Guides · Projectors, screens and TVs
White or Gray Impact Screen? Check the Light in Your Golf Simulator Room First
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Before choosing a white or gray impact screen, check the light that reaches it during play. Carl's Place describes ambient light washing out the projected image and recommends keeping fixtures off the screen and blocking daylight where needed.
Carl's Place, which makes both colors, recommends white for a dark, dedicated room with blackout curtains and gray for a room with windows, overhead lights or a second use ([Carl's Place, checked 2026-11-08](https://www.carlofet.com/blog/white-or-gray-golf-impact-screens)). That is one maker's advice about its own fabrics, not our contrast measurement.
What a gray-screen claim tells you
Carl's Place says its High-Contrast Gray Impact Screen improves blacks and color vibrancy in bright rooms (checked November 2, 2026). That gives you a specific fabric to compare if lights must stay on for spectators. The trade-off, by Carl's own account, is that gray also reflects less of the projector's light, so the picture is a little dimmer than on white unless the projector is brighter (Carl's Place). Ask for a sample or a demonstration with your projector and expected room lighting before choosing the material.
Why light on the screen matters
Carl's Place describes ambient light as competing with the projector light and washing out the image, mainly in the dark areas, so shadows lose depth and colors lose punch. Carl's Place on ambient light
Where the light comes from
Carl's Place's lighting guidance is to put overhead track lighting above the hitting area but away from the projected image, put side lights on the sides of the simulator area, keep lights off the impact screen and out of the projector beam, and watch for lights or windows behind the screen. Carl's Place lighting guide
For daylight, it suggests blackout shades on windows. In a new build, windows can be moved or removed from the sim room. It also offers Golf Room Curtains with blackout material where a window or door must stay accessible, and a Back Cover Kit for light behind the screen. Carl's Place on ambient light
When checking the room from the hitting position, also look behind the screen for lights, windows and other openings.
Check your room before ordering
Answer these for your room before you compare screens:
| Room during a session | Question to answer | Sourced lighting guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Dark basement, lights off while hitting | Does any light still reach the screen, from fixtures or from behind it? | Keep lights off the impact screen and out of the projector beam (Carl's Place lighting guide) |
| Garage with windows | Can every window be covered each time you play? | Blackout shades on windows; Golf Room Curtains with blackout material where a window or door must stay accessible; a Back Cover Kit for light behind the screen (Carl's Place) |
| Lights on for people watching | Can the lights be placed away from the screen and the projected image? | Overhead track lighting above the hitting area but away from the projected image, and side lights at the sides of the simulator area (Carl's Place lighting guide) |
Once you know how much light will reach the screen and what your projector can supply, Carl's color advice above covers its own screens. For another maker's fabric, compare the color data it publishes for its white and gray options and ask which it recommends for your lighting and projector. One screen to put that question to is Elite Screens' GolfSim DIY ImpactWhite 1145 Projector Screen, listed at Omaha Sports & Games for $673 to $1,333 (October 23, 2026); ask Elite Screens or the store how its fabric behaves with the light you measured.