Sure, we have a nice, large hitting bay in the office here at Proof Golf (we wouldn’t be much of a content creator focused on golf simulators without one, would we?), but I always have eyes on smaller, simpler setups as well. My beginnings with golf simulators dictates that I keep sights on affordable, nimble setups to help others also get started on their journey. And this net at Amazon has me absolutely wanting to give it a try!
Before getting to the point of having a semi-permanent simulator at the office, I had a simpler, portable setup I used at home that I really loved. It consisted of a 10×10-foot net, a 55-inch TV on wheels, and a hitting mat. The TV is still in my garage on wheels, the net is folded up next to it, and the hitting mat still sits perfectly under my car. Though I don’t use it that often these days, I have some very fond memories of that setup and the golf that was played in my driveway with friends.
And that’s why I keep my eyes on equipment that could recreate that setup on a budget. I know that getting to the point of having a big, permanent simulator setup isn’t reality right now for a lot of folks, and providing insight on how to build a fun, realistic golf simulator is incredibly important. And with that in mind, let’s talk about the GoSports Elite Golf Practice Net.
The GoSports Elite Net
It comes in a couple sizes (7.5 x 7.5ft. or 10 x 7ft.) and even has a bespoke impact screen attachment that you can buy if you want to add a projector down the line. It’s not the cheapest net out there, but it is built on the same principles (or copied from, depending on how you slice it) as the very-popular Net Returns nets, but costs far less. The 7.5ft version runs just $399.99 and the 10×7 is $499.99. Personally, I’d go with the wider version if you can scrape the cash together.
The videos of this net look amazing, and you can get pretty close to it as well, keeping errant shots from bouncing all over the place. The design keeps bounce-back to a minimum, and in the comments it seems that the impact screen add-on is similarly absorptive, meaning you can stay close if you add a projector to your setup and not feel too worried with missing left, right or high.
Go Sports also sells the side netting if you want an added layer of shank protection, though there’s no hood netting available at the moment. 7.5-foot of height is enough as long as you are close to the net, but scooted back a bit, it’s easy to miss over the top of a net that short. Trust me, I know this from a bit of experience. However, the closeness most people hit into this net from makes me feel like you could probably not have to worry much about the height, and it makes this overall setup one that I think many of you beginning the journey of simulator golf might find very, very interesting.
