compact Spornia the same size.

It's the only one of the 3 whose roof fits under a standard British ceiling, at under 2.2m with it on.

The catch: its target sheet is 1.27m across against the SPG-7's 1.63m, so a wayward driver has less to land on.

Spornia SPG-8 XL: the simulator-sized net

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The Spornia SPG-8 XL is £559.99. It's made for a launch monitor, a simulator and a projector, with a black bulls-eye target sheet about 1.9m square in the box.

In a 2023 test of 3 nets, Golf Monthly found the SPG-8 the sturdiest and the quickest to go up. MyGolfSpy named the SPG-8 XL its best golf hitting net of the same year.

The catch: at 2.45m it's taller than a standard British room before the roof goes on, so indoors it needs a high-ceilinged golf room, and the roof takes it up to 3.2m.

Is a Spornia net difficult to set up and take down?

It's quick to put up and slower to put away. Spornia puts set-up at about 2 minutes, and the set-up video on its Net Instructions page shows how to do it in under a minute.

The first time, Plugged In Golf put the compact net up in about 3 minutes, with a helper and in a stout breeze, and got quicker after. In Golf Monthly's SPG-8 review, the net "literally self assembles" from a disc, and then 2 fibreglass side poles and a roof pole go in.

How do you fold a Spornia net back into its bag?

Follow Spornia's pack-away video for the SPG-7, which calls the fold the "taco". Spornia lists a carry bag for that net.

Golf Monthly's one reason to avoid the SPG-8 was that it needs 2 people to take down, though it folds up small. An owner commenting under Plugged In Golf's review said it wasn't easy to fold up and put away, though nothing too difficult. Folding it is closer to an OS map than an umbrella.

How does the Spornia ball return work?

The floor of the net slopes back towards you, so a ball that hits the target sheet drops and rolls down to the front. Spornia says the return catches the ball's impact and lets it roll down without bouncing on the floor.

Plugged In Golf found every ball came back near his feet on the compact net, where a small lip stops it. Golf Monthly's SPG-8 sent the balls back much closer to the tester too. No more walks to the back of the net, which used to be most of the exercise.

The return and the chipping basket are both removable, and Spornia's Net Instructions page has a video on fitting each.

How much space do you need for a Spornia golf net?

You need the net's footprint, room to swing in front of it, and enough ceiling for the swing. Spornia asks for at least 10ft (3.05m) of hitting space for the SPG-7. A launch monitor behind the ball sits 3.8m to 4.8m from the target sheet.

How tall is a Spornia net with the roof on?

Whatever net is in front of you, a full driver swing needs 2.8m (9ft 2in) of ceiling, and 2.4m (8ft) does for irons and wedges. A standard British room is about 2.39m, so under a standard ceiling the swing runs out of room before the net does.

How much room do you need for a Spornia net with a launch monitor?

Measure back from the target sheet, where the ball stops.

The distances are Garmin's, Rapsodo's and Shot Scope's own. The SPG-7's sheet hangs in the upright frame at the back of its 2.13m depth, so for the R10 and the MLM2PRO the ball sits about 30cm in front of the net's mouth.

Add room beside the line to stand and swing. We plan 5m of room depth for a launch monitor behind the ball, and the R10 at its furthest back uses 4.8m of it.

Is a Spornia net better in the garden or the garage?

The garden gives it the roof and the room, and the garage keeps it dry. If you have both, use the garden on dry days and the garage, roof off, on wet ones.

Can you leave a Spornia net up outside?

For a session, yes. Left up for days or weeks, it's at the weather's mercy, and Spornia's warranty terms exclude damage from wind, rain, sun and snow.

Spornia sells a weather cover for the SPG-7 and SPG-8 to keep the net covered between sessions. It describes the cover as water-resistant and tells owners to move the net in heavy rain. We don't stock the cover, or Spornia's sandbags, which hold up to 15lb (about 6.8kg) of sand each for windy gardens. The SPG-5 and SPG-8 come with ground stakes.

Of the launch monitors in our bundles, the R10 is rated IPX7 and the LM1 IPX3 for light rain. Add a Garmin R10 and a hitting strip, and a pack-away garden setup on the SPG-7 comes to £820.98.

Will a Spornia net fit in a garage?

Yes, if the ceiling clears 2.13m for the SPG-7 with its roof off, or 2.2m for the SPG-5 with its roof on. Measure with the door open, because up-and-over and sectional doors lie under the ceiling when they're up, and an electric opener adds a rail.

