Custom Simulator Flooring

Golf simulators and high-end launch monitors are more common than ever in homes, country clubs, club fitters, and teaching facilities around the United States.

They’re not only great fun at home for the family who loves golf, but they are also a necessity for golf professionals and college golf coaches, as technology is becoming more and more important to the art of teaching golf.

Here at Pro Putt Systems, we have been designing and fabricating custom simulator flooring with integrated hitting mats for many years and we are the only national aftermarket supplier for this type of golf room.

We can build these integrated flooring systems in our shop in NC which we can then package and ship like a kit, or we can travel to install simulator flooring in the Eastern 2/3rds of the United States.

We have worked with hundreds of D1 thru D3 Colleges and Universities, thousands of residential customers, hundreds of commercial indoor facilities as well as every major launch monitor and simulator company including Foresight Sports, TrackMan, Ernest Sports, Flightscope, TruGolf, HD Golf, aboutGolf, and FullSwing.

Custom Simulator Flooring is a great way to kill two birds with one stone:

Integrating a hitting mat directly into the flooring for full shots, keeping a very clean look
Making the flooring a short game practice area with cups, chipping areas and even undulation

Launch Monitor and Golf Simulation Technologies

There are various types of technology used to read the ball in the golf simulator world. It is important to note that the technology you decide on will have an impact on what type of simulator flooring you decide to go with.

The two most popular Launch Monitor and Simulator technologies are:

High-Speed Optics ( Camera-based technology)
Doppler Radar (Radar-based technology)

Examples of High-Speed Optics would be the Foresight Sports GCQuad, GC3 and GC2 as well as SkyTrack. These versions of the technology are most popular for in-home systems and college facilities because they require very little space to read the ball. They only read the first few inches of ball flight and sit very close to the address position and the golf ball.

Camera-based launch monitors can function as practice-centric training devices and they can function as fully gamified golf simulators.

Examples of Doppler-based technology would be TrackMan and Flightscope launch monitor systems. This style of ball-reading technology requires that they have a significant amount of “clear” space directly behind the ball position, usually 8′-10′ or more and they prefer to allow for 10′-12′ or more of ball flight, in order to get accurate readings. This slender read line is inherent in radar-based systems.

In either case, you can choose to render the actual ball flight on the screen in front of you (via projector), on a flat-screen TV or through a tablet or PC.

Which Simulator Technology is Right for Me?

For most indoor applications, camera-based systems like Foresight GCQuad or GC3 will work best. Cameras require less space, and these systems are far more flexible for indoor environments. Doppler systems certainly do have their place, but they are very seldom used indoors.

Camera systems will typically carry a slightly lower up-front expense and a lower lifetime cost as well.

A common myth about launch monitors and golf simulators is that one version of tech is more accurate than the other. Many years ago, radar systems were more accurate, particularly in outdoor training situations. Over the past few years, camera-based technology has come a long way, and high-speed camera systems are just as accurate now as radar systems (there is an argument that high-speed optics is more accurate indoors than doppler). Foresight does have a slight advantage as it is using 100% measured data, regardless of ball speed.

Both versions are using military grade tracking technology and there is no discernable difference between the ball readings for the two.

If you’re curious which version of the technology you should consider, Contact Us and we’ll be happy to give you an unbiased recommendation based on your needs and budget.

Space Requirements for Launch Monitors Camera Based v Radar Based Systems

The graphic below is a concept for an actual college golf room installation where the coach was contemplating which type of launch monitor technology he should supply for his team.

A common issue with golf rooms is the limitation of space from the front of the room to the back.

The read line for Camera systems is very small and only requires a few inches of ball flight, directly parallel with the ball position. Meanwhile, the read line for Radar systems is over 23′ long and this whole read area must be free and clear of foot traffic and such.

Benefits of integrating the hitting mat directly into the floor

First, it is a very clean and professional look for your simulator area.

In a residential situation with average use, we can simply inlay the True Strike Gel Section only. This will only use a 15″ wide x 36″ long area in the putting green, conserving a ton of space to putt and chip around the hitting mat.

How do I swap out hitting mats when I need to?

The Gel Section or Strike Surface of the True Strike Mat will be cut and dropped into the flooring (putting green) in a way that will allow you to lift Up and to the Back so you can easily swap out hitting surfaces as needed. Other mats like Real Feel CCE or 50/50 (half black/half green) Turf can simply be dropped in.

How do you lift the turf to integrate the mat with my flooring?

We use one of four Interlocking Panel Systems; we’ll help you decide which panel system is right for you based on functionality, features (like putting, chipping, or undulation needs), the mat style you prefer, the launch monitor you’re using, and, of course, budget. Click here to learn all about each base panel system and the sim turfs available to complement each panel.

Do I need Pro Putt Systems to install or can I have custom simulator flooring built and shipped?

The images shown up until now have been examples of rooms which we installed. However, we can and do build and ship custom golf rooms and custom simulator flooring all the time.

We recreate your space in our build shop in NC, build your system and label all parts to be packed up and shipped out to you via freight like a kit.

Custom Simulator Flooring and Putting Green — Stand Alone Custom Simulator Flooring

Here at Pro Putt Systems, we install or build and ship over 300 custom greens per year, and most jobs less than 400 sq ft can be built and shipped like a kit.

Do I need to use True Strike mats in my Simulator Flooring?

No, while True Strike mats are proven to perform best in simulator situations, of course, we don’t require you to use TS in your room.

We offer and stock: (at all times)

Real Feel Country Club Elite pre-cut in: 15″ x 35″ – 2′ x 3′ – 2′ x 4′ – 4′ x 8′ – or custom sizes
Real Feel 1st Cut: in almost any size you want
Pro Grade Tee Line: cut to virtually any size you want
Pro Grade 50/50 Black and Green Tee Line: cut to any size you want
Numerous styles of tight lie chipping turf: cut to any size you want
Fringe Chipping material: in any size you want from .875″ to 2.5″
True Strike Gel Section: fabricated for inlay with teeth and logos removed
4 Grades of Premium Putting Turf: any size you would like

We can custom cut Professional Grade Tee Line material to inlay into simulator flooring or, you can purchase a mat elsewhere, have it shipped to us, and in most cases, we can inlay it for you when we are building your room.

What does Custom Simulator Flooring Cost?

View our Standard Model Simulator Greens HERE

Pricing will depend on a number of factors.

Size
Complexity
Install Location
Shipped as a Kit

Learn About Custom Simulator Green Pricing Here

Generally, a custom green with an integrated hitting mat will range from $28 to $32 per sq ft for 2.5″ solutions with cups and undulation.

Large commercial or collegiate projects that do not need cups or undulation will cost between $8 and $11 per sq ft for solutions under 1.25″ height and $19-$21 per sq ft for solutions 1.75 ” high.