Best Golf Simulator Projectors (2026): Throw Ratio, Aspect Fill & Mounting Distance Guide

Published: November 4, 2026 · Last updated: November 4, 2026

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Prices were read on the seller’s product page on 4 November 2026; specifications come from the maker’s spec page, read the same day. XS Golf did not physically test these projectors; this guide is a synthesis of manufacturer specifications, retailer prices and the set-up guidance of Carl’s Place, Top Shelf Golf and Virtual Tee Golf, plus our own throw arithmetic.

What “best” means for a simulator projector

We rank projectors for a home simulator on four things, in this order: whether the lens can fill your screen from a safe mounting point (throw ratio, zoom and offset against your screen’s shape), brightness for your room’s light, resolution once the picture is cropped to your screen, and price. Carl’s Place and our setup guide both put brightness and throw ratio ahead of resolution (Carl’s Place).

Short-throw golf simulator projectors compared

The TH671ST, TK710STi and AK700ST prices are the ones in our cost calculator; the AH700ST and GT2000HDR are not in its catalog yet, so their prices are from Shop Indoor Golf on 4 November. The lens distances assume a Windows PC set to a custom resolution that fills the screen’s full height (1:1 for the Carl’s Place 8×8, 4:3 for the SIG10); the next section shows where they come from.

Why throw ratio and aspect ratio break most garage setups

A projector’s throw ratio is the lens-to-screen distance divided by the picture width, and the published figure assumes the projector’s full native 16:9 picture: throw distance = throw ratio × picture width. Top Shelf Golf’s room check works the other way: subtract a 6 ft hitting area from your room depth and divide what is left by the screen width to get the throw ratio your room allows (Top Shelf Golf). Our room size calculator runs that check for you.

Most home bays are not 16:9. Carl’s Place’s 8×8 DIY screen is a 1:1 square, 86.5 in. (7.2 ft) wide according to AVI-SPL, and Shop Indoor Golf’s SIG10 screen is 4:3, 10 ft 1 in. × 7 ft 7 in. A 16:9 projector fitted to the width of either screen leaves unlit bands above and below. To fill the full height, a Windows PC can output a custom resolution with the same shape as the screen; the projector then has to sit farther back, because the picture it is drawing is wider than the screen. Our impact screen guide compares these screens, kits and enclosures.

The distances for the 0.69–0.83:1 lens are the ones our cost calculator’s mounting check gives for the same screens; the 0.496:1 column is the same arithmetic with Optoma’s throw ratio. For a full-height square picture the projector draws a 16:9 picture 12.8 ft wide (7.2 ft × 16/9) and the screen shows its middle 9/16, so the distance is 0.69 to 0.83 × 12.8 ft.

Before you buy: with an 8×8 square enclosure and a full-height picture in mind, plan on a Windows PC that can set a custom 1:1 resolution, and a ceiling mount 8.8 to 10.6 ft from the screen. Our cost calculator warns when a build pairs an iPad, the Carl’s Place 8×8 screen and a 16:9 projector, and shows both distances.

The five projectors, one by one

BenQ TH671ST ($949): the value pick under $1,000

BenQ lists 3,000 ANSI lumens, 1080p, a 0.69–0.83:1 throw with 1.2x zoom and 16.7 ms input lag at 1080p 60 Hz (BenQ). On the Carl’s Place 8×8, the zoom lets the lens sit anywhere from 8.8 to 10.6 ft, about 1.8 ft of room to fit the mount between joists. The trade-offs are a lamp (4,000 hours normal, 10,000 eco) and 1080p resolution: cropped to 1080×1080 for a square screen it uses 1.17 million pixels. Its keystone is vertical only (±40°), so mount it centred on the screen. It is the projector in our $5,000 garage build. Price a build with the TH671ST in the cost calculator →

BenQ TK710STi ($1,999): 4K laser on the same mount

BenQ lists 4K UHD, 3,200 ANSI lumens, a 20,000-hour laser, the same 0.69–0.83:1 throw and 1.2x zoom, 3D keystone (±30° vertical, horizontal and rotation) and 102.5% offset (BenQ). Because the throw matches the TH671ST, it fits the same mounting distance. Cropped to a square, 2160×2160 is four times the pixels of 1080×1080. AVI-SPL lists it at $1,999 against a $2,399 list price; Shop Indoor Golf and PlayBetter list $2,199. Price a build with the TK710STi →

