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Enclosures & impact screens
Which impact screen should I choose?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The short answer
For most home rooms I'd choose the SimSpace Platinum: three layers with a foam centre that cuts noise, a 4K-rated white surface and ten sizes. If you hit a lot of balls, GolfBays scores its PRO+ highest for durability. In a room you can't darken, a grey UltraMAX screen holds the picture better.
What an impact screen does
An impact screen is the fabric at the front of the bay. It has two jobs: stop a full-speed golf ball safely, and show the projected picture. Every screen trades those jobs off slightly differently. If a term is new, the glossary explains it.
Screens come in two broad builds:
- Single-layer: one woven or knitted fabric. Lighter and simpler, like the SimSpace Elite and the GolfBays Lite.
- Multi-layer: a smooth front face for the picture with material behind it to absorb the strike, like the SimSpace Platinum with its foam centre.
A reversible, or double-sided, screen has the same face on both sides, so you can flip it when the hitting area wears.
The four things that differ
- Picture: how sharp and bright the image looks. A tighter, smoother face shows less texture.
- Durability: how long the fabric lasts before the impact area breaks down.
- Noise: the crack of each strike, which matters most with a room or bedroom above.
- Bounce-back: how hard the ball comes back towards you after it hits.
GolfBays scores its own screens out of 10 for durability and picture, and the table on this page gives those scores. GolfBays also publishes a noise and bounce-back score, but doesn't say whether a high number is better or worse, so I've left it out until they confirm.
SimSpace screens
Platinum
The screen that comes in every standard SimSpace enclosure. It's a three-layer design with an impact-resistant foam centre that reduces noise, and a white face for 4K projection. On its own it comes in ten sizes, from 2.3 × 2.575m to 5 × 3m, for a frame you've built yourself.
Elite
SimSpace's entry screen: a single layer of tightly knitted polyester, rated for 4K projection, in the same ten sizes. It weighs roughly 3 to 7kg depending on size. SimSpace pitches it at regular practice and casual play.
UltraMAX grey
A heavier grey screen, cut to fit SimSpace enclosures from SIM 1 to SIM 6, with the bungee toggles and velcro already in place. A grey surface holds contrast better than white when light gets into the room. It's also what comes fitted in the UltraMAX enclosure.
GolfBays screens
- Lite: a single layer of knitted polyester for light home use. GolfBays scores it 6 for durability and 6 for picture.
- PRO Reversible: the same fabric on both sides, so it can be flipped to spread the wear. 7 and 7, for heavy home use.
- Close-Knit Baffle: a single-layer archery baffle that GolfBays calls super quiet. 9 for durability, 5 for picture.
- Commercial Archery Baffle: archery-grade fabric for heavy commercial use. 9 and 5.
- QuadPRO: the best picture in the GolfBays range, scored 10, with durability of 6.
- PRO+: fibre-bonded with a foam-cushioned centre, quiet on impact. GolfBays scores it 10 for durability and 9 for picture, the best balance of the six.
The GolfBays SimBox enclosure takes its own cut versions of the Lite, PRO+ and Close-Knit Baffle; SimSpace or GolfBays SimBox compares the two enclosures.
White or grey?
A white screen gives the brightest picture in a room you can black out, such as most garages. A grey screen holds the dark parts of the image when daylight or room lights reach it. In SimSpace's range that's the choice between the Platinum and the UltraMAX.
Getting the size right
If you're buying an enclosure, the screen comes with it and is cut to fit, so there's nothing to choose. For a frame you've built yourself, measure the inside of the frame and leave a gap for the bungees: GolfBays says 5 to 7.5cm on the left and right. Our listings for the Lite, PRO Reversible, Close-Knit, Commercial and QuadPRO screens don't state a size, so confirm the size before you order. What screen size and aspect ratio do I need? covers matching the shape to your projector.
What changes noise and bounce-back, whatever you buy
- Tension: SimSpace says a tighter screen gives more bounce-back but less wear, and a looser one less bounce-back but faster wear. Firm, not drum-tight, is the middle ground.
- Space behind: at least 30cm clear, so the screen can give. A screen against a wall sends the ball back harder.
- A foam backing layer behind the screen, which GolfBays sells to absorb energy and reduce noise.
- Balls: new, clean, unmarked balls are kinder to any screen. How to look after an impact screen has the detail.
