8 Best Golf Simulator Software Of 2024 – Reviews & Buying Guide

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Perhaps you’ve picked up a brand new launch monitor that is compatible with golf simulator software. Maybe you already have a simulator installed, or maybe you don’t yet own a simulator.

In any case, to get a proper golf simulator experience, you need quality software.

Many software solutions are compatible with a range of launch monitors and simulator tracking systems, from SkyTrak to Uneekor to FlightScope. Each software offers a unique experience with various different features and game modes.

In this article, we’ll review and compare our choices for the best golf simulator software across a range of different budgets. We’ll also provide a buying guide that will help you find the software solution that will best meet your needs.

Note: Golfstead has tested and/or conducted in-depth research into all of the software featured in this guide. Our editorial process for these rankings takes into account a mix of many factors which may include performance, features, usability, value for money, cost, and the general consensus from other users. The list that follows may be reassessed or updated over time.

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Our Top Picks For Golf Simulator Software

The following are our top selections based on our own testing, research, and experience:

1. GSPro
2. The Golf Club 2019
3. E6 CONNECT
4. FSX Play
5. Uneekor Refine
6. Awesome Golf
7. Creative Golf
8. WGT Golf

1. GSPro

GSPro is a software that is designed to be ultra-realistic with advanced ball physics and 4K graphics.

In most golfing communities today, the general consensus is that GSPro is the best software to use for golf simulators. Why?

• it has the most realistic physics and graphics
• there is a sizeable selection of excellent courses and each recreation is of very high quality
• it offers powerful community features including a course builder and the ability to participate in online virtual tours
• it’s more affordable than comparable simulator software solutions

It’s currently compatible with Uneekor, FlightScope, Foresight Sports, and Full Swing launch monitors. They also offer an OpenAPI interface that tech-savvy users can use to unofficially integrate the software with other systems such as SkyTrak.

Course Selection

Practically all of the courses GSPro offers have been created by users using the Open Platform Course Designer (OPCD).

Currently, over 1100 courses are available for play. Almost all of them are real-world courses, many of which are world-famous. Notables include:

• Pinehurst No. 2
• Pebble Beach
• Torrey Pines South Course
• The Old Course at St. Andrews
• Valhalla
• Whistling Straits
• Royal St. George’s Golf Club

GSPro courses use LIDAR modelling to produce some of the most accurate recreations available. They are free to download.

Features

GSPro currently has five main modes:

• Local Match: play a course of your choosing by yourself or with other local players.
• Practice: for driving range or on-course practice sessions.
• Challenges: play various skill-based challenges including distance challenges, long drive, and Operation 36, which helps golfers shoot par (36) in a 9-hole round.
• Tournaments: participate in tours and tournaments that you sign up for through Simulator Golf Tour (SGT).
• Online Match: join or create a room and play courses with other users around the world.

Possible game modes include stroke, stableford, scramble, best ball, alternate shot, and match play.

Watch Golf Simulator Videos take you through the new v3 update for GSPro:

SGT allows you to compete in the PGA, WEB, AutoPutt and Pro tours which hold weekly tournaments. Course flyovers are also possible.

One of the things we love most about GSPro is that you can pick any spot on any hole of any golf course and practice shots from that location.

Graphics

The graphics of GSPro are really good — on the same tier as TGC 2019 and E6 CONNECT. 4K is supported, which is great. We especially like the texture of the turf and the sharpness of the foliage.

Having said that, we do find the lighting to be a bit flat, and the roll of the ball can feel quite unnatural, especially on slow greens. However, the developers have improved ball physics in the recent v3 update and will continue to improve the graphics over time.

Requirements

The GSPro software can be purchased on the official website or at The Indoor Golf Shop. A Windows PC is required. It costs $250/year and includes updates for the life of the subscription.

Minimum system requirements for running the software include a GTX 970 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 4GB of storage space.

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2. The Golf Club 2019

The Golf Club 2019 (TGC 2019) software is compatible with the SkyTrak, FlightScope Mevo Plus and X3, Uneekor QED and EYE XO, and many other launch monitors.

It’s only usable on PC (or Xbox/PS4 if you want to game like that), but there are several reasons why we rank it high on our list:

1. It has a huge course selection that allows golfers to play practically any golf course they can dream of.
2. It has plenty of features including local multiplayer and robust online competition.
3. It has great graphics, lighting and sound effects.
4. It’s relatively affordable.

TGC 2019 was originally a video game that was ported to golf simulators. Many people appreciate its polish and “video gamey” feel, even though it’s not actively being updated.

With TGC 2019, you have your typical practice range, but you also have numerous multiplayer modes, online tournaments and events, and you can even design your own course!

Course Selection

TGC 2019 has a massive selection of over 170,000 courses. However, while some of these are premium courses, many are user-designed, and many are slight variations or takes on the same real-world course.

For this reason, it can be a bit difficult to sift through the course replicas and find the one that you like the best or that you think is the most accurate.

