What is a portable golf simulator?
A portable golf simulator, or mobile golf simulator, is four things you can carry: a launch monitor, a net or free-standing screen that comes down after the session, a mat, and the device you play on.
5.22 oz
The Garmin Approach R10, $499.99, weighs 5.22 oz without its tripod and runs up to 10 hours.
1.7 lb
The SkyTrak ST MAX, $1,695.00, sits beside the ball, so it needs no room behind you.
$1,793.00
The Swing Caddie SC4 PRO Net Golf Simulator: launch monitor, net and mat, all of it packs away.
The launch monitor is the easy part. What you hit into decides whether the setup really packs away.
Jump to the part you need:
- What each unit weighs and how long the battery lasts
- What changes when you take it outside
- How much room you need behind the ball indoors
- What a complete portable setup costs
What makes a golf simulator portable?
Three things have to move, not one.
1. The sensor
A unit that runs on a battery or one cord and reads shots from the spot its maker names.
2. The target
A net that breaks down without tools, or a free-standing screen bay. Our enclosures stay up.
3. The display
A phone or the unit's own screen travels. A ceiling-mounted projector does not.
One warning before you shop. A compact launch monitor is not automatically a simulator: the PRGR Black Pocket ($199.99) and the Swing Caddie SC300i ($399.99) give you numbers but drive no simulator software.
Which portable golf simulators are lightest, and how long do they run?
The Garmin Approach R10 is the lightest of them at 5.22 oz without its tripod, and it ties the Swing Caddie SC4 PRO for the longest battery at 10 hours. Camera units weigh more and run shorter.
Units that sit behind the ball
| Launch monitor | Price | Weight | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swing Caddie SC4 PRO | $499.00 | 20.8 oz (1.3 lb) | 10 hours |
| Garmin Approach R10 | $499.99 | 5.22 oz (0.33 lb) 7.79 oz on its tripod |
Up to 10 hours |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | $599.99 | 0.7 lb | 2 to 4 hours |
| FlightScope Mevo Gen2 | $1,299.00 | 1.1 lb | Up to 6 hours |
Units that sit beside the ball
| Launch monitor | Price | Weight | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkyTrak ST MAX | $1,695.00 | 1.7 lb | 4 to 5 hours |
| Bushnell Launch Pro | $2,999.00 | 5 lb | 5 to 7 hours |
| Uneekor EYE MINI | $2,999.00 | 7.9 lb | 6 to 8 hours |
| Foresight GC3S | $3,799.00 | 5 lb | 5 to 7 hours |
| Garmin Approach R50 | $4,999.99 | 9 lb | Up to 4 hours |
| Foresight GC3 | $6,999.00 | 5 lb | 5 to 7 hours |
| Foresight GCQuad | $15,999.00 | 7.5 lb | 6 to 8 hours, swappable |
The MLM2PRO is the lightest hybrid here at 0.7 lb, and it has the shortest battery of the radar and hybrid units at 2 to 4 hours. The weights and battery ratings are the makers' own; the prices are ours.
- Spin needs the right ball. The MLM2PRO needs RPT balls to show spin. The Mevo Gen2 needs its aluminum stickers or an RCT ball for accurate spin whenever the ball flies into a net or screen. With unrestricted ball flight outdoors, it needs neither.
- Watch the names. The Uneekor EYE MINI is listed as portable with a carrying case. The cheaper EYE MINI LITE ($1,999.00) is listed by Uneekor as not portable: it is the wired one, and it is heavier at 8.4 lb.
Which portable golf simulator should you buy?
Four picks cover most rooms and most budgets. Each one is portable and runs real simulator software.
Garmin Approach R10
- Pocket size: 7.79 oz with its tripod attached
- Rated IPX7, so a passing shower will not end the session
- Needs 6 to 8 ft behind the ball, so a deep space or outdoors
Rapsodo MLM2PRO
- Radar and two cameras, plus slow motion impact video
- 2 to 4 hours of battery, so charge it before a round
- RPT balls are required before it shows spin numbers
SkyTrak ST MAX
- Sits beside the ball, so nothing has to fit behind you
- SkyTrak asks for 10 ft wide by 10 ft deep indoors
- SkyTrak lists 4 hours of battery on its spec panel and up to 5 in its user guide
Garmin Approach R50
- Plays on its own 10 in touchscreen, no phone or PC needed
- HDMI out to a projector or TV, cable not included
- Up to 4 hours of battery and an IPX3 water rating
Want the whole range instead of four picks? Our launch monitor collection lists every unit we carry, and the simulator builder prices a full room around any of them.
