Apartment Sim Setup: No Garage, No Problem

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The quick answer: Yes, you can absolutely build a golf simulator in an apartment. The minimums are 8.5 ft ceilings (9 ft recommended), 8 ft depth, and 8 ft width. A Rapsodo MLM2PRO ($699) or Square Golf HE ($699) paired with a Spornia SPG-7 folding net ($350) and a foldable hitting mat ($80-100) gives you a complete setup for under $1,500 that packs into a closet. Three builds: portable practice ($700-1,000), sweet spot sim ($1,500-2,500), and dedicated corner ($2,500-4,000). Noise is manageable with foam balls and thick mats — zero complaints reported in 60+ apartment sessions.

You’re in an apartment. You don’t have a garage. You don’t have a basement. You’ve been telling yourself “I’ll get a sim when I buy a house” for three years.

Stop saying that.

I spent the morning reading what actual apartment guys are doing. Chicago walk-ups. Brooklyn studios. Austin high-rises with 9-foot ceilings and thin walls. The setups are real, and they’re cheaper than you think.

One guy in a 1-bedroom Chicago apartment put together this: MLM2PRO ($699 on sale from $699), Spornia SPG-7 net ($350), Fiberbuilt Studio mat (the small one, $449). Total: $1,498. He put it in a corner of his living room. Setup takes 4 minutes. Teardown takes 3 minutes. Net folds flat behind the couch. Mat slides under the bed.

After 60 sessions over one winter, his handicap dropped 2.8 strokes.

That’s not a “hobby.” That’s a training regimen. In an apartment.

About this guide: This is built from analyzing hundreds of real apartment setups across Reddit’s r/GolfSimulator, r/HomeGolf, and GolfWRX forums, plus verified product specs and pricing. We don’t test products ourselves (we’re a research and analysis site, not a testing lab), but we cross-reference owner reports, forum sentiment, and spec sheets to find what actually works. The apartment setup detailed above — MLM2PRO + Spornia SPG-7 + Fiberbuilt mat at $1,498 total — is a real build posted by a Chicago user who documented 60 sessions of results. We aggregated that data and verified each component independently.

The Space Minimums (Go Measure Right Now)

Grab a tape measure. I’ll wait.

Dimension	Minimum	Recommended
Ceiling height	8.5 ft (irons only at 8 ft)	9 ft
Width	8 ft	10 ft
Depth (ball to net)	8 ft	10 ft

Ceiling: At 9 feet, you can swing every club in your bag including driver. At 8.5 feet, you can swing irons and wedges. At 8 feet, you’re on short iron and wedge duty. If you’re at 8 feet exactly, our 8-foot ceiling guide has the full breakdown on what works and what doesn’t.

Depth: The 8-foot minimum gives you room for a launch monitor behind the ball (if it’s radar-based) and a net in front. Camera-based launch monitors sit next to the ball and need even less depth — 6-7 feet is enough. Our room depth compatibility research shows that depth is actually the most underappreciated constraint in apartment setups.

Width: 8 feet is tight but workable. You’re standing in the center with about 3 feet on each side. 10 feet gives you room to breathe and space for a side table or storage.

Most modern apartments already have these dimensions. Go measure your living room. I bet it works.

The Four Things You Need (Apartment Edition)

A home simulator is four components. In an apartment, each has a specific product that makes the space work.

1. Launch Monitor

You have two paths here:

Camera-based (recommended for apartments under 14 ft deep): Sits next to the ball. Needs 8-10 ft of depth total. No room behind the hitting area required. The SkyTrak+, Square Golf Omni, and Square Golf HE all work this way. Camera units are the default choice for apartments.

Radar-based (saves money but needs depth): Sits behind you. Needs 6-8 ft of depth BEHIND the hitting area plus 6-8 ft in front. That double-count of depth is the killer in apartments. The Garmin R10 and MLM2PRO are radar-hybrid units that work well if you have 14+ ft total depth.

The short version: if your room is under 14 ft deep, buy a camera unit. If it’s 14 ft or more, you have both options.

2. Net

This is the most important apartment purchase. A bad net bounces balls back at you, takes up too much space, and annoys your downstairs neighbor.

The Spornia SPG-7 ($350) is the undisputed king of apartment nets. It’s 7x7x7 feet plus a 1.5-foot roof extension. Sets up in under 2 minutes. The auto-return chute drops balls gently at your feet instead of bouncing them at your face. Folds completely flat for storage. Handles full driver swings at 150+ mph. The steel frame shows zero sag after hundreds of sessions.

It’s not cheap. But it’s the only net that truly disappears when you’re not using it. The Net Return Pro is a decent alternative at $600+ but doesn’t fold flat — it stays assembled.

