Replacement Golf Simulator Screens

Golf Simulator Screen out of sawdust mesh

Virtual golf simulators are a great way to work on your golf swing all year round. The projection screens used by these systems need to take a lot of abuse.  Low quality simulator screens may be cheap to buy but they don’t end up lasting very long.  High quality golf simulator impact screens are normally made of Kevlar and cost thousands of dollars.

At Heavy Duty Tarps we offer extremely cost-effective screens that can be made to your exact specifications. For this application we have four different materials from which to choose. Visit this page to learn more about our golf mesh material.

Below you will find information about sizing and installing your custom golf simulator screens. Be sure to read this page completely before placing your order to make sure you choose the material that best meets your requirements.

Before ordering your screen, make sure you have enough room to accommodate a simulator screen. In order to maintain the integrity of your screen, the golfer should be at least 10 feet away the surface when striking the ball. 

Check out this audio podcast featuring our golf mesh products.

HD Golf Mesh (3-Ply)

3-Ply HD Golf MeshOur 3-Ply HD Golf Screen is for discerning golfers who want the very best image quality without needing to add a block-out background behind the screen. This material features a "foam" interior layer which facilitates noise reduction and quick recovery while eliminating transparency that undermines picture quality to provide a truly immersive play experience. This material also tends to be the most durable since the three layers of fabric help to absorb the ball impact. With all of our materials always be sure to use clean, mark free, balls to prevent dirt or grass stains from transferring onto the screen and imperfections in the ball from catching on the material. You should also make sure the heads of your golf clubs are completely clean so that dirt from the clubs does not transfer onto the balls.

HD Golf Mesh

This is our best single-ply golf screen material. It is extremely durable and offers the second highest image quality, next to our 3-Ply material. Although the picture quality of this screen will be very good on its own, it can be enhanced by hanging a black background behind the screen (as described below).

Golf Mesh

Our standard Golf Mesh is made from the same polyester yarn as our HD Golf Material but the weave is not quite as tight so the image quality, while good, won't be quite as crisp as the HD Golf Mesh material. Again, the image quality can be enhanced by adding a black material behind the screen.

Golf Mesh vs. HD Golf MeshThis image shows a comparison of the standard Golf Mesh and the HD Golf Mesh. These screen samples are sitting on a table with some dark wood grain so that you can see that the HD Golf Mesh blocks out more of the dark areas. You can also see that the HD Golf Mesh offers a smoother surface.

Sawdust Mesh

If you don't plan to project onto the screen, Sawdust Mesh is a more economical alternative to the Golf Mesh products. You can still project onto the Sawdust Mesh, however the picture quality won't be as good. This material comes in 115" widths.

Here we show a comparison of the Golf Mesh vs the Sawdust Mesh, you can see that the Golf Mesh has a tighter weave than the Sawdust Mesh.Golf Mesh vs. Sawdust Mesh

Common Characteristics and Recommendations

All four materials have similar characteristics in terms of their use as impact screens with high durability, excellent sound absorption, minimal bounce-back and quick recovery.     

We generally recommend adding a pocket (channel) to the top and bottom so that you can hang the screen on a pole suspended on each end (and in the middle for longer spans). This creates a nice level surface to prevent drooping and sagging. The lower pocket allows you to insert a lightweight pole or similar item to add a bit of tension to the screen.  This setup is preferred to fastening the screen on all sides since you want the screen to have some "give" so that the balls don't break through the tarp or bounce back. If the tarp is too tight it has to take all the force of the balls and may not last as long. We have had a couple of people report that they were able to drive a ball through the golf mesh. We believe these incidents could have been prevented by having less tension on the screens. 

The 3-Ply HD Golf Mesh is opaque and provides a great projection surface on its own. Since the single ply mesh materials have tiny holes throughout the surface you should avoid having the image being projected off whatever is behind the screen. For this reason, we recommend placing the screen in front of a black wall or draping dark material behind the screen. This is less important for the HD Golf Mesh but recommended for the standard Golf Mesh and Sawdust mesh since this will ensure a better picture quality. Black felt background

Rolls of black felt roof underlay can be purchased at Home Depot or other building suppliers for about $30. These can be cut into strips which are stapled to a 2x4 running behind your screen as depicted here. This is a very cost-effective way to improve the picture quality.

