A budget golf simulator can be built at three levels, and the difference between them is what the ball is hit into. On October 7, 2026 GSV priced each one part by part at Shop Indoor Golf, with the Square Golf Home Edition on its own at Square Golf's price: a launch monitor, a net and a mat came to $1,099.98 with a Garmin R10 and $1,269.98 with a Square Golf Home Edition; adding an impact screen and a projector came to $2,338.98; and a Square Golf Home Edition in a SIG8 enclosure with a mat and a projector came to $3,597.98. Those are totals before any GSV code and before a computer. Jay Lasco, host of Golf Simulator Videos, built GSV's own budget simulator on video in 2024, and this page prices the same kind of build with today's parts.
Check your room in the GSV Sim Builder
- $1,099.98Lowest build GSV priced: a Garmin R10, a net and a mat
- $2,338.98With an impact screen and a projector, around a Square Golf Home Edition
- $3,597.98A Square Golf Home Edition in a SIG8 enclosure, with a mat and a projector
- $699Square Golf Home Edition, for an indoor simulator under $1,000
- 16 ftRoom depth with the tee at GSV's 8 ft least: 1 ft behind the screen, 8 ft to the tee, 7 ft behind it
- $50Off a net practice bundle at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSVBUDGET
Three budget golf simulator builds, priced
| Build | What is in it | Total on October 7 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Net | Launch monitor, net and hitting mat. The shot shows on a phone or tablet. | $1,099.98 with a Garmin R10, $1,269.98 with a Square Golf Home Edition |
| 2. Screen and projector | Launch monitor, net with an impact screen, mat and a projector. The picture is where the ball goes. | $2,338.98 |
| 3. Enclosure | Launch monitor, SIG8 enclosure and screen, mat and a projector. The surround is there to protect the walls and ceiling. | $3,597.98 |
Every price is from the product's own page at Shop Indoor Golf on October 7, 2026, except the Square Golf Home Edition on its own, which is Square Golf's $699. Totals are before any code. Most of these were marked-down prices that day, and sales end, so the shop's page has today's figure. None of the totals includes a computer, a projector mount or cables: see costs people forget.
Against the estimates GSV gives elsewhere: the two net builds are under the $1,500 GSV gives for a net build. GSV's own 2024 build, in the video at the top of this page, came to as low as $1,549 by putting a Garmin R10, the SIGPRO Golf Net and a Softy Lite mat together with the GSVBUDGET code: parts chosen one by one, not one ready-made package, and the video shows how. The screen and projector build here is priced from the shop's bundles as listed on October 7, 2026, and comes to more. The SIG8 build is at the bottom of GSV's $3,500 to $5,000 for a Square Golf Home Edition with an enclosure, a projector and a mat, at a sale price and before a computer.
Can you build a golf simulator under $1,000?
Close, but not with every part new at Shop Indoor Golf's prices on October 7, 2026. The lowest build GSV priced, a Garmin R10 net bundle with a 10 x 7 ft net and a Fairway Series mat, came to $1,099.98, and GSVBUDGET brings it to $1,049.98. What fits under $1,000 is the launch monitor itself:
- Garmin R10, $599.99: the lowest-priced, and it works outdoors too, but it sits 6 to 8 ft behind the ball.
- Square Golf Home Edition, $699: for an indoor simulator, beside the ball, with no subscription in GSV's review.
So a golf simulator under $1,000 means a launch monitor under $1,000 with a net or a mat you already own, or bought one at a time as sales come up. The phone or tablet you already have is the screen to start. The launch monitors under $1,000 guide compares the options, and the launch monitor and the mat carry over when you add a screen later.
The room comes first, and checking it is free
A smaller budget does not make the swing smaller. A net build needs the same ceiling and the same space around the golfer as a $15,000 room. These are GSV's room rules for a 5 ft 9 in golfer swinging a driver. They are estimates, not guarantees.
| Measurement | GSV's rule |
|---|---|
| Ceiling | By GSV's estimate 8 ft 5 in clears a driver and 9 ft gives headroom. |
| Tee to the screen or net | 8 ft at the least, 10 ft ideal, 12 ft at the most |
| Tee to the back wall | 7 ft |
| Depth | 16 ft with the tee at the 8 ft least: 1 ft behind an enclosure's screen, 8 ft to the tee, 7 ft behind it. 18 ft for the ideal 10 ft tee. The Sim Builder passes a shorter room with cautions. |
| Width | 10 ft at the least, with the tee off center. 14 ft puts the tee in the middle. |
A taller golfer needs more ceiling, more room behind the tee and more width. Measure the ceiling at its lowest point over the place the golfer will stand, then make a slow practice swing with the longest club before buying anything. GSV's free 3D golf simulator builder takes the room, the golfer's height and the gear and says what fits and what is tight, and the guide to building a golf simulator at home has the full room rules.
