Garage build with room to grow

[barney_bogey]

Hey there, spies. 

Name is Barney but everyone calls me B. I'm new here but I'm not new to forums. 

I used to play a fair bit of golf. That was up until the neck surgery, a pandemic and a baby girl. Doc had to replace C3/4/5 because, as he said, "they are squishy". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not so uncommon a fix. I've bonded with plenty of acquaintances and strangers over matching scars. I'd bet a few of you are in the club too. 

Early this year I'm invited to sub in for a buddy's scramble. Trying to help a brother in need, I hopped in without hesitation. That's when I got bitten. Signed up for a few lessons right away and started diving back into this wonderful world. Golf is the hardest game in the world. It's also the most rewarding. You folks know this. I'm hooked... again. 

I'm a ball beater. Love a range session. Love chipping in the yard. And I love a practice green. As the cooler weather approaches, I've been thinking about how to keep improving which leads to the rabbit hole that is a home simulator. 

Something portable. Something that I can expand on over time. All I have currently is an empty space and a few ideas. Gonna just post it up as it progresses. I'd love to learn from others successes and failures if you'd care to chime in. Else I'm going to shout into the wind and ya'll can just ignore my rambling. 

Regardless, please to make your acquaintance. 

 

Barney Bogey

Edited September 15, 2023 by barney_bogey
sp

[barney_bogey]

So here's the space. Trust me, it's always this clean and has never been full of junk like every garage..

 

I have 19.5 feet from the edge of the bench to the garage door. Ceilings are higher on the left but the garage door opener is in the way; that means I'm locked into swinging from the garage door side towards the bench. 

At the moment, I'm leaning towards the MLM2PRO from Rhapsodo. The youtubes and the instagrams and then more recently this forum's review section have made me think this is the best unit for my specific scenario. Had originally looked at the R10 but now I'm not so sure. I think these 2 models are both good entry points. Corvette before Ferrari mentality at work here. 

I had some points to spend before the end of the year so I just grabbed a 5x5 "commercial" grade hitting mat. It's on the way. I don't know much about mats tbh. I didn't like the sound of the "residential" grade mat though. Like I said, I like to beat balls. Rather not break my wrist. Also it said I can use wooden tees which would be ideal. I think it's a 'DuraPlay' branded mat. Heard of em? 

Leaning towards a pop-up not right now. Someone told me to look at the Spornia nets in 7 or 8 feet. I think that'd work. I've plenty of head room for the 8. Not sure if I'll regret the size though. Is 7 feet enough? Maybe not if I went to a projector yeah? But I don't have a plan for screens/monitors/technology just yet. Cross that bridge then. 

For the space itself, I'd like to put up some sort of barrier to block off the shank side. The shank net attachments are a no brainer to me. But a drop cloth of some sort to quiet the visual noise, I'm guessing, would make for better practice sessions. 

Okay, that's about enough of that rambling. 

Would love to hear your feedback on the kit I've mentioned or if you've any personal experience to lend, allow me to thank you in advance. 

Hit em straight. 

B

[MattF]

In regards to the mat, you might want to think about hitting up your local Harbor Freight for some foam puzzle piece mats to put under it. About the only mats that you don't need extra cushioning are Fiberbuilt and Sigpro Softy but they are both fairly expensive.

This is my setup and I'm able to stand under the door opener and swing with no issues.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Whatever you decide on for mats you should get the 1’x1’ foam puzzle piece mat kits to put under the mat. I went large on my build but also went economical. 
I got netting on eBay from a fish net manufacturer that guarantees to stop golf balls. Then built a PVC frame but you can do EMT if needed. I then hung a white king sized sheet to project onto in front of, but tight to the net. When it gets dirty I toss it in the wash. The black top and sides are just your everyday weed block plastic for gardening. But Harbor Freight Carrie’s a black mesh tarp that can be used as well. My hitting platform is built from 2x4’s with 1/2 “ plywood, then the foam, then Lowe’s indoor outdoor carpet. I cut out for the hitting pad area. This setup has lasted at least 7 years now. The frame is self standing so I can move it if needed.

I took down my garage door opener so I could swing toward the door. But I can still open the door manually. If I ever move the opener goes back up with two bolts and a pin and connect two wires.

[IndyBonzo]

On 9/16/2023 at 5:39 PM, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Whatever you decide on for mats you should get the 1’x1’ foam puzzle piece mat kits to put under the mat. I went large on my build but also went economical. 
I got netting on eBay from a fish net manufacturer that guarantees to stop golf balls. Then built a PVC frame but you can do EMT if needed. I then hung a white king sized sheet to project onto in front of, but tight to the net. When it gets dirty I toss it in the wash. The black top and sides are just your everyday weed block plastic for gardening. But Harbor Freight Carrie’s a black mesh tarp that can be used as well. My hitting platform is built from 2x4’s with 1/2 “ plywood, then the foam, then Lowe’s indoor outdoor carpet. I cut out for the hitting pad area. This setup has lasted at least 7 years now. The frame is self standing so I can move it if needed.