The net folds down and the mat stands against a wall, so the car goes back in. Spornia says the target sheet helps cut the noise, and the neighbours through the party wall will still hear the driver.

Which Spornia bundle should you buy?

The one with the launch monitor you'd buy anyway. Every bundle is the SPG-7 kit, with its target sheet, roof and chipping basket, plus a mat, a strip, or a launch monitor with a mat. The Garmin R10 bundle saves the most on the parts, £64.99.

Bought on their own, the R10 is £421, the MLM2PRO £549, the LM1 £194.99, the Basic mat £189 and the Teaching mat £239. The R10 and MLM2PRO bundles carry the same net and mat, so the R10 bundle costs £385 less over 3 years once each membership is paid.

Spornia SPG-7 and Garmin R10 bundle

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The Spornia SPG-7 Garmin R10 bundle is £905, for the R10, the SPG-7 kit and a Basic 1.5m hitting mat.

From 1.8m to 2.4m behind the ball, the R10 shows spin rate, club path, attack angle and face-to-path in the Garmin Golf app on your phone or tablet. Those numbers are free. Home Tee Hero's 43,000+ courses need Garmin Golf, at £89.99 a year.

The catch: it wants 4.2m to 4.8m from the target sheet to the R10, so measure the garage before you order.

Spornia SPG-7 and Rapsodo MLM2PRO bundle

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The Spornia SPG-7 Rapsodo MLM2PRO bundle is £1,080, with the same net kit and a Basic mat, and it saves £17.99 on the parts.

The MLM2PRO films each impact with its camera, and with Rapsodo's RPT balls and a Core membership it reads spin into a net. Rapsodo Core is £159.99 a year after a 21-day trial.

Shot Scope LM1 and Spornia SPG-7 bundle

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The Shot Scope LM1 Spornia SPG-7 bundle is £699, with a 1.5m hitting mat, and it saves at least £44.98 on the parts.

Set on the floor 1.4m behind the ball, the LM1 shows 5 numbers on its own screen with no subscription: club speed, ball speed, smash factor, carry and total.

The catch: it shows no spin and plays no courses, so this bundle is for learning how far your 7-iron really goes.

Spornia SPG-7 golf mat and hitting strip bundles

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The Spornia SPG-7 and golf mat bundle is £529, with the GolfBays Basic 1.5m hitting mat.

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The Spornia SPG-7 and teaching mat bundle is £579, with our Teaching 1.5m mat.

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The Spornia SPG-7 and hitting strip bundle is £398.99 with a GolfBays hitting strip.

Both mats are 1.5m square. The Basic mat is 27mm of turf on a rubber bottom, while the Teaching mat has nylon sport turf on a foam base, 29mm deep, with a tee hole on each of its 4 edges.

What accessories can you add to a Spornia net?

Wider side nets, a replacement target sheet and a white sheet for a projector.

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Spornia Side Net Extensions for the SPG-7 are £59, as are the SPG-5 and SPG-8 versions. Spornia's own FAQ answers "What if I shank the ball?" with these nets, which widen the hitting area.

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The black Spornia Bulls-Eye Target Sheet is £54 for the SPG-5 and SPG-7 and £59 for the SPG-8. Spornia says every new net already has one, and sells replacements for when the original wears out.

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The white Spornia Golf Simulator Target Sheet is £59 for the SPG-7 and £69 for the SPG-8.

Can you use a Spornia net as a golf simulator?

Yes, with a launch monitor, the white sheet and a projector, as a small screen inside the net. The projector and its mount cost extra, and the picture has to fit the SPG-7's 1.63m sheet. An enclosure gives the projector a full-width impact screen, and our cheapest complete simulator package is £1,657.

What are the Spornia net's known problems?

It leans, it's a job to fold, it moves in the wind, the target sheet wears, and shanks miss it.

The lean and the fold come down to a video and a second pair of hands.

How does the Spornia compare with other golf practice nets?

Spornia's case is the ball return, roof and chipping basket in one pop-up net, and our TrueStrike nets cost less.

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The TrueStrike TS-5 is £229, £130.99 less than the SPG-7. It stands about 2m tall with its roof and 1.7m deep, and it returns the ball too.

