Safety concerns Simulator Build Project

[Emerald]

Hello!

I'm currently in the process of building my own golf simulator in my garage. I plan to use a 2.5m x 2.5m impact screen along with my Garmin R10. However, I have some concerns about how to ensure the utmost safety in my setup.

For the sides, I intend to use a heavy-duty tarpaulin (650g/m2) measuring 2.5 meters in length and 3 meters in height. Here are the specific areas I need advice on:

Beneath the impact screen, there's a risk of golf balls rolling underneath and potentially hitting the wall. I'm considering placing sandbags behind the impact screen at floor level to prevent this.

The flooring that extends like a platform from the wall above the impact screen presents another concern. I'm thinking of incorporating some form of cushioning material to mitigate the risk of a ball bouncing back and causing injury. I'm unsure about the type and thickness of material to use for this purpose.

I also need some form of overhead protection to prevent accidental hits to the ceiling or other structures. For this, I'm contemplating using a golf net made of High-Density Polyethylene. This net could extend beneath the platform and the cushioning material mentioned in point 2.

I would greatly appreciate any tips or insights you may have to offer. Thank you in advance!

[Ronsc1985]

As long as you enclosed any hard surfaces with something soft the normal bounce back from the screen or the sides isn't much of a problem. The balls don't come back with any appreciable velocity.. If they hit a hard surface like the pipes holding up the enclosure be prepared to use your NHL goalie reflexes.

For balls going under the screen if the screen extends to the floor a length of lead rope sewn to the bottom will fix the problem.

Be assured that any area you don't have blocked of will eventually see a stray shot going through it. I don't care how accomplished the players are eventually they will hit a really crooked shot. This is mainly because simulators and their data tend to make people take full boogie swings every now and then since unlike green grass golf you don't have to go find the ball.

[Alcoholica]

Under your loft or on the ceiling, you could glue up some 1" thick foam EVA mats/tiles. That's what I'm putting on my ceiling.

[stubious]

Speaking from experience, having taken a rebounding ball right into the gut, you are wise to be thinking about safety. In my setup, I eventually got to:

• acoustic foam padding on the ceiling - I put up some thin mdf screwed into the ceiling and then glued to that
• I went with thick foam at the bottom behind the bottom edge of screen (think a long rectangle - about 8 inches high and deep) - though my screen is floating and not attached to the floor or at the sides (retractable so I can park the car), so perhaps had more give - not sure how yours is attached at the side
• the biggest remaining issue for me (not safety, but drywall damage) has been at the corner where the screen intersects the side panel (thick curtains, in my case). I'm hitting slightly offset to the right, so it doesn't even have to be a terrible shank to hit it through the gap - even if there isn't a visual gap, the ball can get through. Again, my sides aren't secured so your milage may vary. I've got a few drywall holes as a result, but it's not bouncing back at me or around the garage.