Top Golf Simulator Questions For 2024

You called, we picked up. You chatted or emailed, we didn't leave you on hold.  Of all your top golf simulator questions these are the most frequently asked.

If there is one thing we’ve learned over the years in the golf simulator industry, it’s that indoor golfers are crazy curious about every detail. 

We understand that is for good reason; installing a golf simulator at home or in a commercial location can be a huge up-front investment, but it will pay off in the long run. And we enjoy answering your questions to help make your indoor golfing dream a reality.

We’ve narrowed down a long list into the top golf simulator questions for 2024 at Carl’s Place. We will answer those questions and provide other resources for you below.

8 MOST POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT GOLF SIMULATORS

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CARL’S PLACE DIY AND PRO GOLF ENCLOSURE?

Although the DIY and Pro enclosures look similar in photos - both are surrounded by black enclosure material, accompanied by a white impact screen, use ball bungees and zip ties, and are constructed with EMT piping (DIY uses 1-inch EMT and the Pro uses 2-inch EMT) - you can see and feel the difference in real life. 

See it’s actually more simple than you think. It really comes down to size, feel and budget. 

This more detailed comparison will help you decide which golf simulator enclosure would be best for your specific area. Our DIY and Pro assembly videos will also help you understand the differences!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CARL’S PLACE GOLF IMPACT SCREEN MATERIALS?

Carl offers three versions of impact screens: Standard, Preferred and Premium. All three can be custom sized and custom finished (in 125 different ways!). 

1. Premium is Carl’s top and most popular option; it has three layers that help make it the most durable and quietest screen, while the top layer is the smoothest and tightest woven for the best projected image quality. 

2. Preferred is the mid-level option at Carl’s Place. It’s not as harsh on your wallet as the Premium, but is still a durable screen with great image quality.

3. The Standard is a budget friendly, entry-level option.

Tim, a product specialist at Carl’s Place, explains in more detail the differences between the three screens. 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT SCREEN FINISHES?

Some of you are probably wondering: what even is a “screen finish”? It’s the edging around the white part of the impact screen. 

We have three standard finishing options: classic, classic with flaps and the classic with loop fastener. However, we can custom finish a screen in a combination of 125 different ways. 

The three standard finishing options include a 2.5-inch vinyl edge with grommets, which act as the mounting points using ball bungees or zip ties that can attach to a frame.

If you order just a screen with flaps, those include a 7-inch nylon flap with a strip of loop fastener that can attach to a strip of hook fastener on your enclosure, walls of your golf room, etc. This would be a screen that typically comes with a DIY enclosure. If you order a screen with flaps as part of a DIY enclosure, the flaps are 8.25 inches.

The classic with loop fastener strips includes a 1-inch strip of loop fastener around the entire screen. These are typically used in Carl's original Pro Golf Enclosures where foam cushions surround the screen and attach to the loop fastener. Note that the screens that now come with Pro Enclosures will have flaps attached.

Check out our video explaining the differences between the screen finishes. 

However, if those standard finishes don’t work the best in your setup, Carl does offer custom finishing. 

IF I’M JUST ORDERING AN IMPACT SCREEN FROM CARL’S PLACE, HOW SHOULD I BUILD A FRAME TO MOUNT IT?

The easiest and least stressful answer for how to install a golf impact screen is to buy a golf enclosure kit. We will design it for you so that you have an easy assembly following our detailed instructions. However, if you want to design your own solution, you have several other options.

Some customers will just hang their impact screen in a garage or large storage building, while others might put together a hitting cage to hang the screen. It will likely require some trial and error no matter how you want to do it. 

Just be sure to hang it so it is flat for a high quality projected image, but not too tight to avoid fast ball bounce back. 

Typically, we suggest making your frame no more than 2 inches taller or wider on each side than the screen you plan to order. This means your frame should not be more than a total of 4 inches taller or wider than your screen. If you already have a mounting solution, we can customize a screen to that size, making it as taut or loose as you would like. 

DO I NEED THE PIPE FRAMING KIT FROM CARL?

Absolutely not. But, you will need pipes, strong ones (in fact we’ll tell you exactly the right pipes!) to set up your golf enclosure, but Carl will never force you to buy pipes from him. Sourcing your own pipes locally is more cost effective. 

However, if convenience is worth it to you, we can provide standard pipe framing kits or customize a pipe kit to your needs. Custom orders need to be placed through our customer service team or via our Build Your Own Golf Simulator Tool. 

WHAT ABOUT FOAM INSERTS FOR GOLF SIMULATORS?

Foam inserts for golf simulators are not necessary, but certainly recommended. You’ll understand why once you hit an errant shot that connects with your pipe frame on the side of your impact screen. 

For both the DIY and Pro enclosures, the foam inserts go behind the flaps on your impact screen and get placed up against the frame of the screen/enclosure. They protect you from ricocheting balls, but also keep your frame and balls from getting dinged up. 

Customers have tried using alternative solutions such as gutter foam for this purpose, but our foam is a tried soft-and-safe solution. 

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING AT PROJECTORS?

Projectors can be super overwhelming, but three of the top factors to consider would be your intended aspect ratio, throw distance and budget.

Aspect ratio deals with the shape of your projected image. The key is that you will want your projected image to fit the shape of your golf impact screen so the image can fill the screen and provide you the best experience. It is not necessary, but makes your setup look much cleaner and more professional.

Throw distance is where you need to place your projector to fill your golf impact screen. Our screen size calculator can help you with this and other details. 

Check out our in-depth article on how to choose a golf simulator projector for all the details you’ll ever need. 

Explore more of our best golf simulator recommendations to see the right golf simulator for you.

HOW DO I CLEAN MY IMPACT SCREEN AND MAKE IT LAST A LONG TIME?

So glad you asked. We have a more in-depth blog written on that topic, but we will summarize most of it in a couple sentences below.

To clean your impact screen, we've found the best ways to be using soap and water, a Tide-To-Go Stain Remover Pen, LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner, and a portable carpet cleaner. However, you'll want to be careful with whatever route you choose as overdoing any of these could leave screen damage.

There are many ways to help your screen live a longer life, but keeping it clean and installing it properly are at the top of the list. Other factors that contribute to your screen's life include the screen material you chose, the amount it is used and the ability/frequency of the users.