In this guide
Most simulator advice assumes you have a room to give up. Plenty of people do not — the space is a lounge, a garage that still holds a car, or a rental where drilling the ceiling is not allowed. There is a way to build in those rooms, and it is more capable than it sounds.
Three Ways To Do It
Scroll across to compare all details.
| Feature | ProScreen 180 | ImpactSports Practice Cage | ImpactSports Enclosure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,199 | $647 | $1,300 – $1,960 |
| Packs away? | Yes — retracts to the ceiling | No — the steel frame stays assembled | No — permanent frame |
| Drilling required | Ceiling or wall — or none with the ProRack | None — freestanding | None, but the frame is fixed in place |
| Screen | 8ft × 8ft (to 14ft with Pro Arms) | Netting only — no impact screen | 8ft 2in – 13ft 1in wide |
| Minimum room | 10.5ft W × 12ft D × 8ft H | 9ft 10in ceiling | 8ft ceiling for the smallest size |
| Operation | Lithium-ion battery, wireless remote | Manual | Manual |
| Frame | — | Powder-coated steel, foam pole padding | Padded poles, bungee-tensioned |
| Best suited to | A room that has to go back to normal | Practice and budget builds | A dedicated golf room |
The retractable route is the one people miss. The ProScreen 180 rolls up out of the way when you are finished, so the room goes back to being a room. And because the ProRack holds it on a floor-standing frame, the whole build can be done without putting a single hole in the ceiling.
Retractable Enclosure
HomeCourse ProScreen 180
$2,199
Best for: A room that has to return to normal use — a lounge, a garage, a space shared with the rest of the household.
- Retracts out of the way when you are done
- Lithium-ion battery with a wireless remote, no mains wiring
- 8ft × 8ft screen, extending to about 14ft with the Pro Arms
- Needs 10.5ft wide × 12ft deep × 8ft high as a minimum
Free-Standing Frame · No Drilling
HomeCourse ProRack
$750
Best for: Holding the ProScreen 180 without touching the ceiling — the piece that makes a rented room workable.
- Floor standing — no ceiling or wall fixing required
- Tool-free assembly
- Rated for indoor and outdoor use
- Turns the ProScreen 180 into a genuinely portable setup
Free-Standing Projector Mount
HomeCourse Projector Mount
$250
Best for: Getting the projector into position without a ceiling bracket.
- Floor-standing tripod, height adjustable
- No ceiling drilling
- Designed around the ProScreen 180
- Moves with the rest of the setup
Net Cage · No Drilling
ImpactSports Golf Practice Cage
$647
Best for: Practice in a room where nothing can be fixed to the walls or ceiling — it stands on its own and comes apart again.
- 9ft 10in cube — 9ft 10in W × 9ft 10in D × 9ft 10in H
- Knotless UV-resistant netting, 2cm or 3cm mesh
- Powder-coated steel frame with foam pole padding
- Netting only — add the 3 × 3m impact screen at $195 if you want to project onto it
What To Watch For
The no-drill combination
ProScreen 180 plus ProRack plus the floor-standing projector mount comes to $3,199 and puts no fixings in the building. That is the answer for a rental.
Throw distance
The ProScreen 180 wants the projector 10 to 12ft from the screen. That rules out standard-throw projectors — check the ratio before you buy one.
Ceiling height decides
8ft is the ProScreen 180's minimum. The ImpactSports enclosures want 9ft, and the largest 4m kit wants 10ft. Measure before you shortlist.
A net is not a screen
Netting stops the ball. Only an impact screen carries the projected image — which is why the Range Cage mounts its screen in front of the net rather than behind.
Floor protection
A landing pad takes the bounce and protects the floor underneath, which matters more in a shared room than a dedicated one.
Go ground-mounted
If you are avoiding ceiling work, pair this with a ground-mounted launch monitor rather than an overhead one, and nothing needs to go up at all.
Our Verdict
If the room has to go back to normal, the ProScreen 180 is the product to build around — nothing else here disappears when you are finished. Add the ProRack if you cannot drill, and you have a complete simulator for $3,199 that leaves no trace. If you only want to hit balls and the projected image is a nice-to-have, the Range Cage ELITE at $600 does that for a fraction of the cost. Choose a fixed ImpactSports enclosure only once you know the room is genuinely yours to keep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a golf simulator without drilling anything?
Yes. The ProScreen 180 normally mounts to a ceiling or wall, but the HomeCourse ProRack is a floor-standing frame that holds it instead — tool-free to assemble and rated for indoor or outdoor use. Pair that with the floor-standing projector mount and nothing in the room gets drilled. The three together come to $3,199.
How much room does the ProScreen 180 need?
A minimum of 10.5ft wide by 12ft deep by 8ft high, with the unit installed at roughly 8.5ft from the floor. The screen itself is 8ft by 8ft, extending to about 14ft wide with the Pro Arms fitted.
Does the screen retract on its own?
It runs on a lithium-ion battery with a wireless remote, so it rolls up and down without being wired into the mains.
What projector throw distance does it want?
10 to 12ft from the screen. That is short-throw territory — check our throw ratio guide before choosing a projector, because a standard-throw model will not fit that distance on a screen this size.
Is a net enough, or do I need a full enclosure?
A net catches the ball; an enclosure also carries the projected image and contains stray shots. The ImpactSports Golf Practice Cage sits between the two — it mounts its impact screen offset in front of the netting, so you get a projection surface with a net behind it.
Which ImpactSports enclosure size should I choose?
The 10x8ft and 14x8ft kits want a 9ft ceiling; the 12x9ft wants 10ft. All three are 6ft deep with a powder-coated steel frame. Pick on ceiling height first, then on whether you want 4:3 or the 16:9 widescreen 14ft kit.
Need help applying this to your space? Ask SimGolfer about your setup.
Continue planning your simulator
Use the next guide or go directly to the equipment category that matches the part of the build you are working on.
