You need an enclosure. You know you need an enclosure. That shanked 7-iron isn’t going to catch itself, and your drywall didn’t sign up for this.
The good news: the enclosure decision in 2026 has basically narrowed to two options. SIG10 or Carl’s Place (SIG10 review, Carl’s Place review). Everything else (SwingBay, PlayBetter, Top Shelf) is either more expensive or less proven than one of these two.
But they’re built for different people. The SIG10 is the enclosure that arrives, you open the box, you put it together in an hour, and you’re hitting balls. Carl’s Place is the enclosure where you measure your room three times, cut pipe, tension the screen yourself, and end up with something that fits your weird basement perfectly.
One is not better. They serve different rooms and different personalities.
The Quick Comparison
| Spec | SIG10 | Carl’s Place DIY |
|---|---|---|
| Price (base kit) | $1,999.99 | $999.95 |
| With pipe kit + good screen | $1,999.99 (everything included) | ~$1,400-$2,040 |
| Pipes included? | Yes | No (+$350-390 for pipe kit) |
| Custom sizing? | No (3 fixed sizes) | Yes, down to the inch |
| Tools required | None | Rubber mallet, wrench, ladder |
| Assembly time (solo) | 45-60 min | 60-90 min |
| Screen fill | 100% | 100% (floor-to-turf) |
| Shank protection | Foam padding all sides | Velcro side flaps |
| Screen options | Premium (white) or Premier (gray) | 4 grades: Standard, Preferred, Premium, Gray Premium |
| Frame material | Aluminum (light) | Steel EMT (heavy) |
| Min room width | 12 ft | 12-14 ft (depends on size) |
| Min ceiling height | 9 ft | 9-10 ft |
The SIG10: Open Box, Build, Swing
The SIG10 is part of Indoor Golf Shop’s Signature Series, and it exists for one reason: to make building a simulator so easy that you stop thinking about the enclosure and start thinking about the fun part (hitting balls).
What you get in the box:
The SIG10 ships with everything. Push pin color-coded poles that click together in 45 minutes. A SIGPRO Premium impact screen that’s been independently tested by MyGolfSpy to withstand 250 mph ball speeds. Protective foam padding that runs the entire left, right, top, and bottom of the screen. A vinyl surround. Ball bungees. Side netting.
You open the box, you follow the color codes, you’re done. No trip to the hardware store. No cutting pipe. No second-guessing whether you measured right.
The dimensions:
The SIG10 frame is 10’10“ wide, 8’4“ tall, and 5’ deep. The viewable screen is 10’1“ x 7’7“ with 100% screen fill — meaning the projector image fills the entire surface with no dead space. This is the sweet spot for a standard two-car garage bay.
SIG also makes the SIG8 (8’4“ frame, 7’7“ square screen, for tight spaces under 11ft wide) and the SIG12 (12’2“ frame, 11’5“ x 8’7“ screen, for dedicated sim rooms). But the SIG10 is the best seller for a reason — it fits most garages and gives you a full 4:3 image area.
The foam padding is the hidden killer feature.
SIG puts foam on all four sides of the screen. When you shank a ball (and you will), the foam catches it, deadens it, and drops it straight down. The ball doesn’t ricochet into your garage door track. It doesn’t sneak behind the screen. It drops.
Carl’s Place uses Velcro side flaps that attach the screen to the sidewalls. They look clean from the front. But the Velcro opens toward the golfer. On a hard shank into the sidewall, the ball can actually pop through the flap and end up behind the enclosure. I’ve seen it happen. It’s not common, but it happens.
Room requirements:
You need a minimum 12 feet of width and 9 feet of ceiling height for the SIG10. The frame is 10’10“ wide, so you need some buffer on each side. The 8’4“ height means you need at least 9 feet of ceiling to give yourself 8 inches of clearance above the frame.
If your room is standard (12ft wide garage bay, 9ft ceiling), the SIG10 is almost certainly the right choice. It fits, it’s easy, and the shank protection is best-in-class.
Carl’s Place DIY: Built Around Your Room, Not the Other Way Around
Carl’s Place has been in the simulator enclosure game longer than anyone. Their C-Series DIY kit is the most flexible enclosure system on the market, and it serves a fundamentally different philosophy: the enclosure should fit the room, not the room fit the enclosure.
What you get (and don’t get):
The base kit at $999.95 includes the nylon enclosure cover, your choice of impact screen, and the steel corner fittings. What it does NOT include: the pipes.
You can either buy the Pipe Framing Kit for $350-390 (pre-cut EMT pipes in exactly the right lengths, black powder-coated) or source 1-inch EMT from your local hardware store and cut it yourself. The instructions tell you exactly what lengths and quantities you need.
A fully comparable 9x12 setup with the Premium screen, pipe kit, and net wall extensions runs roughly $1,890 to $2,040. That’s basically the same price as the SIG10. But you’re not buying Carl’s Place to save money (though you can, with the Standard screen and self-sourced pipe). You’re buying it because you need a 10.5-foot-wide screen, or a 7.5-foot-tall configuration, or a specific aspect ratio that no fixed-size enclosure offers.
The borderless screen is genuinely better-looking.
