Golf Simulator Impact Screens - Buying Guide for Australia (2024)

So you are looking for a Golf Impact Screen for your Golf Simulator set up?

So you are looking to build a Golf Simulator at home or to upgrade your current golf net set up with a more immersive golfing experience? In either case, congratulations, if you are an avid golfer, you are absolutely going to have a ball! Just imagine, you can play 18 holes of golf at any world-famous golf course of your choosing (or your home track), in less than an hour! All without having to leave the comfort of your own home. Trust me, I'm talking from experience.

But if you are in Australia (and New Zealand for that matter), things just got a bit harder. Unfortunately due to the size of our market and the fact that we are a million miles away from anywhere else, it can get quite hard to source some of the key building blocks for your home golf simulator. Also did I mention some of the eye-watering price tags?

In this post, I summarise what Golf Impact Screen options are available in the Australian market and how much you would expect to pay for different types of products. In addition, I will also share some valuable tips on how to hang and use your golf impact screen. We hope this will help you in buying the right Golf Impact Screen to suit your needs and budgets. 

PS: we also have a "how to build your own golf simulator" guide that you may also find helpful in your quest for the dream Golfing From Home set up.

What is a Golf Impact Screen?

A Golf Impact Screen is essentially a white piece of material that you can hit golf balls into. Images from your golf simulation software is then projected onto it with a projector to provide that immersive experience.

Key qualities of a Golf Impact screen to consider when making a purchase include:

• Size - in general, the bigger the better. But of course the price tag would also go up with the size. But more importantly consider the size of your space as well as the image size that your projector is capable of producing.
• Image quality - higher end impact screens tend to have a whiter and smoother surface which will give you better image quality, especially when you are using a high end projector. So splash out the big bucks if you want your golf simulator to double up as a home theatre with your ultra-HD or 4K projector. Otherwise keep your money in your pocket if you have a mid-market projector and are happy enough with decent image quality. 
• Durability - you want your impact screen to last, especially if you intend to play frequently. Yes there are cheaper alternatives, for example painters drop sheets, (and I've even seen people use white bedsheets) but trust me, you will be scoring a "hole in one" on them pretty quickly.
• Quietness - if your have a garage set up or tend to play at night, this is a very important factor to consider. You can make your Golf Sim sound like a gun range with the wrong impact screen.

Where can you buy a Golf Impact Screen in Australia and how much do they cost?

Domestic Options

Below is a summary of options which are available from Australia based suppliers, there are impact screens at different price ranges to suit your budgets. Note all prices are accurate as of early 2024.

Super Budget (less than $100)

These are smaller in size and are typically used as target sheets for golf nets. As they are white and has a blank side, they can double up as a super budget impact screen.

Archery Baffles (less than $300)

Designed to stop an arrow, these baffles are super tough and super quiet. Because they are white in colour and have a fine mesh design, they actually produce a fairly good productor image. 

We are the leading retailer for this type of product in Australia and our Kaizen Golf 3m x 3m Archery Baffle Impact Screen is sold at $226.

This is a really good entry level option for a large golf simulator screen, especially if you are just using an entry/mid level projector.

Purpose Built / Commercial Grade Golf Impact Screens ($300+)

These are purpose built impact screens from reputable local suppliers. 

What about Amazon/eBay?

For relatively high ticket items such as Golf Impact Screens, I would generally advise against buying these from eBay or Amazon. Here are my 3 reasons:

• Most suppliers there are not Australia based, which could make shipping and after sales support challenging.
• Quality of the product could be questionable - I speak from experience. My first ever impact screen was from eBay which costed me $210. It lasted about 3 months and made my garage sound like a gun range while it lasted.
• You may not end up saving much coin when you add shipping costs etc.

Of course I'm a little biased on this topic, but this is generally the state of the market at the time I'm writing this.

If you are still inclined on buying an impact screen this way, then I would recommend going with Amazon as the platform offers better quality standards, delivery options as well as after sales support/returns. 

Did you know? Our Archery Baffles and Premium Impact Screens are also available for purchase through Amazon for those who prefer to shop there. 

Overseas (US) Options

Having summed up the Australian market, let's also go through some leading suppliers in the US which is by far the biggest market for golf impact screens.

