Simulator Build/Equipment Questions

[ncube]

First post on the site.

So I decided I "needed" a golf simulator about two months ago. Since then I've been reading posts on this forum, it seems like constantly. The information I have gained from reading posts on this site has been instrumental in helping me make build/equipment decisions. Thanks to everyone on this site for that. I, however, still have some unanswered questions and am hoping to get confirmation that the equipment I am planning to purchase is appropriate for my build/space.

The first decision I had to make was whether to build the simulator in my basement or my garage. I ultimately decided on the garage because the 9' ceilings in my basement are really only 8' 7"... bummer. Lesson learned. If I ever build another house or add to this one I'm going deep. By contrast, my garage has ceilings that are 14' 7".

I opted to build a 2x4 enclosure with the following dimensions 13W x 10.5H (9.5H where the screen will be mounted) x 14L. Here's some pictures of the area "pre-build" and build so far.



I plan to cover the framing with plywood. With the plywood up I'll then crown staple 1/4 inch cork sheet underlayment and a black indoor/outdoor carpet recommended by the folks at GSA and purchased at the Home Depot to the plywood. It looks like others that have used carpet covered plywood panels covered each panel and then secured those covered panels to the wall/ceiling. I plan on putting up all the plywood and then covering the panels based on the 1x6 linear feet carpet strips from HD. Hopefully this works well. Ideally, I won't be able to see where the carpet strips abut each other and things will look very uniform and professional.

I plan to purchase the par2pro HQ2 custom screen with a viewable area of 142" x 107". These screen dimensions give me a perfect 4:3 aspect ratio for complete screen coverage. The area I've framed out for the screen is actually 156" wide x 114" high. I had to angle some plywood panels down (as you'll see in the picture above) from the 10'6" ceiling to decrease the height of the area where I plan to mount the screen to angled iron with bungee cords. The reason I did that was to ensure the screen valence/cover that will velcro from the angled iron to the screen is uniform on the top and sides, i.e., 7" all the way around. I guess that's my OCD getting the best of me.

Has anyone purchased the screen valence/cover from par2pro? I plan to, but would be interested in feedback before I do if possible. I'm guessing it'll be a quality product like most everything else they sell (based on feedback on this site).

I purchased the GC2a about three weeks ago and haven't even got it out of the box. I'm waiting til the simulator build is complete.

I plan to use the GC2a with the ProTee and TGC software.

For a CPU I plan to purchase an Asus G11 currently being sold at BestBuy for $799. The Model Number and SKU are:

• Model: G11CD-B11/B
• SKU: 5070700

Based on my research, this mid-range gaming computer will do a great job of running the software with the 970 GTX graphics card and i5 6th gen processor. That said, I am not a computer expert and would like confirmation that this will work based on its specifications. Am I missing anything here?

For a projector, I am fairly set on the Optoma EH415ST. This HD projector appears to remain fairly bright even after running it in a 4:3 mode, as opposed to it's native resolution of 16:9. That brings up another question. Will a 4:3 image being projected from a projector with a native 16:9 aspect ratio still be HD? Am I wasting money trying to buy a full HD projector if I'm going to project a 4:3 image? Should I be buying some other projector? Based on the projector central calculator, I'll be mounting this projector 7'11" from the screen to get an image of 142" x 107". I plan to hit 9-10' from the screen. Will the projector being mounted 1-2' in front of the ball striking area, on the 10'6" ceiling, be in harm's way?

Lastly, I am having a hard time deciding on a hitting mat. I'm inclined to purchase the single stance fiber built mat and use the sand/rough inserts (these are the same material except color) with two fairway inserts. From what I've read, it sounds like the fiber built is a pain to putt off of. The question I have is whether the GC2 would allow me to hit off of the fiber built and then putt on the stance mat without moving the GC2? If I have to move the LM everytime I need to putt that's a deal killer for me, no matter how nice the fiber built mat is. I'd be interested in hearing what other GC2 owners use to meet in the middle with respect to a good hitting area and a good putting surface.

I appreciate any feedback.

[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.