Plan your basement golf simulator
Ceiling first, then depth and width: what fits under 8, 9 and 10 ft, which launch monitors never touch your ceiling, and the builds we size for basements.
A basement is already dark and out of the weather, which a projector and a January tee time both like. The catch is the ceiling, and the duct right where you want to swing.
Can you put a golf simulator in a basement? The short answer
Yes, if the ceiling clears your swing: measure to the lowest duct over the mat, not the drywall, and let that number pick the build.
Ceiling
Swing your own driver on the spot first; the Floating Screen bay (8 ft 6 in tall) fits a 9 ft room.
Width
Carl's Place: 10 ft with the tee offset, 14 ft for both hands. The Built-In kit is sewn to your wall width.
Depth
Carl's Place total room depth. Product minimums: Floating Screen bay 14 ft, smallest DIY kit room 16 ft 0 in.
Floating Screen bay
Built-In room kit
DIY enclosure kit
- Launch monitor for a low room: a unit beside the ball (SkyTrak ST MAX, Garmin R50, Uneekor EYE MINI LITE, Bushnell LPi) hangs nothing over your swing and does not add space behind you. Of these four, only the ST MAX has no ceiling minimum (it needs 10 x 10 ft of floor); the R50 needs 9 ft, and the EYE MINI LITE and LPi need 12 x 9 x 12 ft.
- Overhead units mount 9 to 10 ft above the mat (the Falcon 9.5 to 10.5 ft) and plan 15 to 16 ft of depth, so they suit a 10 ft basement, not an 8 ft one.
Fastest check: type your ceiling, width and depth into the golf simulator builder and it shows every screen, launch monitor and projector that fits, or open the Basement Floating Screen signature build (10 ft bay for a 12 ft wide room, SkyTrak ST MAX) with every part preselected.
How do you measure a basement for a golf simulator?
Three numbers, each taken at the spot where the mat will sit: height to the lowest obstruction, depth from the wall behind the screen to the wall behind you, and width at the tee.
| Measure | Where to put the tape | Why it decides the build |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling | Floor to the lowest duct, beam, bulkhead, joist or light over the hitting zone | The club arc has to clear it. Beam pockets, HVAC ductwork, electrical runs, bulkheads and floor joists are the intruders, so the lowest one sets the number. |
| Depth | Wall behind the screen to the wall behind the golfer | Carl's Place adds 12 to 16 in behind the screen, 10 to 12 ft of ball flight and 4 ft minimum to 7 ft recommended behind the ball: 15 ft tight, 18 ft comfortable. |
| Width | Wall to wall at the tee, minus any support column or stair wall | Carl's Place: at least 10 ft with the tee offset to one side; at least 14 ft for a centered tee that serves both hands. |
| Access | Stairwell width and the turn at the bottom | Our guidance: frame pipe, a rolled screen and a 5 by 5 ft mat all have to come down the stairs. |
Basement bay, side view
Projector and lights overhead
- The swing test: take your driver to the mat spot and swing it slowly to the top and through to a full finish. If the head brushes a joist, duct or light, that spot fails for that club, whatever a chart says.
- Measure the obstruction, not the room: a 9 ft basement with an 8 ft 2 in duct over the mat is an 8 ft 2 in room.
- Columns: a steel post beside the hitting zone pushes you to an offset tee, which works well in narrow basements.
What fits under an 8, 9 or 10 ft basement ceiling?
Measure to the lowest obstruction. Carl's Place: 8 ft is irons and wedges, 9 ft is mid-irons with driver sometimes, 10 ft and up is where most players swing driver. What each height opens up in our catalog:
8 ft
- Net Return Home net, 7 ft tall
- SkyTrak ST MAX beside the ball
- Carl's Place: irons and wedges
8 ft 6 in
- Carl's 7.7 ft kits, 8 ft 3 in room
- Pro net, 7.5 ft tall
- Carl's Place: swing a few clubs on the spot
9 ft
- Floating Screen bay, 8 ft 6 in tall
- SIG8 and Carl's 8 ft kits
- Carl's Place: mid-irons; driver sometimes
10 ft
- SIG12, 14 x 10 x 20 ft; Carl's 9 ft kits
- Overhead units fit
- Carl's Place: most players swing driver
- Overhead launch monitors mount 9 to 10 ft above the hitting surface (Uneekor EYE XO, XO2, XR; ProTee VX; TruGolf APOGEE), the Foresight Falcon 9.5 to 10.5 ft. We recommend a 10 ft room for Uneekor.
