Best Golf Simulator Enclosure for a 2-Car Garage: One Bay or Full Width?

For most two-car garages, the best golf simulator enclosure is a GolfBays SimBox in the 9 ft 10 in or 11 ft 10 in width, set up in one bay so the other car can still park. If both cars live outside and your ceiling clears 10 feet, the wider SimBox sizes or the GolfBays Lux give you a bay you can hit from either side of.

The rest of this guide covers how a two-car garage actually measures up, which enclosure fits each situation, and the common mistakes. Prices and sizes come from our live product pages at the time of writing.

What a two-car garage really gives you

Builders call anything from about 20 by 20 feet a two-car garage. In Orange County tract homes, 20 by 20 and 20 by 22 are the most common, with 22 by 22 and 24 by 24 showing up on newer or larger lots. Ceilings run 8 to 10 feet, and the garage door track, opener and any overhead storage usually hang 12 to 18 inches below the drywall.

So the usable space depends on one decision: do you want to keep parking a car in there?

• One car stays inside. You get one bay, roughly 9 to 11 feet wide and the full depth of the garage (18 to 22 feet). This is the most common setup we help with.
• Both cars move out. You get the full width, 18 to 23 feet, and can center the enclosure, which makes room for right- and left-handed players and for a wider screen.

Either way, the ceiling is the number that limits you, not the floor. Measure it at the spot where you would stand, to the lowest obstruction, not to the drywall. If that number is under 9 feet, read our ceiling height guide before you buy anything.

The three enclosures, by size

We carry three GolfBays enclosures. All include an impact screen and set up without tools. Here is every size we sell, so you can match one to your bay.

Enclosure dimensions from GolfBays. The enclosure height is not the ceiling you need; you need swing clearance above your head, which is why the minimums below are higher than the frame.

GolfBays EasySim

The EasySim is the budget and renter option. It is 10 ft 10 in wide, so it fills a single bay, and only 3 ft 3 in deep, so it leaves depth behind you. It packs down when you need the bay back. The trade-off is the lighter screen and a 4:3 picture. GolfBays recommends about a 9 ft ceiling and an 11 ft wide room for it.

GolfBays SimBox

The SimBox is the one most garage simulators are built on, and seven sizes mean there is almost always one that matches your bay. Blackout side walls keep mishits inside and make the projected image look better in a bright garage. The five shorter sizes are about 5 ft deep; the two tallest are nearly 10 ft deep and act more like a full room than a hitting cage.

GolfBays Lux

The Lux is for a converted garage where appearance matters: finished fabric, no exposed frame, and a full-size screen built for daily driver speed. GolfBays suggests planning on 10 ft of ceiling, 12 ft of width and 15 ft of depth for the larger sizes. It ships freight with curbside delivery.

Which one for your garage

One bay, one car still parked (9 to 11 ft wide)

Pick the SimBox at 9 ft 10 in wide if your bay is 10 to 11 feet, or the 8 ft 6 in size if you are squeezed to about 9 feet. Both are 8 ft 2 in tall and work in a garage with a 9 ft ceiling. If budget is the priority, the EasySim at $799 fits the same bay. You will be set up for one-handed play (right or left), not both.

Leave at least 6 inches of air between the enclosure and the parked car. Doors swing, and screens do move when a ball hits them.

Full width, both cars out (18 ft or wider)

This is where a two-car garage shines. With 18 feet or more to work with, go to the 11 ft 10 in or 13 ft 2 in SimBox, or the 12 ft 6 in Lux. Center it in the garage and the mat can sit in the middle, so right- and left-handed golfers both hit from the same spot. A wider enclosure also fits a wider screen and a bigger picture.

Ceiling at 9 ft or under

Stay with the 8 ft 2 in tall sizes (EasySim, or the first four SimBox sizes). You will still have a foot or less above the frame, which is enough for most golfers under 6 feet tall to swing a driver. Taller players or anyone with a steep, upright swing should test a few slow swings with a club under the lowest obstruction first. If the ceiling is under 9 feet, a net instead of an enclosure is the safer call; see golf net vs. simulator enclosure.

