What Carl's Place does

Carl's Place is a privately held, founder-operated specialty retailer and manufacturer of custom-sized golf simulator enclosures, impact screens, and accessories, headquartered in Milton, Wisconsin. The company originated as a custom projection screen business serving home theaters and outdoor venues and has pivoted to indoor golf simulation as its core category, offering a four-tier enclosure line (DIY, Pro, Curved, Built-In) and four tiers of impact screens (Standard, Preferred, Premium, High-Contrast Gray Premium), complemented by proprietary Carl's-brand hitting mats and accessories. Its product ecosystem aggregates third-party launch monitors (Uneekor, Foresight Sports, Trackman, Garmin, FlightScope, ProTee VX, Golfjoy, NVISAGE), simulation software (GSPro, E6 by TruGolf, Awesome Golf, Creative Golf 3D), projectors (including BenQ), and computers, positioning Carl's Place as a one-stop integrator for simulator buyers.

The company monetizes primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce on shop.carlofet.com, with unit-based pricing across 200+ SKUs ranging from $59.95 screen material to multi-thousand-dollar simulator packages, plus financing options. Supplementary revenue streams include wholesale pricing for resellers and small business distributors, a commission-based affiliate program for content-creator brand ambassadors, and third-party-arranged installation services. Distribution is augmented by a proprietary 3D Build Your Own Golf Simulator configurator with real-time compatibility checking and custom sizing to the inch, which functions as the primary mid-funnel conversion tool. Customer segments span home DIY builders, commercial venues, coaching and training studios, golf courses and country clubs, and corporate and hospitality buyers, with North America as the primary served market and global e-commerce shipping.

Operationally, the company is lean (1-10 employees), has been active since 2006, has not raised disclosed outside funding, and remains entirely founder-controlled. Recent strategic activity has centered on product innovation (the C-Series Enclosures launched August 2023, the Curved Enclosure as a first-to-market DIY format), channel diversification through wholesale and affiliate programs, and expansion into adjacent offerings such as golf simulator shed floor plans and custom design services. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no proprietary training pipeline, and no external institutional capital, making Carl's Place a bootstrapped, product-led specialty e-commerce business with a defensible distribution workflow but limited scale disclosure.

Name

Carl's Place

Legal name

Carl's Place LLC

Website

https://carlofet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carl's Place is a privately held, founder-operated retailer and manufacturer of custom-sized golf simulator enclosures, impact screens, and accessories, serving home DIY builders, commercial venues, and coaching studios primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce with wholesale and affiliate channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Simulator Equipment

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Simulators, Nets & Practice Equipment Retail (CRAMAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Golf Equipment & Accessories Distribution (CRAOAJAK)

Keywords

• Golf simulator equipment
• Indoor golf systems
• Golf impact screens
• Golf enclosures
• Hitting mats

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of golf simulator components including enclosures, impact screens, hitting mats, projectors, launch monitors, accessories, and software through e-commerce platform.
2. Golf Simulator Packages: Pre-bundled complete golf room setups sold as turnkey solutions combining multiple products.
3. Installation Services: Basic and Advanced installation service packages arranged through third-party providers, including assembly and setup.
4. Custom Design Services: Golf room design services and virtual course design offered by the company's design team.
5. Wholesale/Reseller: Wholesale pricing program for large distributors and small business partners on Carl's brand products.
6. Affiliate Commission: Commission earned by brand ambassadors who refer new customers through unique tracking links, based on cart amount excluding tax and shipping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Carl's Place designs, manufactures, and sells custom-sized golf simulator enclosures, impact screens, and hitting mats under its own brand, while also distributing partner-brand launch monitors, projectors, simulator software, computers, and swing cameras. The company offers pre-bundled golf simulator packages, a Build Your Own 3D configurator tool for custom sizing, and ancillary services including custom golf room design, shed floor plans, installation, and financing.