Every impact screen we sell
| Screen | Maker | Build | Picture (GolfBays /10) | Durability (GolfBays /10) | Sizes on our store | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elite | SimSpace | Single layer, knitted polyester, rated for 4K | Not scored | Not scored | 10, from 2.3 × 2.575m to 5 × 3m | £199.99 |
| Platinum | SimSpace | Three layers, foam centre, 4K | Not scored | Not scored | 10, from 2.3 × 2.575m to 5 × 3m | £399.99 |
| UltraMAX grey replacement | SimSpace | Heavier grey high-contrast fabric, cut for SimSpace bays | Not scored | Not scored | Six, for SIM 1 to SIM 6 | £599.99 |
| Lite | GolfBays | Single layer, knitted polyester | 6 | 6 | One listing; size not stated | £274 |
| PRO Reversible | GolfBays | Same fabric both sides; can be flipped | 7 | 7 | One listing; size not stated | £412.80 |
| Close-Knit Baffle | GolfBays | Single-layer archery baffle | 5 | 9 | One listing; size not stated | £236 |
| Commercial Archery Baffle | GolfBays | Archery-grade fabric, heavy commercial use | 5 | 9 | One listing; size not stated | £286 |
| QuadPRO | GolfBays | Multi-layer, reversible | 10 | 6 | One listing; size not stated | £688 |
| PRO+ | GolfBays | Fibre-bonded, foam-cushioned centre | 9 | 10 | From 2.30 × 2.252m | £785 |
| SimBox screens (Lite, PRO+, Close-Knit) | GolfBays | Cut to fit the GolfBays SimBox | As above | As above | To fit SimBox sizes | £329 |
Scores are GolfBays' own, from its impact screen guidance; SimSpace doesn't publish scores. GolfBays' noise and bounce-back score is left out because GolfBays doesn't say which way it reads. Prices are live, lowest size first.
Best practice
- Choose by how much you playA few sessions a week suits a single-layer or Platinum screen. Daily driver practice wears fabric faster, so look at the PRO+ or a reversible screen.
- Pick white or grey by the lightWhite gives the brightest picture in a room you can darken. Grey holds contrast when daylight or room lights reach the screen.
- Buy the screen cut for your enclosureSimSpace and SimBox screens are cut with toggles and fixings in the right places. Loose screens are for frames you build yourself.
- Treat noise as a room problem tooA multi-layer screen, a foam backing layer and 30cm behind the screen all reduce the crack of each strike.
Gotchas to avoid
- Buying on picture score aloneThe QuadPRO has the best picture GolfBays makes, scored 10, but only 6 for durability. Heavy use favours the PRO+, scored 10 for durability.
- Fitting a loose screen to a SimSpace bayLoose screens are not cut for the enclosure toggles. For a SimSpace bay, use the replacement screen made for its size.
- Ordering without a sizeSeveral GolfBays listings on our store don't state a size. Confirm it against your frame before you order.
- Reading the noise score as a ratingGolfBays doesn't say whether a high noise and bounce-back score is good or bad, so don't choose on it.
Our recommendation
In a SimSpace bay, the Platinum it comes with suits most homes. For heavy use on your own frame, the GolfBays PRO+.
- If your room can't be fully darkened
- A grey UltraMAX screen, or the UltraMAX enclosure.
- If you hit balls most days
- The GolfBays PRO+, scored 10 for durability, or a reversible screen you can flip.
- If you're building your own frame on a budget
- The SimSpace Elite, a single-layer screen rated for 4K.
- If noise matters to people in the house
- A multi-layer screen plus a foam backing layer, with 30cm behind.
For your room we'd pick…
For most home framesSimSpace Platinum Impact ScreenThree layers with a foam centre that reduces noise, a 4K white face, and ten sizes.from£399.99
For heavy useGolfBays Pro+ Golf Simulator Impact ScreenGolfBays scores it 10 for durability and 9 for picture, the best balance in its range.£1,045
For a SimSpace bay in a bright roomSimSpace UltraMAX Grey Replacement Enclosure ScreensGrey high-contrast fabric, cut for SIM 1 to SIM 6 with the toggles in place.from£599.99
To spread the wearGolfBays Reversible PRO Golf Simulator Impact ScreenThe same fabric on both sides, so you can flip it when the hitting area wears.£412.80
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Questions people ask
Which impact screen is the quietest?
Multi-layer screens with a foam centre, like the SimSpace Platinum and the GolfBays PRO+, are built to absorb the strike, and GolfBays calls its Close-Knit Baffle super quiet. A foam backing layer and 30cm behind the screen help whichever you choose.
Does a grey screen look better than white?
In a room with light you can't shut out, yes: grey holds the dark parts of the picture. In a garage you can black out, white is brighter and usually the better value.
Is a 4K screen worth it with a 1080p projector?
A screen labelled 4K has a face smooth enough not to soften a 4K picture. With a 1080p projector, such as the BenQ AH500ST in our packages, it still gives a clean, even image; the projector sets the resolution.
What screen comes with a SimSpace enclosure?
The standard bays come with the white Platinum screen, cut to fit. The UltraMAX enclosure comes with the grey UltraMAX screen.
How long will an impact screen last?
No maker promises a number of balls. GolfBays says hundreds or thousands with proper care, and SimSpace says it depends on how often you play and your skill level. Clean balls, the right tension and hitting the middle all extend it.
Still unsure? Ask SIM:ON about this page. It knows our full range and live prices, and can pass your room to Tom.
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