Technology
Tech is always the largest investment in a simulator and for good reason. The way the ball and club data is monitored, the computing power of the PC and the resolution and brightness a projector provides can give you the ultimate experience.
Launch Monitors
We’ll help find the right piece of tracking tech to fit your needs and space. The simulation software and amount of courses you can play is also dictated by the equipment you choose.
The placement of the tech is crucial as overhead monitors are great for accuracy and ease of use, but require at least 9ft floor to ceiling.
Face-on monitors are a great option for spaces less than 12ft wide as you can move out of the center to have more space to swing. However, playing with righties and lefties does call for you to move it to either side each time a different player swings.
Trackman, Flightscope and other Radar-based launch monitors call for extra length in the room (20ft minimum) and are used more for commercial spaces and players who will find them useful outdoors to utilize their fantastic training programs.
There are many reviews and comparisons of Launch Monitors all over the internet but don’t hesitate to contact us regarding the pros and cons of each machine. We have hundreds of hours of experience across various technology and are here to help.
Software
Software mainly refers to the courses that you can play, features and animation graphics. We can spend a lot of time comparing each separate offering but we can sum it up from client feedback and personal use.
GSPro is a yearly subscription software with a wide variety of famous courses, physics and 4K graphics all while being compatible with many launch monitors. Keep in mind the courses are community created using very accurate tools but not official products like Trackman and E6 software. Plus, you can design your own course or find someone to build your home club so you can play it in any weather. If competition is a craving, they have an online function to play simultaneously or on your own time against other golfers.
TGC 2019 has all the creative features, online play and community updates that GSPro has with even more courses. What it doesn’t have compared to GSPro is the detailed training function, physics and graphics (which are are still very good). The good news is that with a good PC you can have as many software options as you want.
E6 is a fantastic software compatible with almost all launch monitors on the market today. It’s easy to use and offers 107 total real courses done with the same scanning technology used by the two previous software offerings. The difference is, these are official and cost more. The included courses in each subscription package are listed on the E6 website.
Trackman Virtual Golf 2 simulator software is the highest quality we have encountered when you factor in realism, graphics, growth in updates and ease of use. It is also only available on Trackman launch monitors which do require a lot of space to be functional indoors. The virtual range is the best and the training combines are an excellent way to understand your distances and swing. There is a reason Trackman leads the industry and it gives you all the tools to improve your game at any time. They currently offer 240 courses in a yearly subscription with Pebble Beach as an extra option. They do take requests to laser scan your favorite course as we have had a lot of fun playing BC’s own Bowen Island Golf Club and Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club on the software.
Projector
With many projectors on the market it boils down to Laser vs Lamp and 1080p vs 4K.
For optimal brightness and overall quality we recommend 4000 Lumens or higher with a preference of Laser over Lamp. This will produce crisp bright pictures no matter the room surroundings.
4K output in projectors is a relatively new feature that will need to be paired with a high quality PC to perform properly. It is absolutely worth getting a 4K BenQ projector especially if the space can be used for home theatre purposes.
PC Options
Just like our base framework and trim, we build our PC’s in-house for the most customizable experience. This enables us to work within the budget and hand pick the absolute best technology on the market to support varying qualities of simulation. If you are playing golf and using the space as a home theatre in 4K, you will need a PC that can provide a seamless experience to compliment every other piece of your simulator.