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How loud is a golf simulator, and will it disturb the neighbours?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The short answer
The loud part is the club strike and the ball hitting the screen. No screen maker publishes decibel figures, so I won't quote any. Multi-layer screens, foam backing, 30cm behind the screen and an underlay all soften it. A detached garage or garden room rarely bothers anyone; a shared wall needs more care, and after 11pm counts most.
Where the noise comes from
A simulator makes four kinds of sound:
- The club striking the ball and the mat. This is the same crack you hear at a driving range.
- The ball hitting the impact screen, and the frame and any wall behind it.
- The ball dropping and rolling back across the floor.
- Fans in the projector and PC. BenQ rates the AH500ST projector at 35dB in normal mode and 32dB in eco mode.
The first two are the ones neighbours hear. They're short, sharp sounds, and they travel through the structure of a building as well as through the air.
Why there are no decibel figures for strikes here
Neither SimSpace nor GolfBays publishes a decibel figure for its screens. They describe them in words: SimSpace says the Platinum's foam centre reduces noise, and GolfBays calls its Close-Knit Baffle super quiet and its PRO+ quiet on impact. Figures you see quoted elsewhere for screen strikes aren't from the makers, so I don't use them. What you can compare is construction.
What makes a simulator quieter
The screen
- Multi-layer screens with a foam centre, like the SimSpace Platinum in our standard enclosures, are built to absorb the strike. SimSpace's grey UltraMAX screen also has a foam sound-dampening layer.
- A foam backing layer behind the screen. SimSpace and GolfBays both sell one to reduce impact noise.
- Space behind it. Leave at least 30cm clear behind the screen. A screen touching a wall passes the strike into the wall and sends the ball back harder.
- Tension. SimSpace says a tighter screen gives more bounce-back. Firm, not drum-tight, is the middle ground.
The floor
- A rubber base under the hitting mat. Our SimSpace packages include one.
- Foam underlay under the mat and bay. The GolfBays underlay we sell is 20mm interlocking foam, made to deaden impact for the room below.
Floor treatment matters most upstairs or over a living room, where the strike travels down through the joists.
Where the room is matters more than the kit
- A detached garage or garden room puts air and walls between you and anyone else. This is the easiest setup to keep quiet.
- An attached garage or a room on a shared wall passes impact through the structure. Keep the screen and mat off the shared wall where you can, and run the bay along it rather than hitting into it.
- An upstairs room puts the strike straight into the floor. Underlay and a rubber base under the mat become essential.
Soundproofing basics
Full soundproofing is a building job, but three principles cover most of it:
- Seal the gaps. Sound escapes through gaps round doors and windows first. Brush seals on a garage door and closed windows during play make a noticeable difference.
- Add mass. Heavier walls and doors block more sound than light ones. In a garden room, ask the builder about insulation and boarding that adds mass, not just warmth.
- Separate the bay from the structure. Keep the screen off the walls and put soft layers under the mat, so the strike doesn't travel into the building.
Foam tiles on the walls reduce echo inside the room. They make it more pleasant to play in, but do little to stop sound reaching next door.
Neighbours and the law
In England, there is no fixed noise level that makes something a statutory nuisance. Gov.uk says noise counts when it unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home, or harms health, and councils can investigate at any time of day.
Night is treated differently. Between 11pm and 7am, councils can issue warning notices when noise from a home goes above permitted levels: 34 dBA where the underlying noise is no more than 24 dBA, or 10 dBA above the underlying level where it's higher. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own procedures.
Sensible playing hours
- Play in the day and evening, and stop well before 11pm if anyone shares a wall.
- Close the garage door and windows while you play.
- Tell your neighbours what it is. A sound they understand bothers people less than a mystery bang.
- Hit a few shots while someone listens from next door or the garden, and adjust before it becomes a habit.
