As with most technology, home golf simulators have become more affordable with more options available than ever before.
If you’re trying to improve your game or live somewhere where the weather limits your golf season you may be wondering how much a home golf simulator costs? A home golf simulator will range in cost from as low as $1,000 up to $100,000 but most will spend between $8,000 to $25,000 on their golf simulator.
A golf simulator is made up of several components and your selection of those components is what will drive the price.
Below I will give you an overview golf simulator components as well as some price ranges for the most popular golf simulator brands.
Table of Contents
Golf Simulator Component Pricing
Golf Launch Monitor Costs
The launch monitor is the most important component of the golf simulator as it is the technology that tracks the golf shot.
Your launch monitor should be your first choice to make when planning your golf simulator since it will drive the amount of space required and software to be used.
Launch monitors can range from $600 for the Garmin R10 up to $23,500 for the Foresight GCHawk with club data.
If you are buying your golf simulator to improve your game, my recommendation is to invest as much as possible into a solid launch monitor and save some money on other components if you need to.
Hitting Mat and Flooring Costs
People often overlook the importance of a high quality hitting mat for their golf simulator (including me in the beginning). Like your launch monitor, your hitting mat will affect every shot you take in your simulator.
You can either purchase a full size hitting mat that includes your stance mat or you can purchase a single hitting strip (that part you hit the ball on).
If you go with just the hitting strip alone, you’ll need to cut into some type of flooring that’s the same height as the strip so that it’s level with your flooring. People often use foam tiles or foam board insulation as their flooring and then cover it with putting turf.
I recommend reading my Best Hitting Mats article to get an idea of what you may want but a quality hitting strip like the Carl’s Divot Action Hitting Strip will cost $135 and a full size, high-end hitting mat like the Fiberbuilt Player Preferred can cost almost $1600.
If you are using a radar-based launch monitor and want to putt on your golf simulator you may need to plan for creating an even putting surface. This is not necessary for most camera-based launch monitors.
If you have the budget, you can even purchase golf simulator flooring that includes putting cups and a hitting strip already inserted. The SIGPro flooring ranges from $3600 to $5000.
Golf Simulator Projector Costs
You’ll need a projector for your golf simulator and in most cases people use a “short-throw” projector so that it can be mounted very close to the screen.
You’ll need to decide if you want to go with a 1080p or 4K projector which can be a tough decision because the price difference is so steep.
1080p projectors for golf simulators start around $679 and a high-end 4K projector can cost over $5000.
If your main concern is game improvement, this is an area I recommend saving some budget on and going with an entry level 1080p projector so that you can spend more on your launch monitor.
Golf Simulator Enclosure and Screen Costs
The easiest way to get your golf simulator going is to use a simulator enclosure kit. There are several different manufacturers of these but they are all very similar.
Most are made with EMT conduit as the framing and the enclosure material and impact screen are attached with velcro and bungee cords.
I’ve found the best value to be Carl’s DIY Enclosure Kit. You can choose your own options to include the EMT or you can save some money and buy it yourself locally.
I have the 8’x10.5’ enclosure kit in my garage and am very happy with it.
6 standard sizes
Best value on simulator enclosures!
Enclosure pricing will vary by size but you’re going to spend between $1000 and $4000 depending on the manufacturer and options you go with.
Alternatively, you could build your own simulator enclosure or custom build your impact screen directly into your room.
Golf Simulator Software Costs
In most cases, your launch monitor will come with its own software you can use for a virtual driving range or play simulation courses on. Some may require an annual subscription to use simulation software.
You may want to purchase or subscribe to a 3rd party simulation software such as GSPro or TGC2019.
My recommendation would be to use GSPro as it is the most popular simulation software available right now and very affordable at $250/year.
The Bushnell Launch Pro requires the Gold subscription for $699/year to access Foresights full software offering and the Skytrak Play & Improve subscription is $249/year.
Depending on your launch monitor you might end up paying between $0 and $1000/year on golf simulation software.
By deciding on all of these components you’ll be able to figure out how much your golf simulator will cost.
Gaming PC Prices for Golf Simulators
Don’t forget to run that software you will need a gaming PC with a quality graphics card.
In most cases your PC will need an NVIDIA RTX 3060 – 3080 but you should check the system requirements for the software you plan to use.
If you plan to project in 1080p you can usually find a desktop computer like this one for under $1000.
Laptops will cost you more and you won’t get the same performance out of a laptop even with the same graphics card. If you choose a laptop, I recommend stepping up your graphics card even more.
If you want to project in 4K you’ll need a more expensive computer and in most cases that will run around $2500 – $3000.
If you’re on a tight budget you may skip the computer all together and run your simulation from an iPad. That will limit your software choices to E6 connect, Awesome Golf, and WGT but it can be done!
For the typical golf simulator software plan to spend $1000 to $2500 on your gaming computer. 4K will require a computer at the higher end of that price range.
The easiest way to select your components and price your simulator is by using this tool from Carl’s Place!
Next I’ll look at pricing for complete golf simulator packages from the top golf simulator brands.
How much does a Trackman golf simulator cost?
Trackman’s most recent version of its launch monitor, Trackman 4, has a starting price of $21,495. Depending on options and software chosen the launch monitor can end up costing significantly more.
Trackman may be the most well known launch monitor due to its relationship with the PGA Tour. When watching the PGA Tour on TV you will usually see shot tracers on the screen provided by the Trackman launch monitors placed behind every tee box.
Trackman uses dual doppler radar along with a camera to provide some of the best golf analysis data available.
If you’re considering Trackman for your home golf simulator, Trackman will provide a complete solution including design and installation. This service starts at $45,590 but can range to over $100,000.
How much does a Full Swing golf simulator cost?
The Full Swing Sport Series simulator starts at $44,900 and the Pro Series simulators start at $54,900. These are complete solutions from Full Swing that include everything you need including Full Swing software.
Full Swing simulators are used by many of the top PGA Tour Players including Tiger woods, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose, and Aaron Wise.
Full Swing also offers a more affordable launch monitor called the Full Swing KIT. You can purchase a Full Swing KIT golf simulator from the Indoor Golf Shop for under $11,000.
How much does a Foresight golf simulator cost?
A Foresight golf simulator can cost anywhere between $12,000 for a GC3 Package up to almost $27,000 for a GCHawk package.
Foresight is another top-level launch monitor brand trusted by many on the PGA Tour. You can regularly see their GCQuad launch monitors lining the PGA Tour event driving range every week.
Foresight launch monitors are all camera-based which makes them highly accurate indoors and one of the absolute best options for golf simulators.
Unlike radar-based launch monitors like Trackman, they have no requirements for ball flight space as the cameras are focused on the impact area only.
I personally use a Foresight GCQuad in my garage golf simulator and couldn’t be happier with it.
How much does a Skytrak golf simulator cost?
Skytrak golf simulators can cost between $7,700 and $10,000 for a complete solution.
Skytrak was one of the first companies to target consumer-level home golf simulators and the original Skytrak was the highest selling launch monitor of all time.
While Skytrak is probably not accurate enough for commercial club fitting or PGA Tour pros, it’s plenty accurate for the average golfer looking to keep sharp at home over the winter season.
What is the cheapest golf simulator?
The cheapest golf simulator currently available is the Garmin R10 golf simulator package which costs between $4,000 and $7,000 for a complete solution.
The Garmin R10 is the most affordable launch monitor capable of simulation play. Its low price offers the most value around and even includes an iOS version of E6 connect simulation software. If that’s not enough, you can even use it with GSPro software.
The easiest way to price your custom golf simulator package is by using this tool, which allows you to build your golf simulator part by part with pricing in real-time.