When sizing your screen, be sure to consider the aspect ratio of your projector. In most cases, the height of the screen will be constrained by your ceiling height. Let's say you have 8' ceilings. If the aspect-ratio of your projector is 16:9 this means that an 8' tall image would be 14.222 feet (8/9*16) wide. In such a case you would generally want to make the screen 8' x 14' 3" so that the projected image completely fills the screen.

Keep in mind that the maximum seamless height is 120" for the 3-Ply HD Golf Mesh, 116" for the HD and standard Golf Mesh and 111" for the Sawdust Mesh assuming you are using grommets top and bottom. If you want pockets instead of grommets, the maximum seamless height will depend on the pocket sizes. In addition to the pocket itself, we need about an inch of material to sew the pocket. For example, if you want a 4" pocket on the top and bottom, we can make a Golf Mesh screen up to 110" tall (120" - (2 x 4") - 2") and a Sawdust Mesh screen up to 105".  There is no restriction on the length in the other dimension. Note also that the pocket sizes reflect flattened pockets, so a 4" pocket could accommodate a pipe up to about 2" in diameter.

To order this online, use our golf simulator screen order form and enter your required dimensions, pocket sizes and grommet configuration.

Golf simulator screen with side panelsIn addition to the screen itself, we can also make side panels like the ones shown here or even full cages to protect stray balls from damaging your walls or breaking your valuables. Usually these panels are made using our 90% block premium mesh.

If you are already using one of our tarps as an indoor golf simulator screen please send us a note and we will post it on our blog. A nice customer sent us this video of himself using one of our replacement golf simulator screens.

Cleaning Your Simulator Screen

If you find that your screen has become soiled or shows scuff marks, these marks can be lessened by using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  Scrub in the direction of the groves on the screen.  Never use a bleach based cleaner on your screen since the bleach will weaken the material.

Customer Testimonials

Name:
Stan Snider
Location:
Guelph, Ontario
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
DIY 3-ply golf simulator screenPlease share with the team that made my tarp…Love it! I have been sharing your name with everyone😀..

Thanks again,
Stan

Editor's Note
This review and supplied photo pertain to our 3-ply golf mesh.

Name:
Nick Mulder
Location:
Caledonia, Ontario
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
Hello, I ordered the golf mesh for an indoor golf simulator I am building in my garage this winter. I received the screen about a month ago and have been using it 3-4 time a week since. It took about two weeks after my order to receive, which was within the timeframe listed on their website. The ordering process was really straight forward. The instructions on the website are very clear. I ordered a 16' x 10' screen as my projector has a16:10 aspect ratio, with 2" hems along the top and bottom edge and grommets every 12" along the edges. I mounted it using 1 1/2" EMT through the top hem, and another piece in the bottom hem to weigh the tarp down. I also used bungees to hold the sides to a custom frame I made. The screen is about 12" away from the wall, and I did not have to hang any dark material behind the net. The wall is a light grey and doesn't seem to pull away any of the colour. The net has no wrinkles with this setup, and feels quite tight to the touch, but the ball barely bounces back more than a foot. My friends and I are single digit handicaps, and can hit ball speeds just shy of 170+MPH. So far the mesh has not shown any indications of damage or stretching. I have a fairly new, high end 1080p projector and can comfortably say that the picture quality is at par with or even better than some of the hitting nets I have seen at other simulators. I have noticed some streaking where the high spin shots hit the screen, but this is from the ink on the balls rubbing off and I believe is pretty typical with any screen material. When the projector is on it is not noticeable at all. Thanks to the team at heavy duty tarps. Glad to support local and even better that I can honestly voice how happy I am with the product. Will be sure to share some pictures soon of the completed setup. Cheers!!

Name:
Dezerai Legg
Location:
Greenwood, Indiana
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
Hi Mary,

I wanted to thank you for all your help ordering and for delivering such a great product! It is better than what we anticipated! Our son loves the simulator image and the durability of the screen. I am so glad we went with the sawdust mesh tarp vs stand impact screen.

