A backyard golf studio for a returning client? Well, of course, we’d love to design and build it!

Our client has a health condition that requires daily exercise and he wanted to create a beautiful and inviting space that would encourage that behavior.

As an avid golfer the focus was on the golf simulator; the screen itself fills the entire North wall of the studio. There were many design challenges; the topmost was ensuring we had clearance height for his 6’5” nephew to comfortably swing his golf club. In order to get that height, a measuring stick and slow-motion video recorded the top of the swing. Upon review it became clear a 10’ clearance was required. And, voila, the skylight provided just the right extra space for that comfort swing.

One of the splurges for our client was the beautiful window and door assemblies. The slider opens onto the backyard – just wonderful in the summer - and the swing door functions as the main connection to and from the main house. The remaining exterior finish selections were driven by the windows and doors with the warmth and texture of the cedar softening the metal roof and cementitious siding.

Another important consideration was how much noise the hitting of the golf balls would create. After much exploration on sound-dampening solutions, rockwool insulation and heavy velvet curtains to absorb flying golf balls were approved. Finding the right putting green material proved straightforward, but pouring the concrete floor to plane out with the two other flooring materials took forethought and precise execution. The turf is not glued down so that it can be turned or replaced as it wears.

Every detail was considered including the floor outlet for the elliptical machine and even the blocking location to support our client’s band exercises. And now, on Friday nights our client and friends play along with the PGA tour, enjoy cold beer and the music from the audiophile-quality speaker system. And yes, he reports exercising regularly to meet his goal of staying healthy!

Click here for more photos of this project.