• Carl's Place - highly rated and very popular supplier offering a wide range of sizes and types of impact screens. Indicative pricing:
• 3m x 3m Single Layer Screen (comparable to Kaizen Premium Screen) - $235 USD
• 3m x 3m Multi Layer Premium Screen (comparable to Kaizen Golf Professional Simulator Impact Screen)- $580 USD 
• Shop Indoor Golf - another really reputable supplier with their own range of impact screens. Indicative pricing
• 3m x 3m Single Layer Screen (comparable to Kaizen Premium Screen) - $270 USD
• 3m x 3m Multi Layer Premium Screen (comparable to Kaizen Golf Professional Simulator Impact Screen- $659 USD

Note that additional costs such as international shipping and import duty etc will also apply when you purchase from the US.

Usage Tips for your Golf Impact Screen

Golf impact screens are a big investment in your golf simulator set up, so here are some tips on how to get the most enjoyment out of your screen as well as how you can extend it's life. 

• Hanging - you will need a frame to hang your impact screen on. It can be as easy as a steel wire rope from Bunnings which is what we have, or with a bit of elbow grease, you can build yourself a full enclosure with metal poles (or PVC). Here's a good resource on how you can build your own impact screen enclosure from Gungho Golf. You can get other DIY ideas and inputs from the various Golf Simulator related groups on Facebook. 

• Play with the tension - you can adjust how taut your screen is by fastening the sides of the screen. We recommend using tarpaulin clips and bungee ball cords to do this, see photo below. Adjust the positioning and the number of tarp clips to get the right tension. At the right tautness level, your screen should have a relatively flat/taut look without having the golf ball trampolining back at you. 

• Iron out those kinks - as the screens are folded for packaging purposes, they may initially have some creases when you first hang them. For higher end polyester based screens, the material will naturally want to straighten out over time so you really won't need to do anything. But if you really want to speed up that process, then you can use an iron, just be sure to set it to 'polyester' mode. 
• Rotation - rotation is not just important for the golf swing, it will also extend the life of your screen. Try to rotate (especially if you have a 1:1 ration screen) the screen from time to time to spread out the impact zone. 
• Clean clubs - the last thing you want is dirty patches on your impact screen. Clean your clubs before you your sim session, this applies to your guests too.
• Clean balls - the only thing worse than dirty patches is an imprint of sharpie markings from your golf ball on your pristinely white screen. Take care to make sure that the balls you use for your sim are clean and do not have any markings on them. 
• Watch out for scuffed up balls - believe it or not, the number one killer of golf nets and impact screens is not ball speed. Friction from high spinning iron and wedge shots cause the most wear to your impact screen. So if you are seeing scuffing on your balls, it will be advisable to swap them out - balls are much cheaper to replace than a quality golf impact screen. 
• Leave space behind - especially if you have a wall or something hard behind your impact screen, a minimum gap of 12" is required to ensure you have a safe set up.
• Layer up - hanging or placing additional padding material behind the screen is also a great idea. There are many benefits for doing this. Firstly, it will extend the life of your screen by helping to absorb the impact from the golf ball. Secondly, it will further stop light bleeding and therefore help with image quality. Thirdly, it will help with sound dampening of our screen. Finally, it will help with reducing ball bounce back. In my set up, I have the luxury of having our archery baffle hung behind the screen, but a humble bedsheet or a foam mattress will be great additions. 
• Get the right projector for your screen and space - for the most immersive experience, you will want to fill up your screen as much possible. This is actually more complicated than you think as different projectors are set to produce different image sizes. We strongly recommend using the Projection Calculator Tool from Projector Central to confirm that the projector that you've got in mind will give you the right sized image.
• (Optional) Invest in a good projector to maximise the sim golf experience with a quality impact screen, especially if you want to double it up as a home cinema set up. Of course some high definition and high lumen projectors can cost more than a good launch monitor so this really depends on your budget. I don't have a HD projector for my garage set up but that's not really stopped me from enjoying it.

Final Thoughts

Trying to find a good quality Golf Impact Screen for your golf simulator set up for a reasonable price can be a tricky proposition here in Australia.

We hope this article has been helpful in providing a buying guide if you are on the market for a Golf Simulator Screen. We also hope that you will give our range of impact screens a go. We really believe they represent fantastic value for the consumer.

If you have any questions regarding our article or  any of our products, please don't hesitate to contact us, we'd love to hear from you.