Golf Simulator Cost
Home Indoor Golf Simulator Cost
A lot can factor into the total cost of a golf simulator. For the most part, that's a good thing. It means there is a golf simulator for just about any budget. But because there are so many options, it can be confusing to piece together what's right for you and determine what the final cost will be. So we put together this short guide that will cover everything you need to know regarding golf simulator costs. In this guide, you will learn exactly what goes into the total cost of a golf simulator and be able to view examples of different priced setups.
How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
Golf simulators cost anywhere between $799 to $70,000. With such a wide range of costs, we will show you different options that fall into different price tiers so you can find the best bang for your buck.
Low Cost Affordable Golf Simulators: $799 - $3,499
Mid Cost Value Golf Simulators: $4,699 - $7,799
High Cost Premium Golf Simulators: $18,995 to $70,000
Low Cost Affordable Golf Simulators: $799 - $3,499
If you want to save yourself some money on a golf simulator, rather than using a projector and screen, you can opt for a net and TV setup. Most people regret purchasing cheap projectors and impact screens so please do not do that. If you want a projector and screen, we recommend you look at the options in the next price tier.
Mid Cost Value Golf Simulators: $4,699 - $7,799
The packages in this tier all include a quality projector and screen. Adding in a quality projector and screen will cost about ~$1,200+. You will also notice that all of these include SkyTrak, the Best Value Golf Simulator as voted by Golf Digest three years running. SkyTrak dominates this price tier and will be our recommendation if you are in this budget category. The biggest driver of cost in this tier is the size and quality of the impact screen and enclosure.
High Cost Premium Golf Simulators: $18,995 to $70,000
In this tier, you won't have to make any compromises. TruGolf features a full turn-key entertainment and performance solution, GCQuad is arguably the best indoor performance launch monitor for game improvement, and the GolfZon is Golf Digest's Best Luxury Golf Simulator. You can get it all in this tier depending on what you are looking for.
GolfZon Vision Standard
Cost: ~$30,000 to $70,000
What determines cost?
Launch Monitor Cost - $299 to $30,000+
The launch monitor and technology behind the golf simulator is most often the biggest difference in cost between the low end and high-end golf simulators. The low cost launch monitors may only measure the most basic metrics in order to calculate your shot. On the high-end, the launch monitor will monitor everything from ball speed and launch angle to where the ball impacted the club. These systems are incredibly accurate and will give you the most reliable data. In addition, the higher end systems will typically be built in. This may include infrared, radars and cameras mounted to the ceiling - making an extremely clean hitting area.
Our top recommendations include:
- SkyTrak - starts at $1,995 (Best Value Golf Simulator of 2017, 2018, and 2019 and our Best Seller)
- GC2 Certified Pre-Owned - starts at $5,400 (performs better than SkyTrak outdoors and provides a decreased shot calculation lag time)
- OptiShot 2 - starts at $299 (this is not a launch monitor but is a swing pad, not recommended if you can afford SkyTrak but gets the job done for those that are very budget conscious)
Golf Simulator Software Costs - $0 to $3,000
Sometimes software can be baked into the launch monitor or your golf simulator unit and other times it is an additional cost. Not all golf simulator software options are compatible with all golf simulators or launch monitors so we recommend picking your golf simulator or launch monitor first before picking your software.
Our top recommendations for SkyTrak users are:
- The Golf Club 2019 is $479 per year or $895 outright (PC compatible only)
- World Golf Tour is $199 per year (iOS / iPad compatible only)
- e6 by TruGolf is $299 per year or $1800 outright (PC compatible only)
For Foresight Sports users we recommend the FSX Software which is $3,000.
For OptiShot 2 users, the OptiShot 2 comes pre-loaded with 15 courses at no additional cost.
Golf Mat - $300 to $1,500
The type of hitting area you have can affect the cost by between $300-$1,500. Surely, you can find a simple square mat - similar to what you'd see at most driving ranges for less than $300. But we recommend you avoid these cheap golf mats because those can easily lead to serious injury or fatigue in your knees, back, and wrists over time. We only feel comfortable recommending premium golf hitting mats that more accurately simulator real grass and also are built for injury prevention.
Our top golf mat recommendations are:
Real Feel Country Club Elite - starting at $434 based on the size you go with
Fiberbuilt Golf Mat - 7 x 4 - $949
TrueStrike Golf Mat - $789
Golf Net or Screen Enclosure - $400 to $5,000
Using a projector and screen with your golf simulator is one of the best ways to really upgrade your setup. Hitting your shot into a screen and watching your ball fly through the air greatly enhances the golf simulator experience. Many in-home setups will not include a projector or screen. Instead, you hit balls into your net and watch the ball on your computer, tv, or iPad.
If you opt to go the net and TV route, it will cost you about $400 - $700. Our recommended net is The Net Return Pro Series V2 Golf Net. It's the best golf net on the market offering automatic ball return.
If you opt to go the screen and enclosure route, it will cost you about $990 to $3,499. You will have a number of options based on the size of your space.
The most budget friendly option would be to add The Net Return Pro Series Screen to the Pro Series V2 Golf Net. The two combined together will cost $990. If you have the budget for it, we recommend the SwingBay Golf Simulator Enclosure that was developed by our team at Rain or Shine Golf with a price of $3,499. This enclosure features a large ballistic grade hitting screen that is optimized to match a 4:3 aspect ratio HD projection.
Golf Simulator Projector - $800 to $2,000
When you choose a projector that is best suited for golf simulation, there are a wide range of specifications that you need to get right or you will end up with costly mistakes. We recommend the Optoma EH200ST that has both 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio compatibility, 3000 lumens brightness, and is 1080p HD all for $899.
Other Required Golf Simulator Accessories:
- You will need a device to run your golf simulator software:
- Gaming PCs are ~$800
- iPads are $350 - $700
- HDMI Cables to connect your device to a projector are about $20
What is my home golf simulator going to cost me?
As you can see, there are a lot of variables that will dramatically drive the overall cost of your golf simulator. You are looking for the best golf simulator package that meets your needs and budget and we are here to help you do exactly that. Luckily, we have put together what we feel are the best all-in-one golf simulator packages for just about every budget on our Best Golf Simulators page. You can also reach out to our team by phone at 1-888-831-9489 or by email at info@rainorshinegolf.com. We'd be happy to answer any questions that you have so you can get a better feel for what your ideal golf simulator package is going to cost you.