Golf Simulator Help

[dunginhawk]

Good morning folks.  Long time lurker, first time poster.   I am in the middle of a project to get my golf sim up and running well.

I have a theatre room in my basement that will be perfect, once i figure out the right way to make it work.  Im looking for the communities help to do that.

1. The couch.  With the couch on the bottom level, its not possible to get anything more than a PW full swing. Nice thing is, its a dual recliner couch, which means the ONLY place its connected is 2 metal braces on the bottom of the couch.  Its heavy enough that even if I cut those, when moved together, they wont move.  So i plan to saw those in half, and simply push the left side against the wall, move the other one up a level, and voila.  Thoughts?

2. The screen.  So I do NOT plan on hitting real balls.  I have some callaway foam balls that work well, but hitting them now just makes them fly all over heck.  So I need some sort of a way to deaden them. My main thought was to mount a second screen (the one on the wall is 120" (room looks small but isnt)) on the ceiling, ahead of the cabinets and have it drop down (motorized) when i want to play golf.  Is there a better easier, more effect way to do what im trying to do?

Since im only hitting foam balls, it wont take much, but it has to look good.

Would love to get your input on this project guys.  I am dedicated to getting my handy back down to a 5 or so where i was in HS and College.

Any help you could offer or suggestions would be great.

Thank you

[geauxforbroke]

Cool setup. Is the screen pressed against the wall? It looks like it's just a pull down screen like in a classroom, so I would assume there's a gap between the screen and the wall?

[dunginhawk]

its mounted on the wall, so there is very little space behind it.  like an inch.  not really enough to kill the ball speed enough (i dont think).

another thought i just had was just getting a tripod screen. that may work.

[dunginhawk]

As im working this out in my head. im not sure that putting another screen in front will work, because it now enlarges the image size, because the screen is 2 feet forward.

man this is really hard :(

[dunginhawk]

continuing to think out loud here...

Im thinking my best, and maybe one of my few options here is building a golf ball tether.  so when it hits, it just swings around back in to position.

I dont care about the ball hitting a screen, i just want the feel of the strike, that tells me if it was fat, thin, hozzled, etc.

any additional thoughts?

[dunginhawk]

ok, sorry to keep posting without response, but as ideas pop up, i run with them.

It seems now, that if i would fur out the projection screen (add 2 inches behind the mount) (as the poster above insinuated was already there) then there would be enough play to deaden the ball i think.

then i just need to come up with something for the bottom and side of the room.  I could easily build something for the side, with pvc and netting, but the bottom, because the knock outs for shelves may be tougher.

thoughts?

[iacas]

I think people are reluctant to answer because you seem to be getting along just fine, and nobody wants to give you a bad idea that causes a problem. Foam balls, why not just hit them into a net? Why tether them?

[dunginhawk]

no net because the nets are too tall and it would block half of the projection screen... I am just responding a lot because im working through stuff. I dont have a really viable option at all yet.

[MS256]

Hard to tell exactly what you are trying to do. I would move the couch and cabinet then hang a white heavy canvas painter's tarp from the ceiling with bungee cords away from the wall. Then hook the bottom of the tarp to the floor with bungee cords (but that's just me).

The bungee cords would keep the tarp tight enough to keep the impact away from the wall but would have enough give when a ball hit it to not bounce back. Might even work well enough to ditch the projector screen altogether (not sure).

Of course you could buy a net (in almost any size you want) and do the same thing with the net.

[dunginhawk]

Thanks @MS256 .  The cabinets are built in so those arent moving haha.  The house was pretty pricey, so i am trying to keep it as non invasive as possible.   The other problem im running in to, is if i put a tarp (im thinking through that too) in front of this screen id have to buy a 2nd projector because the image size would be different on each of them. may be my best option, just most expensive haha.

I definately want to keep the screen I have up for movies and tv, as those are specifically designed to reflect light for the best picture.

wish i had a swing like yours.  im too thick across the chest and cant keep my left elbow from breaking :)

[dunginhawk]

oh and another thing.  I am able to separate the two sides of the couch, so i can move one in the left side and bring the other up when i want to play. so the couch shouldnt be an issue.

thanks again