An impact screen takes every shot, so it picks up ball marks, wrinkles and wear. Most of that is fixable, and most of it is preventable. Below is what Shop Indoor Golf and Carl's Place, the two makers GSV builds with, tell owners to do about ball marks and cleaning, wrinkles and tension, what goes behind the screen, how long a screen lasts, and when to replace it. Jay Lasco, host of Golf Simulator Videos, has hung both makers' screens in his garage, at Tyrone Hills Golf Club and in GSV's studio, and his findings on tension are below too.
Codes first: GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf, replacement SIGPRO screens included, and Carl's Place sends GSV's code by email.
Replacement impact screens
- SIGPRO Premium impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
- SIGPRO Premier gray impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- SIG Preferred impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- Carl's Place enclosures and screens5% off at Carl's Place. GSV emails you the code.
Buying through GSV's links and codes helps support the channel: GSV earns a small commission at no extra cost to you, and you still get every saving available.
- Dish soap, then a carpet shampooerThe makers' cleaning steps, mildest first
- Never a washing machineNor dry cleaning, abrasive cleaners or a high-heat steamer, by Carl's Place
- 12 to 16 inFrom the screen to the wall, by GSV's own rule
On this page: the short answer, ball marks and cleaning, keeping it clean, wrinkles, how tight, behind the screen, lifespan, holes and warranty, storing a screen, the care checklist, replacing a screen, free consultation and questions.
The short answer
- Ball marks: start with a drop of dish soap on a damp rag, then a stain pen, then a carpet shampooer. Dry it with a fan or a hairdryer on low, never by air.
- Prevention: new white balls with no dirt, scuffs or marker, and clean club faces. Keep the simulator balls apart from the ones that go on the course.
- Wrinkles: hang it as soon as it arrives and give it days to weeks. To speed it up, a steamer or a very low iron on the back of the screen only.
- Tension: smooth and slightly loose, not drum tight. A tight screen sends the ball back harder.
- Behind it: a gap to the wall, and nothing pressed against the back.
Ball marks and cleaning
Both makers clean a screen the same way: gently first, and only stronger if that fails.
| Step | What to use | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Minor stains | A drop of dish soap on a damp rag | Carl's Place |
| 2. Small spots | A Tide To Go pen | Carl's Place |
| 3. Larger areas | LA's Totally Awesome, a carpet cleaner, or both | Carl's Place |
| Dirt and stains | A carpet shampooer | Shop Indoor Golf |
| Drying | A fan or a hairdryer on low or no heat | Both |
From Shop Indoor Golf's and Carl's Place's care pages, read October 19, 2026.
- Do not let it air dry. Shop Indoor Golf says a screen left to air dry can get water stains, and Carl's Place warns of a liquid stain. Dry the damp area quickly and evenly.
- Never a washing machine. Carl's Place says it will never recommend abrasive cleaners, high-heat steamers, dry cleaning or putting a screen in a washing machine. Shop Indoor Golf gives no washing machine method either.
- Clean early. Carl's Place says the sooner a dirty area is treated, the better it comes out.
- Burn marks are wear, not dirt. High-spin shots leave burn marks, and Carl's Place calls them regular wear and tear. They show less with a picture on the screen.
Keeping it clean
Most marks come from the ball and the club, so most can be stopped there:
- New white balls. Shop Indoor Golf: new, white golf balls free from dirt, scuffs or permanent marker. Carl's Place: white balls without dirt, grass or marker, and a set of simulator balls kept apart from the ones played on the course.
- Clean clubs. Dirt on a club face ends up on the screen, Shop Indoor Golf says, so wipe the faces before a session, above all after a round.
- Front side only. Carl's Place rates only the front of its screens for real golf balls.
Wrinkles and fold marks
Shop Indoor Golf ships its screens folded or rolled, front side in. The creases come out, mostly on their own:
- Hang it as soon as it arrives. Shop Indoor Golf: unbox it as soon as possible, since the longer it stays folded, the more likely the creases stay.
- Give it time. The screen's own weight relaxes fold marks over a few days to a few weeks, by Shop Indoor Golf.