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The TrueStrike TS-8 is £359, £200.99 less than the SPG-8 XL. It's the same 2.45m cube and weighs 10kg, and it comes with a target sheet, ground stakes and a carry bag.

The net that suits a garden, a garage or a spare room depends on the ceiling over it and how often it has to come down.

Spornia golf net FAQs

How much does a Spornia golf net cost in the UK?

£249 for the SPG-5, £359.99 for the SPG-7 and £559.99 for the SPG-8 XL. The SPG-7 bundles run from £398.99 to £1,080, and the side nets and target sheets from £54 to £69.

Can you hit a driver into a Spornia net?

Yes. Spornia says all 3 sizes take any club, driver included, and Plugged In Golf hit full drivers into the compact net indoors with no extra weight on it. Indoors, the ceiling decides: a driver swing needs about 2.8m.

Does a Spornia net catch shanks?

The side netting catches some. Spornia's answer for the rest is its side net extensions, £59 for each size here, and Golf Monthly found the SPG-8's standard side netting enough on its own.

Is the Spornia SPG-7 big enough for full swings with a Garmin R10?

The net is, at about 2.1m wide and high. The room is the limit: the R10 sits 4.2m to 4.8m from the target sheet, and a driver wants 2.8m of ceiling.

Does a Spornia net come with a hitting mat?

No. None of the 3 nets comes with a mat. Our SPG-7 bundles add a GolfBays 1.5m mat or a hitting strip, and we don't sell Spornia's own mats.

Can you use a Spornia net indoors?

Yes. The SPG-7 is made for inside or outside, and under a standard 2.39m ceiling it goes up with its roof off.

The Garmin Approach R50 is a launch monitor with the simulator built in. It reads the ball with 3 high-speed cameras from beside the tee and plays Home Tee Hero's courses on its own 10-inch touchscreen, so there's no PC or tablet in the chain. It's £4,299 from us. Here's what it measures, what independent tests found, the room and membership it needs, and what a full R50 bay costs in the UK.

Is the Garmin R50 worth it?

Yes, if you want to play real courses on a big screen with nothing in the chain but a projector and a membership. If you mainly want your numbers, a Garmin R10 at £421 gives you ball speed, carry and spin for about a tenth of the price.

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The Garmin Approach R50 is £4,299. The box holds the unit, a carrying case, 250 club tracking stickers, and the mains adapter and power cable. The screen is built in, which saves a fight over the family iPad.

What does the Garmin R50 measure?

Ball, club and result numbers, more than 15 metrics in all, from 3 high-speed cameras beside the ball. After each shot it also plays back a high-speed video of impact. Garmin's launch release says it measures spin rate and spin axis.

For club data, Garmin's owner's manual has you stick one of the included stickers on the face of each club you want numbers from, and replace it when it's worn or dirty. The putter needs none, because club data isn't recorded for putts. With 250 in the box, you'll run out of clubs long before you run out of stickers.

Golf Monthly's tester found club data switched off out of the box.

The catch: once you switch club data on, the area the ball has to sit in gets smaller, so on a worn mat there's less room to find a fresh spot.

How accurate is the Garmin Approach R50?

Both independent tests below found the ball data accurate, and the one run beside a Foresight GCQuad found the club numbers less reliable.

Matt Saternus tested the R50 indoors beside a GCQuad for Plugged In Golf's review (2 January 2025). The ball numbers almost matched the GCQuad's, while the club data was "hit and miss", with angle of attack the weakest. In the comments, a reader's 7-iron angle of attack read 2 to 4 degrees steeper than on a Trackman 4, and Saternus agreed.

Golf Monthly's Joel Tadman tested it at the indoor studio at Peterborough Milton Golf Club (6 February 2025). He found the data accurate and the simulator close to faultless. He couldn't run it beside a GCQuad, because interference stopped both units tracking.

Garmin's manual lists what throws the readings off:

• Ball flight conditions that don't match where you play.
• Low sun on the unit or the clubface.
• The ball's logo turned away from the unit, which matters most on a matte ball.
• A sticker on or near white decoration on the clubface.
• Anything reflective in the cameras' view.

Indoors, that means you light the ball from above and keep anything glossy out of the cameras' sight. The full-length mirror you check your posture in goes on another wall.

How much space do you need for a Garmin R50?

A room 3m wide, 2.8m high and 4.5m deep takes a full R50 SimBox bay. Garmin's manual puts the R50 about 0.5m to the side of the tee, facing it, at about the same height as the tee, with no levelling needed.

