Mitchell Ruiz, Home simulator writer

Most home simulator regrets come down to a few inches. A camera unit that needs more room behind the ball than the garage has. A ceiling that's fine for a wedge and not for a driver. A screen that's wider than the bay it's meant for. The manuals usually say all of this. The product photos almost never do.

So I read the setup pages first. I copy the stated minimum ceiling height, room depth and distance to the screen into one sheet, with their units, and I note when a manufacturer gives no figure at all. For screens and enclosures I put the listed frame size next to the room sizes owners mention in their reviews.

Software is the other trap. A listing can show a famous course on a big screen while the course app is a separate purchase, a subscription or only available on one platform. I look up what the listing and the app page say about each, and the guides repeat it plainly.

I write the guides on indoor space, alignment, simulator software and accessories. I can't tell you how a mat feels under a 7-iron, and I won't pretend to. I can tell you whether it fits your room.