Golf Simulator Garden Rooms in Dorset

 
 

Play, practice, and perfect your swing, all from home.

Adding a golf simulator garden room is one of the most exciting upgrades you can make to your property. It gives you a private, year-round space to play full rounds, improve your swing, and enjoy your game whatever the weather.

At Dorset Garden Rooms, we design and build bespoke golf simulator garden rooms across Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire, handling everything, from planning permission to final fit-out so you can focus on perfecting your shot.

The Height Problem

Why Golf Simulators Break the Rules

To swing a driver safely, most golfers need 3.0 to 3.2 metres of clear internal height. Add roof and floor build-up, and the building usually ends up around 3.3–3.5 metres high externally.

Under UK Permitted Development rules, any outbuilding within two metres of a boundary can’t exceed 2.5 metres total height, meaning most standard garden rooms fall short.

That’s why a purpose-built golf simulator space almost always needs a custom design and professional planning guidance.

Option 1 – Apply for Planning Permission

This is the most straightforward route, and often the best.

A planning application for an “over-height garden outbuilding” usually takes 6-8 weeks. Approval rates are high when drawings are accurate and the design complements the property.

Once approved, you get exactly what you need, a full swing height room, built legally and precisely to spec.

Option 2 – Work Within Permitted Development

If your garden allows enough space, we can sometimes design within PD rules. When placed more than two metres from a boundary, the height limits increase to

  • 3.0 m for a flat or mono-pitch roof

  • 4.0 m for a dual-pitched (apex) roof

This lets us create a pitched-roof design with up to 3.1–3.3 m of internal height in the centre, ideal for a simulator bay, without requiring planning permission.

Option 3 – Lower the Floor

For tighter sites, another solution is to sink the room slightly into the ground. By dropping the internal floor 800mm - 1000mm, you gain vital headroom while keeping the external height under the 2.5 m limit. The result: a discreet exterior and a spacious, professional interior — a technique already used by top golf simulator installers in the UK.

Option 4 – Architectural Workarounds

When boundaries are close, clever design wins.

We often create split-height or vaulted rooflines — the simulator bay rises higher, while adjacent zones like offices or bars stay standard height. Externally, features like dark cladding, timber screening, or a green roof keep the taller section subtle and compliant with local guidelines.

Our Process

Every golf simulator build is fully bespoke. Here’s how we handle it from start to finish:

  1. Consultation and Site Visit - Assess boundaries, drainage, and required swing clearance.

  2. Design and Height Strategy - Identify the best approach (planning, PD placement, or floor-lowering).

  3. Drawings and Planning Submission – We prepare all documentation and liaise with your council.

  4. Construction and Fit-Out – Delivered by our experienced Dorset team, finished to our usual high specification.

We strongly recommend Living Home Tech of Poole to install your golf tech, they offer a full turnkey solution, read more here Living Home Tech

Recommended Golf Simulator Room Dimensions

Ceiling Height 3.0–3.2 m Width Minimum 3.5 m Depth 5.0–6.0 m

These proportions ensure unrestricted swing motion, correct projector throw distance, and comfortable screen viewing.