If you are thinking about turning a spare bedroom or your basement into Torrey Pines or Augusta National, then you will need a projector for your impact screen that is mounted in a safe place, but creates an immersive experience for indoor golf. One of the most challenging questions is where to mount your projector so that it can:

• Be protected from being hit by a golf club or golf ball
• Fill up the entire screen, whether it is large or small
• Avoids players and bystanders casting shadows on the screen

To meet the points above, the throw ratio of your projector matters just as much as where you mount it. For most golf simulator setups, a short throw between 0.69 and 0.83 is the sweet spot. It gives you flexibility for ceiling and cart mounting while still filling the entire screen. If your hitting area is extremely tight and you must rely on a floor-mounted enclosure, then an ultra-short throw around 0.5 may be necessary.

With that in mind, let’s break down the four main ways to mount a golf simulator projector, each with its own advantages and trade-offs, so you can see which fits your setup best.

Floor-Mounted Enclosure Using a 0.5 Throw Ratio Projector

This is the simplest and cheapest way to put a projector in front of an impact screen for a golf simulation setup, especially for smaller setups and those using traditional 4:3 aspect ratios. These enclosures have a ramp-type design that deflects any “worm burner” shots up into the screen and has ventilation to keep the projector from overheating. The power and video cables are run under the floor mat, also saving installation costs.

These enclosures require short-throw projectors that enable the projector to be relatively close to the screen (and away from your driver) but still project a large image. The BenQ AH500ST is a popular laser projector for floor mounting, which has a 16:9 native aspect ratio and 1080p resolution. To accommodate smaller spaces, the AH500ST also features Screen Fill, which allows the projector to easily switch directly from its native resolution to other resolutions and aspect ratios to best match your desired display with maximised pixel counts while avoiding image distortion. You don’t need to go into graphics card or Windows display settings, which saves time and bother.

Ceiling Mount Using Short-Throw Laser Projectors

If you want a bigger screen, a laser projector, or a higher resolution image on the screen for your golf courses, then a ceiling mount may be the right choice for your setup. While they are more complicated than a floor-mounted enclosure, they create a truly immersive experience just like a commercial golf simulator. For most home setups, you should also consider the fact that your hitting area could also be used as a home entertainment area to watch golf, movies, or let your kids play Xbox on the big screen.

This setup also lets you use the latest 4K DLP projectors that are perfect for the E6, Foresight, or other 4K simulators that render the courses using UHD resolution with 8.3 million pixels. With a larger impact screen over 150 inches, the immersive effect is incredible. The best projectors have shorter throw lenses and correction tools to enable the projector to be mounted behind the player without casting a shadow.  You will want to look for one with some lens shift that gives you flexibility to mount the projector off-centre. The two most popular laser projector models with this setup are the BenQ LK954ST projector, which is a true 4K projector (UHD), and the AH700ST, which has a widescreen aspect ratio and 1080p resolution.

Ceiling or Cart Mounted Using Regular Throw Projectors with Lens Shift

For larger commercial installations or home setups with a cart, you can use less expensive, regular throw projectors that have lens shift. For commercial or retail spaces with higher ceilings, this enables the projector to be mounted well above and behind the player – without creating too big of an image. For home or smaller commercial setups, lens shift enables you to place the projector in a cart to the side of the danger zone.