Golfers in most countries relatively close to the north pole struggle to stay home during the winters without hitting a single ball in the whole 3-4 months between December to March. The snow-covered golf courses force them to lay down their clubs and wait for the summer sun to rise.
But, DIY golf simulators have helped them come to an arrangement with their lackadaisical minds to a great extent. It has impacted the golf community in such a way that the enthusiasts are wanting to play only on the golf simulators all year round.
Here are 6 ways to protect your golf simulators to enjoy extended playtime.
- Professional Wall and Ceiling Paddings
When trying to get the feeling of hitting an actual golf ball rather than a foam or plastic ball, violent shanked balls are common occurrences. Using real golf balls in an indoor setup can increase the chance of serious injuries and monetary losses.
The risk of injuries also limits the liberty to play power shots in your living room. Making you less prepared for the next real golf tournament and minimizing the enjoyment derived from golf simulators. The issues can be minimized by absorbing the impact onto the walls and ceilings. Which isn’t possible with hardwood or tiles.
A better alternative than stripping away the tiles and fitting the walls with foam is professional wall and ceiling paddings. Although it’s better to fit the entire walls and the ceiling with absorbent padding, you can minimize the cost by covering only the portions that the balls can reach.
The paddings minimize the bounceback and ensure that your heartfelt shot doesn’t shatter a window. Depending on your budget and requirement, a plethora of professional padding options is available.
Foam Panels
Foam panels are the ideal solutions for any home golf simulator. They offer great protection against unrestrained and high-loft shots. If an appropriate material is chosen, the paddings also look very professional. Although you may find attaching the foam panels to the walls and ceiling a bit bothersome, it’s handled by professionals very efficiently.
Fabric Panels
Wooden panels with strong fabric covers over foams are effective at preventing ricochets. They often come in rectangular shapes to fit the whole wall but are also available in square shapes for better fittings. These panels are available in almost any color and texture of your liking.
Ceiling Baffles
When trying to hit a shot over a 60-degree wedge, the ball can hit the frame or can go over the screen to hit the walls. If you aren’t comfortable with covering your walls and ceiling with panels, ceiling baffles can save you from the bounceback a lot. Ceiling baffles are fabrics or foam panels that stop the ball by “catching” them with their hanging structure.
Netting
If you like your golf simulators to be mobile in all sense, the panels or baffles may not work for you. Especially if you have your golf simulator in a small room that’s used for other purposes. Durable netting around the frames can be a great alternative for those issues. With netting, your wayward golf shots can be contained very effectively, but they kind of limit the free play.
- Consider Rigid Enclosure Frames
Enclosure frames are a necessary accessory for your DIY golf simulators if you want to play all year round. These frames keep the monitor, projector, and impact screen from being damaged by the golf balls. The netting, curtains, and other protective additions are fitted over the enclosure frame to save you and your expensive golf simulator from being damaged.
The weight of the protective accessories can deform the pipes if it isn’t made from a durable material. A rigid enclosure is also essential if you live in a humid area where the frames can sweat and catch rust if not used for long. Stainless steel frames with ample protective layers of black color can prevent the issue from ever happening.
- Use Cylindrical Foam Pipe Insulation
A rigid enclosure frame can protect your equipment from damage, but they aren’t particularly protected if subjected to a direct golf ball hit. The pipes can take damage and send the ball back at an odd damaging angle. If the balls hit the frame with a higher momentum, the frames can bend and stop functioning as intended.
Cylindrical foam insulations are available in the market to protect the pipes from getting disfigured or broken. The insulations can either be loosely fitted or can tightly wrap around the frame. Several options in various colors and variations are available in terms of foam pipe insulation.
- Use Artificial Golf Turfs for Protection
Golf turfs can bring out a level of enjoyment to the golf simulator game that can’t be achieved through playing on tiles. Plus, tiles and other floorings can make you slip while playing the shot or can make loud noises if the ball hits it. The simulator equipment like launch monitors, the clubs, or even the projector can be impacted and damaged by placing them on the floor.
Artificial golf turfs, in addition to imitating the golf course, save your floor and the equipment from getting damaged or soaking moisture from the base. The golf turfs come in custom sizes for every golf simulator. If you like to play on new glass every year, buy a roll of turf and DIY it every year.
- Consider Using Thermal and Sound Insulators
Winter can be a challenging time for golfers. Even if you have access to a golf simulator, the chilling temperature can make the equipment malfunction and prevent you from enjoying the game. Plus, the sounds of you hitting the ball can travel to an extended length in the winter, making it objectionable to your family and neighbors.
If you have a dedicated room for your golf simulator, consider insulating the walls with thermal and sound insulating materials as padding and as a means to keep the sounds contained.
- Invest in a Quality Impact Screen
The impact screen takes the full momentum of the speeding ball in the face. A cheaper impact screen doesn’t provide the same minimized bounceback as a quality one and is more prone to wear and tear during the season.
Consider a quality retractable impact screen to ensure that you can play all year round without making it a recurring investment.
The Bottomline
To protect your golf simulator from being damaged and ruining your winter game, try padding your walls and the ceiling with foam and fabric paddings. Also, consider using a rigid enclosure frame and artificial golf turfs for a better experience. To protect the frames, foam pipe insulators work wonders. Use thermal and sound insulators to keep yourself protected from the chilly winds.