I took down my garage door opener so I could swing toward the door. But I can still open the door manually. If I ever move the opener goes back up with two bolts and a pin and connect two wires.

Hey Tom - thanks for this.  Do you mind sharing how you mounted your projector?

[Tom the Golf Nut]

34 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

Hey Tom - thanks for this.  Do you mind sharing how you mounted your projector?

Absolutely,

I utilized the garage door ceiling mount outlets for power. I purchased one of those remote-control plug-in short extension cords from Lowes that has two connectors. One for the projector and one for the can light. I added a piece of drainpipe to the can to narrow the spot beam.  Another extension cord goes from other ceiling outlet back to the computer. I can turn the power on to the projector and the spotlight with the remote that you can see hanging just below the keyboard. Then I have a remote for the projector itself. Then there is an HDMI cable running from the computer back up to the projector in the same raceway. The projector is mounted with a normal ceiling projector mount. I kept the height of the net at 7'5" so I could still open the garage door if needed. I put some pool noodle pieces on the garage door track for a "just in case" You don't come close to hitting it, but you never know! Lastly there is the USB cable that runs from the Optishot2 under the carpet and up to the computer. 

If you have any other questions let me know.

   

 

[IndyBonzo]

Very cool @Tom the Golf Nut!  Thank you!

[GuessWho78]

On 9/15/2023 at 6:43 PM, barney_bogey said:

So here's the space. Trust me, it's always this clean and has never been full of junk like every garage..

 

I have 19.5 feet from the edge of the bench to the garage door. Ceilings are higher on the left but the garage door opener is in the way; that means I'm locked into swinging from the garage door side towards the bench. 

At the moment, I'm leaning towards the MLM2PRO from Rhapsodo. The youtubes and the instagrams and then more recently this forum's review section have made me think this is the best unit for my specific scenario. Had originally looked at the R10 but now I'm not so sure. I think these 2 models are both good entry points. Corvette before Ferrari mentality at work here. 

I had some points to spend before the end of the year so I just grabbed a 5x5 "commercial" grade hitting mat. It's on the way. I don't know much about mats tbh. I didn't like the sound of the "residential" grade mat though. Like I said, I like to beat balls. Rather not break my wrist. Also it said I can use wooden tees which would be ideal. I think it's a 'DuraPlay' branded mat. Heard of em? 

Leaning towards a pop-up not right now. Someone told me to look at the Spornia nets in 7 or 8 feet. I think that'd work. I've plenty of head room for the 8. Not sure if I'll regret the size though. Is 7 feet enough? Maybe not if I went to a projector yeah? But I don't have a plan for screens/monitors/technology just yet. Cross that bridge then. 

For the space itself, I'd like to put up some sort of barrier to block off the shank side. The shank net attachments are a no brainer to me. But a drop cloth of some sort to quiet the visual noise, I'm guessing, would make for better practice sessions. 

Okay, that's about enough of that rambling. 

Would love to hear your feedback on the kit I've mentioned or if you've any personal experience to lend, allow me to thank you in advance. 

Hit em straight. 

B

I currently use the Spornia Sg-7. It works pretty well. It has a net attachment for the top to catch pop ups. The chipping net attachment is also pretty nice. I have the Golfguru 5x4 mat. My only issue with the mat is that it tends to slide a bit, but that is probably a swing issue on my end. The mat uses the rubber tee inserts and comes with one that takes a wooden tee. I use the MLM2PRO with my setup. I really like the Rapsodo, only downside is the yearly subscription fee. If you plan on using it indoors and outdoors I would suggest marking the location after you have it setup to make it easier to put back and get a leveling stand (found on eBay and Etsy for around $30). My setup is currently very mobile since I have it in my office at work. Once I get a more fixed location for it i'm sure most of my issues will go away.

Good luck with your project, look forward to seeing the results.

[barney_bogey]

In regards to the mat, you might want to think about hitting up your local Harbor Freight for some foam puzzle piece mats to put under it. About the only mats that you don't need extra cushioning are Fiberbuilt and Sigpro Softy but they are both fairly expensive.

This is my setup and I'm able to stand under the door opener and swing with no issues.

Hey thanks, Matt! Sorry I didn't see this sooner, my notifications need adjusting. Great idea. I'll definitely look into additional padding. Might actually have some in storage.

