Short answer: for most retractable bays, run a 16:9 image across the usable width of the screen, between the two side screens, and mount a short-throw projector on the ceiling above or just ahead of the hitting spot. A 16:9 image on a Fairway 12 is about 10 ft 10 in wide and 6 ft 1 in tall, which fits almost any room you can swing a driver in. Taller formats like 4:3 fill more of the screen, but only if your ceiling and your screen drop have the height for them.
This guide does the math for each Fairway size so you can pick an aspect ratio and a projector position before anyone climbs a ladder. We do not sell projectors, so there are no model picks here, only the numbers you need to check a model's spec sheet against your room.
Aspect ratio: how tall the picture gets
The aspect ratio is the picture's width compared with its height. The picture cannot use the full width of the impact screen: each side screen sits at least 7 in inside the end of the main screen, so the usable width between them is about 14 in less than the screen. Fill that width and the ratio decides how tall the image is. These figures use the 7 in minimum offset. If you set the side screens further in, the image gets narrower by the same amount.
| Screen | Usable image width | 16:9 height | 16:10 height | 4:3 height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairway 8 | About 6 ft 10 in | 3 ft 10 in | 4 ft 3 in | 5 ft 2 in |
| Fairway 10 | About 8 ft 10 in | 5 ft | 5 ft 6 in | 6 ft 8 in |
| Fairway 12 | About 10 ft 10 in | 6 ft 1 in | 6 ft 9 in | 8 ft 2 in |
| Fairway 14 | About 12 ft 10 in | 7 ft 3 in | 8 ft | 9 ft 8 in |
Heights are rounded to the nearest inch. Every Fairway drops up to 10 ft with no seam, so every combination in the table fits the drop. In most rooms the ceiling is the limit, not the screen.
Which ratio to choose
- 16:9 is what most projectors are built around, and simulator software supports it. It gives the widest view of the hole and the most room under a low ceiling. It is the safe default for every size.
- 16:10 adds a little height. Worth it on a Fairway 8 or 10 in a room with ceiling to spare.
- 4:3 shows more sky and fills a tall screen, which some golfers like for watching ball flight. It needs the most height and works best on the narrower sizes. On a Fairway 12 it needs about 8 ft 2 in of image height, which is more than many garages have.
Check two things before choosing a taller ratio: your projector's native ratio, because squeezing a different one out of it wastes pixels and brightness, and the output settings in your simulator software.
Throw ratio: where the projector goes
A projector's throw ratio tells you how far back it has to sit to make an image of a given width. The math is simple: throw distance = throw ratio x image width. Use the usable image width from the table above, not the screen width. The throw ratio is on every projector's spec sheet, and many list a range if the lens zooms.
| Screen | 0.5 throw | 0.7 throw | 1.0 throw | 1.3 throw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairway 8 (about 6 ft 10 in image) | 3 ft 5 in | 4 ft 9 in | 6 ft 10 in | 8 ft 11 in |
| Fairway 10 (about 8 ft 10 in image) | 4 ft 5 in | 6 ft 2 in | 8 ft 10 in | 11 ft 6 in |
| Fairway 12 (about 10 ft 10 in image) | 5 ft 5 in | 7 ft 7 in | 10 ft 10 in | 14 ft 1 in |
| Fairway 14 (about 12 ft 10 in image) | 6 ft 5 in | 9 ft | 12 ft 10 in | 16 ft 8 in |
Distances are measured from the lens to the screen. The side screens run 100 1/2 in, about 8 ft 4 in, out from the wall, and the full enclosure takes about 9 ft. A short-throw projector (roughly 0.5 to 0.8) usually lands inside that footprint, on the ceiling over or just in front of the golfer. A standard-throw projector (1.0 and up) usually ends up behind the golfer, which needs a deeper room and puts the golfer between the lens and the screen.
Shadows, swing room and the ceiling
- Shadow. If the beam passes over the golfer at address, part of the image goes dark when they swing. A short-throw projector on the ceiling above or just ahead of the ball keeps the beam above the golfer. Behind-the-golfer setups need the projector high enough that the beam clears the top of the backswing.
- Swing room. A projector hanging over the hitting spot takes ceiling height away from the swing. Keep the mount as tight to the ceiling as the projector allows, and run the ceiling height test with the projector position in mind.
- Floor projectors. Ultra-short-throw projectors that sit on the floor at the base of the screen are in the ball's path. Not a good fit for an impact screen.
- Keystone. Digital keystone correction squares up a tilted image by throwing away pixels. Aim the projector square to the screen and use lens shift if the projector has it.
What is different with a retractable screen
- The projector stays put when the screen goes up. Mount it where it does not conflict with the room's other job: clear of the garage door and opener rail, and above the height of a parked car's open hatch if you park under it.
- Leave room for the housings. The main housing is 7 in by 7 in and each side housing is 4 in by 4 in. Keep the projector mount between the two side screens, clear of where they drop, and check that the beam does not clip a housing on its way to the screen.
- Same position every time. The screen drops to the same place on every deploy, so once the image is set, it stays set. If the image looks soft at the edges, check the screen is fully down and hanging flat before touching the projector.
- Launch monitor first. An overhead launch monitor claims its own piece of ceiling. Settle its position before the projector's. Our launch monitor space requirements page has the manufacturer numbers.
Brightness and the room
Image quality on an impact screen depends on the room and the screen before it depends on the projector. A garage with windows and a translucent door panel will wash out the image in the afternoon whatever the lumen rating. Black out the windows first. A flat, tensioned screen matters more than extra brightness. The impact screen buying guide explains why.
A quick worked example
A two-car garage with a 9 ft ceiling, measured to the underside of the door track, and a Fairway 12. Between the side screens, a 16:9 image is about 10 ft 10 in by 6 ft 1 in, which leaves plenty of drop. A projector with a 0.5 throw ratio needs about 5 ft 5 in from the screen, which puts it on the ceiling inside the 9 ft enclosure. That position has to clear the driver swing, the opener rail and the side housings. If it does not, a projector with a different throw ratio moves the mount forward or back until it does.
Send us your room
Send us your wall width, ceiling height to the lowest obstruction, room depth and the projector you are considering. We will tell you which size fits and where the projector can sit, free. The fit calculator and the room size guide cover the screen side of the math.
Call or text 817-458-8556, email hello@thehomefairway.com, or use the contact page.
Image sizes are calculated for the usable width between the side screens at the 7 in minimum offset on each side, rounded to the nearest inch. A wider offset makes the image narrower. Throw distances are calculated from the throw ratio. Confirm both against your projector's own specifications and throw calculator before you mount it.