The Best Material for a Golf Screen at Home

When it comes to golf simulators, many people like to focus on other parts of the setup such as the launch monitor, impressive software, or the projector. The impact screen, however, is crucial to a golf simulator. 

Since you’ll be striking the ball into it time after time, it needs to be quality grade and made from durable materials that can withstand a lot of force — all while casting a great picture in high resolution. 

While you’re choosing the right material for your golf screen, be sure to take your time and evaluate all your options. Picking the right material will allow you to have faith in your screen’s longevity and allow you to use your simulator without worry. 

In this article, we’ll dive into the different types of golf screen materials, what they offer and how to choose the right one for your unique setup. 

Best Golf Screen Materials 

Most golf screens today are made from polyester mesh. Polyester mesh is durable and long-lasting, woven tightly together to absorb force and eliminate excessive bounceback. This material is strong enough to withstand the force of fast-moving golf balls, yet tight and smooth enough to provide the best image possible for your golf simulator. 

There are various categories within polyester mesh, differing by construction, image quality and more. 

At Spectrum Golf, we offer four types of golf screens — supertex, poly, poly blend 95 and poly spacer. 

Supertex

The supertex material is an 11-ounce poly blend golf screen material designed for residential use. If you’re the common golfer who’s looking for an affordable screen paired with great durability, then this is the material for you. It offers excellent value for its cost. 

Supertex is made from a single-layer construction, producing a high-quality picture that you can use for both your golf simulator and home movies. Because of its tightly-woven material, you’ll receive minimal bounceback, though more so than premium screens. For added protection, you can consider adding a pad behind this screen. 

It’s best for those with slower ball speeds — around 120-130 miles per hour. Supertex is the perfect option for beginner golfers, children looking to upgrade their golf game and seniors with slower ball speeds. 

Poly

Poly is the standard golf impact screen material. It’s a 14-ounce single-layer construction with a slightly grainy look; it works best for residential golf simulators and medium usage. It can withstand the force of ball speeds from 130-150 miles per hour. 

The poly material is a safe and quality option and stands as the middle ground between entry-level materials and more premium versions such as poly blend 95 and poly spacer.

Poly Blend 95

Poly blend 95 is a step up from traditional polyester material. Offering a smooth and clean appearance, it essentially acts as a second-generation material replacing the original poly blend. 

With improved durability, wrinkle resistance and minimal bounceback, it’s a great option for high-use residential golf simulators and home theatres alike. For its value, it’s one of the best golf impact screens on the current market. 

Poly blend 95 is just one step down from a commercial golf simulator but offers many of the same benefits at a great cost. It can withstand ball speeds up to 140-180 miles per hour. 

Poly Spacer 

Poly spacer is the gold standard for golf impact screen materials. It’s around twice as thick as your typical poly standard golf screen, built with two layers and a nylon cushion in between. With a 15-ounce screen, poly spacer is extremely durable, able to withstand ball speeds of 180 miles per hour and more. 

Any golfer, from beginner to professional, will be able to comfortably use this golf screen without worrying about damage, which makes it ideal for commercial use. Those looking to use their golf simulator regularly in their home may also want to opt for the poly spacer material due to its impressive durability. 

The poly spacer material is designed to stretch on impact, which absorbs the force of the ball and delivers greatly reduced bounceback. 

If you’re looking for the best option out there in terms of performance and durability, poly spacer is the choice for you. 

How to Choose the Right Material for Your Golf Screen 

Even when you know the different types of golf screen materials and what they offer, it can still be challenging to find the right screen for your unique situation. It can be helpful to slow down and take a step back to see how you can make the best right purchase for you. 

Determine Your Setup 

First, you’ll want to think about the type of setup you want for your golf screen. While it won’t fully dictate your decision, figuring out your setup can help you find what material may be best for you. Some setups, for instance, might require a more durable, premium screen that is resistant to wrinkles. 

• Hanging: This golf screen will have triple-hemmed sides and sleeves on the top and bottom. Pipes can then be placed through the sleeves and attached to a frame. To hang it from the ceiling, you can use end caps with eye hooks. From there, the screen will be draped to the floor or secured. 

• Notched: This golf screen has a 3.5-inch notch on each corner with three-inch sleeves on each of its four sides. It’s a fully-secured golf screen that can be attached via straps. 

• Bordered with Grommets: A reinforced border supports grommets which can be used to attach your screen to a frame with bungees. 

• Straps: At Spectrum Golf, we also offer a triple-hemmed golf screen with double sewn-in straps on all four sides. Each side has a one-inch hem. It comes with 12 18-inch adjustable straps. 

It’s best to secure all four sides of your golf screen for the best picture quality and durability. The more waves and wrinkles you have, the poorer your image quality will be. If you can, contact a professional seller and see how you can pair your setup with the right material. 

Grade Your Preferences 

You’ll have several different golf screen materials to choose from, each offering their own benefits and drawbacks. In order to find the right one for you, you’ll want to take a look at your own preferences and see what you value above all else. 

For example, you may be just looking for the most affordable golf screen out there that will still offer you great quality. Depending on your skill level, that may be a supertex golf screen or standard poly. 

Others might be looking for the best resolution and durability, which will favor poly blend 95 and poly spacer golf screens. Take some time to grade your preferences and use this as a tool to narrow down your options. 

Look at Specific Attributes 

Golf simulators are highly advanced systems with many different parts working together to create a high-quality experience. Your golf impact screen is an integral part of that system. Be sure to take a look at the various characteristics involved with impact screen materials so you know what to look for: 

• Bounceback: This refers to the effect the screen has on a golf ball after it’s hit. A screen material with minimal bounceback will be able to absorb a golf ball on its own, increasing the level of safety for your simulator. 

• Durability: Maybe the most important aspect of golf screen materials is durability. Premium golf screens with triple-layered construction will offer strong durability that lasts. 

• Resolution: Your golf screen material will also dictate resolution. Some screens are more prone to wrinkling or stains, which can affect your image. The smoother your screen is, the better quality you’ll have. 

• Cost: As with any product, the more premium the golf screen material, the higher the price will usually be. It’s important to invest in a quality screen so you don’t find yourself looking for a replacement in the near future. 

Find the Right Seller 

It may be tempting to find the cheapest golf screen material on the market, but those options are usually cheap for a reason and will likely break down quickly. Instead, find a trusted marketplace that offers a wide selection of quality impact screens. Reliable sellers will often offer direct contact so you can speak with a professional and collaborate to find the best option for you. 

Shop Quality Golf Screens at Spectrum Golf

Spectrum Golf is your reliable and trusted choice for golf impact screens. To maintain the highest quality standards, we do all of our cutting and sewing in-house. All of our materials are made in the United States. This personalization allows us to make custom orders quickly and deliver our customers exactly what they want. 

We can build any type of custom material you’re looking for and fit it to your unique build:

• Hemmed: We offer both a 3-inch and 2-inch triple-layered hem with reinforced webbing. 

• Unfinished: All of our materials come with the unfinished option up to 120 inches in width. If you like, we can even sell by the roll. 

• Specialty: Spectrum Golf is happy to match any design you come up with in regard to sewn-in pads, velcro, grommets, black borders, straps and panels. 

• Retrofit: If you already have a golf simulator and just need a new impact screen, Spectrum Golf can help with that as well. We’ll produce a quality golf screen that’s both more durable and likely more affordable than buying a direct replacement from your original seller. 

For more help on golf screen materials, feel free to reach out to the experts at Spectrum Golf. We can help you find what you’re looking for and bring your ideal golf simulator to life. Contact us today!