B

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[barney_bogey]

Whatever you decide on for mats you should get the 1’x1’ foam puzzle piece mat kits to put under the mat. I went large on my build but also went economical. 
I got netting on eBay from a fish net manufacturer that guarantees to stop golf balls. Then built a PVC frame but you can do EMT if needed. I then hung a white king sized sheet to project onto in front of, but tight to the net. When it gets dirty I toss it in the wash. The black top and sides are just your everyday weed block plastic for gardening. But Harbor Freight Carrie’s a black mesh tarp that can be used as well. My hitting platform is built from 2x4’s with 1/2 “ plywood, then the foam, then Lowe’s indoor outdoor carpet. I cut out for the hitting pad area. This setup has lasted at least 7 years now. The frame is self standing so I can move it if needed.

I took down my garage door opener so I could swing toward the door. But I can still open the door manually. If I ever move the opener goes back up with two bolts and a pin and connect two wires.

Thanks for the inspiration, Tom! I like your setup. It's livable. It's approachable. And I'm a fan of DIY! I've turned plenty of 100 dollar ready made solutions into 200 dollar DIY jobs!

I'll certainly get some additional foam.

Cheers

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[barney_bogey]

I currently use the Spornia Sg-7. It works pretty well. It has a net attachment for the top to catch pop ups. The chipping net attachment is also pretty nice. I have the Golfguru 5x4 mat. My only issue with the mat is that it tends to slide a bit, but that is probably a swing issue on my end. The mat uses the rubber tee inserts and comes with one that takes a wooden tee. I use the MLM2PRO with my setup. I really like the Rapsodo, only downside is the yearly subscription fee. If you plan on using it indoors and outdoors I would suggest marking the location after you have it setup to make it easier to put back and get a leveling stand (found on eBay and Etsy for around $30). My setup is currently very mobile since I have it in my office at work. Once I get a more fixed location for it i'm sure most of my issues will go away.
Good luck with your project, look forward to seeing the results.

Sounds like you've got the same setup that I'm building then! Very cool. Are you using the spin functionality? I've been looking at picking up some of those ball dots to improve on QOL. Thoughts?

I'll take a look at the leveling stand. And will be marking the floor.

Cheers

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[GuessWho78]

29 minutes ago, barney_bogey said:

 

 

Sounds like you've got the same setup that I'm building then! Very cool. Are you using the spin functionality? I've been looking at picking up some of those ball dots to improve on QOL. Thoughts?

I'll take a look at the leveling stand. And will be marking the floor.

Cheers

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk
 

 

The Rapsodo comes with 3 of the Callaway dot balls. I use those and I tried to make my own (I didn't do so well there). I did see there is a template on eBay that you can use to make your own. I plan on getting one and giving it a try.

[barney_bogey]

Absolutely,
I utilized the garage door ceiling mount outlets for power. I purchased one of those remote-control plug-in short extension cords from Lowes that has two connectors. One for the projector and one for the can light. I added a piece of drainpipe to the can to narrow the spot beam.  Another extension cord goes from other ceiling outlet back to the computer. I can turn the power on to the projector and the spotlight with the remote that you can see hanging just below the keyboard. Then I have a remote for the projector itself. Then there is an HDMI cable running from the computer back up to the projector in the same raceway. The projector is mounted with a normal ceiling projector mount. I kept the height of the net at 7'5" so I could still open the garage door if needed. I put some pool noodle pieces on the garage door track for a "just in case" You don't come close to hitting it, but you never know! Lastly there is the USB cable that runs from the Optishot2 under the carpet and up to the computer. 
If you have any other questions let me know.

 

Are those spot lights necessary for camera systems? Seen them a few times now without explanation.

Thanks again for sharing.
B

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[barney_bogey]

It's bigger than I probably need but my initial reaction is...WOW. Might need to make a base for it. The garage floor isn't level across the gap. Plus it'd be easier to lift it out of the way.

Need a net...





Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[Tom the Golf Nut]

8 hours ago, barney_bogey said:

 

 

Are those spot lights necessary for camera systems? Seen them a few times now without explanation.

Thanks again for sharing.
B

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk
 

 

It all depends on how dark the room is with the projector on to get a good image on the screen. The Optishot needed the light because my projector isn’t the best. The spot light helps the led sensors pick up the club path. 

[barney_bogey]

There is a lot to learn from a monitor.. I was convinced that it was reporting everything shorter by about 20 yards. Turns out it was my golf swing. Quick tune up and it's all making sense again.

My only reason to not practice now is my aching shoulder. Need to take breaks.

It's awesome.