- Digging the floor down is real but not small: work with contractors, a structural engineer and your municipality, check permits, and expect that new beams, columns or wall reinforcements may be needed. We have no price to give you.
- Stuck at 8 or 9 ft? Our low ceiling golf simulator builds guide lists two complete builds for those rooms, and the overhead launch monitor guide covers the mounting windows.
Carl's Built-In room
Built-In side wall panels
A Carl's Place Built-In room: the screen hangs 1 ft off the back wall (the kit's own figure) and the optional panels pad the walls and ceiling. Kits are sewn for walls 8 ft to 10 ft 9 in high.
How much depth and width does a basement simulator need?
Product minimums by format, each from its own page: 14 ft for the Floating Screen bay, 16 ft 0 in for the smallest Carl's DIY kit room, 18 ft for the Built-In. Width: 10 ft offset, 14 ft centered.
| Format | Smallest room (W x H x D) | Basement fit | Package price |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 14 ft long, 2 ft wider than the net; 8 ft ceiling for the Home net | The lowest ceiling and the smallest budget; the net and mat only, no screen or projector | $1,294 | |
| 10 x 9 x 14 ft for the 8 ft bay | The smallest screen room we list; the bay is 8 ft 6 in tall and sits 6 in off the wall | From $3,002 | |
| 8 ft 10 in x 8 ft 7 in x 16 ft 0 in for the 8 x 8 kit | Six Carl's enclosure sizes in four nominal heights, 7.7 to 9 ft; the frame runs taller plus Carl's buffer, so plan about 8 ft 3 in to 9 ft 7 in of room | From $3,891.90 |
Net package room
Pro Enclosure
Curved Screen
| Format | Smallest room (W x H x D) | Basement fit | Package price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 ft 7 in x 8 ft 9 in x 16 ft | The frame fits an 8 ft 9 in room; an overhead unit on it wants a 9 to 10 ft ceiling (Falcon 9.5 to 10.5) | From $5,976.95 | |
| 14 ft 4 in x 9 ft 6 in x 16 ft | Wide basements only; the 9 ft 6 in already includes 6 in above the 9 ft frame, and every size needs 16 ft of depth | From $10,056.95 | |
| 10 x 9 x 18 ft | A squared-off finished basement with 18 ft of depth; no frame on the floor, screen sewn to your wall size | From $2,807 |
- Minimums are not the formula: the 14 ft bay and the 16 ft 0 in kit room are what those products list.
- Room depth: Plan total room depth at 15 ft minimum, 18 to 20 ft recommended; shallower means bounce-back closer to your head.
- Radar adds depth behind the ball; the launch monitor section below has the figures.
- SIG enclosures publish their own rooms on our product pages: SIG8 10 x 9 x 16 ft, SIG10 12 x 9 x 18 ft, SIG12 14 x 10 x 20 ft.
Package prices are the BYO-launch-monitor builds: screen or enclosure, mat, projector and mount, or the net and mat for the net package; the golf simulator packages hub compares all six by room.
Built-In package room
SIG12 enclosure
Which launch monitor fits a basement?
A unit beside the ball. It sits on the floor next to the tee, hangs nothing over your swing and takes the depth the bay already has. Overhead units want the 10 ft room.
Beside the ball
Cameras read the ball from the side, so nothing hangs overhead. Each unit's ceiling and floor figure is in the table below.
Overhead
Clears the floor and serves both hands without moving the unit, but it lives in the air your club uses.
Behind the ball
Radar sits 5 to 12 ft behind the tee by model, which is why our builder sets a depth floor for it.