Ceiling at 10 ft or more

Now the tall SimBox sizes (9 ft 10 in) and the larger Lux sizes open up. The extra height lets the screen sit higher and the image run taller, which helps with high iron shots and keeps the bay from feeling boxed in.

Depth: the number people forget

Width and height decide which enclosure fits. Depth decides whether the whole setup fits. Add it up from the back wall forward:

• Enclosure depth: 3 to 10 feet, depending on the model.
• Ball to screen: 8 to 10 feet, for safety and so the launch monitor can read the flight.
• Room behind you: 3 to 4 feet for a backswing and walking room. A radar launch monitor like the Garmin Approach R10 sits 6 to 8 feet behind the ball, so plan on more.

That lands most setups at 15 to 20 feet front to back, which is why a 20-foot-deep garage works and a 16-foot tandem space is tight. A camera-based launch monitor that sits beside the ball saves 4 to 6 feet.

The garage door problem

In most two-car garages, the door track and opener run straight through the center of the ceiling. If you set up in one bay, choose the bay the opener does not cross, and check that the track in the open position is not above your swing. If you are centering across the full width, the opener will be directly above you. Two fixes: swap to a side-mount (jackshaft) opener and high-lift track, which a garage door company can do for a few hundred dollars, or keep the door closed while you hit and set up slightly forward of the rolled-up door.

What else you will add

An enclosure is the shell. For a working bay you also need a launch monitor and software, a projector, and a mat. A 5 x 5 hitting mat is the right size for a garage bay, and any GolfBays mat takes $75 off automatically when ordered with an enclosure. Most garages are bright, so blackout side screens and the other bay add-ons make a real difference to the picture. If the garage shares a wall with a bedroom or a neighbor, read how to soundproof a golf simulator before the first late-night session.

For a full build order, our step-by-step build guide covers it. For a side-by-side on screens, frames and prices, see SimBox vs EasySim vs Lux.

Not sure which size? Use the fit check

Enter your ceiling height, width and depth into our free 60-second Fit Check and it will tell you which enclosures fit, with prices. Or text a photo of your garage to (714) 343-7110 and we will tell you which size to order. We are in Cypress and have measured a lot of Orange County garages.

FAQ

Can I keep parking one car and still have a golf simulator in a two-car garage?

Yes. A single bay is usually 9 to 11 feet wide, which fits the EasySim or the 8 ft 6 in and 9 ft 10 in SimBox sizes. You will set up for one-handed play and need to leave a few inches between the enclosure and the car.

What size golf simulator enclosure fits a 20 x 20 garage?

With both cars out, a 20-foot-wide garage fits any SimBox size including the 13 ft 2 in, or a Lux up to 12 ft 6 in wide, centered with room on each side. The 20-foot depth covers the enclosure, 8 to 10 feet to the screen and space behind you. The ceiling decides whether you choose an 8 ft 2 in or 9 ft 10 in tall size.

Is an 8-foot garage ceiling enough for a simulator enclosure?

Not for a full swing with a driver inside an enclosure. The shortest enclosures we sell are 8 ft 2 in tall. At 8 feet, use a hitting net and practice irons and wedges, or look at raising the ceiling area above the mat.

SimBox or Lux for a two-car garage?

The SimBox for an unfinished garage where the car might come back one day: more sizes, lower price, blackout walls. The Lux for a converted or finished garage where the bay is permanent and you want it to look like furniture. Both take the same launch monitors and projectors.

How far from the screen should I stand?

8 to 10 feet from the ball to the screen. Closer than that and ball flight is hard for a launch monitor to read, and bounce-back off the screen becomes a risk.

Do I need to remove the garage door opener?

Usually not. Set up in the bay the opener does not cross, or switch to a side-mount opener and high-lift track so the ceiling above the mat is clear. Only center under the opener if you have measured swing clearance below it.