How Much Does a Golf Simulator Cost? 8 Options Broken Down

Remember 15 years ago when a new HDTV would set you back a few thousand dollars, then it seemed like overnight those prices dropped to the hundreds? That’s what’s happening with golf simulators these days. It used to be that a good home golf simulator was a five-figure investment, but today you can easily get a darn good home golf simulator for under $1,000, and complete your entire setup for $1,300 or less. 

Depending on your priorities, you can opt for an upgraded launch monitor, enclosure, projector, and hitting surface and easily spend $5,000 to $10,000, and that’s not even the tip-top end of what you could spend if you want to go all-out.

That’s a pretty wide range, so let’s take a closer look at how much home golf simulators cost, and what you need to get one set up in your home.

The Rapsodo MLM2Pro is, in my opinion, the best value launch monitor available today. The unit itself is only $699 yet it churns out 13 different metrics, including spin and spin axis. That’s important because instead of estimating which direction each shot travels, Rapsodo actually measures it. For any player working on hitting the ball straighter or grooving a desired shot shape, that’s a non-negotiable but certainly not a given at this price point.

The MLM2Pro is incredibly easy to use, it connects instantly to Apple and Android devices, and syncs data to the R-Cloud. You can play virtual golf or go through a variety of training options, including the Rapsodo Combine. 

I also love that Rapsodo captures swing and impact video on every shot, which makes diagnosing and improving much quicker.

Rapsodo’s recent update delivered a complete overhaul of the graphics package, and the new edition delivers some serious bang for your buck.

The Garmin Approach R50 broke new ground when it hit the market in November 2024. The premium launch monitor and golf simulator has a built-in, 10-inch full-color touchscreen display, giving the unit complete stand-alone performance or the option to plug directly into a larger screen or projector through the HDMI output without the need for a computer, tablet, or other device.

Another area where the Approach R50 separates itself, and another reason it demands a higher price than many other at-home units, is its putting functionality. Many consumer launch monitors come up short of delivering putting data, but the Approach R50 can capture putts, making virtual golf a much more realistic experience.

Nobody blends the line of premium functionality with consumer-friendly pricing like SkyTrak. The original SkyTrak launch monitor was a favorite among golfers for nearly a decade, and now people are flocking to the new SkyTrak+.

As a face-on unit, the SkyTrak+ captures all the club and ball data you need to dial in any aspect of your game. The SkyTrak+ adds Doppler radar to the high-speed camera system to churn out more than 20 metrics on every swing.

Unlike some other units that capture spin data – which is very valuable information, especially for golfers who rely on their launch monitor for game improvement as much or more than entertainment purposes – SkyTrak+ does not require the use of specially marked balls in order to deliver that data. That means you can use your preferred ball, or even compare the performance of different balls, when you use SkyTrak+.

The Voice Caddie SC4 launch monitor is one of the best value launch monitors, checking in at just $549, yet offering crucial accuracy metrics like spin rate, spin axis, side spin, back spin, and dispersion without requiring specially marked golf balls.

For players who are serious about improving their game with the help of a budget launch monitor, VoiceCaddie’s 3D driving range is an excellent place to practice. The SC4 Pro also has a swing speed feature in the app for players working on speed training, where it’s easy to track swing speed and distance gains.

You have two options when purchasing the Bushnell Launch Pro. The fully-capable ball & club data package is $2,999, but in order to make the upfront commitment more accessible, Bushnell also offers the unit with ball-only data capabilities, which can be upgraded at any time to add club data as well. The ball data only edition is $1,749 while the full version is $2,999. If you opt to begin with the ball-data package, the regular price to upgrade to the full version is another $1,750.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the unit itself. Bushnell worked with Foresight Sports for this launch monitor, so it has bonafide top-of-the-line technology.

The ball data offered by this face-on unit is impressive. From carry distance and ball speed, which you’d expect on any unit, to back spin, side spin, spin axis and launch angle (verticle and horizontal), you can pinpoint the accuracy of every shot.

However, without upgrading to the ball and club data version, you can’t see club speed information, which also means smash factor data is off the table without upgrading. You also get angle of attack and club path data with the club data package – which can both really help game improvement – but you need to place a sticker on your clubs to get it.

The Garmin R10 may not be the newest budget launch monitor, but it’s arguably the one that paved the way for the entire market of affordable golf simulators and launch monitors. At just $499, you can use this tiny but mighty indoors or out, play virtual golf, and track 14 different metrics on every swing.

Among the highlights of the metrics the R10 tracks are club path and club face angle. There aren’t many effective training tools for grooving an effective club face angle, yet that’s the most important variable in hitting the ball straight. 

The relationship between your club face angle and club path determines your shot shape, and ultimately where it ends up. The translation is, if you want to practice hitting the ball straight, or dial in a perfect draw or baby fade, this is a great unit to help you do that, and you can’t beat the price.