Product overview

Carl's Place is a golf simulator company offering a comprehensive product ecosystem centered around custom-sized golf enclosures, impact screens, and compatible accessories. The core portfolio includes multiple enclosure tiers (DIY Golf Enclosure Kit, Pro Golf Enclosure Kit, Curved Golf Enclosure Kit, Built-In Golf Room Kit), four tiers of golf impact screens (Standard, Preferred, Premium, High-Contrast Gray Premium), and the proprietary Carl's HotShot Golf Mat alongside third-party mat options (Country Club Elite, Fiberbuilt). The company provides a proprietary Build Your Own Golf Simulator Tool as a 3D configuration platform for custom sizing and compatibility checking. Add-on modules span launch monitors (Uneekor, Foresight Sports, Trackman, ProTee VX, Garmin, FlightScope, Golfjoy, NVISAGE), golf simulation software (Awesome Golf, Creative Golf 3D, E6 by TruGolf, GSPro), projectors, computers, and swing cameras. The product line extends to projector screens for theater applications, frame fittings, ball bungees, zip ties, foam inserts, safety baffles, and sample packs. Services include custom golf room design, golf simulator shed floor plans, financing, gift cards, installation services, affiliate program, and a wholesale program for resellers. The company launched its C-Series Enclosures in August 2023 featuring an innovative cable bottom design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DIY Golf Enclosure Kit Entry-level golf simulator enclosure kit with step-by-step assembly instructions for home users wanting to build their own DIY indoor golf simulator setup.
• Pro Golf Enclosure Kit Professional-grade golf simulator enclosure kit with enhanced features and durability for users seeking higher-quality, frequent-use setups.
• Curved Golf Enclosure Kit First-of-its-kind DIY curved golf enclosure engineered to immerse users in every shot while keeping distractions at bay.
• Built-In Golf Room Kit Complete kit for installing a permanent golf simulator room built into an existing space.
• Carl's C-Series Enclosures Golf simulator enclosures with a proprietary cable-bottom system and adjustable zip ties that naturally reduce ball bounceback, designed to hang looser than standard impact screens.
• Standard Golf Impact Screen Budget-friendly impact screen for beginner golf simulator users, tested to withstand real golf balls up to 250 MPH.
• Preferred Golf Impact Screen Best-value impact screen option for home and commercial users with tightly woven fibers for better HD picture quality, rated for golf balls up to 250 MPH.
• Premium Golf Impact Screen Smoothest-surface impact screen available on a full impact material, with three layers of heavy-duty tight-knit impact-resistant polyester and a cushioned center layer for noise reduction.
• High-Contrast Gray Premium Golf Impact Screen Premium impact screen using the tightest weave possible with thick, multilayer fabric designed to dramatically enhance image quality in bright indoor golf environments.
• Carl's HotShot Golf Mat Proprietary Carl's Place hitting mat designed for durability and realistic turf feel, available in Standard, Foam, and Gel tiers.
• Country Club Elite Golf Mat Premium Carl's Place brand golf mat offered alongside the HotShot hitting mat for higher-end simulator setups.
• Launch Monitors Complete range of partner-brand launch monitors (Uneekor, Foresight Sports, Trackman, ProTee VX, Garmin, FlightScope, GolfJoy, NVISAGE) sold through Carl's Place to track ball flight and swing data.
• Golf Simulator Software Golf simulation software options distributed through Carl's Place, including Awesome Golf, Creative Golf 3D, E6 by TruGolf, and GSPro.
• Golf Simulator Projectors Projectors for golf simulators, including 4K and short throw models with mounting accessories, distributed by Carl's Place.
• Golf Simulator Computers Computers sold through Carl's Place, built to handle golf simulator software and launch monitor integration.
• Swing Cameras Swing analysis cameras distributed by Carl's Place from Carl's own brand plus Foresight, Uneekor, and Trackman.
• Golf Simulator Packages Pre-bundled complete golf room setups sold as turnkey solutions that combine enclosures, screens, mats, launch monitors, projectors, and software into a single package.
• Build Your Own Golf Simulator Tool Interactive 3D configuration platform with real-time compatibility intelligence, step-by-step guidance, custom sizing to the inch, and instant pricing for designing a personalized golf simulator.
• Custom Golf Simulator Design Service Professional design services in which the Carl's Place design team transforms customer ideas into reality with custom golf screens, enclosures, and rooms.
• Golf Simulator Shed Floor Plans Golf-first shed plans with custom layouts, sleek rooflines, and space designed for swinging and playing year-round.
• Installation Services Basic and Advanced installation service packages offered through independent third-party installers, covering enclosure kit assembly, screen installation, projector mounting, and software setup.
• Gray Rear Projector Screen Material Translucent rear projection screen material with a slightly gray appearance, providing the brightest image in ambient light environments for home theater and outdoor venues.
• Carl's Place Affiliate Program Commission-based affiliate program for brand ambassadors who promote Carl's Place products via blogs, YouTube, and social media, with unique tracking codes and a 30-day cookie window.
• Carl's Place Wholesale Program Wholesale program for distributors and small business partners offering discounts on Carl's Brand Impact Screens, Enclosures, Hitting Mats, and accessories for resale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Screens tested to withstand thousands of shots from skilled golfers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UneekorcoreTechnology or IntegrationUneekor is a launch monitor brand sold through Carl's Place, offering overhead launch monitor technology compatible with their golf simulator setups.
• Foresight SportscoreTechnology or IntegrationForesight Sports launch monitors and swing cameras are sold through Carl's Place as part of their launch monitor offerings.
• TrackmancoreTechnology or IntegrationTrackman launch monitors and swing cameras are offered through Carl's Place, with customers agreeing to Trackman's general terms and software terms.
• ProTee VXcoreTechnology or IntegrationProTee VX overhead launch monitor is sold through Carl's Place as part of their launch monitor product lineup.
• GarmincoreTechnology or IntegrationGarmin Golf Simulators including R50 ground launch monitor are offered through Carl's Place.
• FlightScopecoreTechnology or IntegrationFlightScope launch monitors are available through Carl's Place as part of their launch monitor brand offerings.
• Awesome GolfcoreTechnology or IntegrationAwesome Golf simulator software is sold through Carl's Place as one of the software options for golf simulators.
• Creative Golf 3DcoreTechnology or IntegrationCreative Golf 3D software is available through Carl's Place for golf simulator setups.
• E6 by TruGolfcoreTechnology or IntegrationE6 software by TruGolf is offered through Carl's Place as a golf simulator software option.
• GSProcoreTechnology or IntegrationGSPro simulator software is available through Carl's Place as one of the software solutions.
• FiberbuiltcoreTechnology or IntegrationFiberbuilt Golf Mats are sold through Carl's Place as part of their hitting mat offerings alongside their own Carl's HotShot and Country Club Elite brands.
• BenQcoreTechnology or IntegrationBenQ projectors are offered as a brand partner for golf simulator projectors.
• Wholesale and Reseller PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLarge distributors and small business partners benefit from wholesale pricing, easy ordering, and after-sale support for reselling Carl's brand products.
• Affiliate PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand ambassadors who love golf and indoor golf create content driving referrals to Carl's Place, earning commission on sales from new customers via unique tracking codes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rain or Shine Golf: Direct e-commerce competitor selling golf simulator enclosures, impact screens, hitting mats, and bundled packages to DIY home builders and commercial customers—near-identical product catalog and customer base as Carl's Place.
• PlayBetter: Online retailer specializing in golf simulators, launch monitors, and accessories with comparable multi-brand partnerships and bundle-selling model. Operates in the same DIY-builder and commercial-buyer segments as Carl's Place.
• The Indoor Golf Shop: Dedicated e-commerce retailer of indoor golf simulator equipment including enclosures, screens, mats, projectors, and launch monitors—directly competing for the same home-builder and commercial customer with similar product breadth.
• Shop Indoor Golf: Specialty retailer focused on indoor golf simulators and accessories with comparable offering of screens, enclosures, mats, and bundled packages; serves as a direct alternative purchase path for the same buyer persona.