Pick the launch monitor first
The launch monitor does more than any other part to decide how good the simulator is, and it decides how deep the room has to be. Three units under $1,000 are in GSV's guide to launch monitors under $1,000.
| Launch monitor | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Square Golf Home Edition | $699 at Square Golf, or $664.05 there with code GSVSQUARE | Camera unit beside the ball. Indoor only. No subscription required, by GSV's review. |
| Garmin Approach R10 | $599.99 by Garmin | Radar unit 6 to 8 ft behind the ball. Works outdoors too. The Garmin Golf membership for its virtual courses is optional. |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | $699.99 | Radar and camera, behind the ball. Records swing video. Premium Membership is $199.99 a year after a 45-day trial. |
- Square Golf Home Edition. It measures the ball at impact from beside it, so it does not need ball flight and fits a shorter room. GSV's Square Golf review lists its limits as well: indoor only, best spin accuracy with the dotted balls, shaft stickers for club data, and no smash factor or clubhead speed.
- Garmin Approach R10. The lowest price of the three and the one to take to the range. Garmin places it 6 to 8 ft behind the tee, with at least 8 ft from the tee to the net or screen. GSV's guide notes that a radar unit struggles in a tight indoor room and that spin axis is a known limit indoors.
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO. The one for swing video. GSV's guide notes it has no putting mode, and the membership is a yearly cost the other two do not have at that level.
Launch monitors under $1,000
- Square Golf Home Edition5% off at Square Golf with code GSVSQUARE.
- Garmin Approach R105% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
Will it fit? See each in your room in the free GSV Sim Builder, in 3D: Square Golf HE, Garmin R10, MLM2PRO.
Buying through GSV's links and codes helps support the channel: GSV earns a small commission at no extra cost to you, and you still get every saving available.
Build 1: a net, a mat and a launch monitor
This is the lowest-cost build GSV priced. The ball goes into a net, and the launch monitor's app shows the shot on a phone or a tablet. Shop Indoor Golf sells the launch monitor and the net together as a bundle, with a choice of nets, and the mat is separate.
| Part | What GSV priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch monitor and net | Garmin R10 Golf Net Practice Bundle with the 10 x 7 ft net | $549.99 |
| Hitting mat | Fairway Series 5 x 5 ft | $549.99 |
| Total | Before any code | $1,099.98 |
The same build around the Square Golf Home Edition:
| Part | What GSV priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch monitor and net | Square Golf Net Practice Bundle with the 10 x 7 ft net | $719.99 |
| Hitting mat | Fairway Series 5 x 5 ft | $549.99 |
| Total | Before any code | $1,269.98 |
- The code. GSVBUDGET takes $50 off a net practice bundle: $1,049.98 for the R10 build and $1,219.98 for the Square build. On a first order, GSV5OFF takes 5% off the whole cart instead, $54.99 on the R10 build. Shop Indoor Golf takes one code per order.
- The nets. Both totals use the 10 x 7 ft net, the lowest-priced net in each bundle. Both bundles also come with a 10 x 10 x 10 ft cage or the SIGPRO Golf Net. The Square bundle adds a 10 x 8 x 10 ft net, and sells that net and the cage with an impact screen.
- The mat. The Fairway Series 5 x 5 ft is the base mat choice in Shop Indoor Golf's Square Golf SIG8 and SIG10 packages, and it takes a real tee. The SIGPRO Softy Lite 4 x 5 ft, the mat in GSV's 2024 budget build, is $739.99, which adds $190. It does not take a real tee.
- The Rapsodo. The MLM2PRO bundle with the same 10 x 7 ft net is $699.99. Shop Indoor Golf listed it as shipping in 14 to 20 business days.
- What this build cannot do. There is no picture in front of the golfer, so a round of simulator golf means looking down at a tablet or across at a TV. A net also has to stop every shot, including the bad ones: set it up with room to the sides and nothing breakable behind it.
