When purchasing a home golf simulation setup, one of the key parts of optimizing your experience is choosing the right software. Every golfer wants to choose an option that feels immersive, provides realistic results, is fun to use, and will provide long-lasting usability.
On the market today, you’ll see 4 primary options. Those are:
We’ll break down each of these choices in-depth within this article. By the end, you’ll know how much you should budget, the type of gaming PC you’ll need, the different use cases for each one, and more. Stick around until the end for all the information.
Starting things off, we have The Golf Club 2019. TGC 2019 features over 150,000 courses in its catalog. Many of them are world-famous and championship courses, such as:
What’s really special about the course selection is it's constantly growing. That’s because they allow users to create their own custom courses and share them so others can download and play them, too.
TGC 2019 comes in at a flat price of $950 for lifetime access. As you’ll see later in this guide, that’s right in line with other options on the market.
When choosing a gaming PC for this software, here are the requirements you’ll need:
Expect a PC like that to be somewhere in the ballpark of $700-1,000.
Another nice bonus is the number of launch monitors it’ll work with. Options it works well with are:
It should be noted that it isn’t compatible with Foresight GC2 or GCQuad.
Finally, let’s break down the pros and cons of the TGC 2019.
The next option on this list is the GSPro. Right away, the main feature that will stand out with this software is its stunning displays. From the ball physics to the lighting to the way the surrounding environments look, this software impresses at each point.
On top of that, the courses available through GSPro are extremely well done. They’re all professionally customized to nearly exact replicas of top courses like Augusta National and Whistling Straits.
Currently, they have over 300 in their catalog. Plus, GSPro is constantly updating and adding to its software, so there are always new courses added to the lineup.
For price, you’ll have a couple of different options. There’s a $250 yearly subscription or a $550 lifetime subscription. However, it’s important to note that you won’t get any future updates or add-ons with the lifetime purchase option.
As far as the PC requirements, this software is much more graphically intensive, so you need a more powerful PC. That’ll consist of:
A PC like this typically ranges somewhere in the price point of $1,500 to $2,000.
GSPro is also compatible with a wide range of launch monitors. Even if some aren’t officially supported, they have an open API so users can create mods to make other launch monitors unofficially supported.
It has official support for:
Launch monitors that have unofficial support with the open API feature are:
Now, let’s break down the pros and cons of GSPro.
Out of the options in this guide, you’ll find that E6 is the most limited and has the most negatives. That said, it does have its use cases.
First, you’ll notice that the graphics aren’t nearly as good. The visuals often look a bit grainy with this one, and the environments like trees, bushes, and grass appear somewhat flat.
It also has a low course selection. You’ll only get up to 27 courses with E6 Connect.
All that being said, this is still a good option. The courses overall play well, and your shots will travel accurate distances with realistic physics.
As for the pricing on E6 Connect, you have a few different options. The basic subscription is $300 per year, the expanded subscription is $600 per year, and the lifetime subscription is $2,500. The main difference between basic and expanded is the basic has 15 courses, and the expanded has 27 courses. The lifetime subscription also has 27 courses.
One bonus is the computer hardware requirements are pretty lenient. You’ll need:
You can often find a computer like that for $500-800. It’s also worth noting that this is the only option that can be used on IOS devices. So, this will be perfect for you if you're a Mac owner.
You can also download and use it on iPhones and iPads, which is perfect if you want a more portable setup for those who want to have an outdoor simulation setup, take it on the go to friends’ houses, use it in different places of the house, etc.
Another benefit of the E6 is that it’ll be compatible with more launch monitors than any other option. Popular options it works with include:
Finally, let’s look at the overall pros and cons of E6 Connect.
Last, we have the FSX Play software through Foresight. We found this one to be the most comparable to GSPro. That’s because FSX play has very immersive graphics and high-quality ball physics, just like GSPro. It’s really up to personal preference, which one people will say looks and feels better.
As far as the course selection, this one has over 30 courses available. Plus, Foresight continuously adds courses to this catalog, so expect more to come after you buy it.
FSX Play features a flat price of $3,000 for lifetime access.
As far as the PC requirements, these are on the higher end due to how graphically intensive this software is. You’ll need:
A computer like this will usually run between $1,500 to $2,000+.
One downside of FSX Play is that it’s only compatible with Foresight launch monitors. However, that means it integrates with them effortlessly. Those compatible launch monitors are:
Lastly, here are the pros and cons of FSX Play.
That wraps up everything you’ll need to know about golf simulator software. By now, you should have a better idea of the options available and which will be best for your needs.
Before choosing a simulator software, make sure you consider:
Overall, these are all excellent options. No matter which one you go with, you’ll be making a good investment to upgrade your virtual golfing experience!
