In the past few years, golf simulator technology has evolved to a point where more and more people are installing them in their homes, to give them more access to golf than ever before. Golf simulators in your home give golfers the chance to focus on their golf skills all year round, and at times when getting to the course can be tricky.
For 13 years now, GolfSim Australia has exclusively designed, installed and ensured that golfers can have access to the most premium quality home golf simulators in their homes.
In this article, we’re going to show you exactly what it takes to build a great golf simulator, and answer some of the more frequently asked questions that we hear.
Firstly, what are some of the things you need to get started?
There are four key components you will need to create a home golf simulator:
Launch monitor
Impact screen
Projector
Computer with golf simulation software
But, perhaps most importantly, you’ll need to ask yourself, do I have the space for a home golf simulator?
At GolfSim Australia, the bulk of our work is done for clients when they are in the process of designing and building their new homes, so they have the luxury of specifying things like ceiling heights. But, there is a simple test you can do if you are thinking of installing a golf simulator in an existing space - can you swing a club in it? Put a cover on your driver and test it out while someone is watching you, do they feel safe? Is there plenty of room at the top of your swing? Is there enough space for someone to feel comfortable at the back of the room?
If you are happy with the space you have, you will also need to consider the size of the frame, screen size, dimensions of the hitting mats. All of which we at GolfSim Australia have years of experience in providing custom solutions for. We provide quality, Australian made and designed enclosures and impact screens, which will leave your space feeling professional for year to come. Our impact screens are especially well made, and when coupled with a 4K projector, will provide the sharpest, most immersive and realistic images on the market today.
Your golf simulator launch monitor is the heartbeat and centre of your experience
Launch monitors are responsible for the quality of the data coming from the interaction between your swing, moment of impact, and how the ball reacts to that. It’s a simple equation here, quality data in equals quality data out.
The quality of your home golf simulator experience will heavily depend on the quality of your launch monitor.
A lot of times in golf simulators (and life in general), you get what you pay for, which means the more you pay for a launch monitor, the better your golf simulator setup will be. There are certainly some launch monitors that might perform better at a lower price point, but in general, the more expensive the unit, the better.
Entry-level launch monitors typically provide basic ball data, such as carry distance, total distance, ball spin, and so on, while higher-end launch monitors will measure and/or calculate more ball data and also club data, such as angle of attack, club path, and more.
One important factor to consider is where you will position your launch monitor. Radar launch monitors that sit on the floor behind the golfer are an option, but if you're able to mount your launch monitor above and out of the way of balls, clubs, people, etc., it will be much easier to provide a safe and realistic golf simulator experience.
Uneekor provides industry-leading data accuracy on both club and ball data and real-time footage of ball impact are provided by high-speed cameras that capture your ball at over 3,000 frames per second. The EYE XO and QED models are ceiling mounted to ensure better accuracy and a better home golf simulator experience all round.
You’ll need to hit into something that can ‘catch’ your ball, and display a great image
Your golf impact screen is what everyone will be looking at. You’ll want it to be able to display a great image, without sagging, and be able to absorb the impact of thousands of golf balls, hit at speeds of up to 300kph.
The basics of a golf simulator impact screen are it’s aspect ratio. This basically means the relationship between the width of your screen and the height of your screen. Common aspect ratios for golf screens are 4:3 and 16:9, mostly because modern projectors are capable of outputting images in those sizes. If the aspect ratio of your impact screen and of your projected image match, the image should fit perfectly on the screen without overflowing or unused space. Your room ceiling height and width will play a large factor into the aspect ratio of your screen.
GolfSim Australia make a premium quality golf simulator impact screen, right here in Australia that also comes with baffles to protect how the screen is mounted to the frame, this can be perfectly sized to suit your requirements.
The average home golfer hitting their driver will send their ball at up to 250kph into their golf simulator impact screen. A GolfSim Australia impact screen is multi layered and finished with a smooth texture for optimum performance, and premium quality image resolution.
But where does the image for a home golf simulator come from?
Given the spatial limitations inherent in most indoor golf simulator spaces, installing the projector properly is a challenge full of nuances that will help determine the success of the entire project.
To ensure that your projector is at its most effective, keep in mind the following four criteria when choosing/installing a projector:
Choose a projector with a high brightness and long lifespan to reduce maintenance costs.
Install the projector in a location that is far enough away from your swing radius and the flight path of the ball, so as to avoid any damage.
Pick the right projector for your impact screen size and aspect ratio
Install the projector in a location that will prevent any projection-related shadows.
You’ll want a quality “short-throw” project to provide you with the most flexible and quality solution. A “standard throw” projector might produce shadows due to the distance their installation requires in order to achieve the desired screen size in a smaller room. Choosing a short throw option can give you the most ideal and effective space without producing shadows and limit the risk of damage.
Finally, the brains and powerplant of the operation - the computer and software setup for your home golf simulator
Sure you can plug into a laptop or standard PC, but to really optimise your experience and ensure that your home golf simulator runs well and delivers the best graphics, you’ll want to invest in a gaming PC.
Uneekor recommends the following as minimum requirements:
Intel i5 8400*
8 GB RAM (16 GB RAM for Swing Optix)
GeForce GTX 1060**
Windows 10 (64 bit) Version 1803 or higher***
Integrated ethernet port required
As for the setup, GSPro software will allow you to play thousands of golf courses from all around the world (including the most sought after courses that the pros play), and Uneekors View software will deliver you all of the data you need for game improvement purposes.
Are you ready to start designing your home golf simulator?
GolfSim Australia are the experts in home golf simulator design and installations. With 13 years experience and counting, we’ve installed hundreds of golf simulators in Melbourne and all over Australia and New Zealand. We understand all of the challenges, limitations and things to consider when considering a home golf simulator. Speak to us today.
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