Noise sources and what reduces them
| Source | Published figure | What reduces it | Source of claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball hitting the screen | None published | Multi-layer screen with foam centre; foam backing; 30cm clear behind | SimSpace, GolfBays |
| Club strike on the mat | None published | Rubber base and foam underlay under the mat | Our product specs |
| Strike through the floor | None published | 20mm interlocking foam underlay under the bay | GolfBays underlay spec |
| Projector fan | 35dB normal, 32dB eco (BenQ AH500ST) | Eco mode; floor case away from the player | BenQ spec sheet |
| Screen against a wall | None published | Keep at least 30cm clear; never touching a wall | SimSpace, GolfBays |
| Night-time limit (England) | 34 dBA if underlying is 24 dBA or less; else 10 dBA above underlying, 11pm to 7am | Stop playing well before 11pm on a shared wall | gov.uk |
Strike noise depends on the room, the club and the screen, and no maker publishes a figure. Treat decibel numbers quoted for screen strikes elsewhere with caution.
Best practice
- Choose a multi-layer screenA foam-centred screen such as the SimSpace Platinum, plus a foam backing layer, absorbs more of the strike than a single layer.
- Keep 30cm behind the screenNever let the screen touch a wall. The gap lets it give and stops the strike passing into the building.
- Soften the floorA rubber base and foam underlay under the mat matter most upstairs or over a living room.
- Seal the gapsClose windows and the garage door, and fit brush seals. Gaps let out far more sound than solid walls.
- Talk to the neighboursTell them what the sound is, ask them to listen during a test session, and agree sensible hours.
Gotchas to avoid
- Hitting into a shared wallA bay facing a party wall sends every strike into it. Run the bay along the wall or choose another room.
- Foam tiles aren't soundproofingWall foam reduces echo inside the room. It does little to stop sound reaching the neighbours.
- Late sessionsFrom 11pm to 7am councils can issue warning notices above set levels. Finish well before then on a shared wall.
- Decibel figures without a sourceNo screen maker publishes strike noise figures. Don't choose a screen on numbers quoted elsewhere.
Our recommendation
Noise is manageable: a foam-centred screen with backing, 30cm behind it, a cushioned floor, sealed gaps and sensible hours. A detached room is easiest.
- If the simulator is in a detached garage or garden room
- A multi-layer screen and closed doors are usually enough.
- If it shares a wall with a neighbour
- Run the bay along the wall, add foam backing, and finish well before 11pm.
- If it is upstairs or over a living room
- Lay foam underlay under the bay and a rubber base under the mat.
- If a neighbour has complained
- Test-listen with them, add backing and underlay, and agree playing hours.
Quieter-room picks
Foam-centred screenSimSpace Platinum Impact ScreenThree layers with a foam centre that SimSpace says reduces noise; the screen in our standard enclosures.from£399.99
Behind the screenFoam Layer Backing Screen For Golf Simulator Impact ScreenHigh-density foam backing that absorbs residual energy and reduces noise and vibration.£189
Under the bayGolf Simulator Turf UnderlayFive 1m x 1m interlocking foam tiles, 20mm thick, to deaden impact for the room below.£85
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Questions people ask
How loud is a golf simulator in decibels?
No screen maker publishes a figure, so I don't quote one. The loud parts are the club strike and the ball hitting the screen. The only published figure for our kit is the BenQ AH500ST projector fan: 35dB in normal mode and 32dB in eco.
Will my neighbours hear my golf simulator?
In a detached garage or garden room, rarely, with the doors closed. On a shared wall they may hear the strikes, especially through the structure. A foam-centred screen with backing, 30cm clear behind it, a cushioned floor and sensible hours keep it reasonable.
What is the quietest impact screen?
Makers don't publish noise figures, so compare construction. Multi-layer screens with a foam centre, like the SimSpace Platinum, are built to absorb the strike, and GolfBays calls its Close-Knit Baffle super quiet. A foam backing layer helps any screen.
What time should I stop playing?
There is no fixed daytime limit in England; noise is judged on whether it unreasonably interferes with a neighbour. From 11pm to 7am councils can issue warning notices above set levels, so finish well before 11pm if you share a wall.
Does foam on the walls soundproof the room?
Not much. Wall foam reduces echo inside the room. To stop sound leaving, seal gaps, add mass to walls and doors, and keep the screen and mat separated from the structure.
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