- Steam or a very low iron, if needed. Shop Indoor Golf suggests a clean consumer steamer filled with distilled water, which also helps prevent water stains. Carl's Place allows a very low heat iron or steamer, on the lowest setting and on the back of the screen only, and warns against high-heat steamers.
- A little extra tension, for a while. On a screen with grommets all the way round, Carl's Place adds zip ties to pull the wrinkles out, then loosens the screen again once they ease, watching the bounce-back while it is tight.
- Check the frame. Shop Indoor Golf: a pipe not fully seated in its fitting pulls the screen unevenly. Attach the ball bungees across the top first.
How tight a screen should be
Too tight and the ball comes back harder, and the screen stretches in the wrong places. Too loose and it sags.
- Carl's Place: smooth and slightly loose, not drum tight, and just taut enough to hold the screen evenly all the way across.
- Shop Indoor Golf: tight enough to remove most folds and wrinkles, but loose enough to absorb ball strikes. For less bounce-back, keep the bottom slightly looser than the top and sides, use fewer bungees along the bottom, or leave one off every third or fourth grommet.
What GSV found:
- SIGPRO Premium in a SIG10, 2023: every bungee on, tight with no sag or wrinkles, and still quiet with little bounce-back.
- Carl's Place High-Contrast Gray on the Carl's PRO, 2025: hung loosely on zip ties, it absorbs the ball rather than springing it back. A 166 mph drive did not come halfway back to the mat.
What goes behind the screen
- A gap to the wall. GSV's rule is 12 to 16 in from the screen to the wall, about 14 in at best, so the screen can give and the ball never reaches the wall. Carl's Place says at least 12 in. An enclosure's frame sets the gap for you.
- Nothing pressed against the back. Foam or a blanket pressed on the back wears a screen fast, and Shop Indoor Golf's warranty asks for a sufficient gap between the screen and anything behind it.
- A soft layer with a gap, for less bounce-back. Shop Indoor Golf suggests a heavy moving blanket or archery netting hung behind the screen. Its SIG Custom Golf Simulator Blackout Screen, $539.99, is made for the job: it attaches to the back of a SIGPRO screen, can serve as the soft layer behind it, by Shop Indoor Golf, and stops the projector's light coming through. See the blackout screen at Shop Indoor Golf.
Lifespan, holes and warranty
Neither maker gives a lifespan in years. Carl's Place tests its screens to thousands of strikes at up to 250 mph, and says how long one lasts depends on the screen, how much it is used, and the skill and swing of whoever hits into it. Some wear after the first session is normal. Shop Indoor Golf says the smooth face of its three-layer screens shortens the time the ball spins on the surface, which cuts wear and lengthens its life.
| Screen | Warranty | List price |
|---|---|---|
| SIG Preferred | 6 months, residential | $295.99 to $709.99 |
| SIGPRO Premium | 1 year, residential, covers rips and tears | $419.99 to $979.99 |
| SIGPRO Premier gray | 1 year | $689.99 to $1,589.99 |
| Carl's Place Standard | Not stated on its screen pages | From $179.95 |
| Carl's Place Preferred | Not stated on its screen pages | From $298.95 |
| Carl's Place Premium | Not stated on its screen pages | From $439.95 |
| Carl's Place High-Contrast Gray | Not stated on its screen pages | From $449.95 |
Shop Indoor Golf prices are regular list prices by size, read October 17, 2026, and warranties from its screen pages, read October 19, 2026. Carl's Place prices are starting prices; the price rises with the size. Shop Indoor Golf's warranty holds only for a screen that is unaltered and used as intended.
- A hole or a tear. Neither maker publishes a repair for a hole. On a SIGPRO Premium in its first year at home, rips and tears are under warranty, so contact Shop Indoor Golf before patching it. Outside the warranty, a hole that lets a ball through is the time to replace the screen.
- When to replace it. When a ball can get through, or the wear shows through the picture. Dimples and burn marks alone are normal wear.
Storing a screen
For a garage screen that comes down for winter, or a move: Carl's Place says to store it somewhere safe, clean and dry, and not to leave it folded in a box for long. Fold it as loosely as possible, since tight folds take longer to relax and the more a screen is folded, the faster it wears along the folds. Shop Indoor Golf folds or rolls its screens with the front facing in. A garage that needs the space every day does better with a retractable screen: see the garage golf simulator guide.