BenQ AH700ST ($2,299) and BenQ AK700ST ($2,899): 4,000 lumens for rooms with light

Both list 4,000 ANSI lumens, a 20,000-hour laser, 0.69–0.83:1 throw with a motorized 1.2x zoom, and Auto Screen Fit, which BenQ says detects a 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 or 1:1 impact screen and adjusts to it (AH700ST, AK700ST). The AH700ST is 1080p; the AK700ST is 4K UHD. BenQ suggests graphics-card settings for non-standard aspect ratios. The AK700ST is the projector in the Bushnell Launch Pro version of our $10,000 pro-level build. Price a SIG10 build with the AK700ST → The AH700ST is not in the calculator yet.

Optoma GT2000HDR ($1,199): a fixed 0.496:1 lens

Optoma lists 1080p, 3,500 lumens (not stated as ANSI), a 30,000-hour laser, a fixed 0.496:1 throw ratio, 8.6 ms input lag, ±15° keystone and 116% offset (Optoma). The shorter throw puts the lens about 28% closer to the screen than a 0.69:1 lens, useful when a beam, duct or garage-door opener blocks the 9–11 ft zone: 6.4 ft for a full-height 8×8 square, 6.7 ft for a SIG10. With no zoom, the mount has to go at that distance to the inch, and at 6 to 7 ft the projector sits in front of the tee, so check it is above the ball’s flight. Shop Indoor Golf lists it at $1,199 against a $1,499 comparison price. It is not in our cost calculator.

How many lumens you need

Virtual Tee Golf treats 3,000 lumens as the baseline for a dark, controlled room and puts rooms with ambient light at 4,000 to 5,000 lumens, with screens wider than 12 ft pushing you toward the higher end (Virtual Tee Golf). On those figures, the 3,000 to 3,200-lumen TH671ST and TK710STi suit basements, spare rooms and garages where you can switch off the overhead lights and shade the windows; the 4,000-lumen AH700ST and AK700ST suit garages with daylight or lights left on. If you use a camera launch monitor such as the SkyTrak ST MAX or Square Golf, it also needs light on the hitting area; our launch monitor comparison shows which units are cameras.

Ceiling mount, offset and clearance

Where the lens goes. With the tee 10 to 12 ft from the screen (Carl’s Place) and a 0.69–0.83:1 lens at 8.8 to 11.2 ft for a full-height picture, the projector ends up over or just ahead of the hitting position. Keep it out of the swing: before you drill, make slow swings with your longest club at the tee and check the clearance to the projector and its mount.

Offset. BenQ lists a 102.5% projection offset for the TH671ST and TK710STi, and Optoma 116% for the GT2000HDR. On a ceiling mount that means the picture starts a little below the lens rather than level with it, so measure from the lens down to the top of your screen before you buy a drop pipe (BenQ, Optoma).

Low ceilings. Our room standard treats a 9 ft ceiling as the minimum for a driver swing. If the ceiling leaves no safe place for a mount, a floor or low-shelf position needs a shorter lens; our setup guide covers ultra-short-throw projectors for that case.

Three checks before you order

1. Enter your room in the room size calculator: it works out the throw ratio your depth allows for a Carl’s Place or SIG10 screen (depth minus 6 ft, divided by the screen width).
2. Price the TH671ST, TK710STi or AK700ST with your screen and computer in the cost calculator; its mounting check gives the lens distance for that screen, and a $150 mount and cables allowance is one click away.
3. Check current promotions in our Black Friday simulator deals and golf tech deals guides.

Where to check the price

An Amazon search shows whatever Amazon lists that day; we have not checked a specific Amazon listing or its price.

Frequently asked questions

How we compiled this guide

XS Golf did not physically test these projectors. Specifications are from BenQ’s and Optoma’s spec pages and prices from the retailers named in each row, all read on 4 November 2026. Screen sizes are AVI-SPL’s (Carl’s Place 8×8) and Shop Indoor Golf’s (SIG10). Lens distances are throw ratio × picture width, the same arithmetic as our cost calculator’s mounting check; tee distance is Carl’s Place’s, the room throw check is Top Shelf Golf’s and the brightness guidance is Virtual Tee Golf’s. How we work is on our Standards page.