Best Projector For Golf Simulator Reviews

Do you believe a little extra practice will make you proficient in golf? If so, you may consider setting up a virtually simulated golf environment to drill your skills day or night, shine, or even snow. As you simulate the real game at home, you can perfect your swing, understand your strong and weak sides, and improve your overall skills. The right projector is a crucial element of the golf simulator setup. In this review, you will determine the difference between the best projectors for golf simulator and ordinary models and get acquainted with the most suitable products for this purpose.

Our pick

Optoma EH200ST

Best projector for golf simulator

Optoma EH200ST provides brighter whites and ultra-rich blacks, images come alive, and text appears crisp. In addition, it can display accurate 3D content from almost any 3D source. Read the full review.

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Projector for golf simulator comparison table

What to look for in a golf simulator projector?

Resolution

Undoubtedly, 4K and 1080p projectors produce the highest quality image, so they should be a preferred choice if the picture quality is critical for you (and for this task, it is really important). This will also allow you to use the projector to watch movies or play games.

But note that your laptop or computer should be able to project a higher resolution to be able to handle ultra full HD content quality. So, even if your projector supports 4K and your laptop can process only 1080p, you will never see 4K on the projected screen.

Brightness

The lumens output of the projector is another factor to consider. It defines how bright the image can get depending on its size and environment.

It would be wise of you to invest in a brighter device with at least 3000 lumens to ensure the image is bright enough even when some ambient light is present in the room. Consider the projector with 4000 lumens and more for light rooms – that’s how you know you will retain the bright image, no matter what.

Throw Distance

How far or close from the screen do you plan to place the projector? If you already have an idea for that, you should pay attention to the throw distance.

You can choose between long-throw, short-throw, and ultra-short-throw projectors. A long-throw projector is an option if you have enough space since there should be at least six feet from the projector’s lens and the screen. With short-throw devices, you can expect to get the smallest image from a distance of three feet. Ultra-short-throw projectors require the smallest distance – they can be placed inches away from the screen to throw a big image.

Best projector for golf simulator reviews

Optoma EH200ST – best overall

Optoma EH200ST is not a new player on the market. It was introduced in 2014, and since then, it has established a reputation as a device with reliable color performance for any content and in any environment. These days, it is one of the first projectors that many experts immediately think of when it comes to golf simulators.

The unit performs well, even in a sunlit room. That is thanks to the 3000 lumens, which is the same brightness as in BenQ TK700STi. In the eco settings, the light intensity is dimmed. Yet, it is still very usable in the daytime.

It is a 1080p resolution projector that sits 2 feet away from the screen to project a 60-inch image. The maximum screen size is 100 inches. The image quality is good – the picture is filled with colors and looks crisp. But the ability to adjust keystone and zoom is a bit annoying. I had to remount the projector several times to correct the issue of improper image placement.

The connectivity is simple enough, but it is pretty satisfying. There are two HDMI ports and MHL support. You will also find a 10W speaker that will reduce the need to install an external audio system.

BenQ TK700STi – 4k projector for golf simulator

If your golf simulator setup supports 4K or you want to use the projector for watching movies, the BenQ TK700STi will come in handy. It is specially optimized for sports and gaming, allowing you to practice golf virtually in the most favorable settings.

As I already mentioned, this is a 4K projector. With 8.3 million distinct pixels, you will achieve accurate golf field reproduction. The Sports mode will deliver an immersive experience and neatly project high-paced scenes. The low input lag (from 4 to 16 ms) will ensure every action gets an immediate reflection on the screen. The 3000 lumens do their job well – the projector is suitable for dark and light rooms. The darks are not as dark as I expected, but that’s fine for a golf simulator projector.

BenQ TK700STi brings the convenience of a short-throw projector. You can get a 100-inch image from 6.5 feet. Moreover, 1.2x zoom gives you a large range of distances with flexible placement. Picture rotation and 2D keystone are also handy for achieving an even and properly angled image, even from inconvenient angles. Absolutely, this unit’s setup is more user-friendly than Optoma EH200ST.

The BenQ TK700STi also makes a good choice for more entertainment opportunities like watching movies. There is a built-in Android TV with access to popular streaming services.

LG HF65LA – ultra short throw golf simulator projector

This “little guy” looks relatively compact, but be sure – LG HF65LA will be in the spotlight of your golf simulator and will project a sharp image to the screen to let you practice your moves and swings without any obstacles.

Unlike YABER Y31, this is an ultra-short-throw projector. It means it should be 15 inches away from the screen to project a 100-inch image. The native resolution of LG HF65LA is 1080p, which is more than enough for a golf simulator. The aspect ratio can be switched to 4:3, though the original one is set to 16:9.

Brightness (1000 lumens) is the most glaring weakness of this projector. It is nearly impossible to use it in the daytime. At night or in a dark room, you can’t have the overhead lights set on more than 25%. Otherwise, the image is washed out and doesn’t give you the right golf-practicing impression.

The LED light source is definitely an advantage. Because of this, the lamp lasts up to 30,000 hours, which will spare you from the need for frequent replacement.

By the way, aside from standard HDMI connectivity, you can hook all the devices of your golf simulator wirelessly using Wi-Fi.

YABER Y31

Do you need a very basic projector for your golf simulator setup? Then, the YABER Y31 model is your choice to go! With the native 1920 x 1080 resolution and 10000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, you will be surprised by the picture quality in a good way. The color reproduction is great, and the image looks crisp, so nothing will prevent you from honing your golf skills. At least in a dark room.

A few words about minor flaws I noticed. It’s definitely not the brightest projector, and it’s certainly not intended for use with ambient light, so you should make sure there are blackout curtains in the room to avoid a blurry image. Also, there are some out-of-the-focus areas at the corners.

The setup of the YABER Y31 is fairly simple. You just plug and play it, as all the configurations are intuitive. With manual vertical and horizontal keystone correction and zoom, you can adjust how the image is thrown to the screen.

BenQ MW632ST

The MW632ST by BenQ is another projector capable of delivering vivid and bright images from your golf simulator.

With a 16:10 aspect ratio, the projector will do for wider rooms that have enough space for frame-free projection. In addition, the WXGA (1280×800) resolution will let you see every visual element, even in light settings, because of 3200 lumens. So, the room doesn’t have to be pitch dark to deliver a great picture.

It is a short-throw projector, so it will require more space than LG HF65LA for placement. However, I mounted the device 5 feet away for a 110-inch image, which I think is an optimal distance. Also, there is a 1.2x zoom and 1D vertical keystone adjustment along with a 105% projection offset to let you achieve a well-centered and properly-angled picture.

Be thrifty with using BenQ MW632ST – the lamp doesn’t last long. You may be urged to replace it after 4 months of use, depending on how frequently and how long you practice.

FAQ

You also can consider other decent projectors:

For sports.
For artists.
For macbook.