CARL’S PLACE IMPACT SCREENS, THE REAL DEAL?

It goes without saying that we hit A LOT of shots at our Lab X Testing Facility.  The current number sits above 100,000, and the testing season isn't done yet.

Every piece of equipment we have - from the balls to the turf mats, to the impact screens, goes through rigorous testing to ensure we're using the best available equipment.

Earlier this year, we went on a search for the best projector screens to fit not only our needs but consumer needs as well.

OUR JOB IS YOUR GAME - FOR ALL THINGS GOLF

Indoor simulator build-outs are becoming more popular as launch monitor technology expands into the consumer space.

One issue we found during our research was that the golf impact screen sits in a bit of an undefined market. That is to say; it's difficult to figure out who to call, where to buy, or even how to do a build-out.

If you need new clubs, you get custom fitted at a retail shop or fitter.  If you need a new impact or projector screen - where do you go?

Carl's Place is an industry leader in projector screens.  Whether you're looking for a backyard installation to watch movies under the stars, or a do-it-yourself indoor simulator bay - Carl's Place has you covered.

THE DIFFERENCE

Carl's Place sent us two of their screens: a premium and a preferred model.

We received the screens about mid-way through our Most Wanted Testing for the 2017 season and immediately put them to use.  Testers fired approximately 34,000 shots between the two screens, including warm-up shots and any practicing done when testing wasn't live.

The table below outlines some key differences between the two models we received:

Carl's Place Preferred vs. Premium Impact Screens

	Preferred	Premium
Ability Level	Commerical Use/Professional	Experienced/Non-Commerical
Bounce Back	Little to None	Minimal
Durability	Excellent Durability	Very Durable
Image Quality	Excellent/High Definition	Very Good
Indoor/Outdoor	Best Indoors	Indoor/Outdoor/Portable
Material Composition	Three layers heavy duty impact resistant woven polyester with spacer; solid	100% Heavy Duty Polyester with Silicone Reinforncement; Tightly Woven Knit
Noise Reduction	Very Good	Good
Material Only or Finished Edge	Yes	Yes

THE WEAR DOWN

Product life is a primary component with any big investment.  If you're going to be dropping a few thousand on a full build-out, you expect what you buy to stand the test of time.

We took some up-close pictures of the wear patterns of our screens thus far.  With as many shots as we've hit - I'll let you be the judge on how durable these things are.

Below you'll find images of the wear on two parts of the screen

• Medium Wear - the area just around the main zone of impact (roughly 25% of the total shots hit into the respective screen).
• Heavy Wear - the main zone of impact (the remaining 75% of the total shots hit into the respective screen).

Note:
*While our photographs are of the actual screen, as always, individual results may vary.

The table below outlines the approximate number of shots hit into each location on both screens respectively.

Carl's Place Shot Comparison - Preferred vs. Premium

	Preferred	Premium
Total Shots	20,000	14,000
No Wear	0	0
Medium Wear	5,000	4,000
Heavy Wear	15,000	10,000

PREFERRED - MEDIUM WEAR

PREFERRED - HEAVY WEAR

 PREMIUM - MEDIUM WEAR

PREMIUM - HEAVY WEAR

 

OUR OBSERVATIONS

• Both screens are extremely durable.
• The Premium Screen has a considerably clearer picture while the Preferred is a bit "grainy."
• The Premium Screen has a tighter thread which shows less stretch over time.
• The Preferred Screen offers exceptional bang-for-your-buck.
• All Carl's Place screens can be customized with grommets or velcro.

MORE THAN GOLF

While Carl's Place certainly has the golf impact screen, as we like to call it - dialed-in, the company also screens for a multitude of uses. I don't know who Carl is, but he seems to be able to do it all.  Beyond impact screens, Carl's Place offers large venue screens, home theater screens, and even outdoor screens.

So, if you are wondering: Yes, you can watch Tiger's return to golf by your pool or hot tub.

Perhaps the most important part of all this - Carl's Place provides all of the directions and resources YOU need to be able to do-it-yourself.  The days of hiring some overly expensive A/V company to come to your house and do a build-out are over.  Now you have no excuse to build that man cave your wife doesn't want you to have.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you're in the market for a new impact screen, you can rest assured that Carl's Place has you covered. From the quality of the screens, the extremely helpful customer service, and the numerous resources on the company website - Carl's Place is defining the impact/projector screen market one shot at a time.