A garden golf simulator is one of the best ways to practise year-round without relying on the weather, tee times, or range hours. You can work on your swing whenever you’ve got 20 minutes spare, dial in distances with real feedback, and turn a dark winter evening into a proper practice session. But here’s the thing most people don’t realise at the start: the simulator itself is only half the project. The building is what makes it enjoyable, safe, and genuinely useable every week.
If you’re in Exeter or anywhere across Devon, this guide breaks down what matters when planning a garden golf simulator room — from the space you need through to insulation, electrics, lighting and finishing touches.
1) Start with the space: ceiling height, width and depth
The biggest make-or-break factor is ceiling height. If the room is too low, you’ll end up altering your swing (or avoiding driver altogether), which defeats the point. Ideally, you want enough clearance to swing freely with longer clubs and not feel like you’re tiptoeing around the ceiling. If you’re tall or you’ve got a steeper swing, that headroom matters even more.
Next is room width and depth. You need enough space to stand naturally, swing comfortably, and set up your hitting area with safe clearance around you. Depth is especially important because a golf sim setup typically needs room for the hitting mat, the impact screen/net, and enough distance to allow the projector (if you’re using one) to work properly. A well-designed room feels open and relaxed — not like you’re playing golf in a corridor.
A good rule of thumb: don’t design the building around “the minimum that might work.” Design it around how you want it to feel when you’re actually using it — especially if you want mates round for a “nearest the pin” night or you want seating behind the player.
2) Plan the layout like a real room, not a shed
Once you’ve got a realistic footprint, think about layout early. Where will the hitting area go? Where will the screen be? Where will people sit? It’s far easier (and cheaper) to build a room that’s designed around your sim from day one than to squeeze everything in later.
Most people also forget storage until the end — then the space ends up cluttered with clubs, bags, shoes and balls. A tidy sim room feels premium. Even simple built-in storage for bags, shelves for accessories, and a hook rail for jackets turns it into a “clubhouse at home” instead of a makeshift setup.
3) The shell: insulation, airflow and damp protection
In Devon, you’ll feel the difference between a basic outbuilding and a properly built garden room as soon as the temperature drops. A simulator room should be warm in winter, comfortable in summer, and dry all year — not freezing in January and damp by February.
That starts with a solid insulated shell: walls, floor and roof. Proper insulation helps keep a stable temperature, protects your equipment, and makes the room pleasant to spend time in. Alongside insulation, you need ventilation. Simulator rooms can get warm quickly, especially with heating on or a few people inside. Good airflow stops condensation, keeps the room fresh, and helps prevent issues with moisture over time.
4) Electrics: do it properly and plan for future upgrades
A golf sim outbuilding usually needs more power than a standard garden shed. Between lighting, heating, a projector or TV, a PC or console, speakers, chargers and maybe even a mini fridge, you want electrics planned properly from the start.
Think about:
- Enough sockets in the right places (not just one double socket in a corner)
- Internet connectivity (Wi-Fi can be weak at the end of the garden)
- A tidy approach to cabling so it looks clean and stays safe
- Future upgrades (you might add better audio, extra screens or different tracking tech later)
A well-planned electrical setup is one of those things you’ll appreciate every time you use the room.
5) Lighting: bright where you need it, zero interference where you don’t
Lighting is a big deal in simulator rooms — not just for comfort, but for performance. You want lighting that makes the room feel good to be in while avoiding glare or interference around the hitting zone and screen. A good approach is layered lighting: brighter task lighting where you need it, softer ambient lighting around seating, and a clean finish that doesn’t create distracting reflections.
If you’re planning a projector setup, lighting placement becomes even more important. The goal is simple: great visibility without washing out the screen.
6) Flooring: comfort, durability and practice-friendly
You’ll spend more time on your feet in a simulator room than you think — and hard, cold floors make the space feel unpleasant quickly. Flooring should be comfortable underfoot, easy to clean, and suited to golf practice. Many people use a dedicated hitting mat area and build the rest around a durable, warm finish that makes the room feel like a real living space.
7) Finishing touches: the “clubhouse at home” feel
This is where the room becomes something you’re proud of. A seating area, a tidy media wall, a spot for a TV, a simple drinks shelf — these small touches turn it into a space you use weekly, not a novelty you show off once.
If you want the outbuilding to blend with your home and garden, the exterior finish matters too. Clean lines, smart cladding, and doors/windows that match your style can make it look like it was always meant to be there.
At Exeter Building Solutions, we build golf simulator outbuildings designed for real use — warm in winter, cool in summer, and practical enough that you’ll genuinely use it (not just show your mates once and forget about it).
If you’re based in Exeter or nearby and you’re considering a golf sim room, message us with your garden dimensions and we’ll advise what’s realistic for your space.