I attach a couple photos and a video should you want to add to your website as an example for others.

Thank you again for everything! We couldn’t be happier!

Editor's note
Thanks Dezerai for sending us this photo and video!
Golf Impact Screen

Name:
Amir Madady
Location:
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
The tarps worked out great, I used them to build a golf simulator at home and now everyone I know wants one 😄. Thank you for all your help.
Photo:
Golf Simulator projection screen with cage Editor's Note
As shown in the photo, we built a "cage" in 90% Super HD mesh to catch errant balls.

Name:
Tyler Stephens
Location:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
I had a great experience with heavy duty tarps! I had them make me a custom sized golf simulator impact net/screen. I was able to design is exactly as I wanted it all online, including a quote at the end of the process. Shipping was free because I live in Canada, and I couldn't be happier with the results! If you're thinking about setting up a golf simulator you should check these guys out first. I paid 1/4 the price that I thought I would.

Name:
Paul Dawson
Location:
Cornwall, Ontario
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
This works way better than expected. I have a few people who have asked me to help them build a golf simulator. I will definitely be buying more of the sawdust mesh for them. Thanks

Name:
Brett
Location:
Cochrane, Alberta
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
I ordered a mesh screen tarp for use with the golf simulator I built. Received the screen on time and it is awesome. Fits perfectly and takes a beating and looks like new. I have hit at least a thousand balls into it, boom perfect. I love that it was made in Canada. It’s certainly helping me through these times.

Name:
Mike Wordell
Location:
Sherwood Park, Alberta
Rating:
Good Four star rating
Comments:
Purchased this tarp in November to use as a virtual golf screen. Received it about 3 weeks after ordering, which was one week earlier than expected! Tarp/screen came to spec and was easy to put up. The screen cost about $250, which was about $500 less than an actual virtual golf screen from a virtual golf retailer. Screen is a bit see through, so you will need to put a sheet of felt or something behind it. I got felt for $60 or so from local fabric store. After that, looks great!

Name:
Gaetan Boudreault
Location:
Fall River, Nova Scotia
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
The tarp has been all and more than we expected, it is perfect as golf impact screen. We have played more than 100 rounds since December 2020, all with real golf balls, and so far there is not a mark or rip on it. It still looks brand new.

Name:
Walter
Location:
Hamilton, Ontario
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
A truly great experience ordering my sawdust mesh for my golf simulator from HeavyDuty tarps. If you are looking for an impact screen, HeavyDuty tarps is the best option. Not only is the product great, custom to fit your needs, the customer service is exceptional. Thank you HeavyDuty Tarps for all the help!

Name:
Kyle Relke
Location:
La Salle, Manitoba
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
Awesome tarp for golf simulator. Great service and surprisingly fast shipping during these covidy times. The sawdust mesh tarp takes real balls like a champ. Leaves pock marks where ball hits, but they disappear after another shot or with a quick rub over with hand.. I actually like the pock mark that it leaves because it gives me great feedback as to where the ball is hitting the screen for proper aiming! Projects a great image as well from projector. I have a black fabric approx. one foot behind the screen to improve the image.
Video:
Kyle sent along this video.

Name:
Jason Schraefel
Fitted Golf Co
Location:
Edmonton, Alberta
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
We use the screen for our golf fitting centre. The screen arrived on time and exactly as advertised. We've used it with all sorts of swing speed players and it has performed very well for us.

Name:
Trevor Hardy
Location:
Watrous, Saskatchewan
Rating:
Excellent Five star rating
Comments:
DIY Golf Simulator ScreenAwesome customer service. Very knowledgeable, and helpful. Great product! We’ve been using the enclosure screen and love it. Now we don’t have balls bouncing all over the garage. Here is a picture of our finished product. Thanks again for all the support and help.

Here is another photo sent in by Trevor of Watrous, Saskatchewan DIY Golf Simulator Impact Screen. Trevor writes "Love the tarp. It was exactly what we requested, and is working flawlessly as the impact screen for our golf simulator."

In addition to DIY golf impact screens, our tarps are often used as inexpensive movie projection screens.