Golf Simulator Room Depth and Width: Swing Space, Ball-to-Screen, and Lefty/Righty Layouts
Depth decides which launch monitor you can use. Width decides where the tee goes and whether left- and right-handed golfers can share it. Here is how the makers break both down.
The guideline numbers
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Depth (Carl's Place) | 15 ft = 1 ft behind screen + 10 ft screen-to-ball + 4 ft behind ball | 18–20 ft = 1 ft + 10–12 ft + 7 ft |
| Width (Carl's Place) | 10 ft with an offset hitting area | 14 ft+ for a centered tee for right- and left-handed golfers |
| Ideal room (The Indoor Golf Shop) | 14 ft wide x 18 ft deep x 10 ft high | |
Sources: Carl's Place: Measuring your space for an indoor golf simulator (updated 2026-09-25) · The Indoor Golf Shop: Space requirements for a golf simulator
Depth, piece by piece
1. Gap behind the screen
The screen has to move when a ball hits it. The Indoor Golf Shop says leave 9–12 in between wall and screen (SIG); Carl's Place says 12–16 in (Carl's). Carl's DIY frame also needs at least 8.25 in behind the enclosure for its rear fitting, and its Pro enclosure 9.5 in (Carl's sizing).
2. Ball to screen
Both big enclosure sellers recommend 10–12 ft (SIG, Carl's). Some makers allow less for their own unit: Garmin says the R10's tee must be at least 8 ft from the net indoors (Garmin manual), and Rapsodo says 8 ft from ball to net for the MLM2PRO (Rapsodo FAQ). Uneekor's EYE MINI LITE and ceiling units want 10 ft minimum and 12 ft recommended, and Trackman iO 8'2" minimum, 10 ft recommended (maker figures in The Indoor Golf Shop's table). Carl Markestad's view on going closer: some people go to about 8 ft, but "that gets a little uncomfortable" (podcast).
3. Behind the ball
This is where launch monitor type matters most.
- Behind-the-ball radar units need their own setback. Garmin R10: 6–8 ft behind the tee, and Garmin's setup video gives a minimum indoor space of 15 ft long by 8 ft wide by 8 ft high (manual, Garmin video). Rapsodo MLM2PRO: 6.5–8.5 ft behind the ball, "a little more than 14 total feet," and taller players may need to go further back (Rapsodo).
- Side-of-ball camera units sit next to the ball, so you only need swing room: Carl's 4 ft minimum, 7 ft recommended. Bushnell says the Launch Pro needs 13 ft of depth to track ball flight indoors (Bushnell).
- Ceiling units hang near the tee, so behind-the-ball space is also just swing room.
Worked examples
These use the same rule as our calculator: 12 in screen gap + ball-to-screen + behind-ball space.
| Room depth | What works |
|---|---|
| Under 13 ft | Tight for any full-swing screen setup at the distances above. A side-of-ball unit with a net is the usual compromise. |
| 15 ft | Planning minimum for side-of-ball cameras (1 + 10 + 4) and for the Garmin R10 (1 + 8 + 6). Rapsodo needs about 15.5 ft by the same math. |
| 18 ft | Comfortable for most units: 1 + 10 + 7. This is also Carl's "ideal." |
| 20 ft | Room for 12 ft to the screen with Uneekor's recommended distance (1 + 12 + 7). |
Math by Room To Swing from the maker figures above. Carl's notes the recommended depth "covers the play area only," so seating needs extra room (Carl's).
Width and handedness
- 10 ft works with an offset tee, nudged toward one wall so the golfer has room on their back side (Carl's).
- 14 ft+ lets you center the tee so righties and lefties both fit. Carl's adds that some launch monitors that need strictly centered hitting "may need additional width, especially for full driver swings" (Carl's).
- Side-of-ball units take floor space next to the ball: about 12 in for SkyTrak ST MAX, about 16 in for Square Golf, about 15.75 in for Uneekor EYE MINI LITE, about 1.5 ft for Garmin R50, about 2 ft for Bushnell Launch Pro (SIG table, Garmin R50 manual). Bushnell says at least 6 ft of width indoors (Bushnell).
- Your enclosure must also fit: Carl's says subtract 4–6 in from your wall-to-wall width (2–3 in per side) to find the widest frame you can use (Carl's sizing).