Features

With TGC 2019, you can:

• play online (with strangers, friends or family) and compete in live worldwide tournaments
• play multiplayer locally
• access the TGC library of over 170,000 courses
• do range, chipping or putting practice

Play formats include stroke play, match play, stableford, four ball, skins, and alternate shot. TGC has a cool feature that allows up to four players in a multiplayer setting to hit their shots at the same time.

Lastly, you can design your own course with a few clicks. A special editor allows you to customize everything in detail from the theme to the terrain and layout. If this is something you think you could have fun with, you could end up playing your own custom-created course with your golf simulator.

Take a look at the features and graphics of TGC 2019 in the video below:

Graphics

As you will probably agree from the video above, the graphics of TGC are some of the best that current golf simulation software has to offer, with rich contrast and superb lighting and other effects.

One of the great things about TGC is that it supports screen resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD. If you can play at this resolution, you’ll be amazed at the sharpness, clarity and detail of the environments.

Requirements

How to set up TGC 2019 will depend on the simulator that you’re using.

If you’re using the SkyTrak or SkyTrak+, you’ll need the Essential Plan and you’ll need to make an annual subscription purchase of the software through the SkyTrak store.

If you’re using Uneekor, the ES Tour Plus, ProTee, or some other simulator, make your purchase here and follow the instructions on the page.

TGC 2019 can be run on PC (Windows). Minimum system requirements include Windows 8 64-bit, Intel Core i5-760 @ 2.80GHz, and an NVIDIA GTX 670 or equivalent.

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3. E6 CONNECT

E6 CONNECT by TruGolf is unquestionably one of the most well-known golf simulator software currently on the market. It should not be confused with E6 Golf, an older TruGolf offering created by the same team that created the best-selling PC sports title Links.

Compatible with systems such as SkyTrak, TruGolf MAX, Approach R10, Uneekor, FlightScope, and Full Swing KIT, it brings high-quality gameplay and a diverse range of features to the table.

Not only do you have the typical driving range and practice area, but you also have full course play, mini-games, real-time peer-to-peer play, and online events.

If you want to have fun with friends or by yourself, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to find something in the E6 software.

Course Selection

E6 CONNECT offers more than 90 courses in total, including 30 of the “Greatest Courses” as designated by Golf Digest and Golfweek.

The courses you have access to depend on the system you’re using as well as whether it’s a Basic or Expanded subscription. A Basic subscription typically comes with 27 courses, while an Expanded subscription adds 63 more courses. Additional premium courses are available at extra cost.

Notable courses include Firestone, Bethpage Black, Bay Hill, Mauna Kea, Torrey Pines, and Pinehurst #2. Recreations are very accurate and mapping is done with LiDAR laser scanning technology.

Features

In addition to being able to practice on a virtual driving range and chip and putt on a hole of your choice, E6 CONNECT offers an array of mini-games and game modes including long drive, closest to the pin, henyett, stroke play, best ball, and scramble.

There is a whole host of settings that you can use to customize your experience. You can adjust things like mulligans, gimmie ranges, average ball speeds, ball size, course conditions, and much more.

Get a taste of E6 CONNECT in the video below:

You can adjust factors that influence difficulty such as wind and green speeds, and you’re able to display green elevation and break lines if you so choose.

There’s also peer-to-peer play: turn-based competition that can handle up to eight players.

Graphics

The graphics in E6 are very good, with a realistic, high-fidelity look that is 4K compatible. We do find that they lack a bit of contrast compared to solutions like TGC 2019; however, the course recreations are very accurate and realistic.

All things considered, it’s some of the best graphics available for simulator software, and the fact that you also get both a fun, feature-rich experience means you won’t be left wanting.

Requirements

E6 CONNECT is available for PC and iOS users. However, only a few simulator systems, namely the SkyTrak and Mevo+, support the iOS version; the PC version is much more widely supported.

With the SkyTrak in particular, you’ll need the Essential Plan as well as a subscription to E6 CONNECT (not E6 Golf).

For Mevo+, Uneekor, FlightScope X3 and TrackMan users, go here to purchase E6 CONNECT and follow the instructions. For other systems, you’ll need to purchase the software from their respective websites.

Recommended PC specs include an Intel i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and an Nvidia 1070 video card or equivalent. For a full list of recommended system specs, visit this page.

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4. FSX Play

FSX Play is Foresight Sports’ in-house software solution for their line of commercial launch monitors including the GC3, GCQuad, Falcon, and GCHawk. It is only usable on PC.

This software has the full gamut of features, from full course play to practice, various game modes, skills challenges, and online leagues. You can play on a virtual range and view real-time data for practice or club fitting.

At one point, FSX Play was scarce on features and courses, but it has been fleshed out over time to become Foresight’s best software offering. It succeeds FSX 2020 which was their original legacy platform.

Course Selection

FSX Play includes 25 free courses that are not particularly famous or well-known.

Over 270 additional courses are available, but each course must be purchased at extra cost. Notables include The Old Course @ St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Carnoustie, and Doral Blue Monster.

You can typically save on course packages on sites like eBay.

Features

FSX Play has three main modes: Courses, Practice, and Games.

1. Courses

In Courses Mode, you can play golf courses of your choosing.