The care checklist
- Hang a new screen the day it arrives.
- Hit new white balls with no marker, kept for the simulator.
- Wipe club faces before each session.
- Treat a mark early, with the mildest cleaner first.
- Dry a wet patch with a fan or a hairdryer on low.
- Keep the tension smooth and slightly loose, and the bottom loosest.
- Keep a gap behind the screen, with nothing pressed against it.
- Store it dry and loosely folded, front in.
Replacing a screen
A replacement is a good moment to move up a layer. A three-layer screen, the SIGPRO Premium or Carl's Place Premium, is quieter, sends the ball back more gently, shows a smoother picture and, by Shop Indoor Golf, lasts longer than a single-layer screen. In a room with light in it, the gray versions, the SIGPRO Premier or Carl's Place High-Contrast Gray, keep the picture from washing out. Each screen, layer by layer, is compared in the golf simulator impact screens guide, and the frames they hang in in the enclosure guide and the Carl's Place guide.
Replacement impact screens
- SIGPRO Premium impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
- SIGPRO Premier gray impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- SIG Preferred impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- Carl's Place enclosures and screens5% off at Carl's Place. GSV emails you the code.
5% off at Carl's Place
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More on the room: bounce-back and protecting walls, ceiling and projector, making a golf simulator quieter and golf balls for simulators.
Free consultation with GSV's partner builders
Replacing a screen, or not sure which size fits the frame? Jay works with official partners: master builders he hand-picked, who get on a call quickly and make sure the screen, the projector and the room fit before you buy anything. They offer package deals on the whole build, DIY packages, full installation, and more. The consultation is free.
Impact screen care questions
How do you get ball marks off a golf impact screen?
Start mild: a drop of dish soap on a damp rag, then a stain pen such as Tide To Go on a small spot, then a carpet shampooer or cleaner on a larger area. Dry the damp patch with a fan or a hairdryer on low or no heat, since a screen left to air dry can stain. Burn marks from high-spin shots are normal wear and do not wash out.
Can you put an impact screen in the washing machine?
No. Carl's Place says it will never recommend a washing machine, dry cleaning, abrasive cleaners or a high-heat steamer for its screens, and Shop Indoor Golf gives no washing machine method. Clean it where it hangs.
How do you get wrinkles out of an impact screen?
Hang it as soon as it arrives and give the screen's own weight a few days to a few weeks. To speed it up, Shop Indoor Golf suggests a consumer steamer with distilled water, and Carl's Place a very low heat iron or steamer on the back of the screen only. A little extra tension for a while helps too, then loosen it again.
How tight should an impact screen be?
Smooth and slightly loose, not drum tight. A screen pulled too tight sends the ball back harder. Shop Indoor Golf suggests keeping the bottom slightly looser than the top and sides, with fewer bungees along the bottom.
How far should an impact screen be from the wall?
GSV's rule is 12 to 16 in, about 14 in at best, so the screen can give and the ball never reaches the wall. Keep anything behind it from pressing against the back, which wears a screen fast.
How long does a golf impact screen last?
Neither maker gives a figure in years. Carl's Place tests its screens to thousands of strikes at up to 250 mph and says the life depends on the screen, how much it is used and who hits into it. Three-layer screens wear more slowly than single-layer ones, by Shop Indoor Golf.
Can you repair a hole in an impact screen?
Neither maker publishes a repair for a hole. A SIGPRO Premium has a one-year residential warranty that covers rips and tears, so contact Shop Indoor Golf first. Once a ball can get through, it is time for a new screen.
Is there a discount code for a replacement impact screen?
Yes. GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf, SIGPRO screens included, and Carl's Place sends GSV's code by email.
Build the rest of your sim
- Hitting mat$20 off at Shop Indoor Golf. GSV5OFF is more on a first order over $400Shop
- Projector5% off at Shop Indoor Golf. First-time buyersShop
- Simulator computerSurfThing: $100 off applied automatically, no codeShop
- TouchscreenGSV code for TouchscreenGuruShop
- Complete package$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf. GSV5OFF is more on a first order over $5,000Shop
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