Case Study: High-Performance Golf Simulator for Tom McKibbin
Project Overview
Yardbox was appointed to design and deliver a bespoke, elite-level indoor golf training facility for Northern Irish professional golfer Tom McKibbin, working in close collaboration with Platform Golf to create a space capable of supporting tour-level preparation year-round.
This project brought together purpose-built architectural design by Yardbox with industry-leading golf performance technologies, creating a fully integrated training environment that accurately replicates real on-course conditions — from full swing to short game and putting.
The Challenge: Creating a True Indoor Performance Environment
For touring professionals, traditional indoor simulators often fall short in two key areas:
Realistic putting and green-reading practice
Seamless integration between full swing, approach play, and putting
Tom required a facility that could function as a complete high-performance training studio, allowing him to:
Train from uneven lies
Practice true breaking putts
Visualise green contours and start lines
Capture tour-level ball and club data
Work seamlessly with coaches using measurable, repeatable feedback
The challenge was to design a space where technology, layout, and performance training worked as one.
The Yardbox Performance Solution
Yardbox designed and built a fully custom simulator and putting facility, engineered specifically for elite training. The structure, room dimensions, lighting, acoustics, and finishes were all optimised for performance focus and coaching use.
At the core of the facility is a fully integrated performance ecosystem, delivered in collaboration with the following partners:
Performance Technology Integration
Platform Golf Collaboration
In partnership with Platform Golf, the facility incorporates:
TrueSlope™ Platform – enabling full-swing and approach shots from realistic uneven lies, replicating real course conditions
TrueBreak™ Putting System – delivering true slope, break, and green-speed simulation for elite indoor putting practice
This allows Tom to train approach shots and immediately transition into true-to-course putting scenarios within the same session.
PuttView Putting Technology
The putting area is enhanced with PuttView, bringing visual green-reading and start-line technology into the indoor environment.
PuttView projects:
Precise break, slope, and target lines
Green-speed simulations
Visual feedback for improved decision-making and consistency
This technology is widely used on professional tours and in elite academies, making it a critical tool for high-level putting development.
TrackMan IO – Overhead Launch Monitor
The facility is powered by TrackMan IO, TrackMan’s ceiling-mounted, tour-grade launch monitor system.
TrackMan IO provides:
Full ball and club data capture
Overhead installation for unobstructed swing freedom
Seamless integration with coaching and performance analysis
This ensures maximum accuracy, reliability, and repeatability for elite training sessions.
Key Features of the Facility
TrackMan IO overhead launch monitor system
Platform Golf TrueSlope™ uneven-lie platform
Platform Golf TrueBreak™ putting system
PuttView visual putting and green-reading technology
Custom impact screen and projection system
Premium upholstered wall padding for safety and acoustics
High-grade putting turf and stance areas
Lighting and finishes designed for focus, filming, and coaching
The Result
The completed facility delivers a world-class indoor training environment, allowing Tom McKibbin to train every aspect of his game — full swing, approach play, short game, and putting — in conditions that closely mirror real golf.
By combining Yardbox’s custom-built environments with Platform Golf, PuttView, and TrackMan IO, this project sets a new benchmark for elite indoor golf training facilities.
Built for Every Level of the Game
While this space was designed for a touring professional, the same collaborative, performance-led approach is applied across Yardbox projects — from ambitious amateurs, to elite players, coaches, golf academies, clubs, and commercial performance centres.
Every Yardbox golf simulator room is:
Designed around the golfer
Built around performance
Engineered for real improvement