• Height: 2.8m lets a full driver swing clear the ceiling, 3m is comfortable, and at 2.4m you're down to irons and wedges.
• Width and handedness: the R50 sits across the mat from the golfer, so a left-hander moves it to the other side. A room shared by a left- and a right-hander wants 4m of width, and 4 of our 7 SimBox sizes are 3.6m wide or more.
• Depth: nothing goes behind you, which is why 4.5m is enough where a radar unit wants 5m.
• Aim: you can adjust target alignment up to 10 degrees left or right by placing 2 balls in the areas shown on screen. If the tee isn't in the middle of the screen, an external display setting shifts the picture sideways.
• Power: on the mains it runs without the battery, and it can't charge from a USB-C cable, so plan a socket within reach of where it stands.

The R50 crosses the mat every time the left-handed mate steps up.

Do you need a projector for the Garmin R50?

No. It plays on its own 10-inch screen, which is plenty for your numbers and a squint for a par 5. A projector or TV on its HDMI port adds the big picture, and it can mirror the R50 or show a different view.

The R50's maximum output is 1080p, according to Garmin's manual, so a full HD short throw projector shows everything Home Tee Hero sends.

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The Optoma GT2200HDR is £899, a full HD short throw with 3,300 lumens and a 4LED light source rated for 30,000 hours. Full HD is plenty on most home screens, and 4K pays off when a PC runs the software in 4K.

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Garmin doesn't put an HDMI cable in the box. Our 10m HDMI 2.1 cable is £29.99, long enough to reach a projector on the ceiling.

In-game sound needs a Bluetooth speaker or the speakers in your TV or projector.

Does the Garmin R50 require a subscription?

For Home Tee Hero's courses, yes. Garmin's manual asks for a Garmin Golf membership to play or practise on a virtual course and to enter the weekly tournament. The driving range and your shot data need none.

Garmin's golf simulator, Home Tee Hero, runs on the R50 itself, and the manual has you download the courses you want over Wi-Fi. Up to 4 players can share a round, according to Garmin's launch release.

How much does a Garmin R50 subscription cost?

Garmin Golf costs £89.99 a year or £8.99 a month on Garmin's UK site, and both plans renew automatically. Paying monthly for a year comes to £107.88, £17.89 more than the annual plan.

The catch: Home Tee Hero is on the R50 from day one, and without the membership you can't play a round on it.

Do you need a PC for the Garmin R50?

Only for some third-party software, GSPro among them. The R50 sends every shot over Wi-Fi to compatible simulator software, and you can drive that software with a Bluetooth keyboard paired to the R50.

GSPro is £250 a year on a Windows PC, and it lists the R50 among its supported launch monitors. Awesome Golf also works with the R50, and it runs on a Mac or an iPad.

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If you go the GSPro route, our HD Spec gaming PC is £1,790, with an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti graphics card.

For the price of the GSPro route over 3 years, Garmin Golf would run for 28 years.

How much does the Garmin R50 cost in the UK?

£4,299 on its own, £4,649 with an EazyNet practice net, £5,499 to £5,908 in a SimBox package, and £6,526.98 for a 3m SimBox bay with the projector kit.

The Garmin R50 SimBox package

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The Garmin Approach R50 SimBox package puts the R50 in our SimBox enclosure, which clicks together without tools in under an hour. At 2.6m wide it's £1,200 more than the R50 on its own.

The jump from the smallest frame to the biggest is £409, which is nearly an R10.

The Garmin R50 EazyNet practice net package

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The EazyNet Golf Practice Net Package with the R50 is £4,649. The R50 plays its courses on its own screen, so you can still play Home Tee Hero in a net bay.

The catch: the picture is 10 inches across, and the ball stops in the net before you see it fly.

How much does a complete Garmin R50 bay cost?

£6,526.98 at 3m wide with the projector kit, or £6,796.95 with 3 years of Garmin Golf.

That £6,526.98 is the top of the mid-range band for a UK golf simulator, which starts at £3,508.98 with the same projector kit.

What problems do Garmin R50 owners report?

Owners on Garmin's forum raise the pace of firmware updates and a few reading quirks, on top of the club data above.

