Trent Vellner
Writes for Garage Fore
About
IT operations manager, suburban Cincinnati, 48. Self-taught golfer, 14 handicap on the course. An IT colleague named Conrad Farawell sent me a YouTube simulator build tour at one in the morning in late 2023. He'd done his own basement build three years earlier and had been quietly waiting for me to arrive at the same conclusion. Watched the video, opened three more tabs, and spent the next few months moving from "interesting idea" to "I need to clear out half the garage."
The build started spring 2024. SkyTrak on a floor stand, then a hitting net, then an impact screen, then the projector, then the mat situation (three mats across about six months, two returned, one that stayed). Knee surgery in 2023 had already cut my course rounds from 36 holes most weekends to maybe 9 a month. The garage covered what the course couldn't. Tuesday and Thursday nights on E6 Connect now, sometimes a weekend round when the concrete floor doesn't feel like stepping onto a refrigerator shelf. Close to five thousand dollars into the setup and still updating the spreadsheet after every significant session or purchase.
Not a PGA pro. Not a club fitter. Nothing useful to say about your swing mechanics. What exists is a working setup used two or three nights a week, a detailed purchase-and-return log going back to March 2024, and enough hours on this specific 19-foot slab to know what fits a suburban two-car space with a low ceiling and what doesn't. That's the scope here.
Recent posts by Trent Vellner
- Tuesday Night Garage Rounds: How My SkyTrak Setup Actually Lowered My Handicap This Year
- SkyTrak vs SkyTrak Plus: Is the New Launch Monitor Worth Upgrading?
- Best PC for Golf Simulator Software Like GSPro and E6 Connect
- The Real Cost of a Garage Golf Sanctuary: My Two-Year Journey from YouTube Dreams to Reality
- How to Fix Shadows on Your Golf Simulator Screen for Better Realism
- The Ceiling Height Reality Check: Why Your Driver Needs More Room Than You Think
- The Joint-Pain Mistake: Why I Swapped My First Simulator Mat After a Few Months of Garage Golf
- Launch Monitor Comparison: Metrics Tracked, Accuracy, Price by Model
- From Knee Surgery to Pebble Beach: Why the SkyTrak ST Plus Won My Garage Simulator Battle
- Best High Lumens Projectors for Garage Golf Simulators with Windows
- Best SkyTrak Protective Cases for Garage Launch Monitor Safety
- Best Golf Bag Storage Racks for Organized Garage Simulators
- Top Golf Simulator Shank Nets for Protecting Your Garage Walls
- Golf Hitting Net vs Impact Screen for Small Garage Spaces
- Best Golf Simulator Flooring Options for Garage Concrete Slabs
- SkyTrak vs Garmin R10 for Small Garage Golf Simulators
- Affordable Home Golf Simulator Packages for Garage Installations
- Top Golf Simulator Enclosure Kits for DIY Garage Projects
- Real Garage Golf Simulator Space Requirements for a Full Swing
- Best Golf Simulator Software for SkyTrak Users This Year
- Best Golf Simulator Launch Monitors for Mid Handicap Players
- Golf Sim Accessories for a Better Garage Practice Experience
- Best Lighting for SkyTrak Golf Simulator in a Dark Garage
- Why I Chose the SkyTrak Launch Monitor for My Garage Setup
- How to Mount a Golf Simulator Projector in a Low Ceiling Garage (2026 Refresh)
- Best Golf Hitting Mats for Garage Simulators to Save Your Joints (2026 Update)
- The 2 AM Reality of a Garage Simulator: My First 30 Days with SkyTrak
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