Going deeper on one unit? We have a full FlightScope Mevo Gen2 review and a Bushnell Launch Pro guide.
What changes when you take it outside?
Two things: light and weather. Garmin says to keep direct sun off the front of the R50, SkyTrak says to keep it off the ST MAX lens, and only three of these units carry a published IP rating.
| Launch monitor | IP rating | What the maker says about outdoor use |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin Approach R10 | IPX7 | Withstands exposure to water up to 1 m for up to 30 minutes |
| Bushnell Launch Pro | IPX7 | Listed for indoor and outdoor use, with a touchscreen on the unit |
| Garmin Approach R50 | IPX3 | Withstands spraying water tilted up to 60 degrees. Keep direct sun off the front of the unit and off the club sticker |
| Swing Caddie SC4 PRO | Not published | Built for indoor and outdoor use; outdoors it shows shot data on its own display, no phone needed |
| FlightScope Mevo Gen2 | Not published | Can be used indoors and outdoors; outdoors it wants 7 to 9 ft from sensor to tee with unrestricted ball flight |
| SkyTrak ST MAX | Not published | Fully portable for indoor and outdoor use on a hitting mat; avoid direct sunlight on the lens, as it may affect accuracy |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | Not water resistant | Rapsodo says not to use it in rain or wet conditions. Outdoors it sits 6.5 to 8.5 ft directly behind the ball, aimed down the target line |
| Foresight GC3 and GC3S | Not published | Touchscreen on the unit |
| Foresight GCQuad | Not published | Its reflective memory display is built for outdoor viewing, and the battery is swappable |
| Uneekor EYE MINI | Not published | Designed for portability, to practice and play indoors or outdoors, but Uneekor says it is not designed for use in rain |
The practical rule: put the sun behind the unit, not in front of it, and bring the launch monitor inside when you are done.
How much room do you need behind the ball indoors?
A radar unit needs its maker's setback behind the ball plus room to the net. A camera unit sits beside the ball and needs nothing behind you.
| Launch monitor | Maker's setback | Ball to net or screen | DIY Enclosure depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC4 PRO | 5 ft behind the ball | At least 10 ft | 18 ft 9 in |
| Garmin R10 | 6 to 8 ft behind the tee | At least 8 ft | 18 ft 9 in |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | 6.5 to 8.5 ft behind the ball | 8 ft | 18 ft 9 in |
| Mevo Gen2 | 8 ft sensor to tee | 8 ft of ball flight | 19 ft 9 in |
| SkyTrak ST MAX | Beside the ball | Set by your screen or net | 16 ft 9 in |
| Other units beside the ball | Nothing behind you | Set by your screen or net | 16 ft 9 in |
Rapsodo puts the MLM2PRO total at "a little more than 14 total feet". Our own DIY Enclosure page is stricter:
- A unit behind the ball gets 7 ft behind the tee or the maker's setback, whichever is longer. That is why the Mevo Gen2, with its 8 ft setback, needs a foot more.
- The last column is the total room depth that page lists for each unit, not a sum of the two columns before it.
SkyTrak asks for 10 ft wide by 10 ft deep for the ST MAX. That is why a camera unit is the answer in a short room. Our room size guide covers width and ceiling height.
What else has to pack away?
Here is what each of the first three formats asks of your room.
Net
- The frame comes apart without tools, by push button
- Our net packages put setup at about five minutes
- No projector, so you play on a phone, tablet or the unit
Floating Screen
- The bay is free standing; only the projector mount goes on the ceiling
- Takes a projected course, so the picture is full size
- Heavier to move than a net and it wants a parking spot
DIY Enclosure
- A framed enclosure and screen that lives in the room
- The launch monitor still travels; the bay does not
- Pick this when the space is yours to keep
Those are three of our six formats. The Pro Enclosure, Curved Screen and Built-In Screen all stay up once they are built, and all six are priced in our golf simulator packages.
