Ultimate
Golf Projector Buyers' Guide
Golf Projector Buyers' Guide
Immersive Golf Sim Setup Transports You
Critical factors that affect choosing the best projector for you are usage requirements and room dimensions.
Your Projector and Space
4K Projectors for Ultimate Immersion in Large Spaces
For simulator systems such as Trackman, Uneekor, or Foresight — all optimized for use with GSPro, E6 CONNECT, or TGC 2019 and supporting 4K output — you'll want a projector that makes you feel like you're truly on the course. For the best widescreen experience, BenQ true 4K short-throw projectors deliver an incredible 8.3 million pixels, creating breathtaking, immersive visuals even on impact screens typically larger than 9.5 ft high — larger than a 180-inch screen. Another benefit of this setup is its versatility. It doubles as an immersive home entertainment center, perfect for watching the Masters in 4K, streaming movies, or playing video games with your family. BenQ 4K projectors include essential home theater features such as precise color accuracy and eARC support, transforming your golf simulator room into an immersive, multi-purpose entertainment space.
Recommended Products
LK954ST (Laser)
■ 4K UHD resolution for lifelike golf sims and home theater
■ High brightness with 5100 lumens
■ Amazing color accuracy in golf mode
■ Short throw placement outside hit zone plus no shadows with 0.81-0.89 throw ratio
■ Flexible installation with big V/H lens shift
Auto Projector Setup Made Easy for Medium Spaces
For a golf simulator setup with a screen with height between 8.5-9.5 ft, a projector with 4,000 lumens and auto setup functions allows you to effortlessly switch aspect ratios at the push of a button, ensuring full-screen enjoyment without wasting time on manual adjustments. These laser projectors are lamp- and filter-free, providing long-lasting reliability. Importantly, you’ll also benefit from a dedicated Golf Mode with near-perfect Rec.709 color accuracy, delivering even greater realism to your experience.
Recommended Products
AK700ST (Laser)
■ 4K UHD resolution for lifelike golf sims and home theater
■ Auto Screen Fit auto-adjusts to your screen's aspect ratio
■ High brightness 4000 lumens
■ Amazing color accuracy in golf mode
■ 0.69–0.83 throw ratio - swing freely, no shadows, no worries
AH700ST (Laser)
■ Auto Screen Fit auto-adjusts to your screen's aspect ratio
■ High brightness 4000 lumens
■ Amazing color accuracy in golf mode
■ 0.69–0.83 throw ratio - swing freely, no shadows, no worries
■ Golf-optimized remote
Projectors Dedicated to Golf Simulator in Constrained Spaces
Many popular golf simulator systems, such as Garmin and SkyTrak, are designed for smaller impact screens, typically shorter than 8.5 feet tall. They are portable, easy to assemble, and require minimal space in your home. BenQ short-throw projectors, with throw ratios ranging from 0.5 to 0.9, are perfectly suited for use in garages or basements. These projectors feature cutting-edge DLP imaging technology, deliver high contrast ratios, wide Rec.709 color accuracy, and eliminate the need for lamp or filter replacements.
Recommended Products
AH500ST (Laser)
■ 0.5 throw ratio for the smallest space
■ Screen Fill: easy switch between 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10
■ A bright image with 4000 lumens
■ Amazing color accuracy in golf mode
■ Ready for wireless projection
Golf Realism Brings the Course Home
A good projector is the essential heart of a good home golf simulator. It projects the digital feed of the simulator software onto the impact screen so that you can see your ball fly in front of you, bringing the experience to life on-screen.
Key Projector Features
Essentials to Keep in Mind when Choosing a Golf Simulator Projector
Aspect Ratio
The first thing to consider is the aspect ratio of the screen. For smaller setups, a 4:3 or square aspect ratio offers the most hitting zone coverage in a small area. Projectors with native 4:3 aspect ratio (XGA) have lower resolution, but you can also setup a higher resolution projector to display in a 4:3 mode. A widescreen aspect ratio is more realistic and gives you a better view of holes away from the fairway. Native 16:9 and 16:10 widescreen projectors offer higher resolution and are excellent when used as a home theater or large screen TV.
Here we are going to show you how to set up your projector, computer, and graphics card to adjust resolution and aspect ratio to make the image fill up your impact screen, with just a few quick steps.
