Simulator Build/Equipment Questions

[p3eps]

I assume you're referring to the ball hitting the ceiling, not the club? I don't anticipate an issue if the ball hits the ceiling with a full wedge shot, which I don't think will happen based on striking plastic balls with a 60 degree lob wedge from where I plan to hit real balls relative to the HQ screen once it's up. Also, I will have carpet and corksheet on the ceiling plywood panels so that if a wedge shot were to strike the ceiling it would simply ricochet into the screen and drop which I don't have an issue with. Am I missing something here? Do the people that have the problem you reference above have protection on their ceilings? Most impact screens max out at 10' tall. Given my available width and desire to project a full 4:3 image my screen height was limited to 8'11". I'll have another 7 inches of impact screen valance on top of the screen giving me a total height of 9'6" before the ceiling comes into play. How far are those with the ceiling problem you mentioned away from the screen when they hit?

But to answer your question another way, I am losing a lot of storage space by making the golf simulator a dedicated space as noted by aeroburner. I have approximately 4' above the simulator that I can use for storage. This was part of the "pitch" to the wife when the plans were approved... lol. The other benefits of doing it the way I have are, at least from my perspective: (i) a cleaner look with the cords and power that I needed to run for the projector, and (ii) reducing the amount of ambient light that can reach the screen. Hopefully the black carpet with also serve to produce a crisper image.

Yes, I'm referring to the balls hitting the ceiling.
I have a 10ft ceiling, and was originally going to make a widescreen frame / screen. When I spoke with Cory at Par2Pro he told me to make the screen as tall as possible. Mine must be about 9ft tall. I've blanked some off it off with black material to keep the projection area the only white bit - but I still have the height should I hit it.

As I'm hitting from about 9ft away, I can quite easily hit the ceiling with a ball if I want to hit a 60° wedge with backspin. I've put some ceiling protection up (a net) to prevent the ball damaging it - however I'd much rather have a higher ceiling! There are some that bounce off the screen and hit the ceiling too... but the net does its job.

Obviously your situation requires you to use above the ceiling for storage, and it'll work out fine. A net or something soft will absorb the odd shots that go high!
I'm just saying that if I had extra height in my room, I would have kept it where possible.

[ncube]

Update with a few more pictures (to come shortly) and comments on how I'm liking my set up:

Wooden Enclosure: This works great. I had read a few posts where people didn't like wooden construction because balls supposedly came flying back. I used plywood, covered with 1/4" sheet cork, and black indoor/outdoor carpet over that. Works great for the occasional mishit and looks great. If I stand 10' feet back, as opposed to 8-9' back, my lob wedge hits the ceiling first then the screen and does come back really fast. This however, is easily solved by staying in the 8-9' range when hitting. I am planning to drape a black canvass sheet from about four feet out to the lower portion of the screen valance using velcro. I anticipate this will solve the problem when hitting from 10' back with a lob wedge.

Par2Pro Screen:

The screen looks great. It is a little loud, but I'm in the garage so no big deal.

Par2Pro Screen Valance:

The screen valance gives the sim a professional look; however, it causes some bounce back issues. Because the valance velcros to the angled iron and the screen it prevents the bungie cords from properly flexing when the ball hits the screen. At first, I thought I had the screen too tight. This wasn't the case. In figuring out the problem I had two balls bounce back and hit my projector. Luckily it wasn't damaged. Preston at Par2Pro suggested I adhere the velcro in a way that allows more flex. This helped, but I ultimately ended up hanging 1.5" king size memory foam mattresses 2" behind the screen. Balls drop dead.

Mike80's DIY Hitting Mat Solution:

I have nothing to compare this solution to, but I have absolutely no complaints with the mat itself. It does move around quite a bit so I have to figure something out to keep it in place. Right now, I just pull it back in place every four to five holes. I think Mike80 suggests nailing down or something that that effect. The problem with that is I'll have to make holes in the turf it sits on, which I'd rather not do. I tried to use rug tape on the bottom to hold it in place. That didn't work. I also bought the 1 x 2 piece to set the GC2 on and the 11" x 4' piece for putting. Given where I placed the gel insert I think I'll buy another 11" x 4" to widen the putting area. This way I might get away with playing more holes before having to relocate the hitting mat and the mat the GC2 sits on.

I might also look into the possibility of getting a heavy rubber backing that would hold it in place better. Anyone have any ideas?

All Turf Mats True Putt Turf

The other great part of the DIY solution is that all turf mats has an inexpensive (relatively) putting turf that exactly matches the surface of the DIY hitting mat. I bought a 13 x 15 piece of the true putt putting turf for around $500. It looks great and does a great job of stopping the bounce after the balls hit the screen. In speaking with Bobby at all turf mats, they have even less expensive options like the Elite Putt, which is the same material as the True Putt, just a lighter color, and the August Poly Pro, also a different color and different material (but at about half the cost). I am very pleased with my turf purchase from all turf mats. I could not find reviews on this prior to making the purchase. Hopefully this helps somebody.

Optoma EH415ST:

I was concerned about going with a 4:3 aspect ratio as opposed to the HD 16:9. Given the space, I went with the 4:3. I have no regrets and am pleased with the quality of the picture, which is probably something close to 1600 x 1024. The entire screen is filled and it gives the immersive effect I had hoped for. The EH415ST is awesome. I have never played with the lights off, or even dimmed, and have played in the middle the day and have no problem seeing the picture perfectly. It was somewhat difficult finding a projector to throw such a large picture in 4:3 from 8' with the ability to play in a good amount of ambient light. This projector was the ticket. Not one complaint. Would recommend.

ASUS G11 Computer: Has a 970 Nivida GC and and i5 processor. Works fine. No issues, particularly for the price of $799.