Seat everyone behind the golfer
Put seating behind the hitting area and well outside the longest swing. Never beside or in front of the mat.
Playing together
A Golf Simulator for Family and Friends: How Rounds, Turns and Games Work
Most garage and spare-room simulators are bought so the whole household, or a group of friends, can play real courses together. Here is what that looks like night to night, and what to check before you buy.
Quick answer
Everyone hits from the same mat in turn, and the software keeps track of whose shot it is. Up to 4 players is standard (Garmin Home Tee Hero and Square Golf’s app); GSPro and E6 allow up to 8. A four-player 18 holes is an evening, so most groups play 9 holes with “gimme” putts, or a scramble. For non-golfers and children, closest-to-the-pin and putting games are the easy way in.
How a round works with 2–4 players
There is one hitting position. Each player steps onto the mat, hits, and steps back behind the safety line while the next player sets up. The software shows whose turn it is, where each ball finished and the scorecard. Nobody walks anywhere, so the pace depends on how quickly people swap over and how much putting you play.
Mark a safety line
Tape a line on the floor. Only the person hitting goes past it, and only when the previous player has stepped back.
Swap clubs quickly
Keep a bag stand by the seating, not by the mat. Most software lets you hit any club off the tee, which helps in low rooms.
Left and right handers
If the unit or mat has to move for a left-hander, group their turns together. See mixed-handed rooms.
How long does a round take?
As a rough planning guide, allow about a minute per player per hole for full swings, plus putting. That makes a four-player 18 holes an evening of two to three hours, and 9 holes about an hour or a little more. These settings speed things up:
| Setting | What it does | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|
| Gimme or auto-putt distance | Putts inside the distance are counted as holed | GSPro lets you set it from 2 to 20 ft; most other software has a similar option |
| Scramble or best ball | Everyone hits, the team plays the best shot or counts the best score | GSPro (scramble, best ball, shamble, alternate shot); E6 (scramble, best ball) |
| 9 holes | Half the round, same course | All the main software |
| Mulligans | One free do-over for beginners | GSPro and others |
Which software suits groups?
The launch monitor decides which software you can run; the software decides the group experience. Check our software comparison for which monitors work with which program.
| Software | Players | Group formats | Games for non-golfers | Play friends elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Golf app | Up to 4 | Course play | Closest to the pin, putting practice | No |
| Garmin Home Tee Hero | Up to 4 | Stroke play rounds; on-course practice mode | Practice from any spot on any hole | Weekly online tournaments |
| GSPro | Up to 8 | Stroke, match play, scramble, best ball, Stableford, alternate shot, shamble | Mainly course play | Online match rooms and weekly online tours |
| E6 / E6 Connect | Up to 8 | Stroke play, scramble, best ball | Mini-games | Peer-to-peer play for up to 8 |
| Awesome Golf | Check with the maker | Virtual golf | Closest to the pin, long drive, target golf, skills challenges, shootouts | Online leaderboards |
Player limits and formats are from each maker’s own guides (sources below). Software changes often, so confirm the current version before buying.
Can we play famous courses?
Some, depending on the software. E6 Connect lists Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay as premium content, and Royal Troon, Valderrama and Pinehurst No. 2 in its expanded library. Garmin Home Tee Hero maps more than 43,000 courses for R10 and R50 owners with a Garmin Golf membership. GSPro has thousands of community-built courses, but they aren’t official versions of real venues.
We have not verified an official St Andrews Old Course on any home software, so check the software’s current library before you pay. See which courses we have verified in our simulator software comparison.
Children, beginners and non-golfers
Start with short games
A closest-to-the-pin contest with a wedge is the easiest way in. It needs a short swing, so it is safer in tight rooms too.
One person in the hitting zone
Children wait behind the safety line, seated. Agree the rule before the first shot, every time.
Real balls bounce
Balls come back off the screen and the frame, and the occasional shank goes sideways. Use side netting and a ceiling baffle, and keep spectators behind the golfer.
Junior clubs are fine
Children can use their own clubs. Check the tallest adult’s swing for the ceiling, not the children’s.
Make starting easy
Pick a system a non-golfer can start alone: the Garmin R50 runs from its own touchscreen, and Square Golf runs from a tablet app.
Keep it short
Nine holes with gimmes, or a game of closest to the pin, keeps younger players interested.
Keeping children safe
- Safety line. Mark a line on the floor behind and to the side of the hitter. Everyone waits behind it until the hitter steps off the mat.
- Bounce-back. Leave a gap behind the impact screen and use a proper hitting mat. A tight screen against a wall sends balls back faster.
- Side netting. Fit netting or enclosure sides so a mishit or shank can’t reach anyone sitting nearby.
- Right clubs. Give young children shorter, lighter junior clubs, or use foam balls for chipping and putting games.
- Supervision. An adult should be there for full swings, especially with friends round.
Setting the room up for a group
| Need | What to plan |
|---|---|
| Seating | Sofa or stools behind the hitting area, outside the swing and the ball’s path. Allow at least a metre of clear floor behind the golfer. |
| Screen visibility | Seats should see the screen without standing. A projector mounted high and behind the golfer keeps the picture clear of heads. |
| Noise | Impact noise carries through garage walls into attached houses. Hang acoustic panels and agree late-night limits with neighbours. See noise and shared walls. |
| Warmth | A cold garage empties quickly. Budget heating into the running costs: what heating a garage costs. |
Frequently asked questions
How many people can play a golf simulator at once?
One person hits at a time. Up to 4 can share a round in Garmin Home Tee Hero and Square Golf’s app; GSPro and E6 allow up to 8.
How long does a four-player round take on a simulator?
As a rough guide, two to three hours for 18 holes with putting. Nine holes with gimme putts takes about an hour.
Is a golf simulator safe for children?
Yes, with rules: only the golfer goes into the hitting zone, everyone else sits behind a marked line, and the room has side netting and ceiling protection for rebounds.
Can we play friends in another house?
Yes, with some software. GSPro has online match rooms, E6 Connect supports peer-to-peer play for up to 8, and Garmin runs weekly online tournaments in Home Tee Hero.
What are good simulator games for non-golfers?
Closest to the pin, long drive and putting games. Square Golf’s app includes closest to the pin and putting practice; Awesome Golf adds long drive, target games and shootouts.
Sources
GSPro local match setup · TruGolf: E6 Connect peer-to-peer play · Square Golf UK: software · Garmin: simulators and subscriptions · Home Golf Hero: Home Tee Hero review · Golfstead: simulator software guide (Awesome Golf modes). Checked 1 October 2026; rules, prices and software change, so confirm before you buy or build.