Best Sim Enclosures: SIG10 vs Carl's Place

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The enclosure is the bones of your simulator. It’s the frame that holds your screen. It’s the netting that catches your shanks. It’s the thing standing between your driver and your drywall.

You can spend $999 or $3,400. The difference isn’t just size — it’s materials, assembly pain, and how forgiving the thing is when you hit a cold one off the heel.

The Quick Answer

For most guys building a sim in a standard garage or basement, the SIG10 at ~$1,999 is the sweet spot. It ships complete (frame, screen, netting, padding — all in one box), assembles in under an hour with no tools, and the SIGPRO Premium screen is best-in-class at this price.

If your room is a weird size, go Carl’s Place DIY (from $999.95). Custom sizing, a-la-carte build, but you’re sourcing pipes separately and assembling more yourself.

If you’re building a permanent dedicated sim room or a commercial teaching bay, the Carl’s Place Pro ($3,409+) is the only commercial-grade option worth the money.

The Three Enclosures That Matter

1. SIG10 — The Default Choice (~$1,999)

The SIG10 is what I’d recommend to 80% of buyers. Here’s why. (Read the full SIG10 review →)

What you get: Aluminum and steel connector frame, SIGPRO Premium impact screen, foam edge padding, side netting, bungee attachment system. Everything arrives in one box. No sourcing pipes from Home Depot. No wondering if you ordered the right fittings.

Assembly: Under an hour. No tools. The frame clicks together. The screen attaches with bungees (which is better than velcro — bungees absorb impact and keep tension over time; velcro flaps degrade and let balls escape on shanks).

Screen quality: The SIGPRO Premium screen achieves ~100% screen fill (the image fills the entire screen edge-to-edge, no black borders). That matters more than you’d think — black borders make your sim look like a PowerPoint presentation instead of a golf course.

Dimensions: 10’10“ W × 8’4“ H × 5’ D. Needs a minimum 12-foot-wide room and 9-foot ceiling.

The catch: It comes in one size. If your room is narrower than 12 feet or shorter than 9 feet, the SIG10 doesn’t fit. That’s the only real downside.

Price: ~$1,999 (authorized retailers regularly discount to this price). At this number, it’s the strongest per-dollar enclosure available.

2. Carl’s Place DIY — The Custom Builder (from $999.95)

Carl’s Place (the community just calls it “Carl’s” — if you say “Carl’s Place” on a forum, you sound like a tourist) is the DIY king. They invented the golf simulator configurator and they let you build exactly what you need. (Read the full Carl’s Place review →)

What you get: Screen + enclosure fabric + fittings. Pipes are NOT included. You source 1-inch EMT conduit locally (any hardware store, ~$350-390 for a full kit) or order a pipe kit from Carl’s.

Screen tiers: Standard, Premium, High-Contrast Gray. Skip Standard — it’s not worth saving $160 for a screen that’ll show wear inside a year. Premium is the floor. High-Contrast Gray is the ceiling (better image contrast, especially with a bright projector).

Assembly: Moderate. You’re cutting pipes, assembling fittings, tensioning the screen. Expect 2-3 hours with a buddy. Not hard, but not the SIG10’s “click and play” experience.

Why choose Carl’s DIY:

• Your room is a non-standard dimension (they custom-size to the inch)
• You want the floor-to-turf seamless screen design (screen goes all the way to the floor — no gap)
• You want to keep enclosure cost under $1,500
• You like building things (some guys enjoy this part — the build IS the hobby)

Price: Base kit from $999.95. A fully comparable 9×12 setup with Preferred screen, pipe kit, and net wall extensions totals ~$1,890. Fully equipped with baffles and foam inserts: ~$2,010-2,100. So once you add everything the SIG10 includes by default, you’re at the same price — but with a larger screen and custom sizing.

3. Carl’s Place Pro — The Commercial Beast ($3,409+)

The Pro is a different category. This isn’t a home enclosure that’s “pretty good.” This is commercial-grade hardware for permanent installations.

What you get: 2-inch EMT steel frame (vs 1-inch on the DIY), BlackStop fabric surround (heavy-duty, light-blocking, wraps the enclosure completely), included foam inserts, adjustable crossbar.