Seven of the beside-the-ball units we sell, plus two overhead and one radar reference row; the room size guide lists all 22 units:
| Launch monitor | Where it sits | Ceiling | Room we quote | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beside the ball | None published | SkyTrak: 10 x 10 ft unobstructed | $1,695 | |
| Beside the ball, 1.5 ft to the side | 9 ft or more | 10 ft ball to screen (our product page) | $4,999.99 | |
| Beside the ball | 9 ft minimum (our product page) | 12 x 9 x 12 ft (our product page) | $1,699 | |
| Beside the ball | 9 ft minimum (our product page) | 12 x 9 x 12 ft (our product page) | $1,999 | |
| Beside the ball | 9 ft (our product page) | 12 x 9 x 12 ft (our product page) | $1,999 |
SkyTrak ST MAX
Garmin Approach R50
Uneekor EYE MINI LITE
Bushnell LPi
| Launch monitor | Where it sits | Ceiling | Room we quote | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beside the ball | 9 ft (our product page) | 12 x 9 x 12 ft (our product page) | $2,999 | |
| Beside the ball, about 2 ft from the hitting area | None published | 12 x 9 x 12 ft (our figure) | $3,999 | |
| Overhead, 3 ft 6 in in front of the tee | 9 to 10 ft mount; we recommend 10 | 13 ft wide x 16 ft deep x 10 ft high | $4,999 | |
| Overhead, 3 ft 6 in in front of the tee | 9 to 10 ft mount; we recommend 10 | 13 ft wide x 16 ft deep x 10 ft high | $7,999 | |
| Behind the ball, 6 to 8 ft | 8 ft (Garmin's device minimum, not driver clearance) | 18 ft (our radar floor); Garmin's indoor minimum is 15 ft long, 8 ft wide | $499.99 |
- Beside the ball means beside, not behind: Give SkyTrak 10 x 10 ft unobstructed; safe ceiling height depends on your height and club. The R50 sits about 1.5 ft to the side of the ball. With a screen, plan 14 ft in the Floating Screen bay and 16 ft or more in a fixed enclosure.
- For the GC3, GC3S, GCQuad or QuadMAX, we recommend a 12 x 9 x 12 ft room.
- A 9 ft basement and an overhead unit: Uneekor units can mount at 9 ft, but we recommend 10; the Falcon mounts 9.5 to 10.5 ft above the hitting surface.
- Measured from the hitting surface: the ProTee VX and APOGEE count their 9 to 10 ft from the ceiling or fixture to the mat, so a mat on 1.25 in foam tiles shrinks the window.
- Radar setbacks: a Garmin R10 sits 6 to 8 ft behind the ball, a Swing Caddie SC4 PRO 5 ft, a Mevo Gen2 8 ft.
- Radar depth we quote: 18 ft for most units, 18 to 19 ft inside a DIY enclosure; the SC4 PRO 16 ft with a screen, since it sits only 5 ft back.
- Shallower than that? A beside-the-ball camera makes better use of the room.
Uneekor EYE XO overhead
EYE XO room layout
Every unit side by side, filtered by your ceiling, width and depth: the launch monitor comparison; the whole lineup in the launch monitor collection.
Which basement golf simulator builds do we size for low rooms?
Four complete setups, each a package we sell with its own room figure. Pick the launch monitor in the builder and the price updates with it.
Net package
- Room: about 14 ft long, 2 ft wider than the net
- You get: Home net (7 other sizes) and Pro Turf mat; launch monitor extra
- Pick it when: the ceiling is 8 ft or the room is shared
Floating Screen
- Room: 10 x 9 x 14 ft for the 8 ft bay
- You get: bay, mat, laser projector, mount; launch monitor extra
- Pick it when: the basement is 9 ft and under 16 ft deep
DIY Enclosure
- Room: 8 ft 10 in x 8 ft 7 in x 16 ft 0 in, 8 x 8 kit
- You get: enclosure, pipe kit, mat, projector, mount; launch monitor extra
- Pick it when: a kit plus Carl's buffer clears your duct
Built-In Screen
- Room: 10 x 9 x 18 ft; walls 8 ft to 10 ft 9 in high
- You get: Built-In kit, mat, laser projector, mount; launch monitor extra
- Pick it when: the room is finished, squared-off and 18 ft deep
Complete basement builds with the launch monitor included, beside the ball in every one:
| Complete build | Launch monitor sits | Room to plan | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beside the ball | Kit room from 8 ft 10 in x 8 ft 7 in x 16 ft 0 in; SkyTrak needs 10 x 10 ft of floor | $5,461.90 | |
| Beside the ball | Kit room from 16 ft 0 in deep; the EYE MINI LITE page asks 12 ft wide, 9 ft high | $5,465.90 | |
| Beside the ball | Kit room from 16 ft 0 in deep; the LPi page asks 12 ft wide, 9 ft high | $5,765.90 | |
| Beside the ball | 10 ft bay in 12 x 9 x 14 ft, the 12 ft width the Launch Pro page asks | $6,201 (10 ft bay) | |
| Beside the ball | 8 ft bay in 10 x 9 x 14 ft; the R50 needs 9 ft or more of ceiling | $8,001.99 | |
| Beside the ball | 8 ft bay in 10 x 9 x 14 ft; the bay needs a 9 ft ceiling | $7,001 | |
| Beside the ball | Kit room from 16 ft 0 in deep; we quote 12 x 9 x 12 ft for the GC3 | $7,765.90 | |
| Beside the ball | 8 ft bay in 10 x 9 x 14 ft | $19,001 |
- Which kit height: four nominal heights, 7.7, 8, 8.5 and 9 ft, across six sizes; the frame is 4 in taller than the screen, plus Carl's 2 to 3 in of buffer.
