What Is a Golf Simulator Projector?

In 2024, indoor golf simulators will challenge the traditional home theater as the entertainment hub of choice. With better and more affordable launch monitors combined with new golf simulator projectors, its easier than ever to convert unused space into an active entertainment area for the family and for entrepreneurs to create commercial golf training and entertainment businesses leveraging excess retail space. But what makes a golf simulator projector different than a typical classroom or meeting room projector? We’ll breakdown the differences between different types and models of projectors by looking at these key features:

• Mounting location flexibility
• Impact Screen Aspect Ratio Support
• Realistic color performance
• Maintenance requirements
• Usage limitations
• Other considerations 

According to a national survey of golf simulator users, the most important feature of a golf sim projector is how easy it is to install and set up correctly. Why? The launch monitors in a golf simulator use overhead and floor-based cameras that have specific space requirements to properly track the ball, so a golf simulation projector needs to be able to be mounted in the right place to avoid interfering with the launch monitor. They also need to fill a 200 inch or larger impact screen while staying out of the way of flying golf balls and big backswings with a long driver.  

The other big task for a golf simulation is to avoid creating shadows. Unlike a meeting room screen that is mounted at or above eye level, the image of a golf simulator needs to reach to the floor to create a realistic transition from the grass on the screen and the artificial turf of the hitting area. For popular overhead launch monitors like the Foresight Falcon and Uneekor XO2, the hitting area should be between 3 and 3.6 meters from the impact screen.

So let’s look at two projectors from the leading brands that are sold for golf simulation, and what type of mounting and setup space is needed to fill a popular Carl’s Place C-Series enclosure that is 3 meter tall and 4 meter wide and often used in basements, garage, or media rooms. With 4000 lumens of brightness and 1080P resolution, both the BenQ AH700ST and the Epson L260F are sold for golf simulation and have similar price points.  Let’s look at the difference between them when it comes to mounting flexibility.  

The BenQ AH700ST comes with a special short throw lens that enables the projector to be mounted away from the hitting area while avoiding having the golfer create a shadow on the screen. The lens is designed to support large screens, such as the 200-inch diagonal screen in our example that keeps the entire screen sharp and in focus.

With the hitting area 3 meters (10 feet) away from the impact screen the projector can be mounted as close as 3.75 meters (12.3 feet) from the screen and as far away as 4.3 meters (14 feet) according to the ProjectorCentral.com throw ratio calculator.

The next step is to make sure that the golfer doesn’t create any shadows.  BenQ has a handy Golf Sim Room Planner tool that can highlight any risk of the golfer creating a shadow. The tool enables you to adjust for the height of the golfer, so in this setup it won’t even create a shadow if you get a visit from an NBA legend.

The Epson L260F is a classroom projector that can support a 3-meter-high (10-foot) image, but it has a longer throw ratio. This means that the projector must be mounted farther back in the room to be able to fill the screen. With the hitting area 3 meters (10 feet) away from the impact screen the projector has to be mounted at least 7.2 meters (23.5 feet) from the screen and as far away as 11.6 meters (38 feet).

Using the same 180cm golfer example, you can see that there is a risk of a 180-cm golfer creating shadows even with the projector mounted less than 6 meters (20 feet) away from the impact screen. While this throw ratio works fine in a typical classroom, the use of a traditional classroom projector lens makes the Epson L260F more difficult to mount without creating a shadow in many golf simulator setups. 

Unlike a typical home theater projector 16:9 aspect ratio screen, there are a wide range of popular impact screen aspect ratios that need to be supported by a golf simulator projector. For example, most people who install a garage golf simulator often choose 16:10, 4:3 or even a 1:1 aspect ratio screen, which enables them to maximize vertical hitting area while keeping the enclosure width limited to one side of the garage. 

However, since both projectors have native widescreen 16:9 resolution, how do you get the projector to work with a different aspect ratio impact screen? The BenQ AH700ST has advanced technology that with a push of a button on the remote, the projector will automatically figure out the aspect ratio of your impact screen, including 1:1 aspect ratio, and then configure the projector automatically to fill the screen from edge to edge. It will then tell your computer what resolution it needs and so your graphics card can send over an undistorted image. All in less than ten seconds.

Many other BenQ projectors such as the LH600ST also support a 1:1 aspect ratio with just a few buttons presses on the remote. For most business and classroom projectors used for golf simulation you must reprogram your graphics card to a custom resolution to enable a 1:1 aspect ratio impact screen.

Just like home theater projectors, golf simulator projectors must accurately replicate complex organic colors such as the darker green of the bentgrass at Torrey Pines, and the complex tans found in the desert rough at TPC Scottsdale to ensure an immersive and realistic image on a large impact screen. The industry standard for color accuracy is the Rec. 709 color specifications which is used in both television and home theater projectors to ensure that the colors look right.

Golf simulator projectors require both high brightness and high Rec. 709 color accuracy. Typically, home theater projectors have lower lumen and high Rec. 709 color specifications, while higher brightness business projectors often avoid any reference to color accuracy and can look unrealistic. But when a golf simulator projector has both color accuracy and high brightness so you can get a immersive experience on nearly any course like this one from Golf Simulator Videos on YouTube. Here are some examples of the differences between home theater, classroom, and golf simulator projectors when balancing brightness, color accuracy, and price.

According to a national survey of golf simulator buyers by QuestionPro, they want a maintenance free projector that doesn’t require replacement lamps and monthly filter cleanings in a golf simulator projector.  So how can you tell if a projector is truly maintenance free – or just “virtually” maintenance free for your golf simulator setup?

The latest golf simulation projectors use either LED or laser light sources. Both last 20,000 hours or more without requiring any replacement lamps. The main difference between the two is that the LED powered projectors have better color performance and higher saturation, while the laser powered projectors can achieve higher brightness levels.   

In 2024, the best golf simulators use a sealed light engine to keep the dust out of the projector. For laser projectors, these are certified as dustproof using the IP5X rating, and ensures that dust can’t damage the projector, even if it’s mounted in a garage.

Some projector brands still require the use of special filters to keep the dust out of the projector, and these filters need to be regularly cleaned. Depending on the use of the projector and the amount of dust, the filter cleaning interval can be as often as every month. The process for cleaning the filter may require special equipment or washing, and a replacement filter typically costs between £40-£80. 

Here are maintenance requirements and costs for projector models used for golf simulation.

The growth of indoor golf is growing much faster than traditional golf played on an outdoor course, and commercial golf simulation facilities are popping up all over the country. The best golf simulation projectors are rated for heavy use and can be used in a commercial golf simulation environment 24 hours per day seven days per week. Many business projector models are designed for only meeting room use, and the warranty can be voided for “excessive and continual” use.

So, if you are considering building a commercial indoor golf facility that has extended hours, you may want to look at the usage limitation in the warranty before you select your projector. All BenQ golf simulation projectors can be used as much as needed, and there are no limitations on usage in the warranty.