Updated July 2026
You can build a functional golf simulator enclosure yourself, with a proper impact screen and a frame that won’t sag or collapse, for roughly £350 to £750 depending on size and screen quality. That’s a genuine alternative to pre-built enclosures costing several times more, and the build itself is a weekend project, not a specialist job.
This guide covers the frame, the screen, and the netting that actually protects your garage. It doesn’t cover the launch monitor itself. If you haven’t picked one yet, start with our guide to the best simulators for small garages first, since your launch monitor choice affects how much depth you need to build for.
A few headline numbers before you start: aim for 10 to 12 feet from tee to screen, at least 8 feet of ceiling height plus 6 to 12 inches of swing clearance on top of that, and 12 to 18 inches of buffer behind the screen for a baffle net. Our small garages guide breaks these down further by launch monitor type if your space is tight.
What you actually need
| Component | Purpose | Typical UK price range |
|---|---|---|
| Frame (EMT conduit) | Structural support for screen and netting | £60-£150 in materials |
| Impact screen | What the projector displays onto and what the ball hits | £70-£350 |
| High-density golf netting | Protects walls and ceiling outside the screen area | £40-£120 |
| Baffle netting | Hung behind the main screen to cut noise and absorb impact | £20-£50 |
| Ball bungees or screen clips | Attaches the screen to the frame with even tension | £10-£20 |
| Hitting mat | Where you actually stand and swing | £80-£500 |
Frame material matters more than people expect. EMT conduit (the metal electrical conduit sold at any hardware store) is the standard choice for most builds: it’s rigid, cheap, and the whole frame can be broken down if you ever need to move it. PVC pipe is a common shortcut, but it sags on spans longer than about 8 feet and can crack or shatter if it takes a direct hit from a mishit shot, which is exactly the situation you’re building this for. Timber (2×4 studwork) is the third option, worth considering only if you want a permanent structure fixed to the walls and ceiling rather than something you might ever want to take down or move.
| Material | Rigidity | Portability | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMT conduit | High, holds a wide span without sagging | Good, disassembles with connectors | £60-£150 |
| PVC pipe | Low, sags past about 8ft and can crack on a direct hit | Fair | £30-£70 |
| Timber (2×4) | Very high | Poor, effectively permanent once built | £70-£150 |
If sourcing and cutting your own conduit isn’t something you want to take on, GolfBays (based in Cheshire) sells a ready-to-assemble EasySim enclosure kit for around £999, pre-cut poles, fabric, and a screen included. That’s a few hundred pounds more than a from-scratch build, but it turns the job into a same-day assembly rather than a weekend one, worth weighing up if your time is worth more to you than the saving.
Step-by-step build
1. Measure your space and plan the frame dimensions. Your frame needs to be slightly larger than your impact screen so you have room to attach it with even tension. Check our space requirements guide if you haven’t confirmed your garage can fit a standard setup. While you’re in there, take a club and make a few slow practice swings, backswing and full follow-through, to check real clearance above your head. Most golfers need at least 6 to 12 inches above the highest point of their swing arc, and that highest point is usually the follow-through, not the top of the backswing, so it’s worth checking properly rather than just eyeballing the ceiling.
2. Cut and assemble the EMT conduit frame. Most builders use conduit connectors rather than welding, which keeps the frame fully disassemblable. Build it as a rectangular box frame, front face for the screen, with cross-bracing if your span is wide. Deburr every cut end with a file before you assemble anything, it only takes a few seconds per cut and stops the sharp edge left behind from snagging and tearing your screen fabric later. Once the frame is up, check it’s actually square by measuring both diagonals corner to corner, if they match, you’re square, if they don’t, the whole frame will rack out of shape once the screen goes on and puts it under tension.
3. Attach the impact screen with even tension. Start at the top corners with ball bungees or heavy-duty clips, then work across the top edge with evenly spaced attachment points before moving to the sides and bottom. Leave a deliberate sag of around 6 to 12 inches at the bottom edge. That sag is doing real work: it absorbs impact energy and cuts down on ball bounce-back toward you. You’re aiming for firm and flat with a bit of give when you press it, not drum-tight. An overtightened screen behaves like a trampoline and can send the ball back at you with real speed, which is the opposite of what you want.
