Every golfer has dreamed of having their own at-home golf simulator—a place to practice swings, play iconic courses, and fine-tune their game without ever leaving the house. But for most of us, it’s just that—a dream. Not for Josh Mayer.

In one of the most entertaining golf DIY projects I’ve seen, Josh Mayer decided to build a full golf simulator in his 700-square-foot apartment—without telling his wife. His goal? Set it up while she was away for the weekend and hope that when she got back, it was so cool she’d let him keep it. It was a bold move. And the execution? Well, let’s just say there were some hilarious obstacles along the way.

The Plan: A Secret Golf Setup in the Living Room

Josh had limited space and limited time. Since his wife, Maggie, had planned a short trip to visit family, he had the perfect window to pull this off. Instead of going the DIY route, which would take way too much time, or getting a custom-built simulator (which costs a fortune), he settled on a kit-based setup. After some research, he landed on the SkyTrak+ Simulator Kit—a solid choice that’s relatively affordable (if you consider $5,000 “affordable”).

Before making the purchase, he took a shot in the dark and reached out to SkyTrak to pitch his idea. To his surprise, they were on board and sent him the entire setup for free. Now all he had to do was figure out how to install it… before Maggie came home.

The Build: Things Get Complicated Fast

The first step was clearing out the living space, which meant shoving all the furniture into the bedroom. (Future Josh could deal with that mess.) Then, reality set in: building a golf simulator is not as easy as it looks.

Problem #1: The Ceiling Fan Was in the Way

As soon as he started assembling the simulator frame, he realized something big: the ceiling fan was a problem. The simulator frame stood 10 feet tall, and his ceiling was only 11 feet—which meant the fan was right in the way of a clean swing. His solution? Remove the fan.

But, as anyone who’s tried to DIY home improvements knows, things are never that simple. Josh ended up cutting the wires just to get the fan down, which probably didn’t do his security deposit any favors.

Problem #2: The Projector Setup Was Tricky

Once the frame and impact screen were in place, it was time to set up the projector. The goal was to fill the entire screen, but space was tight. If he positioned the projector too far back, it would get in the way of his swing. Too close, and it wouldn’t fill the screen. He eventually settled on a floor-mounted setup, which wasn’t perfect, but it worked.

Problem #3: Making It Look Good

Since he was trying to convince Maggie to let him keep this thing permanently, he wanted it to look as aesthetic as possible. He added a custom turf hitting mat, a mini fridge stocked with Mountain Dew, and a fake accent wall to make it blend into the apartment. At this point, the space was starting to look legit. But the real test? Playing on it.

Testing It Out: Pebble Beach in the Living Room

Before the big reveal, Josh had to take it for a spin. He fired up Pebble Beach on the simulator and set a challenge: seven holes, try to stay under four over par. Playing on a golf simulator in your own living room is about as cool as it sounds. He had an absolute blast, even if he had to be a little cautious with his swing (because, you know, walls exist).

A few friends came over to test it out, and they were blown away. They even held a closest-to-the-pin challenge—which Josh lost. Then, one of his buddies accidentally dented the projector cover with a mishit. Not ideal. But that was tomorrow’s problem—because Maggie was almost home.

The Big Reveal: Will His Wife Let Him Keep It?

When Maggie walked through the door, her reaction was priceless. First, confusion: “Why did you do this?” Then, curiosity: “Does it actually work?” And finally… excitement? Surprisingly, Maggie actually thought it was pretty cool. She even FaceTimed her dad to show him. That was a good sign. But then came the big question: “Can we keep it?”

Her response? A hard no. …unless Josh hit 250,000 YouTube subscribers within a week. Challenge accepted.

So, Was It Worth It?

Honestly? Absolutely.

This wasn’t just a golf simulator—it was a bold experiment in golfer ingenuity. For anyone considering building their own at-home golf setup, here are a few takeaways: ✅ Space matters. Even in a small apartment, a simulator is possible—but plan ahead for obstacles. ✅ Projectors can be tricky. Take the time to find the right placement. ✅ Velcro is stronger than you think. The impact screen held up surprisingly well. ✅ If you’re married… get permission first. Or be ready for negotiations.

At the end of the day, this was one of the most entertaining golf projects I’ve seen in a while. If you’re into golf simulators, DIY setups, or just hilarious home projects, this is one video worth watching. And hey—if you want to help Josh keep his simulator, go subscribe to his channel.

Would you ever build a golf simulator in your home? Or would your spouse shut it down immediately? Let me know in the comments! ⛳🏡