Net bundles and mats
- Garmin R10 Golf Net Practice Bundle$50 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSVBUDGET.Golf net practice bundles, G-TRAK simulator packages and Square Golf SIG packages.
- Square Golf Net Practice Bundle$50 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSVBUDGET.
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO Golf Net Practice Bundle$50 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSVBUDGET.
- Golf hitting mats$20 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSVMAT. On a first order over $400, GSV5OFF takes more: 5% off.SIGPRO Softy, Super Softy, Softy Lite and Commercial Teeline mats.
Build 2: add an impact screen and a projector
An impact screen takes the ball and shows the picture, so the shot flies into the course and not into a net. This is what GSV built on video in 2024: a SIGPRO Golf Net with its screen, a SIGPRO Softy Lite 4 x 5 ft mat, a landing pad, a BenQ LH820ST projector, a Garmin R10 and an iPad Pro. That projector is not in Shop Indoor Golf's list, so the build below uses one that is.
| Part | What GSV priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch monitor, net and screen | Square Golf Net Practice Bundle with the 10 x 8 x 10 ft net and impact screen | $879.99 |
| Hitting mat | Fairway Series 5 x 5 ft | $549.99 |
| Projector | Optoma ZW350ST | $909 |
| Total | Before any code | $2,338.98 |
- With a Garmin R10. The R10 bundle has no net with a screen in it, so the route is the SIGPRO Golf Net bundle at $799.99 plus the screen and crossbar at $249.99. With the same mat and projector that is $2,508.97.
- The code. GSVBUDGET takes $50 off the bundle, which makes the Square build $2,288.98.
- The projector decides where it hangs. Throw distance is throw ratio x picture width. The projectors below are three of the lowest-priced at Shop Indoor Golf, and GSV has not reviewed any of them: they are here on the figures on the shop's pages. The projector guide has the tested ones and the throw tables.
| Projector | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Optoma ZW350ST | Laser, 1,280 x 800, 3,600 lumens, 0.521 throw ratio, 16:10 | $909 |
| BenQ TH671ST | Lamp, 1080p, 3,000 ANSI lumens, 0.69 to 0.83 throw ratio | $949 |
| Optoma GT2000HDR | Laser, 1080p, 3,500 lumens, 0.496 throw ratio | $1,199 |
A lamp has to be replaced in time: Shop Indoor Golf lists the TH671ST's lamp at 4,000 hours in normal mode and up to 15,000 in its lamp-saving mode, against up to 30,000 hours for the ZW350ST's laser. The GT2000HDR's 0.496 is from Optoma's datasheet. The shop's page rounds it to 0.49.
Screen bundles and budget projectors
- Square Golf Net Practice Bundle$50 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSVBUDGET.Golf net practice bundles, G-TRAK simulator packages and Square Golf SIG packages.
- Optoma ZW350ST5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
- BenQ TH671ST5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- Optoma GT2000HDR5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- Golf simulator projectors5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
Build 3: a full enclosure
An enclosure is a frame with a screen at the back and a surround on the sides and top. It is built to catch most shots that miss the screen as well as the ones that hit it. The SIG8 is the smallest of Shop Indoor Golf's three: 8 ft 4 in wide and tall and 5 ft deep, with a screen 7 ft 7 in square. To assemble it GSV allows 2 in a side and 2 in above, so it needs 8 ft 8 in of width and a ceiling of 8 ft 6 in.
This build is two orders: the launch monitor from Square Golf and the rest from Shop Indoor Golf.
| Part | What GSV priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch monitor | Square Golf Home Edition | $699 |
| Enclosure and screen | SIG8 enclosure | $1,439.99 |
| Hitting mat | Fairway Series 5 x 5 ft | $549.99 |
| Projector | Optoma ZW350ST | $909 |
| Total | Before any code | $3,597.98 |
- Both enclosures were on sale. The $1,439.99 is a limited-time price, down from $1,799.99. The SIG10, which is 10 ft 10 in wide with a screen 10 ft 1 in by 7 ft 7 in, was $1,599.99, down from $1,999.99, which is $160 more than the SIG8.
- The package, or the parts. Shop Indoor Golf also sells a Square Golf SIG8 Package: $3,199.99 on sale, down from $3,699.99, with the launch monitor, the enclosure, landing pad turf and the Fairway Series mat as the base choice. Its page lists a projector among what is included and also says the projector has been taken out of the package, so confirm that with the shop. On October 7, 2026 the same launch monitor, enclosure and mat bought as parts came to $2,688.98, so the package cost $511.01 more and added the landing pad turf. That will change when either sale ends, so add both up on the day.