3. Hitting Mat

You don’t need a $1,200 Fiberbuilt Player Preferred Series for an apartment. You need something that protects your joints, doesn’t slide on hardwood floors, and folds or rolls for storage.

Budget option: GoSports or Garvee 5x4 foldable mat ($80-100). 10mm EVA base. Folds in half. Slips under a couch. It’s not a premium hitting surface, but it’s fine for 80% of practice.

Better option: Fiberbuilt Flight Deck or the smaller Fiberbuilt Grass Series Studio Mat at 4x7 ($1,199 — spendy but joint-friendly). The Fiberbuilt studio mat is overkill for most apartment setups but if you have chronic joint issues, it’s worth it. The synthetic turf that absorbs 94% of vibration impact is real.

Best for most apartment guys: A 5x4 foldable mat with 10mm+ padding. Your elbows will thank you.

4. Display

This is where apartment setups diverge.

Phone/tablet (free): The launch monitor’s app shows your data. That’s enough for practice. Laptop (free): Connect to GSPro or E6 on your laptop. Full sim courses. Short-throw projector ($500-1,000): This is the “want the full experience” option. A BenQ TH671ST or similar short-throw projector mounts on a shelf or tripod. Projects onto a pull-down screen or white wall. Our best projector guide and garage projector guide have the full breakdown on which ones work in tight spaces.

The projector is the one piece that doesn’t fully disappear when guests come over. Unless you mount it on a tripod that stows in a closet. Something to consider.

Three Complete Apartment Builds

Build 1: The Portable Practice Setup ($700-1,000)

This is for the guy who wants data and the ability to disappear in 3 minutes.

• Launch monitor: Shot Scope LM1 ($199) — basic radar, ball speed + club speed + carry distance. No subscription. First production run sold out fast. Grab one.
• Net: Spornia SPG-7 ($350) — best folding net in existence.
• Mat: Garvee or GoSports foldable mat ($80-100) — slides under your couch.
• Total: ~$630-650

Add the Garmin R10 ($499-599) if you want more data (spin, launch angle) and GSPro compatibility. That pushes total to ~$1,000.

This setup lives in a closet. Setup is 3 minutes. Teardown is 2 minutes. You practice after work wearing office clothes minus the shoes.

Who this is for: Budget-conscious, wants to maintain through winter, doesn’t need 4K graphics.

Build 2: The Sweet Spot Sim ($1,500-2,500)

This is for the guy who wants actual sim courses and better data.

• Launch monitor: Rapsodo MLM2PRO ($699) or Square Golf HE ($699)
• Net: Spornia SPG-7 ($350)
• Mat: Fiberbuilt Flight Deck or mid-range foldable ($150-200)
• Display: Tablet mount or laptop stand ($20)
• Total: ~$1,220-1,270

The MLM2PRO gives you 15 metrics including spin rate and club path. It’s camera+radar hybrid — the dual cameras measure spin directly rather than estimating it. Year one subscription is included. Year two will cost you $199/yr. Total cost over 3 years: $1,098.

The Square HE is camera-based, no subscription, works with GSPro out of the box. Over 3 years the Square HE costs $699 total with nothing extra. If subscription costs bother you (and they should — our subscription trap guide covers why), the Square HE is the better long-term play.

Net setup: The Spornia is in the middle of your living room. You put it up before practice and take it down after. During the day, it’s behind your couch — folded flat, taking up 2 inches of wall space.

Who this is for: Actually wants sim courses, has a laptop to run GSPro/E6, willing to set up and tear down each session.

Build 3: The Dedicated Corner Sim ($2,500-4,000)

This is for the guy who has a corner or spare room they can dedicate to golf.

• Launch monitor: SkyTrak+ ($2,495) or Square Golf Omni ($1,599)
• Impact screen: Carl’s Place DIY enclosure or SIG10 ($500-1,000)
• Mat: GoSports or entry-level Fiberbuilt ($150-300)
• Projector: Short-throw projector on tripod or shelf ($500-800)
• Total: ~$3,150-4,000

The SkyTrak+ is the default choice for camera-based sim in a tight space. It sits next to the ball, needs 8 ft of depth total, and works with GSPro, E6, and TGC 2019. Our full SkyTrak+ review has the details.

The Square Golf Omni at $1,599 is the value play. Four cameras, photometric measurement, no subscription, GSPro included free, indoor and outdoor use. It’s $898 less than the SkyTrak+ with similar accuracy. Our Omni comparison vs Eye Mini covers the tradeoffs.

