His first choices present immediate problems. One unit has an overhead cage; another has sprinklers near the swing space. After an attempted setup brings a warning about working with the door closed, he abandons that rental. A later garage gives him more height and width, but existing beams still require changes to the enclosure frame.
He installs an impact screen, cuts turf around the poles and brings in a couch, table and small refrigerator. With no electrical service in the unit, he uses a battery power station. The projector sits in a floor enclosure, and a cord runs beneath the turf. Boxes conceal the room’s entrance for the surprise reveal.
The hardware connecting that improvised room is a Garmin Approach R50. Garmin’s original product announcement describes three cameras, a 10-inch touchscreen and a built-in simulator. Its HDMI output can send the course view to an external display without adding a separate computer to the setup.
Garmin’s connection instructions call for a compatible HDMI cable, sold separately, between the monitor and display. Home Tee Hero play requires an active Garmin Golf membership, so owning the monitor and connecting the projector are separate from access to that simulation service.
Golf Monthly’s Joel Tadman tested the R50 in February 2025 and found its touchscreen clear and responsive. He also identified a practical tradeoff: a floor-standing monitor means bending or kneeling to change settings. That distinction is relevant to a room where the screen and furniture compete for space.
Mayer’s final reveal gets his friends hitting shots, but the video also shows a taller player struggling with the space and a ball striking a wall. Those moments keep the finished room grounded in its actual constraints.
Sources
Approach R50 announcement · Connecting an external display · Hands-on Garmin Approach R50 review
