What Are the Best Projectors for the Uneekor Golf Simulator System?

Uneekor makes two of the most popular golf simulator launch monitors that use a combination of marked golf balls and club stickers to generate an amazing amount of data on each swing.  With the right projector – you can turn that data into an ultra-realistic virtual golf experience to play any course at any time from the comfort of your home but feel like you’re really there.

Because both models are mounted above the playing area, it is easy to set up a ceiling-mounted short-throw projector outside the hitting area to instantly enable you to visualize the ball flight of each shot. Here are some guidelines based on the type of impact screen and playing area you want in your home or business:

• Basic setup with square impact screens 10 feet wide or less
• Midrange setup with 12-foot widescreen impact screen
• Ceiling mounted setup with an impact screen 12 foot wide or larger
• Dual-purpose home theater and golf simulation setup

A smaller square impact screen is both affordable – and doesn’t take up too much space in your room.  This is a popular choice for many entry-level simulators, and now there are golf simulator projectors that can create a perfect 1:1 image on a square impact screen sold from the Uneekor website or your favorite golf simulator dealer.

You can choose from an LED powered BenQ AW30ST that comes with many of the Uneekor packages sold on the website, or upgrade to higher resolution and a brighter projector without having to distort the image to make it fit on your screen. Both the AW30ST (WXGA resolution) and the AH30ST (1080p resolution) use advanced LEDs to create a highly realistic and saturated image on the screen and have native 1:1 support. Just place the projector at the right distance from the screen and you can change the aspect ratio right from the projector menu using the remote, so it properly fills your screen. This will save you a lot of time, and if you’ve never had to program a graphics card, it should save you from a lot of headaches as well.  The new BenQ AH700ST will also support the 1:1 enclosure, which you can read about below.

As your impact screen gets wider, you will need a brighter projector to ensure your picture doesn’t get washed out, as well as higher resolution to deliver a realistic look and feel of the hole.  For example, a 4000-lumen laser projector will enable you to have a bright enough screen without having to worry about the lighting of your playing area. But the best part about the BenQ AH700ST projector is that it practically installs itself. Let’s look at how this works with an EyeXO Launch monitor setup.

Here we’ll use the BenQ Golf Simulation Room planner to layout all the components.  There’s 9 feet of space between the hitting area and the screen per the Uneekor space requirements, with the EyeXO mounted a few feet in front.  The projector mounts safely behind the hitting area and the golfer has a nice immersive experience with a clean look to the fairway without any shadows on the screen.  

The advantage of this projector is that 1) it has a short throw motorized zoom lens that enables you to move the projector either closer to the screen or farther away so you can properly secure the mount to a stud in the ceiling, and 2) the BenQ “Ace” projector line will automatically recognize the size and type of your impact screen and reconfigure itself to correct for common mounting mistakes and completely fill your impact screen.  This only takes a few seconds on the projector, while other models might take hours to get the image right. This golf simulator projector has excellent realistic color with 95% Rec. 709 coverage and integrated golf mode that you can switch right from the remote.

For a larger impact screen over 12 feet wide, the BenQ LU935ST is getting excellent reviews from golf simulation installers around the world.   This projector features a short-throw lens to safely mount your projector away from the playing area without the player casting a shadow – while delivering an amazingly accurate picture. This bright 5500 lumen projector has a native 16:10 aspect ratio which is ideal for a larger golf practice area and has the “golf” mode on the projector where it enables you to see even more details in the grass and water spaces on a GS Pro or E6 high resolution course.

If you are a DIY type, you will also appreciate the large number of installation aids to enable you to get your projector looking perfect on the screen – even if you mounted it off-center.   This projector has lens shift, keystone correction, corner fit, and even digital shrink technology to fine-tune nearly any placement location into a perfectly calibrated simulator screen.

One of the best things about a Uneekor golf simulator is that you can design your playing area to also be used as a home theater. Because the camera mounts on the ceiling, it stays out of sight – enabling you to create sitting areas and incorporate surround sound speakers around and behind the impact screen. 

Today virtually every television and Blu-Ray movie use 4K UHD resolution, and you can now find a high brightness 4K UHD short throw projector for your setup that now costs less than the Uneekor QED launch monitor.  The BenQ LK936ST is the most advanced golf simulator projector that delivers both 4K UHD and HDR that will render every pixel on Refine+ ,GSPro and other software, as well as the Golf Channel 4K broadcasts, Netflix movies and 4K gaming. Even cooler – this projector uses the same Oscar award-winning technology used in nearly every 4K commercial cinema today – turning your giant impact screen into a memorable family entertainment area.

The best projectors for Uneekor use either LED or laser technology instead of lamps. While they are initially more expensive to purchase than a projector using a mercury lamp, there are three key differences between a traditional lamp and a cutting-edge laser projector for you to consider with your setup.

#1 Instant On / Off

Let’s start with the basics.  Turning the projector on. One of the biggest advantages of a laser projector is that it turns on instantly – just like your TV. Traditional lamps require a warm-up period and the more powerful the lamp, the longer it takes. Laser projectors enable you to just drop in and hit a quick bucket of balls.  Laser projectors also don’t need extended cool-down time to cool the lamp, so there is less risk of overheating if the power goes out when you are using the projector.

#2 They stay brighter longer

In 2020, over 75% of high brightness projector buyers choose a laser over a lamp. Why? They stay brighter longer. A 5000-lumen lamp that is rated for 3000 hours of life starts losing brightness in the first few hundred hours - and will only be displaying 2500 lumen when it is replaced.   By contrast – a laser projector with a 20,000-hour life will look much brighter than a lamp projector after the same 3000 hours. 

#3 Replacement lamp Costs

The cost of replacement lamps – and the hassle of installing them – is getting more expensive. High brightness projector lamps don’t last as long as lower brightness models – and substituting a generic lamp to save money can ruin your projector.   For example – one popular golf simulation 5000-lumen projector model has a replacement lamp cost of $350 plus installation - which can add up to over $2000 over the life of the projector –about four rounds of golf at Pebble Beach. 

Also – the latest laser projectors from BenQ eliminate the hassle of filter cleaning that is required on most other projectors. This eliminates the risk of your projector shutting down due to a dirty filter in the middle of a game of Wolf.

Depending on the size and shape of your playing area and impact screen, here are several good lamp and laser projector models at a variety of price points and mounting positions that will help you get the most out of your QED or EYE XO launch monitors. 

BenQ has trained staff to help you find the perfect golf simulator projector – within your room size and budget. To help you make the best decision, you can reach out to one of our experts to set up anything from a chat to a complete online demo, to help you find the right projector for your needs.