- Lower still: the DIY studio. The Square Golf SIG DIY Studio Package is $1,499.98 in the 8 ft 4 in size, on sale from $1,999.98, with the launch monitor, the impact screen, the surround panels, the fittings and the padding. The pipe for the frame is not in it: Shop Indoor Golf says it can be bought at a hardware store or added pre-cut. With the same mat and projector that build is $2,958.97 plus the pipe.
- The codes. GSV250 takes $250 off a SIG8, SIG10 or SIG12 enclosure, and GSV5OFF takes 5% off a Square Golf package on a first order at Shop Indoor Golf. One code per order.
Enclosures and Square Golf packages
- SIG8 enclosure$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV250.SIG8, SIG10 and SIG12 enclosures and studios, DIY and commercial enclosures, G-TRAK screens, SIGPRO flooring and complete simulator packages.
- SIG10 enclosure$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV250.
- Square Golf SIG DIY Studio Package5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
- Square Golf SIG8 Package5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- Square Golf SIG10 Package5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
A garage that still has to hold a car
A fixed enclosure and a parked car rarely share a garage. The G-TRAK is a motorized impact screen that mounts around the garage door tracks and rolls up out of the way, and GSV built and reviewed one in 2024.
Shop Indoor Golf sells it as a package with a launch monitor. The Square Golf Garage Package starts at $2,699.99 for an 8 ft garage door and the Garmin R10 version at $2,999.99, each with the G-TRAK screen, a landing pad and a video cable, and wider screens cost more. Both pages list an Optoma ZW350ST projector as included in one place and as sold separately in another, so confirm it with the shop before ordering. Shop Indoor Golf listed both as shipping in 7 to 10 business days. GSV's G-TRAK review has the build, and the garage golf simulator guide has nine garage builds from a net to a full enclosure.
Garage packages with a retractable screen
- Square Golf Garage Package (G-TRAK)$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV250.SIG8, SIG10 and SIG12 enclosures and studios, DIY and commercial enclosures, G-TRAK screens, SIGPRO flooring and complete simulator packages.
- Garmin R10 Garage Package (G-TRAK)$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV250.
Computer and software: what is included and what renews
A budget build can start with no computer at all. What it costs each year after that depends on the launch monitor, and that is worth adding up before choosing one.
| Launch monitor | Runs on | What renews |
|---|---|---|
| Square Golf Home Edition | The Square Golf app on iOS, Android and Windows | Nothing: no subscription required, by GSV's review |
| Garmin Approach R10 | The Garmin Golf app on a phone or tablet | Optional Garmin Golf membership for its virtual courses: $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year after a 30-day trial, as listed at Shop Indoor Golf |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | The Rapsodo app on a phone or tablet | Premium Membership: $199.99 a year after a 45-day trial |
- GSPro is separate. GSPro is paid software, $250 a year in GSV's software guide, and it runs on a Windows gaming PC. The Square Golf Home Edition connects to it with no connector fee. Check each launch monitor's current terms in the software guide before buying.
- The computer. For the net build, the phone or tablet already in the house is enough. A projector needs something that sends a picture to it, such as a laptop or a tablet. GSV's 2024 build ran from an iPad Pro. A gaming PC is the step after that, and GSV's guide to the best computer for a golf simulator covers it.
Costs people forget
- A projector mount and a long video cable.
- Turf or a landing pad between the mat and the screen, and padding for a wall or a beam near the screen.
- Extra dotted balls and shaft stickers for the Square Golf, which uses both.
- Software and memberships that renew each year.
- Lighting that does not shine on the screen.
- Shipping outside the lower 48 states, and return shipping with a restocking fee if a part goes back. Shop Indoor Golf lists both.
What carries over when you upgrade
The three builds are also three steps. The launch monitor and the mat move from the net build to the screen build to the enclosure unchanged, so money spent on them is not spent twice. The projector carries over as long as its throw fits the next screen. The net is the part that gets replaced. Shop Indoor Golf sells a screen and crossbar for the SIGPRO Golf Net and lists none for the 10 x 7 ft nets, so if a screen is the plan, start with a net that takes one.
