DIY Golf Simulator
Impact Screen

The material you choose determines three things: how long the screen lasts, how good the projected image looks, and how much it costs. Here are the real options — not the marketing names, but what the material actually is.

Option 1: White Woven Polyester ($3–5/yard)

This is what most commercial screens are made from. It's a tightly woven white polyester fabric, usually 16–20 oz per square yard weight. Available at fabric stores or online by the yard. The tight weave distributes impact force across a wide area (preventing punctures) and the white surface reflects projected light evenly.

• Where to buy: Search for "golf simulator screen fabric" or "white woven polyester 16oz" on Amazon or fabric wholesale sites.
• Weight matters: Heavier is more durable. 16 oz/yard is minimum for driver-speed impacts. 20+ oz lasts longer but costs more and produces a slightly dimmer projected image.
• Cost for a 10'×10' screen: ~$40–60 for the fabric alone.

Option 2: IMA Nylon ($5–8/yard)

The premium material. IMA (Industrial Mechanical Abrasion) nylon is what you'll find in high-end commercial screens like the SIGPRO. It's stronger per weight than polyester, produces a crisper projected image, and lasts 2–3x longer under repeated impacts. The downside is cost and availability — it's harder to find in retail quantities.

Option 3: Blackout Curtain Material ($2–3/yard)

The ultra-budget hack. White blackout curtain fabric (the heavy, rubberized-back stuff) works surprisingly well as an impact screen for short periods. It projects well (designed to block light) and handles impacts from irons and wedges. It will NOT survive driver impacts long-term — the backing layer separates from the fabric after 50–100 full-speed hits. Fine for a $20 test screen or a chipping/wedge-only setup.

What NOT to Use

• Bed sheets: Too thin. A driver goes straight through.
• Tarps: Too stiff and crinkly. Terrible projected image, loud impact noise, and the grommets rip out.
• Canvas drop cloths: Better than sheets but not designed for repeated impacts. The weave stretches and sags after a few dozen driver hits.

Your screen needs to hang flat and taut. How you mount it depends on your room and whether you want it permanent or removable.

Method 1: Bungee Cords on EMT Frame

The most popular DIY method. If you've built a DIY EMT conduit enclosure, attach your screen to the front crossbar using bungee cords threaded through grommets. The bungees absorb impact energy (reducing stress on the screen) and keep tension consistent as the material stretches over time.

Method 2: Ceiling-Mounted Roller

For retractable setups, wrap your screen material around a PVC pipe or aluminum tube and mount it to the ceiling with brackets. Pull the screen down for play, roll it up when done. Works great for garages where you need to park after your session.

Method 3: Wall-Mounted Cleats

For permanent installations, french cleats on the wall with the screen attached to a top rail give you a clean, flush mount. The screen hangs by gravity and the weight keeps it wrinkle-free. Add a bottom rail or weights in a hem pocket to prevent the screen from swinging after impacts.

Method 4: Spring Clips on Existing Frame

If you have a pre-built enclosure like the SIG8, you can replace the included screen with your own DIY material. Use spring clips or binder clips along the frame crossbar. This lets you upgrade just the screen material without buying a whole new enclosure.

A wrinkled screen looks terrible when projected on. Even small ripples create shadows and distortion that ruin the immersion. Proper tensioning is what separates a DIY screen that looks "homemade" from one that looks professional.

Top Tension Only (Simplest)

Attach the top edge and let the screen hang by gravity. Add a pocket hem at the bottom with a steel rod or PVC pipe inside for weight. The pipe pulls the screen taut without requiring bottom attachment points. This is the easiest method and produces good results for screens under 10 feet wide.

4-Corner Tension (Best Image)

Attach all four corners with adjustable bungee cords. Each corner gets its own tension that you can fine-tune independently. This eliminates all wrinkles and produces the flattest possible surface for projection. Takes more setup time but the image quality is noticeably better.

Perimeter Bungee (Best for Impacts)

Thread a continuous bungee cord through grommets around the entire screen perimeter. The bungee absorbs energy uniformly on any impact point and automatically re-tensions after the screen deforms. This is how commercial screens mount and it's the best method for longevity under repeated driver hits.

Wrinkle Removal Tips

• Hang the screen for 24–48 hours before your first session — shipping creases relax under gravity.
• Use a steamer (NOT an iron) to remove stubborn wrinkles. Hold the steamer 6 inches away and let the steam relax the fibers.
• Don't over-tension — stretching the material too tight makes it stiff and reduces its ability to absorb impacts, leading to faster wear.

If you're using your screen as a projection surface (not just a ball-catch net), material and setup choices affect image quality significantly.

Front vs Rear Projection

Front projection (projector behind the golfer, image hits the front of the screen): Use white opaque material. The whiter and smoother the surface, the brighter and more uniform the image. Most DIY setups use front projection because it's simpler and cheaper.

Rear projection (projector behind the screen, image shows through): Requires translucent material that diffuses light evenly. This is harder to DIY because the material needs specific optical properties. Commercial rear-projection screens ($300+) are worth it here — the DIY savings aren't enough to justify the image quality loss.

Gain and Hotspotting

Screen "gain" is how much the material amplifies projected light. A gain of 1.0 means it reflects light equally in all directions (matte white). Higher gain means brighter but with "hotspotting" — a bright center that dims toward edges. For golf simulators, 1.0–1.2 gain is ideal because you're viewing from off-center angles during your swing.

The Gray Screen Trick

If your room has ambient light you can't eliminate (garages with windows), a light gray screen produces better contrast than pure white. The gray absorbs some ambient light while still reflecting projector light. Commercial gray screens are expensive — a DIY option is adding a small amount of gray fabric dye to white polyester before hemming.

Materials Needed

• 12 feet × 10 feet white woven polyester fabric (16-20oz) — ~$50
• Grommet kit with #4 grommets (3/8" hole) — ~$20
• Bungee cords (24-pack of 6" mini bungees) — ~$15
• 1" hem tape or sewing supplies for edge finishing — ~$10
• Optional: 1/2" PVC pipe for bottom weight rail — ~$5

Build Process

1. Cut to size: Cut your fabric to final dimensions plus 2 inches on each side for hems. For a 10'×8' finished screen, cut 10'4" × 8'4".
2. Hem all edges: Fold over 1 inch, then fold again (double hem). Sew or use iron-on hem tape. This prevents fraying and gives you a clean edge for grommets.
3. Install grommets: Place grommets every 12 inches around the perimeter, starting 2 inches from each corner. Use the grommet setter and a solid surface (don't try this on carpet). Total grommets needed: roughly 30–36 for a 10'×8' screen.
4. Add bottom weight (optional): Create a pocket hem at the bottom edge by folding up 2 inches and sewing, leaving the ends open. Slide a PVC pipe through for weight and tension.
5. Mount to frame: Hook mini bungee cords through each grommet and attach to your enclosure frame or mounting points. Start with the top center, then bottom center, then work outward alternating top and bottom. Adjust tension evenly.
6. Let it hang: Give it 24 hours to relax before projecting on it. Shipping creases and fold marks will smooth out under gravity and tension.

Total Cost

Materials: $80–100. Time: 2–3 hours. Compare that to a SIGPRO Premium screen at $469 or even a Carl's Place Preferred at $110. The DIY route saves $30–400 depending on what you'd otherwise buy.

DIY isn't always the right call. Here's when you should just buy a commercial screen:

For a full comparison of pre-built commercial screens, see our best impact screen guide.