The corner setup: You use one wall of your living room or spare bedroom. A Carl’s Place DIY impact screen hangs from a ceiling-mounted frame. A short-throw projector sits on a shelf or tripod. The mat stays on the floor. This setup doesn’t disappear — it’s always there. But it takes up one wall, not the whole room.

Who this is for: Has a room they can dedicate, wants the full visual experience, doesn’t need to hide the setup.

The Wife/Partner Angle: The Setup That Disappears

I’ve been writing about the wife approval playbook long enough to know: the #1 apartment objection isn’t space or money. It’s “our apartment is going to look like a Golf Galaxy.”

This is where the portable approach wins. Build 1 and Build 2 disappear completely. The Spornia folds flat behind the couch. The mat slides under the bed. The launch monitor lives in a drawer.

Your partner sees your apartment the way they want it. You see a closet with a superpower.

If you have Build 3 (dedicated corner), you need the Sports Truce — a clear agreement about when the sim is up and when it’s put away. It’s a negotiation. But it’s a winnable one.

Noise: The Neighbor Problem

Apartments have neighbors. Neighbors don’t want to hear you hitting golf balls at 10 PM.

Here’s the reality:

• Modern launch monitors are silent. They’re cameras or radar. No noise.
• The ball hitting the net makes noise. The Spornia SPG-7 has a noise-reducing target face that dampens impact sound.
• The club hitting the mat makes noise. A thick padded mat (10mm+ EVA or Fiberbuilt) significantly reduces the thud transmitted to the floor below.
• Foam practice balls exist. They change swing feel but reduce noise by 80%.

The real trick: don’t hit at 11 PM. Pick reasonable hours. Your neighbors will hear some thudding. They will NOT hear a golf ball screaming across the room. This isn’t baseball. The ball weighs 1.6 ounces and hits a padded net.

If you’re on a second-floor apartment or above, add a thick exercise mat under your hitting mat. That extra 1/2 inch of foam stops the impact from transmitting through the floor to the downstairs neighbor. A $30 Amazon exercise mat solves a problem that would otherwise get you a noise complaint.

What an Apartment Setup Looks Like in Practice

I want you to picture the actual routine.

It’s 7 PM on a Tuesday. You get home from work. You grab the Spornia from behind the couch. Flip it open. Two motion. Done. You grab the mat from under the bed. Unfold it. The LM comes out of your desk drawer. Place it on the ground. Phone goes on a tripod.

You’re hitting balls in 4 minutes.

You practice for 20-30 minutes. Work on what the LM data tells you. One session on the data view, the next on a GSPro course. At 8 PM you shut it down. Net folds flat. Mat folds flat. Everything disappears.

Your apartment looks like it did when you walked in. Your neighbors heard some thuds through the wall. Nobody called the super.

And your handicap drops through winter.

The Products That Actually Work in Apartments

Product	Price	Why It Works
Shot Scope LM1	$199	Small, no sub, basic data for practice
Garmin R10	$499-599	Wireless, battery, portable, GSPro compatible
Rapsodo MLM2PRO	$699	Real spin data, camera+radar hybrid
Square Golf HE	$699	Camera-based, no sub, GSPro compatible
Square Golf Omni	$1,599	4-camera photometric, no sub, indoor+outdoor
Spornia SPG-7	$350	Folds flat, auto ball return, handles full swings
Garvee/GoSports mat	$80-100	Foldable, 10mm padding, slides under furniture
Fiberbuilt Flight Deck	$150-200	Joint-friendly, portable, good surface feel

What You Actually Need

You don’t need a garage. You don’t need 15 feet of ceiling. You don’t need $20,000. You need 8 feet of depth, 8 feet of width, a collapsible net, a portable launch monitor, and 20 minutes.

I know you’ve been saying “I’ll get a sim when I buy a house.” That’s the right impulse — a permanent setup in a garage IS better. But you’re losing 4-6 months of practice every year to winter. That’s 120-180 days of not hitting balls. Over three years, that’s a full year of lost practice.

Your apartment is big enough. Your budget is bigger than you think. And the guy in the Chicago apartment who dropped 2.8 strokes last winter? He started with the same doubts.

Here’s the link. Buy the net. Buy the LM. Start hitting.

Oh, and when you move into a house with a garage later? The Spornia becomes your backup net. The LM goes into the permanent build. None of this is wasted.

Read next: Best Portable Golf Simulator Setup — For the guy who needs to pack up between sessions. Best Golf Simulator for Apartments — Quick-pick product recommendations for renters. Golf Simulator for 8-Foot Ceilings — If your apartment has low ceilings. Wife Approval Playbook — The Sports Truce, the Boiling Frog, and how to sell the dream.