Lay out your build in the GSV Sim Builder
Free consultation with GSV's partner builders
Building on a budget? Jay works with official partners: master builders he hand-picked, who get on a call quickly and make sure you have the right fit before you buy anything. They offer package deals on the whole build, DIY packages to put together yourself, full installation, and more. The consultation is free.
Budget golf simulator questions
How much does a budget golf simulator cost?
On October 7, 2026 GSV priced three builds part by part at Shop Indoor Golf, before any code, with the Square Golf Home Edition on its own at Square Golf's $699. A launch monitor, a net and a mat came to $1,099.98 with a Garmin R10 and $1,269.98 with a Square Golf Home Edition. Adding an impact screen and a projector brought the Square build to $2,338.98. A Square Golf Home Edition in a SIG8 enclosure with a mat and a projector came to $3,597.98. None of those includes a computer, and prices change.
What is the cheapest way to build a golf simulator?
A launch monitor, a net and a hitting mat, with a phone or tablet you already own as the screen. The lowest total GSV priced on October 7, 2026 was $1,099.98: the Garmin R10 Golf Net Practice Bundle with a 10 x 7 ft net at $549.99 and a Fairway Series 5 x 5 ft mat at $549.99.
Can you build a golf simulator for under $1,000?
Close, but not with every part new at Shop Indoor Golf's prices on October 7, 2026. The lowest build GSV priced, a Garmin R10 net bundle and a mat, came to $1,099.98, or $1,049.98 with GSVBUDGET. The launch monitor alone fits under $1,000: the Garmin R10 at $599.99 or the Square Golf Home Edition at $699. A net or mat you already own is what brings the whole build under $1,000.
What is the best launch monitor for a budget golf simulator?
It depends on where it will be used. For a simulator that stays indoors, the Square Golf Home Edition at $699: it sits beside the ball, so it fits a shorter room, and GSV's review lists no subscription. The Garmin R10 at $599.99 is the lower-priced choice and also works outdoors, but it is a radar unit that sits 6 to 8 ft behind the ball and needs at least 8 ft of ball flight.
How much room do you need for a budget golf simulator?
The same room as any simulator, because the swing does not get smaller with the budget. For a 5 ft 9 in golfer GSV estimates a ceiling of 8 ft 5 in to clear a driver and 9 ft for headroom, and its rules give at least 10 ft of width and 16 ft of depth with the tee 8 ft from the screen and 7 ft behind it. These are estimates, so make a slow practice swing in the room before buying.
Do you need a projector for a golf simulator?
No. A net build shows the shot on a phone, a tablet or a TV beside the mat. A projector and an impact screen put the picture where the ball goes, and on October 7, 2026 the lowest-priced golf simulator projector in Shop Indoor Golf's list was the Optoma ZW350ST at $909.
Do you need a computer for a budget golf simulator?
Not to start. The Garmin R10 runs from the Garmin Golf app on a phone or tablet, and the Square Golf app runs on iOS, Android and Windows. GSPro is separate paid software at $250 a year in GSV's software guide, and it needs a Windows gaming PC.
Are there subscriptions on a budget golf simulator?
It depends on the launch monitor. GSV's review lists no subscription for the Square Golf Home Edition. Shop Indoor Golf lists the optional Garmin Golf membership at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year after a 30-day trial. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO Premium Membership is $199.99 a year after a 45-day trial.
Can you start with a net and add a screen later?
Yes. Shop Indoor Golf sells a screen and crossbar for the SIGPRO Golf Net at $249.99, and GSV's 2024 budget build used that net with a screen. The launch monitor and the mat carry over to an enclosure build later as well.
Is there free help planning a budget golf simulator?
Yes. Jay offers a free consultation with GSV's partner master builders, hand-picked by Jay, who get on a call quickly and make sure everything fits. They offer package deals, DIY packages, full installation and more. Use the free consultation button on this page.
More from GSV
Build the rest of your sim
- Enclosure and screen$250 off at Shop Indoor GolfShop
- Carl's Place enclosure5% off, code sent by emailShopGet the code
- Hitting mat$20 off at Shop Indoor Golf. GSV5OFF is more on a first order over $400Shop
- Projector5% off at Shop Indoor Golf. First-time buyersShop
- Simulator computerSurfThing: $100 off applied automatically, no codeShop
- TouchscreenGSV code for TouchscreenGuruShop
- Complete package$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf. GSV5OFF is more on a first order over $5,000Shop
GSV earns a small commission on these links, at no extra cost to you. Shop Indoor Golf takes one code per order.