For most golf simulator builds, the Carl's Place Golf Simulator Enclosure Kit ($1,299) is the best enclosure — it includes a premium impact screen rated for 250mph ball speeds, a tool-free PVC frame, and full surround fabric. If you have a smaller room, the SIG8 Enclosure ($679) fits spaces as tight as 10 feet wide. Building your own? Grab the Carl's Place Premium Impact Screen ($129) and pair it with a $50-$100 EMT pipe frame for a complete enclosure under $250.
What to Look For in a Golf Simulator Enclosure
A golf simulator enclosure does three things: it holds the impact screen in place, contains errant shots so they don't destroy your room, and creates a dark surround that makes your projected image look dramatically better. Not all enclosures are created equal. Here are the six things that matter most when choosing one.
Frame Material (PVC, Push-Pin Poles, or EMT Conduit)
The frame is the skeleton of your enclosure. PVC pipe frames (used by Carl's Place) snap together without tools and are lightweight but rigid enough to hold tension on the screen and surround fabric. Push-pin pole systems (used by SIG) use telescoping poles that lock with a spring-loaded pin — fast assembly and adjustable height. EMT conduit (electrical metallic tubing) is the DIY builder's choice — it's cheap ($1-2 per 10-foot stick at any hardware store), strong, and connects with simple fittings. All three work well; the tradeoff is convenience (PVC/push-pin) versus cost (EMT).
Impact Screen Quality
The impact screen is the most important component of your enclosure — it's what the ball hits and what your projector displays onto. A quality impact screen should handle ball speeds of 200mph+ without tearing, produce minimal bounce-back (so the ball drops straight down after impact), and display a bright, clear projected image with accurate colors. Cheap screens tear, produce excessive bounce-back that can hit you or your equipment, and wash out the projected image. The Carl's Place Premium and SIGPRO screens are the two best screens on the market.
Size Options
Enclosures range from compact (8x8x5 feet) to full-size (10x10x10 feet and larger). The right size depends entirely on your room. You need the enclosure to fit within your room dimensions with 2-3 inches of clearance on each side for the frame, and your ceiling must be tall enough for the enclosure height plus a few inches. Measure your room before you buy — we cover exact sizing guidance below.
Assembly Method
How the enclosure goes together matters more than you'd think. Tool-free assembly (PVC snap-fit or push-pin poles) means you can set up the enclosure in under an hour and take it down if needed. EMT conduit frames require basic tools (a pipe cutter and Allen wrench for the connectors) and take 2-3 hours. If your enclosure will be permanent, assembly speed is a one-time consideration. If you need to take it down regularly (garage builds where you still park a car), tool-free assembly or a retractable screen is essential.
Padding and Protection
Some enclosures include foam padding at key impact points — the top bar and side poles where a mis-hit could strike the frame directly. Padding protects both the ball (preventing scuffs) and the frame (preventing dents or cracks). The SIG8 includes protective foam padding standard. Carl's Place doesn't include frame padding but the surround fabric absorbs most of the energy from off-center shots. For DIY builds, wrapping EMT joints with pipe insulation foam ($5 at any hardware store) is an easy add.
Enclosure Depth
Depth is how far the enclosure extends from the impact screen toward the golfer. A full-depth enclosure (8-10 feet deep) creates a tunnel that fully contains all shots and gives you room to stand inside the enclosure while hitting. A shallow enclosure (3-5 feet deep) primarily holds the screen and provides side containment but doesn't fully enclose the hitting area. Full-depth looks more professional and contains shots better. Shallow depth saves space and costs less. For most builds, 5+ feet of depth is the sweet spot.
Complete Enclosure Kit vs DIY Build
The biggest decision when building a golf simulator enclosure is whether to buy a complete kit or build your own. Both approaches work — here's how they compare.
Complete Enclosure Kit ($680-$1,300)
A kit like the Carl's Place Enclosure or SIG8 includes everything: frame, impact screen, surround material, and all hardware. You unbox it, snap or push-pin it together (no tools required), and you have a professional-looking enclosure in 30-60 minutes. The advantages are convenience, guaranteed fit (everything is designed to work together), clean aesthetics, and easy takedown if you ever need to move it. The tradeoff is cost — you're paying a premium for the engineering, packaging, and convenience.
DIY EMT Pipe Build ($150-$300)
The DIY approach uses EMT conduit from a hardware store for the frame, paired with a standalone impact screen like the Carl's Place Premium Screen ($129). Total cost for a 10x10-foot enclosure frame with screen is typically $200-$300. The advantages are massive cost savings (60-80% less than a kit) and full customization — you can build to any dimension that fits your room. The tradeoffs are 2-3 hours of assembly time, a less polished appearance (unless you add blackout curtains or surround fabric), and the need for basic tools. We cover the DIY build process in our EMT frame guide below.
Cost Comparison
Here's what each approach costs for a standard 10x10-foot enclosure:
- Carl's Place Complete Kit: $1,299 — includes everything, no additional purchases needed
- SIG8 Complete Kit: $679 — compact 8'4" x 8'4" kit with everything included
- DIY EMT + Carl's Place Screen: ~$230 total — $130 screen + ~$60 EMT conduit + ~$40 connectors
- DIY EMT + SIGPRO Screen: ~$570 total — $470 screen + ~$60 EMT conduit + ~$40 connectors
Our recommendation: if budget is tight, the DIY route with the Carl's Place screen delivers 90% of the functionality at 20% of the cost. If you want a turnkey, professional-looking setup and don't mind spending more, the Carl's Place Kit is the gold standard. For detailed cost breakdowns of every simulator component, see our golf simulator cost guide.
