Golf simulator projectors
The short answer
One number does most of the work: throw ratio, which is lens-to-screen distance divided by screen width. Work out the distance you can actually mount at, divide by your screen width, and that is the ratio you need. Everything else is secondary.
Working out the ratio
throw ratio = distance from lens to screen ÷ screen width
Take a ten foot wide screen. A projector mounted twelve feet back needs a ratio near 1.2. Mounted eight feet back it needs about 0.8, which is short throw territory. Get this wrong and the image either overflows the screen or floats in the middle of it, and no amount of zoom fully rescues either.
| Enclosure | Viewable screen width |
|---|---|
| SIG10 Golf Simulator Enclosure | 10 ft 1 in |
Why short throw usually wins indoors
A standard projector needs real distance to fill a ten foot screen, and in a home room that distance frequently puts it behind the golfer. At which point the golfer stands in the beam, casts a shadow across their own shot, and eventually hits it. A short throw projector mounts ahead of the hitting position and sidesteps all three problems.
The other reason is brightness. Impact screen material absorbs a lot of light, so a projector that looks bright on a wall can look flat on a screen, and being closer helps.
The conflict nobody plans for
The projector hangs from the ceiling ahead of the tee. So does an overhead launch monitor. In a room with generous height that is fine, they sit at different distances and coexist. In a room at eight or nine feet they are competing for the same band of space, and you can end up with a projector that shadows the sensor or a sensor mounted outside the range where it can calibrate.
The fix is ordering. Decide the launch monitor and its mounting position first, because its height band is fixed and published, then place the projector around it. A projector is far easier to reposition than a sensor that only works at one height. Our ceiling height guide covers those bands, and the calculator will tell you whether your ceiling leaves room for both.
A note on package projectors
Many complete packages list the projector as a configurable item rather than an inclusion, so two packages at the same headline price may not contain the same things. Check the line items before comparing. Where a package’s projector status is unclear we record it as unknown rather than assuming either way.
Common questions
What throw ratio do I need for a golf simulator projector?+
Divide the distance from the lens to the screen by the screen width. A projector twelve feet back filling a ten foot screen needs a throw ratio near 1.2. Short throw projectors sit closer and are usually the answer indoors, because a standard projector placed far enough back often ends up behind the golfer where it gets hit.
Where should a golf simulator projector be mounted?+
Ceiling mounted ahead of the hitting position, so the golfer never crosses the beam and never casts a shadow on the screen. Floor placement puts the projector directly in the path of a shanked ball, which is a short-lived arrangement.
Does the projector affect the ceiling height I need?+
Yes, and it is easy to miss. The projector hangs from the ceiling in roughly the same zone an overhead launch monitor wants, so in a low room the two compete for the same space. Plan both together rather than buying the sensor first and working the projector out afterwards.