• Firmware: in an autumn 2026 thread on Garmin's Approach R50 forum, one owner complained that months had passed without an update, and another said an update in January brought a putting bug.
• Ball type: one owner's list of gripes on the same forum says spin seemed wrong with yellow balls, and range balls read nowhere near the right spin off a wedge.
• False shots and mulligans: the same owner had white socks or white shoes read as a shot, and could only take a mulligan within 5 seconds.
• Battery and settings: Plugged In Golf found only a short gap between the low-battery warning and shut-off, and Golf Monthly's tester had to bend or kneel to change settings.

Dark socks are cheaper than a firmware update.

Is the Garmin R50 better than the R10?

Yes, if you want cameras reading the ball at impact and courses on the unit's own screen. If you only want the numbers on a budget, the R10 does the job for about a tenth of the price.

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The Garmin Approach R10 is £421, and its radar sits 1.8m to 2.4m behind the ball, with the numbers on your phone or tablet.

The gap between them is £3,878, enough for 9 more R10s with £89 left over.

Garmin R50 alternatives

Where a launch monitor sits decides the room: camera units beside the ball need 4.5m of depth, radar units behind the ball 5m to 6.1m, and a ceiling unit leaves the floor clear.

Which is better for golf, the Garmin Approach R50 or the Full Swing KIT?

The KIT if club data comes first and the room is at least 5.5m deep, and the R50 if you want courses on its own screen in a 4.5m room.

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The Full Swing KIT is £5,999, £1,700 more than the R50. It's a radar unit that sits about 3m behind the ball, so indoors the room wants 5.5m to 6.1m of depth. Its app runs on iPhone and iPad, and it plays E6 Connect and GSPro for simulator golf.

Plugged In Golf rates the KIT the better buy at the price if club data is your priority.

A cheaper camera unit: the SkyTrak ST MAX

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The SkyTrak ST MAX is £1,695 with a year of SkyTrak Core. It pairs a camera with radar and sits beside the ball, so 4.5m of depth is enough. Its app runs on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

The catch: it has no screen of its own, and Core is £249.99 a year from year 2.

Who should buy the Garmin R50?

• Golfers who want courses without a PC: Home Tee Hero runs on the unit, and a projector adds the big picture.
• A garage or spare room 4.5m deep: nothing goes behind you, so you don't need the 5m a radar unit wants.
• The range and the garden too: up to 4 hours on the battery, with a carrying case in the box.
• Households taking turns: up to 4 players in a Home Tee Hero round, and a profile each that keeps its own handedness.

Who should skip the Garmin R50?

• Numbers on a budget: the R10 at £421 gives you the shot numbers.
• Club data first: the Full Swing KIT, if the room is 5.5m deep or more.
• A narrow bay shared by a left- and a right-hander: a ceiling unit built for right and left-handers never has to move.

Garmin R50 FAQs

When did the Garmin R50 come out?

Garmin launched the Approach R50 on 12 November 2024, so it turns 2 this month.

Will the Garmin R50 go on sale?

It has been on sale with us. The R50 was £3,879 in our October sale and is back to £4,299. We can't promise when the next R50 sale comes.

Can you putt with the Garmin R50?

Yes, Home Tee Hero rounds have live putting, and you can switch it off to have 0 to 3 strokes added by how close your approach finished. Putting is off in the weekly tournament. A camera unit beside the ball reads the putt at impact, and the putter needs no sticker. One owner on Garmin's forum found putts ran slow in Home Tee Hero.

Does the Garmin R50 work outdoors?

Yes. Garmin rates it IPX3, which means it withstands spraying water. It works from -10°C to 55°C on up to 4 hours of battery. Keep low sun off the unit, and in a garden net setup the launch monitor is the first thing indoors when it rains.

How long does the Garmin R50 battery last?

Up to 4 hours, according to Garmin. On the mains it runs without the battery. It only charges between 3°C and 47°C, so in a cold garage in winter you charge it indoors.

Does the Garmin R50 come with a case?

Yes, a carrying case with a shoulder strap, and the 250 club stickers come in it. Golf Monthly puts the unit at just over 4kg, so it goes to the range in one hand.

Can left-handed golfers use the Garmin R50?

Yes. Set left-handed in your profile and move the unit to the other side of the mat. A bay shared with a right-hander wants 4m of width, so the R50 has room on both sides.

Can you use the Garmin R50 with GSPro?

Yes, GSPro lists the R50 among its supported launch monitors. It costs £250 a year and runs on a Windows PC, which a Home Tee Hero bay doesn't need.