Carl’s Place runs the impact screen all the way to the floor. No gap. No exposed pipes at the bottom. The image transitions directly into your hitting turf with nothing in between. It’s the cleanest look in the enclosure game, and no turnkey enclosure (SIG included) matches it.
The four screen grades give you real choice too:
- Standard ($1,149-1,437 kit price): Entry-level, acceptable image quality, more bounce-back
- Preferred (~$200 more): Better image clarity, less bounce, the value sweet spot
- Premium (~$400-500 more): Smoothest surface, 3-layer impact-resistant polyester, noise-dampening center
- High-Contrast Gray Premium: Same Premium material with gray backing for deeper blacks in ambient light
Skip the Standard. Buy Preferred or Premium. The image quality difference is worth it, and you’ll look at this screen every single time you swing.
The assembly reality:
Carl’s Place says 60-90 minutes. Realistically, a first-timer who’s measuring, cutting, and tensioning will spend 2-3 hours. A friend helps. There’s a rubber mallet involved. You’ll tighten zip ties. You’ll tension the bottom cable. You’ll hang the flaps.
It’s not hard. The instructions are good. But it’s a project. If that sounds fun to you, great. If it sounds like the reason you’ll put off building your simulator for another weekend, you want the SIG10.
The Velcro flap issue:
Real talk: Carl’s Place uses Velcro flaps to attach the sidewalls to the screen. They look clean. They’re easy to adjust. But the Velcro opens toward the hitter, and on a hard shank into the corner, a ball can force its way through and end up behind the enclosure. This is not a dealbreaker — it happens on maybe 1 in 100 shanks — but it’s a real difference from the SIG’s foam padding that deadens everything.
Cost Comparison: What You Actually Pay
Let’s compare apples to apples. A fully built-out enclosure in a standard 12x20 garage:
| Component | SIG10 | Carl’s Place DIY 9x12 |
|---|---|---|
| Base kit | $1,999 (everything) | $999.95 (screen + fabric + fittings) |
| Pipe kit | Included | $350-390 |
| Side netting | Included | $100-150 |
| Back cover | Optional ($150) | $80-120 |
| Total comparable build | $1,999 | $1,530-1,660 |
| With Premium screen upgrade | N/A (Premium is standard) | $1,890-2,040 |
| True all-in comparable | $1,999 | ~$1,900-2,100 |
The cost is essentially the same when you build Carl’s Place to the same spec as SIG10. Carl’s Place can be cheaper ($1,400 with self-sourced pipe and Standard screen) or more expensive ($2,100 with Premium screen and all accessories). But for a comparable build (Premium screen quality, pipe kit included), they’re within $100 of each other.
The money question is not “which is cheaper.” It’s “which is the right fit for your room.”
Room-by-Room Recommendation
Standard 2-car garage (12ft wide, 9ft ceiling, 20ft deep): Get the SIG10. It fits, it’s easy, the shank protection is better, and you’ll be hitting balls 60 minutes after the box arrives. There’s no advantage to Carl’s Place here.
Narrow garage or spare room (under 11ft wide, 8.5ft ceiling): Get the SIG8 or Carl’s Place custom. SIG8 is faster. Carl’s Place fits any dimension. If your room is exactly 10.5ft wide, you want Carl’s Place’s custom sizing to maximize your screen area.
Odd-shaped room (angled ceiling, posts, non-standard width/height): Carl’s Place, no question. The custom sizing is the whole reason this product exists. You measure the room, order the enclosure, and it fits. No compromises.
Basement with low ceiling but wide room: Carl’s Place. You can order a short-height, wide-width screen that fills the space. The SIG series has fixed aspect ratios.
Builder who loves projects: Carl’s Place. You’ll enjoy the assembly process. The satisfaction of hitting your first ball into something you built yourself is real.
Builder who wants to hit balls today: SIG10. Stop overthinking. Order it. Build it. Swing.
The Verdict
The SIG10 and Carl’s Place DIY are both excellent enclosures. Neither one is a bad choice. The wrong choice is buying the wrong one for your room.
Get the SIG10 if:
- You have a standard 12ft+ garage or sim room
- You want to build it in under an hour with no tools
- Foam padding and shank containment matter to you
- You don’t want to think about pipe, measurements, or hardware stores
- Price is $1,999 and you want everything in one box
Get Carl’s Place if:
- Your room is a non-standard size
- You want a floor-to-turf seamless screen
- You enjoy (or at least tolerate) building things yourself
- You want to pick from 4 screen grades
- You need custom sizing down to the inch
- Your budget is tight and you’re willing to self-source pipe
For the vast majority of standard garage builders, the SIG10 is the answer. It’s simpler, it’s safer, and it’s just as good on image quality. But if your room doesn’t fit a standard box, Carl’s Place is the only answer that doesn’t involve building a wall.
Already have an enclosure? Check out our best golf simulator enclosures guide for the full landscape, our best impact screen guide for screen-specific comparisons, the SIG10 review and Carl’s Place review for deep dives, and our best garage simulator setups for complete build lists at every price tier. Browse all components →
Need the full picture on costs? 5-Year Total Cost of Ownership → with software subscriptions, mats that wear out, and the hidden expenses nobody talks about.