GoSports Golf Simulator Enclosure Review
We had mentioned in another golf article on Pojo that we were building a golf simulator in our garage. A few folks emailed us asking about our enclosure. Here is a quick review of the GoSports Golf Simulator shell we purchased and installed.
The GoSports Golf Simulator is a budget-friendly enclosure aimed at golfers who want to practice indoors without committing to a higher-costed simulator setup. These simulators can be purchased from Amazon.com. This is a review of the GoSports 10’x8′ enclosure. GoSports also makes a larger 12’x9′ enclosure, and an 8’x8′ enclosure.
This isn’t a magical all-in-one box that gives you a full simulator. You’re getting the Enclosure and the Impact Screen, which are the crucial foundation for any home setup. It’s like buying a booster box – you’ve got the essentials, but you still need to pull a few key cards to make the deck sing. In this case, those cards are your launch monitor, golf mat, and projector, which are sold separately.
The 10’x8′ enclosure ships in one box that is approximately 3-1/2 feet long and weighs about 75 pounds. The box contains: steel posts (that snap together); an impact screen; top and side covers; bungie cords; foam padding; and instructions. It all fits together like a well-designed puzzle.
Setup is relatively painless for something this size, and once built, it’s sturdy enough for daily practice. Posts snap together very easily. Assembling the posts will only take you about 15 minutes. Attaching the side tarp and impact screen will be much easier with two people. You will need stepping stools or ladders.
The black tarp for the sides and top is one piece and attaches to the steel posts with Velcro. The white impact screen attaches to the steel posts and the side panels with strong bungie cords. Then you install padding with Velcro along all 4 sides of the impact screen to prevent balls from hitting the posts.
The 10×8 frame gives you a good-sized hitting area. Durability of the enclosure is good for all clubs including driver. We found bounce-back off the impact screen to be way too strong at first. The balls would ricochet like they were you hitting them into a trampoline. We remedied this by removing about 1/3 of the bungie cords from all four sides.
Strengths:
- A-Tier Value: This is where the GoSports enclosure truly shines. It offers a “commercial-grade” setup at a fraction of the cost of higher-end brands. If you’re looking to build a high-quality home sim without dropping a second mortgage, this is your play.
-
Solid Construction: The frame is made of sturdy steel, and the HD impact screen is built to take a beating from real golf balls and all swing speeds. The foam padding on the frame is a nice touch to minimize bounce-back and protect your equipment.
-
Easy Setup: GoSports claims a 30-minute assembly time. While your mileage may vary depending on your “Ikea building a bookshelf skills”, our consensus is that it’s a straightforward process with clear instructions.
- Aesthetic and Functional: The enclosure gives you that true “studio” feel with a 4:3 aspect ratio screen, and the side and top coverings help keep stray shots from causing havoc in your man cave or garage.
Weaknesses:
-
Bounce-back: If you don’t remove a few bungies, the ball can bounce back with a bit of velocity, which is something to be aware of. Floor padding is recommended as well.
- Space Requirements: While the enclosure is 10′ wide and 8′ tall, you’ll need a room with at least a 9-foot ceiling to give you plenty of clearance for your swing, especially with a driver. Make sure to check your launch monitor’s specific space requirements as well.
-
It’s a “Shell,” not a “Sim”: We can’t stress this enough. This is not a golf simulator out of the box. You must purchase a launch monitor and a projector to complete the setup. Don’t be that guy who buys the kit and wonders why he can’t play St. Andrews.
Possible things to add:
- Shank Net: Depending the skill levels of your users, you may find shank nets will protect your surrounding a little more.
- Foam Padding on the front frame posts: There is foam padding around the posts near the white impact screen, but there is no padding on the posts closest to you. Again, depending on your skill levels, you may want to cover these posts with pool noodles to cushion bounce back.
- Foam floor tiles: We ran 10′ x 15′ of foam floor tiles under our hitting mats to the screen. These help cushion bounce back, and also give you more impact cushion underneath your swing.
Then we covered the foam floor tiles with inexpensive artificial turf we picked up from a big box hardware store. This gave everything a nice clean look.
Pojo’s Bottom Line: Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The GoSports 10′ x 8′ Golf Simulator is a powerful addition to any golfer’s arsenal. It’s a fantastic foundation for a DIY home simulator, offering a strong build and professional look at a solid price. While you’ll have to source the rest of your sim on your own, this enclosure is a solid cornerstone that gets you a huge step closer to playing a round no matter the weather.