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, barney_bogey said:

There is a lot to learn from a monitor.. I was convinced that it was reporting everything shorter by about 20 yards. Turns out it was my golf swing. Quick tune up and it's all making sense again.

My only reason to not practice now is my aching shoulder. Need to take breaks.

It's awesome. 

Looks great;  I'm jealous and want one. 

[MattF]

11 hours ago, cnosil said:

Looks great;  I'm jealous and want one. 

[GuessWho78]

13 hours ago, barney_bogey said:

There is a lot to learn from a monitor.. I was convinced that it was reporting everything shorter by about 20 yards. Turns out it was my golf swing. Quick tune up and it's all making sense again.

My only reason to not practice now is my aching shoulder. Need to take breaks.

It's awesome.

That looks almost exactly the same as my setup down to the tripod holding the ipad, lol.

[barney_bogey]

Looks great;  I'm jealous and want one. 

It's gonna be cold soon... start reallocating your tee time money and get it started!

Cheers

[barney_bogey]

Looks great;  I'm jealous and want one. 

It's gonna be cold soon... start reallocating your tee time money and get it started!

Cheers

That looks almost exactly the same as my setup down to the tripod holding the ipad, lol.

It's ain't pretty but it works, right? Upgrades start this winter.

B

[GuessWho78]

2 minutes ago, barney_bogey said:

It's gonna be cold soon... start reallocating your tee time money and get it started!

CheersIt's ain't pretty but it works, right? Upgrades start this winter.

B

I'm beginning my upgrade plans right now. Going to turn my home office into a office/simulator room. It's going to be a tight fit because of my ceiling height, one positive for being kinda short I guess. 

[barney_bogey]

I'm beginning my upgrade plans right now. Going to turn my home office into a office/simulator room. It's going to be a tight fit because of my ceiling height, one positive for being kinda short I guess. 

By chance are you adding a screen and projector? I guess that's the next logical step. Until the Trackman goes on sale that is, lol.

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, MattF said:

 

49 minutes ago, barney_bogey said:

It's gonna be cold soon... start reallocating your tee time money and get it started!
 

It isn’t about money (SWMBO has already approved the expenditure) or cold (I play pretty much year round), it is about the lack of a garage and ceilings in the house that are high enough to swing a club.   Been looking for a new house for a while and several have been rejected due to the garages inability to support a golf sim.   
 

 

[barney_bogey]

It isn’t about money (SWMBO has already approved the expenditure) or cold (I play pretty much year round), it is about the lack of a garage and ceilings in the house that are high enough to swing a club.   Been looking for a new house for a while and several have been rejected due to the garages inability to support a golf sim.   
 
 

Oh dude. That's a much bigger pain in the ass than expected. Moving house for a sim is total commitment! Best on the search. I'd hate to pack up again!

B

[cnosil]

5 minutes ago, barney_bogey said:

Oh dude. That's a much bigger pain in the ass than expected. Moving house for a sim is total commitment! Best on the search. I'd hate to pack up again!

B

Not moving just for the sim.   We have a multistory house and we are ready to downsize and live on one floor.   

[GuessWho78]

Just now, barney_bogey said:

By chance are you adding a screen and projector? I guess that's the next logical step. Until the Trackman goes on sale that is, lol.
 

I am. I doubt the Trackman will ever go on sale at the price point i'm willing to spend. I will probably upgrade to a GC3 or Bushnell with unlocked subscription. Since I am limited on space and still want to be able to use my office for work without moving stuff around everytime I want to play. I'm also not a huge fan of all the subscriptions. Seems like everyone is forcing you into a subscription to be able to get all the benefits from your launch monitor.

[barney_bogey]

Added some foam mats and a spotlight. Also secured the mat as it was slipping just a bit on each swing.

Lost some balls, received some ball dots to replace lost balls. Not sure I'm getting any better, but I'm getting longer.

These Rapsodo combines have humbled me thoroughly.

Back to 10,000 hours. 9,990 to go.

Cheers

[barney_bogey]

I've allowed one person to swing in my garage besides me. He was considering buying my old 3w. Using the small tee, he proceeded to get all the way under it at 100mph. Popped straight up. I didn't think I'd have to worry about net height with a wood...



Oh well. He bought the club and I can patch this before the wife sees it.

[Josh Parker]

33 minutes ago, barney_bogey said:

I've allowed one person to swing in my garage besides me. He was considering buying my old 3w. Using the small tee, he proceeded to get all the way under it at 100mph. Popped straight up. I didn't think I'd have to worry about net height with a wood...



Oh well. He bought the club and I can patch this before the wife sees it.

Ouch!  Easy enough patch though.