The 2-inch frame is the key difference. The DIY’s 1-inch EMT flexes slightly on hard hits. The Pro’s 2-inch frame doesn’t move. If you’re hitting into this thing 5 days a week, or if multiple people are using it, the rigidity matters.

BlackStop fabric fully encloses the simulator — blocks ambient light, creates an immersive “cave” effect. For dedicated sim rooms with controlled lighting, this is the premium experience.

Assembly: Significant. This is heavy pipe, heavy fabric, and a multi-person job. Not a Saturday afternoon project — more like a weekend with a friend who owes you a favor.

Who buys this: Dedicated simulator rooms, finished basement builds, commercial teaching bays, guys who are done compromising and want the enclosure to outlast every launch monitor they’ll ever own.

The Comparison Table

#	Enclosure	Score	Price	Frame	Assembly	Screen Fill	Best For
1	SIG10	9.2	~$1,999	Aluminium + steel	<1 hr, no tools	~100%	Standard garages, first-time builders
2	Carl’s Place DIY (9×12 equipped)	9.0	~$1,890-2,100	1“ steel EMT	2-3 hrs, moderate	Depends on tier (Premium: 9.0)	Weird room sizes, DIY lovers
3	Carl’s Place Pro	8.7	$3,409+	2“ steel EMT	Weekend, heavy	Premium (~100%)	Permanent/dedicated rooms
4	SwingBay by Rain or Shine	8.5	~$2,999	1.5“ aluminium	~2 hrs, no tools	Premium	Bundle buyers, aesthetics-focused
5	PlayBetter SimStudio	8.3	$2,499+	Steel connector	2-3 hrs, no tools	Triple-layer	Multiple size options, one-box buy
6	PerfectBay by Top Shelf	8.1	~$2,500	Steel push-pin	~2 hrs, no tools	100% fill	USA-made, all-in-one

What About SwingBay?

SwingBay (from Rain or Shine Golf, ~$2,999) is the fourth name that comes up. It’s a good enclosure — 1.5-inch aluminum frame, premium screen, included side barriers. But at $2,999, it’s $1,000 more than the SIG10 for a marginally better product. The extra money buys you nicer aesthetics and a pre-configured package, not dramatically better performance.

If you’re buying a full Rain or Shine Golf package (launch monitor + enclosure + net + mat + projector), the SwingBay makes sense because it’s bundled. If you’re piecing together your own build, the SIG10 or Carl’s DIY gives you the same result for less.

The Screen Tier Rule (Don’t Cheap Out Here)

Regardless of which enclosure you buy, do not save money on the screen. The screen is the surface you’re projecting onto and hitting into. A bad screen means a washed-out image and visible impact marks within months.

Minimum acceptable: Premium tier (Carl’s) or SIGPRO Premium (SIG10).

If you have a bright projector (3,000+ lumens): High-Contrast Gray (Carl’s). The gray surface improves contrast and color saturation. Especially important if your sim room has any ambient light.

Skip: Standard tier. The $160 you save isn’t worth a screen that shows ball marks after 500 hits and looks like you’re projecting onto a bedsheet.

Don’t Forget the Buffer Space

Here’s the mistake that ruins enclosure installs: not leaving buffer space.

You need:

• 2 inches above the enclosure for assembly clearance
• 2-3 inches on each side for the frame
• 12 inches behind the enclosure (minimum 9.5 inches for rear fittings) — this is where the screen flexes backward when you hit balls into it

If your room is exactly 9 feet tall and your enclosure is 9 feet tall, it won’t fit. Measure twice. Order once.

The Final Verdict

Most buyers: SIG10 at $1,999. Done. It’s the enclosure that works for standard rooms, ships complete, and has the best screen at this price. You’ll be hitting balls in an hour.

Custom rooms / budget builders: Carl’s Place DIY. Start at $999.95, build up to ~$1,890 with the add-ons that matter. Custom sizing is the killer feature.

Permanent installs / commercial: Carl’s Place Pro at $3,409+. Overkill for a garage. Perfect for a dedicated sim room you’re never moving out of.

The enclosure isn’t where you get creative. The enclosure is where you buy the thing that fits your room, holds your screen flat, and stops your shanks. Get the right one and forget about it for five years.

Now go measure your room. Then check our enclosure build guide, best garage enclosure guide, SIG10 vs Carl’s Place comparison, best impact screen guide, and best hitting mat guide for the deep dives.

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