Golf Simulator + Home Office – Sandringham, Auckland

Sam works from home and loves his golf, so he wanted one building that could do both: a proper workspace for the day job, and a simulator room where he could play a round whenever he liked.

When he went looking for a builder, he kept running into the same thing. Most of what came up were suppliers of launch monitors, screens, turf and hitting mats – the fit-out people. Sam wanted someone to build the building itself, a compliant one he could then fit out, so he got in touch with us.

The Challenge

Sandringham is notorious for basalt sitting just under the surface of the soil, and it changes how you pile a building. We know the area well enough to expect it, and we could see basalt rock in Sam's back garden. So rather than start digging and find out, we sorted the piling first.

We went with EcoPile by Wildboar, a concrete-free system that drives multiple steel piles into the ground at angles. It gave us a cost-effective way to get a solid foundation on ground that doesn't make it easy. We're always researching better ways of doing things, and this one suited the site.

Because it's a single-storey detached building under 30 square metres, it sits under a Building Act exemption and went ahead without a building consent. It still had to meet the Building Code, so the piles were the main thing to work out up front.

The Design

We started with our base design and reworked it around Sam's requirements. Outside, it's weatherboard with white corner and facing boards, a single-pitch roof and double doors onto a deck, so it sits properly alongside his house instead of looking like a kitset shed out the back.

Inside, the walls and ceiling are lined in timber panels, with recessed downlights overhead. Sam sourced his own simulator tech and knew exactly what he wanted, which is always useful for us, because we could design the room around it from day one. The hitting bay has the screen set into a dark-lined surround, with turf underfoot. The work area sits on a timber floor.

The Result

Sam absolutely loves it. It's his office and his golf room, and when the kids have friends over it turns into a sleepover movie room, with everyone settled in for a film on the simulator screen.

If you're thinking about something similar, the first thing we'll ask is which tech you're going with, because it shapes the room. Sam had already chosen his and sourced it himself, which made our job easier. If you'd rather we supply it, we can do that too.

Curious what a room like this costs? Our golf simulator room price guide breaks down the equipment, the build and the extras.

Wondering whether a golf simulator room could fit on your property? Book a free consultation here to get the conversation started.