Portsmouth and
Historic houses in Portsmouth, oceanfront homes in Rye and New Castle, and newer construction in Exeter and Stratham.
The New Hampshire coastline is only about eighteen miles long, but the houses on it are about as varied as anywhere we work. A Federal-era house a few blocks from Market Square has almost nothing in common with a new shingle-style home in Rye, and both are different again from a colonial on a cul-de-sac in Stratham.
We design and install golf simulators across the Seacoast, from the room plan through calibration and training. The drive up I-95 from Norwood is about an hour and a quarter, so Seacoast jobs are scheduled in advance and run as a block once we start.
Seacoast houses
Downtown Portsmouth and the South End are full of houses from the 1700s and 1800s. Ceilings are lower, rooms are smaller and basements are often stone foundations with low clearance and some water. A full simulator bay rarely fits inside those houses. The answer is usually a carriage house or garage out back, or a fold-away system in a larger room. If the work touches the outside of the building, Portsmouth's Historic District Commission may need to review it. Interior work usually does not, but your builder will know.
Rye, New Castle and North Hampton have a mix of older summer cottages and large newer homes along the water. Many of the newer houses were built with the living space raised and the lower level used for garages and storage, partly because of flood zone rules. Those lower levels can make good simulator rooms if the room stays dry and conditioned. Rye also sits on a lot of rock, which rules out digging down.
Exeter, Stratham, Greenland and Hampton Falls have more newer colonials and some new subdivisions. The same rule applies as in southern New Hampshire. If you are building, ask for taller basement walls in the simulator area before the foundation is poured.
Salt air and damp lower levels
Salt air is hard on electronics left in a garage or a damp lower level. The simulator room should be inside the conditioned part of the house or in a building with its own heat and dehumidification. We keep the projector, computer and launch monitor in that space and size the dehumidifier with your HVAC contractor if the room needs one.
Winters on the coast are a little milder than inland, but the wind and damp make an unheated garage miserable from December to March. Plan on heat if the garage is where the simulator goes.
Rooms that work on the NH Seacoast
Carriage houses and detached garages
This is the usual answer for historic Portsmouth houses. It gives height and space without changing the main house.
Lower levels in coastal homes
Raised coastal houses often have a large lower level. With heat and dehumidification it can hold a full bay.
Basement bays in newer colonials
These are typical in Exeter and Stratham. We work around beams, posts and ducts to find the hitting zone.
Fold-away rooms
For in-town houses without a spare room, a Murphy simulator folds into cabinetry when you are done.
Towns we serve on the Seacoast
- Portsmouth
- New Castle
- Rye
- North Hampton
- Hampton
- Hampton Falls
- Exeter
- Stratham
- Greenland
- Newington
- Newfields
- Durham
- Dover
- Kensington
We also cover the southern Maine towns across the bridge. See our page for Connecticut, Maine and Vermont for Kittery, York and the Maine coast.
How a project runs on the NH Seacoast
We usually pair Seacoast site visits so the drive covers more than one house. After the design is approved, the install is booked as a block, typically two to five days on site for a residential room. For downtown Portsmouth, we plan around parking and deliveries on narrow streets and coordinate with you on where the truck can stand.
Tell us about the room
Use the design form to send photos and rough measurements. We reply within one business day with a first read on whether a simulator fits.
Site visit
We laser-measure the room and model swing clearance for every player in the house, then look at power, lighting, ventilation and where the equipment will live.
Design and proposal
You get a room plan and one price covering the simulator, screen, enclosure, installation, calibration and training.
Room preparation
If the room needs framing, electrical or HVAC work, we coordinate it with your builder or bring in local trades and manage them.
Installation
Most residential rooms take two to five days on site. Rooms that need construction first take longer.
Calibration, training and service
We calibrate the launch monitor, set up your software and courses, train everyone who will use it, and stay on call afterward.
Common questions
- Can you fit a simulator in a historic Portsmouth house?
- Sometimes inside, more often in a garage or carriage house. We measure first. If a full swing will not fit indoors, we will show you the options before you spend anything.
- Is salt air a problem for the equipment?
- Only if the equipment sits in an unconditioned space. Keep the room heated and dry and the simulator is fine.
- Do you also cover Kittery and York?
- Yes. The southern Maine coast is a short drive past Portsmouth.
- We are building in Stratham. What should our builder know?
- The ceiling height in the simulator area matters most. Ask for taller foundation walls in that part of the basement, and let us send your electrician the circuits and conduit we need before the walls close.
Start your Seacoast room
Send photos of the space and rough measurements. We will tell you what fits and reply within one business day.