4. Hang a baffle net behind the screen. This is the step most first-time builders skip, and plenty of experienced builders will tell you it’s the one upgrade that punches well above its cost. A loose net hung 12 to 18 inches behind the main screen takes the repeated impact instead of your main screen fabric, some builders report noticeably quieter shots and a longer-lasting screen as a result, though the exact numbers vary by net and screen combination. Twelve inches is close to the practical minimum for a hung net to work properly, much less than that and it can’t flex enough to absorb anything.
If your depth behind the screen is tighter than that, a doubled-up quilted moving blanket (the kind removal firms use, cheap on Amazon UK or from a builders’ merchant) is a solid substitute for baffle netting or a foam mattress topper. It packs flatter than foam, so it still works down to around 8 inches of clearance, and unlike foam it won’t compress or hold moisture over time. Hang it with grommets and a tension wire rather than nails so it stays taut and doesn’t sag into your swing path.
5. Install netting on the sides and ceiling, then pad every exposed bar. Anywhere a mishit ball could realistically travel needs protection, not just the direct line to the screen. This is the difference between a safe garage simulator and a damaged garage. Once the netting’s up, slide foam pipe insulation, a few pounds a metre from any hardware shop, over every bar of the frame that’s still exposed. The bottom front bar takes the most direct hits and matters most, but it’s worth doing the whole visible frame while you’re at it.
6. Position your hitting mat and confirm your distances. Set your mat so the ball has enough travel distance to the screen for your launch monitor to read accurately (see our space guide for minimums by launch monitor type), and confirm you have full swing clearance on all sides before you hit your first shot.
Sort your projector position before you finalise the frame, not after, it’s much easier to build around it than to retrofit a mount later. It needs to sit at least a couple of feet behind your hitting position and off to the side of the direct line to the screen, never directly overhead, or your own swing will throw a shadow across the image mid-shot. Short-throw models are the usual choice since they mount close to the screen and stay clear of your backswing. For picking the actual unit, see our projector and screen guide.
Common mistakes that cost people money twice
Using PVC for a wide span. It’s cheaper up front and it shows within a few months, either sagging enough to throw off your screen’s image or cracking under a direct hit. Most people who try it end up rebuilding in EMT anyway.
Skipping the baffle net. It’s a small extra cost that meaningfully extends the life of your main screen, which is the most expensive component in the build. Skipping it is a false saving.
Uneven screen tension. A screen attached with uneven tension develops wrinkles that distort the projected image and create weak points that tear under repeated impact. Take the extra time to space your attachment points evenly. Tension isn’t a set-and-forget job either, fittings loosen and fabric gives a little with use, so give it a check every few weeks for the first month or two, then an occasional glance after that.
Not protecting the ceiling. Mishits go up as often as sideways. An enclosure with side netting but no ceiling protection is only solving half the problem.
Leaving bars unpadded. Bare EMT is a hard, unforgiving surface for a ball travelling at full speed to hit. The bottom front bar is the worst offender since it sits directly in the path of low mishits. A few pounds of foam pipe insulation removes the risk and takes minutes to fit.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to build a golf simulator enclosure or buy one pre-made? Building your own typically costs a fraction of a pre-built enclosure of similar quality, roughly £350 to £750 for a solid EMT frame and real impact screen versus significantly more for comparable pre-built options. The tradeoff is your time and a weekend of building rather than unboxing.
What frame material is best for a DIY golf simulator enclosure? EMT conduit is the standard recommendation. It’s rigid enough not to sag on wide spans, inexpensive, available at any hardware store, and the frame can be disassembled if you need to move or store it.
Do I need netting if I already have an impact screen? Yes. The impact screen only protects the area directly behind it. Any mishit that goes wide or high can still damage walls or ceilings without additional netting covering the full swing radius.
How much sag should an impact screen have? Around 6 to 12 inches of sag at the bottom edge is normal and intentional. It helps absorb impact energy and reduces how much the ball bounces back toward you after a hit.
How much ceiling clearance do I need above my swing? Most golfers need at least 6 to 12 inches of clearance above the highest point of their swing arc, and that highest point is usually the follow-through, not the top of the backswing. The safest way to check is to take a club into the space and make a few slow practice swings before you finalise your frame height, rather than relying on a tape measure against the ceiling alone.