-
2006
Carl’s Place Begins in Wisconsin
Carl Markestad builds a backyard movie screen in Wisconsin so he and his buddies can play Mario Kart bigger than any TV allowed. What begins as a fun weekend hang with friends turns into a high-demand industry. Carl's Place started bringing big-screen experiences to life.
-
2014
Golfers Ask, We Build Impact Screens
Golfers kept asking us for a screen they could hit into, so we listened. Carl’s Place applies its experience with projection screen materials, construction, and custom sizing to indoor golf, making golf impact screens that hold a sharp image and stand up to shot after shot.
-
2018
The DIY Kit That Made Home Golf Easy
Carl’s Place launches the DIY Golf Enclosure Kit, revolutionizing the home golf industry. Before this, building a golf sim at home took a lot of guesswork and a few too many hardware store runs. We made it a whole lot easier.
-
2019
Bigger Enclosures with the Pro Kit
Carl’s Place releases Carl’s Pro Enclosure Kit, built on a 2" EMT frame. The heavier pipe lets the enclosure go bigger and deeper than ever before, and it’s strong enough for commercial bays that take swings all day long.
-
2022
Tools to Help You Design Your Sim
Carl’s Place launches its Build Your Own Golf Simulator configurator, one of the first online tools of its kind, along with Golf Room Design and Virtual Golf Course Design services. Pick your size, add gear that works together, and watch the price update as you go. If you’d like a hand, we’ll plan the whole room with 3D renderings and layouts.
-
2023
Carl's Place HQ Doubles in Size
Carl's Place opens a new 65,000-square-foot headquarters in Milton, Wisconsin, more than doubling its previous space. The expansion brings manufacturing, product development, testing, offices, and a hands-on golf simulator showroom under one roof, creating more room to innovate and grow.
-
2026
The Industry’s Most Advanced Golf Sim Configurator
Carl's Place transforms its Build Your Own Golf Simulator tool into an interactive 3D configurator. With real-time visualization, intelligent sizing and compatibility logic, and customizable equipment placement, golfers can design complete indoor simulator setups with greater confidence before they buy.
-
Today
Golf Simulators, Shipped Worldwide
Carl’s Place designs, manufactures, and ships golf simulator gear all over the world for home golfers and commercial facilities alike. Our best ideas still come from golfers telling us what they need. Then we design it, test it, and build it right here in Milton, Wisconsin.
Milton, Wisconsin
About Carl’s Place
Custom indoor golf simulators, enclosures and impact screens. We’ve got all the tools and tech to bring your golf simulator dreams to life.
Since the first screen
How Carl's Place Got Here
From premium screens to cutting-edge technology, we make indoor golf as good as the real thing (and quite a bit better on rainy days).
Carl's Golf Simulator Showroom in Southern Wisconsin
If you’re in the area, swing by and experience our sims firsthand! Pick a time on our showroom calendar that works for you.
Not nearby? Don’t worry, Carl's step-by-step Build Your Own Golf Simulator tool will help you make the perfect choice from anywhere in the world.
How Carl's Place Began
East Troy, Wisconsin. 2006. If you were there, it’s possible you might have met a guy named Carl. He’s industrious. Inquisitive. Into all types of gadgetry. And always taking things apart and putting them back together. An inventor of sorts, really.
Carl’s mantra is “Work hard, play hard” which he would say to himself after a large bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats every morning.
"The trick to consistently winning in Mario Kart is to get an early lead. The greed of the 2nd and 3rd place players means that they will spend all their energy fighting each other. They will never unite to beat you. It's human nature."
-Carl
Well, in-between college classes, Carl and his buddies loved to play Mario Kart. And they would use an old CRT projector picked out of the trash to play on as big a screen as possible. But you can only make a screen so large in a tiny college apartment. Those places aren't known for having big walls.
But back home in East Troy they had barns. Barns have big walls. But big barn walls don't make great screens.
So, as usual, and right on cue, Carl had an idea.
“Beating all of you over and over at Mario Kart is great and all, but what if we could do it even bigger?"
Carl started amassing materials. He organized his tools. Put on some overalls. He stayed hydrated. And got to work. He built his first outdoor theater screen. It was a hit. A blockbuster hit, as they say in Hollywood.
What turned out to be a fun weekend hang with friends turned into a high-demand industry.
CARL'S PLACE
WAS BORN.
Carl's Place Now
Today, Carl’s Place is recognized as a leading golf simulator company, proudly based in Milton, Wisconsin. We specialize in premium indoor golf setups - from the highest-quality impact screens to full custom golf simulator packages trusted by thousands of golfers.
Our team has spent years perfecting the tech and materials behind the scenes, so every golfer gets a simulator experience that feels real and performs like a pro setup.
Golf Simulators Backed by Real Testing and Customer Success
These golf screens are part of an indoor golf simulator where it's not just about playing a game; it's about transforming your entire golfing experience. Hackers and scratch golfers alike rejoice.
We're proud to say that amidst all the golfing excitement, we still remember our roots.
Including Mario Kart tournaments with the team.
Because at Carl’s Place, we're all about blending technology with fun, whether it's perfecting your swing or showing off your skills on the race track.
Carl’s Place is a little family that treats their customers like family too. We’ll even handle the crazy uncle if we have to-- just to make sure he gets the right screen he’s looking for.
And it’s all because of a guy named Carl who just wanted to enjoy a video game with his pals outside back in 2006. Where a company’s Wisconsin roots grabbed hold of fertile midwestern ground. It kinda makes Milton, Wisconsin the screen capital of the world.
For media-related inquiries, visit our News page.
Keeping up with the Carl
Now that you know the history of Carl's Place, make sure you stay updated on everything that's to come.
Opt-in to receive emails about promos and news. Unsubscribe anytime.