Net sizes, with the weight you have to carry
| Net size | Width x height | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 4 ft 6 in x 4 ft 6 in | 15 lb | $295.00 |
| Mini | 5 ft x 6 ft | 24 lb | $549.00 |
| Home | 7 ft x 7 ft | 26 lb | $695.00 |
| Pro | 8 ft x 7 ft 6 in | 28 lb | $795.00 |
| Pro 8 | 8 ft x 8 ft | 32 lb | $895.00 |
| Pro 9 | 9 ft x 8 ft | 33 lb | $995.00 |
| Pro 10 | 10 ft x 8 ft | 34 lb | $1,095.00 |
| Pro XL | 10 ft x 9 ft 6 in | 48 lb | $1,599.00 |
- Floor depth: 3 ft 6 in for every size except the Junior, which takes 2 ft 4 in.
- Moves week to week: the Pro at 28 lb is the size we suggest.
- Goes up once: the Pro XL at 48 lb stays where you put it.
All eight sizes are on the net product page.
What does a complete portable setup cost?
A complete setup that packs away starts at $1,793.00: launch monitor, net and mat together. The net and mat start at $1,294.00 before a launch monitor is added.
| Complete setup | Price | Launch monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Net Golf Simulator | $1,294.00 | Added in the builder |
| Swing Caddie SC4 PRO Net | $1,793.00 | SC4 PRO |
| Garmin Approach R10 Net | $1,793.99 | R10 |
| FlightScope Mevo Gen2 Net | $2,593.00 | Mevo Gen2 |
| Bushnell Launch Pro Net | $4,293.00 | Launch Pro |
| Garmin Approach R50 Net | $6,293.99 | R50 |
| Foresight GC3 Net | $8,293.00 | GC3 |
| Foresight GCQuad Net | $17,293.00 | GCQuad |
Want the course on a screen instead of a phone? The Floating Screen setups start at $3,002.00 before a launch monitor, and $3,501.00 with the SC4 PRO. The bay is free standing, so the room still comes back.
- MLM2PRO or ST MAX? Neither is sold as a net package. Each comes as a DIY Enclosure build instead: the MLM2PRO from $4,366.89 and the ST MAX from $5,461.90.
- Want to keep it portable? Add either one to the Net Golf Simulator in the builder.
Can you play real courses on a portable setup?
Yes, and what you play on depends on the unit. Three paths, in rising order of what they ask of you:
- The unit's own screen. The Garmin R50 plays on its built-in 10 in touchscreen with no phone or PC at all.
- A phone or tablet. The R10, SC4 PRO and MLM2PRO play through an app, which is why they travel so lightly.
- A Windows PC. GSPro runs on Windows. E6 CONNECT runs on a PC or on iOS. We sell simulator ready computers for the PC path.
Each pick has its own plan for course play. Prices are from our store. What each plan includes is from the maker.
- Garmin Approach R10 and R50: Garmin Golf membership. $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month. It unlocks Home Tee Hero, the course simulator Garmin lists for the R10 and R50 only.
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO: MLM2PRO Premium Membership. $199.99 a year after the 45-day trial that comes with the unit. It opens more than 30,000 Rapsodo simulated courses.
- SkyTrak ST MAX: SkyTrak Membership. Essential, at $99.99 a year, covers the range and practice libraries. Course play starts with the two Core plans, at $299.99 or $349.99 a year, each with its own course pack. Elite, at $599.99 a year, has both packs.
- Swing Caddie SC4 PRO: no membership. The VoiceCaddie S app is free. Voice Caddie includes 5 E6 CONNECT courses and 1 driving range. More courses take an E6 CONNECT subscription. We sell Basic at $300.00 and Expanded at $600.00 a year.
Every simulator platform we sell is in our golf simulator software collection.
Which portable golf simulator fits you?
Your space decides more than your budget. Match the line that sounds like your room.
- You have a deep garage or you hit outside: the Garmin Approach R10 at $499.99. The lightest unit here.
- Your ceiling is fine but the room is short: the SkyTrak ST MAX at $1,695.00. It sits beside the ball, so nothing needs to fit behind you.
- You want one box and no computer: the Garmin Approach R50 at $4,999.99, with courses on its own screen.
- You want video of your strike: the Rapsodo MLM2PRO at $599.99, radar plus two cameras.
- You want to buy once and never upgrade: the Foresight GC3 at $6,999.00, or the GC3S at $3,799.00 for the same camera body.
- You have nothing yet and want it all in one order: the SC4 PRO Net Golf Simulator at $1,793.00.
Ready to build the room around it later? The R10, SC4 PRO and MLM2PRO each have a full DIY Enclosure build on our site. The launch monitor you buy today carries straight into it.
Prices checked October 5, 2026.
