Before you build a golf sim, measure the ceiling.
Eight feet usually means no driver. And the used launch monitor you're eyeing is really a software purchase.
Home SetupsTwo numbers decide the whole build
Most home-simulator plans die on a measurement, not a budget. The first number is overhead: eight feet is the bare minimum and usually means you're swinging wedges, not drivers; nine feet is workable and ten is comfortable — and insulation and interior finishing quietly eat inches off whatever the shell promised, so spec the finished interior. The second number isn't a measurement at all. It's whatever the software costs after you buy a used launch monitor, because on some units the subscription simply doesn't come with the box.
Worth Your TimeThree from the desk
- The golf simulator shed guide — Minimum, comfortable, and ideal dimensions, the wall-height trap, how much depth your launch monitor needs behind the ball, prefab vs. DIY vs. converting what you already own, and what the whole thing actually costs. Condensation, not cold, is what ruins these builds.
- Used launch monitors: what to check — Which subscriptions travel with the hardware and which don't, a pre-purchase checklist, certified pre-owned versus private party, and the Facebook Marketplace red flags worth walking away from.
- The Deals Desk — Re-checked every morning against live prices, fake "was" prices thrown out. Departments: launch monitors, simulators, rangefinders & GPS, and practice gear.
The Honest TakeA used launch monitor is a software purchase
Here's the thing that turns a bargain into a disappointment. Buy a used SkyTrak and the previous owner's membership does not come along — the unit arrives in basic range mode and you buy your own plan, which runs from about $100 a year at the entry tier to several hundred at the top (prices as of July 2026; check current pricing before you commit). Course-play software is its own separate license on top. Some units travel better: a Mevo+ with the Pro Package activated and a Garmin R10 generally carry their capability with the hardware. So before you send money for anything used, ask the seller exactly which account the software lives on, then price the year-one total — hardware plus whatever you'll have to re-buy. Sometimes it's still a great deal. Sometimes the "cheap" used unit costs more in year one than a new one on sale.