- Floating Screen widths: 8, 10 or 12 ft, all 8 ft 6 in tall; the 10 ft bay wants a 12 ft wide room, the 12 ft bay 14 ft.
- Two figures per row: the kit's own room and the launch monitor's page; plan for the larger of the two.
- A real one: a customer's basement bay on our customer builds page: a 10 ft 5 in wide by 8 ft tall enclosure under a 9 ft ceiling.
Carl's 7.7 x 10 kit
Carl's 8 x 10.5 kit
Carl's 8.5 x 11.5 kit
Carl's 9 x 12 kit
What basement problems should you plan for?
Six things a spare room never asks. Each has a part or a habit.
- Moisture: keep humidity under 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50; we recommend a dehumidifier to protect turf, screen, electronics and projector.
- Cold concrete: slabs get cold, so a subfloor, foam tiles or turf padding helps with temperature and joint comfort; the mat can sit flush in a cut-out.
- Ducts, beams and columns: map every obstruction first; a post on your trail side means the mat moves toward a wall, aimed at the screen's center.
- Concrete dust: dust from an unfinished slab settles inside electronics, so seal the space or lay the floor before the gear comes down.
- Light: Carl's Place calls easy light control a top perk; a dark room gives a brighter, cleaner image.
- Noise upstairs: acoustic panels, added insulation and heavy curtains are Carl's Place's sound treatments.
The parts that fix the floor, the echo and a ceiling too busy for a mount:
Carl's Floor Tiles, 5 pack
- Job: a cushioned subfloor on the slab
- Install: by hand, no adhesive
- Pick it when: the mat should sit flush in the turf
Carl's Acoustic Tiles
- Job: quiets the echo off bare walls
- Install: peel and stick on walls and ceiling
- Pick it when: the family sleeps above the bay
ProGuard Floor Mount
- Job: a protected box for a floor projector
- Install: on the floor, mat to screen
- Pick it when: ducts take the ceiling mount's spot
- Projector on a low ceiling: Carl's Place mounts a short-throw projector on the ceiling above or just in front of the hitting zone; a duct there means a floor mount. Throw distance: the projector setup guide and projector calculator.
- Lumens: a dark basement needs less brightness than a garage with daylight; the lumens guide has the numbers.
- Electronics and damp: Do not let the ST MAX get wet or sit in extreme temperatures. A dehumidifier is the cheapest insurance in the room.
- Ventilation: Give the room proper airflow to keep the air fresh and the temperature steady.
Which basement golf simulator setup is right for your room?
Measure to the lowest duct, then find your row.
9 ft, under 16 ft deep
- 8 ft bay, 14 ft deep
- R50 or ST MAX
- See the Floating Screen package
9 ft, deeper rooms
- Carl's kit under the duct
- Built-In, 18 ft deep
- See the DIY Enclosure package
10 ft and 16 ft deep
- 13 ft wide
- EYE XO2 or ProTee VX
- See the Pro Enclosure package
Radar only when the floor is at least 18 ft (our builder's floor; 16 ft for the SC4 PRO with a screen).
- Left and right handers in one bay: 14 ft of width for a centered tee; an overhead unit then serves both sides without moving the unit, and both golfers still need the swing room.
- Not sure? Our fit-your-room guide runs three real rooms through the same rules, and the room size guide has every launch monitor's placement figure.
Bottom line: how do you plan a basement golf simulator?
You have your row from the cards above. Two jobs before anything ships:
- Stairs: measure the stairwell and the turn at the bottom; the frame pipe, a rolled screen and a 5 by 5 ft mat all come down it.
- Room first: get the dehumidifier holding under 60 percent (EPA) and the slab sealed or floored before the electronics come down.
Go deeper: room, ceiling and setup guides
Four guides that pick up where this one stops:
Low ceilings
What drops off at each height, two complete builds.
Room size
Ceiling, width and depth for six formats, 22 units.
Overhead units
Seven ceiling-mounted units and where each hangs.
Garage builds
Door tracks, daylight and climate, if the basement loses.
Prices checked November 3, 2026.
