Why Shallow Cups Was Started
At heart, I'm a DIY'er and when I built my home golf simulator, I wanted every detail to feel real. The hitting mat, the launch monitor, the projector, everything came together perfectly. But when it came to putting, I realized there was one huge gap. There wasn’t a single good option that actually simulated a putting cup for a golf simulator setup.
Traditional outdoor golf cups are designed for real grass greens. They’re deep. Way too deep for a simulator floor that’s only one or two inches thick. Installing one meant cutting through layers of subfloor or dealing with a raised edge that ruined the clean look I wanted. None of the DIY options out there looked or felt right.
So, like most of my projects, I decided to build my own. I modeled a putting cup that was only two inches thick and 3D printed it. It sat perfectly flush with the turf and gave that satisfying “drop” sound when the ball found the hole. Exactly what I had imagined. Quick, simple, and I was done. Or so I thought.
At first, it was just for me. But over time, I noticed something else. There were days I didn’t want the cup visible at all. Sometimes I wanted a completely flat putting surface for long putts or chipping practice. So I designed a matching insert that attached to turf and could plug the hole, creating a smooth, uninterrupted floor whenever I wanted. It looked clean and professional. Like something that belonged in a high-end golf simulator room.
One day, while scrolling through Reddit, I saw someone asking if there was any solution for simulator putting cups. I figured I’d help out and posted a photo of mine. Within hours, my inbox was full of people asking if I could make one for them too.
At first, I tried to keep up manually. Sending messages, tracking requests, and figuring out shipping one by one. But it quickly became clear I needed a better system. That’s when I threw together a simple site to help manage everything. That small experiment became ShallowCups.com.
Since then, ShallowCups has grown far beyond what I ever expected. We’ve upgraded our 3D printing equipment, improved materials, and added options to fit more simulator designs. What started as a simple DIY project turned into a solution to help other simulator owners finish their setups the right way.
Our mission has never changed. ShallowCups exists to make home golf simulators feel complete. To deliver something you can’t find anywhere else, without charging the crazy prices that often come with niche golf gear. This started as a passion project, not a business, and even today, it’s about helping people build the simulator they’ve always envisioned.
So whether you’re just starting your home golf simulator build or fine-tuning the final details, ShallowCups was made for you - the golfer who obsesses over every small detail until it feels perfect.