Golf Simulator

Guides · Projectors, screens and TVs

Can You Build a Golf Simulator Without a Projector?

Published

Yes. A projector is optional. If your main goal is practice, a launch monitor, hitting mat, safe net or impact screen, and a phone, tablet, monitor, or TV can be enough. Starting without projection also cuts cost and removes one of the trickier room-fit problems.

What the Projector Actually Adds

The launch monitor measures the shot. The projector changes how you see the result.

You can hit into a net, glance at a tablet, and still work on carry distance, club gapping, start direction, or whatever data your launch monitor provides. For a golfer who wants a winter practice station instead of a dedicated game room, that setup can be the finished product.

A TV Is the Easier Upgrade

A TV or computer monitor gives you a larger view of the range or virtual course without forcing you to solve projector throw distance, ceiling placement, shadows, and screen aspect ratio.

Put the display outside the realistic miss zone, off to the side. With a rear-mounted radar, keep it out of the sensor's path as well: Garmin tells R10 owners to place the phone "in a safe position, out of view from the R10, where you can quickly view your shot data." You lose the feeling of hitting directly into the virtual fairway, but you do not lose the shot data.

Small Rooms Benefit Most From Skipping Projection

Projectors need a safe mounting location, power, a signal path, and enough room to make the right-size image. In a basement with a low ceiling or a garage full of door hardware, that can be the part that makes an otherwise workable bay difficult.

Build the Basic Bay First

There is nothing wrong with building in stages. Begin with the mat, launch monitor, and a ball-stopping system you trust. Use the setup for a while before you cut into the ceiling or build a permanent enclosure.

A few sessions will tell you more than a floor plan about where you like to stand, where cables get in the way, and whether the room really needs to stay portable.

When a Projector Is the Right Addition

Projection makes the biggest difference when you want full simulated rounds to feel like golf rather than data review, or when the room is meant for friends and family as much as practice.

More in projectors, screens and tvs

All 8 guides →
BenQ AK700ST vs. AH700ST vs. LK936ST: Which Golf Simulator Projector Fits Your Room?These three BenQ projectors are all built for golf-simulator use, but they fit different rooms. The AK700ST combines 4K resolution, 4,000 ANSI…Read the guide →Can the Optoma ZW350ST Work for a Golf Simulator?Yes. The Optoma ZW350ST can work in a golf simulator if its throw distance and 1280x800 resolution suit the room. It is a 3,600-lumen laser projector…Read the guide →BenQ TK700STi vs. TK710STi: Which Projector Fits a Golf Simulator Better?Both are 4K short-throw projectors, but the TK710STi is easier to place in many golf rooms. The TK700STi uses a lamp, is rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens…Read the guide →BenQ AH500ST vs. AH700ST: Which Short-Throw Golf Projector Fits Your Room?AH500ST and AH700ST are both 4,000-lumen, 1080p laser projectors made for golf-simulator rooms, but they belong in different parts of the ceiling…Read the guide →Can the Epson PowerLite L210SF Work for a Golf Simulator?Yes. The Epson PowerLite L210SF can work well in a home golf simulator if its short-throw geometry matches your screen and mounting position. It is a…Read the guide →Can the ViewSonic LS711HD Work for a Golf Simulator?Yes. ViewSonic explicitly markets the LS711HD for golf simulation. It combines 1080p resolution, 4,200 ANSI lumens, a laser light source, a very…Read the guide →Can You Use a TV Instead of a Projector for a Golf Simulator?Yes. A TV can be the main display for a golf simulator, and for a practice-focused setup it is the simpler choice. The launch monitor still measures…Read the guide →