Broad incumbents

• Golf Galaxy: National sporting goods retail chain owned by Dick's Sporting Goods that sells golf simulators, screens, and accessories as part of a wider golf equipment portfolio. Broad incumbent competing on convenience and assortment rather than customization depth.
• Full Swing Golf: Manufacturer and seller of professional-grade indoor golf simulators, partnering with athletes and commercial venues. Broader incumbent with vertically integrated simulator solutions, overlapping with Carl's Place's commercial segment.
• AboutGolf: Provider of commercial-grade golf simulators and simulation software for entertainment venues, country clubs, and coaching studios—competes in the commercial venue and coaching segment where Carl's Place also sells.
• Topgolf Callaway Brands: Public golf entertainment and equipment conglomerate operating Topgolf venues and selling Callaway clubs; while operating a different model, its commercial venue footprint and equipment retail presence define the broader indoor golf competitive landscape Carl's Place operates within.

Emerging players

• Uneekor: Launch monitor brand sold through Carl's Place as a key partner; increasingly sells direct with bundled screen/enclosure offerings. Closely intertwined competitor-partner dynamic in the same category.
• Foresight Sports: Launch monitor and swing camera brand available through Carl's Place; expanding direct sales of complete simulator packages and represents both a partner and potential disintermediation threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKaiLZKeS6VXUdjqHeEgemg
• Facebookfacebook.com/carlsplaceDIY
• Instagraminstagram.com/carlsplacediygolf
• TikToktiktok.com/@carlsplacegolf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carl's Place