Top 5 Golf Simulator Enclosures
We evaluated these five enclosures and screens on what matters most for home golf simulator builds: screen durability, frame quality, size options, assembly ease, and overall value. The list includes two complete enclosure kits, two standalone impact screens for DIY builders, and one retractable option for shared spaces.
#1 — Carl's Place Golf Simulator Enclosure Kit
#2 — SIG8 Golf Simulator Enclosure
#3 — Carl's Place Premium Impact Screen
#4 — HomeCourse Golf Retractable Pro Screen
#5 — SIGPRO Premium Impact Screen
Golf Simulator Enclosure Comparison
| Enclosure | Price | Type | Size | Frame | Screen | Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl's Place Kit Best Overall | $1,299 | Complete Kit | 9x10x10 ft | PVC | Premium | ~45 min |
| SIG8 Enclosure Best Compact | $679 | Complete Kit | 8'4"x8'4"x5' | Push-pin | SIGPRO | ~30 min |
| Carl's Place Screen Best DIY | $129 | Screen Only | 7.7x13 ft | None | Premium | N/A |
| HomeCourse Retractable Shared Spaces | $119 | Retractable Screen | Various | None | Retractable | Permanent |
| SIGPRO Screen Best Premium | $469 | Screen Only | Various | None | Multi-layer | N/A |
How to Size Your Golf Simulator Enclosure
Getting the right enclosure size comes down to one thing: your room dimensions. Here's how to go from room measurements to the right enclosure.
Step 1: Measure Your Room
Measure the width, depth (length from where you hit to the wall), and ceiling height of your space. These are the three numbers that determine what enclosure will fit. Write them down — you'll reference them in the next steps.
Step 2: Subtract Clearance
Your enclosure needs breathing room. Subtract 6 inches from the width (3 inches on each side for the frame and clearance from the walls), 6 inches from the ceiling height (3 inches above for the frame, 3 inches for the connection hardware), and leave at least 7-8 feet behind the enclosure for your hitting area and swing room. For example, a 12-foot wide room with 10-foot ceilings gives you a maximum enclosure size of about 11.5 feet wide by 9.5 feet tall.
Step 3: Match to an Enclosure
- Room 12+ ft wide, 18+ ft deep, 10+ ft ceiling: Carl's Place Kit (9x10x10 ft) — the standard choice
- Room 10-12 ft wide, 14-16 ft deep, 9-10 ft ceiling: SIG8 (8'4" x 8'4" x 5') — fits tighter spaces
- Garage (shared with car): HomeCourse Retractable — deploys when you hit, retracts when you park
- Any size room, budget build: Carl's Place Screen + DIY EMT frame — build to your exact dimensions
Minimum Room Dimensions
The absolute minimum room size for a golf simulator is 10 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and 9 feet tall. This gives you just enough room for a compact enclosure, a hitting area, and driver-length swing clearance overhead. For a comfortable setup with a full-size enclosure, aim for 12 feet wide, 18 feet deep, and 10 feet tall. For a deep dive on room planning, see our complete golf simulator room size guide.
DIY EMT Pipe Frame Guide
Building your own enclosure frame from EMT conduit is the most popular DIY approach in the golf simulator community. It's cheap, strong, and customizable to any room dimension. Here's how to do it.
What You'll Need
- 1-inch EMT conduit — available at Home Depot and Lowe's in 10-foot sticks ($3-4 each). For a 10x10x10 enclosure, you'll need about 12-14 sticks (~$50).
- EMT connectors/fittings — 3-way and 4-way connectors that join the conduit at corners and T-junctions (~$30-40 for a full set). Search "EMT conduit connectors" or "Maker Pipe" on Amazon.
- Impact screen — the Carl's Place Premium ($129) is the go-to. Mount it with bungee cords through the grommets.
- Pipe cutter — a simple EMT pipe cutter ($10-15) to cut conduit to length. A hacksaw works too.
- Allen wrench or hex key — to tighten the set screws on the connectors.
Assembly Steps
- Plan your frame dimensions. Measure your room and subtract 6 inches from width and height for clearance. Cut your EMT conduit to length.
- Build the front frame. This is the rectangle that the impact screen attaches to. Connect four pieces of conduit (two vertical, two horizontal) using 90-degree corner connectors.
- Add depth. Attach horizontal pieces extending backward from each corner of the front frame using T-connectors. These create the tunnel depth.
- Build the rear frame. Connect the depth pieces at the back with another rectangular frame, creating the full box structure.
- Mount the screen. Use bungee cords or zip ties through the screen's grommets to attach it to the front frame. Pull it taut but not overly tight — slight tension is ideal.
- Add side containment. Hang blackout curtains, moving blankets, or inexpensive netting from the frame to contain side shots. This is optional but recommended.
Total DIY Cost
EMT conduit ($50) + connectors ($35) + Carl's Place screen ($129) + bungees/zip ties ($10) + optional side curtains ($25) = $225-$250 total. That's an 80% savings over the $1,299 Carl's Place complete kit. The tradeoff is 2-3 hours of your time and a less polished appearance — but the functional performance is nearly identical.
For a complete step-by-step build walkthrough with more detail, see our DIY golf simulator build guide.