4:3 signal as projected by a 16:9/16:10 projector
Resolution
Resolution is what enables you to see details on every tree and the subtle contours of a sand trap. The bigger your impact screen, the more important resolution becomes in creating a realistic image. Typically smaller systems will use 1080p or lower resolution, and WUXGA is used for mid-sized screens. For the best widescreen experience, a 4K projector creates an immersive image even on impact screens larger than 13 feet wide. This is especially important if you are using high-end simulators optimized for use with software such as GSPro, E6 CONNECT or TGC 2019, which supports 4K output.
Using the full width of the projector(4:3 projector a 4:3 image):Throw ratio = Distance / Width
Not Using the full width of the projector(16:9 or 16:10 projector and adjusting the image to a 4:3 ratio): -For a 16:9 projector, choose a projector with a throw ratio=0.5625 X Distance / Height
-For a 16:10 projector, choose a projector with a throw ratio=0.5625 X Distance / Height
Projector Position
．The best mounting position for a projector is just behind and above the hitting area, roughly 2-3 feet behind the tee location, so the projector is away from the club path and sufficiently away from the screen to avoid being hit by a golf ball (and without casting a shadow).
．The “throw ratio” of a projector determines the distance needed for the projector to fill up your impact screen. For most home simulation setups you will want a “short throw” projector, which has a throw ratio around 1.0 or less, which helps you put the projector where it is needed to fill the screen while being safely mounted outside the hitting area, and without casting a shadow.
Note: The width of the simulator space is a limiting factor, and thus you can use a 16:9 or 16:10 projector to project a 4:3 image. In this case, you won't be using the projector's full image width, and for easier calculation we suggest you choose the right throw ratio using the modified formula to calculate distance and height.
Installation Flexibility
If you mount your projector to the side, above, or below your screen, certain features become very helpful. You'll need a short-throw projector with sufficient vertical and horizontal lens shift to adjust the image, or keystone correction to straighten the picture if the projector is positioned far off-center. These features make installation quick and simple.
Brightness & Color Accuracy
Golf simulation projectors need to be brighter than a home theater projector, since you need enough light in the room for your camera to see your club and track the ball spin as it travels to the impact screen. A 3000 ANSI lumen projector is a good starting point for a smaller impact screen. For larger screens that are 10 feet or wider, you will want to look for a 4000 lumen or brighter laser projector. High-end 5000 lumen laser projectors are the most popular choice with brighter rooms and a bigger screens.
Note: A native 16:9 projector that is displaying a 4:3 image only uses 75% of the screen, reducing light output by 25%. For a native 16:10 projector, a 4:3 image uses 83% of the projector’s display, reducing light output by 17%.
The other element to consider for a realistic simulator is color accuracy. A projector with high color accuracy properly shows the bumps in the fairway and the contour of sand traps. Many higher brightness projectors (4000 lumen or more) don’t specify color accuracy, so look for a projector that does (typically as a percentage of Rec.709) to ensure you get a bright and realistic image.
Light Sources
The light sources for the most commonly used projectors usually fall into three categories: traditional lamps, lasers, or LED. Traditional bulbs have the advantage of low purchasing costs, but they come with the major disadvantage of a short-life span. Under normal conditions a traditional lamp gives you about 4,000 to 6,000 hours of service. Furthermore, in the span of those thousands of hours, the light from the lamp tends to deteriorate, becoming both darker and more yellow. Lasers feature ultra-high brightness and long lifespans of roughly 20,000 hours of use, thereby drastically reducing maintenance costs. At the same time, lasers are able to produce a wider selection of wavelengths, they feature a larger color spectrum, allowing them to re-create over 90% of colors visible to the human eye for near perfect color representation.
Golf Simulator Projector Bliss a Click Away
Hear Golfers Speak
"AH500ST has a super short 0.5 throw ratio, making it fit most people's builds as it offers a lot of flexibility.”
- Pixel Golf -
“AH700ST features Auto Screen Fit. What used to take me days of tinkering now takes just seconds.”
- Friendly Golfer -
“AK700ST’s Auto Screen Fit technology can fit 16:9, 16:10, 4:3, and even 1:1. It’s really cool technology.”
- Golf Simulator Videos -
"LK954ST is a higher-end projector designed not only for golf simulation but also for home theater."
- Garage Golf -
Want to Talk to a Golf Simulator Projector Expert?
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.