The recreations are very accurate, and the customization options are extensive: you can adjust things like green speeds, terrain, pin placements, mulligans, and weather conditions.

You can play with multiple players. Available game types include stroke play and stableford.

2. Practice

Practice Mode is primarily for serious practice and club fitting. You can start new sessions on a course of your choosing and play on a virtual practice range.

On the range, you can get complete ball and clubhead performance data in real time. You can view tabular summaries of your shot data, isolate trends, and view video.

3. Games

Games Mode is where you can access games, skills challenges, tournaments, leagues, and PinSeeker. Games include Closest To The Pin and Long Drive.

Leagues, in particular, have rich functionality, allowing you to join or create leagues where you play other FSX users from around the world across multiple events.

See Golf Simulator Videos use the FSX Play software below:

Graphics

FSX Play is designed to provide an ultra-realistic golf simulation experience, with support for up to 5K resolution. It’s powered by the Unity graphics engine and uses High Definition Render Pipeline Technology (HDRP).

Compared to FSX 2020, it boasts an updated UI, 3D grass and foliage, richer textures, atmospheric gliding, enhanced lighting, and more.

The realistic graphics are very good overall and are on par with E6 CONNECT, TGC 2019, and GSPro, although we think GSPro has a slight edge in terms of realism.

Requirements

You’ll need a Foresight Sports launch monitor to access the FSX software suite including FSX Play. We review a couple of them here.

You’ll also need the FSX 2020 software license. Minimum PC specs include Windows 10 64-bit, an NVidia GeForce 3060 or greater, and 8 GB of RAM. We recommend at least an i7 Gen 7 processor.

Note that you may be able to access different features and information within the FSX Play software depending on your launch monitor model. The GCQuad, for example, allows for a complete putting analysis.

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5. Uneekor Refine

Refine is the middle-tier software solution (in between the View and Refine+ tiers) for Uneekor’s line of launch monitors.

The Refine software is excellent for a number of reasons; it has plenty of features and really doesn’t suffer from any of the weaknesses that many other software have.

It not only offers a 3D driving range and various challenge, course and practice modes, but it also has fitting capabilities and allows you to see the actual club impact and ball spin of each shot through OPTIX photographic technology.

Uneekor simulator systems are compatible with E6 and TGC software as well, but the Refine software should provide everything you need to improve your game and have a lot of fun.

Course Selection

Uneekor Refine includes five 18-hole golf courses. These are subject to change, but currently are Golf Seoul, Horse Shoe, Moon Bay CC, Two Rivers, and Bay Hill Korea.

With an upgrade to the Refine+ software tier (formerly Succeed), you get fifteen additional courses. The courses aren’t exactly some of the most famous in the world, but they deliver a rich experience nonetheless.

Interesting fact: Uneekor is owned by Creatz, Inc., a company based in South Korea. This is why many of the course options within the software are Korean.

Features

Uneekor Refine has six modes: Stroke Play, Course Practice, Driving Range, Short Game Complex, Challenge, and Quick Mode. More may be added with future updates.

1. Stroke Play

In stroke play, you can play golf courses of your choosing, either single-player or multiplayer. There are a ton of customization settings to go with this including tee height and location, difficulty, green speeds, mulligans, wind, and weather.

After each shot, you can immediately view various data points including ball and club head speed, back and side spin, and face and launch angle.

You also get a top-down view of your club impacting the ball in high-fps slow-motion.

2. Course Practice

What course practice allows you to do is pick any course available in the software, and practice any shot from any position. This mode is great for spontaneous and repetitive practice.

As in stroke play, you can set your desired conditions related to the environment, hole location, green speeds, etcetera.

For example, you could jump into the Two Rivers course, immediately go to hole 12, and go greenside to practice pitches. To move around the course quickly, use the minimap.

You can also choose to repeat the same shot over and over again or play from the next position.

3. Driving Range

This mode takes you to a practice range. Hit and shot you like, view the full gamut of data parameters, view video of your swing, and see your club’s impact with the ball in slow-motion frames with OPTIX.

You can also view your shot history and see the shape of your trajectories.

4. Short Game Complex

As implied in the name, this mode is all about improving your short game.

You can either practice your approaches or putting. Whichever mode you choose, you’ll be presented with a series of positions around a green complex that you can putt, chip or pitch from.

For each position, the software gives you tips for the shot. You can practice shots as much as you like and access extensive customization settings.

5. Challenge

This mode lets you play closest to the pin. It’s quite straightforward: you can add multiple players if you want, choose day or night mode, and pick a distance.

You are then taken to a teeing area on a river in the middle of a Korean-like city environment. You will have 40 seconds to hit three shots as close to the pin on the other platform as you can.

6. Quick Mode

This mode lets you select from six different practice modules, each of which provide exercises that are designed to help correct swing flaws or improve a certain aspect of your game.

You can correct hooks or slices, or you can work on your distance off the tee, wedge play, short game or putting.

Get a feel for Quick Mode and the software in general by watching this video:

Graphics

The graphics in the Refine software are excellent — definitely on par with E6 CONNECT and even TGC 2019.

Textures like grass, trees, foliage, and even water are some of the best I’ve seen. Terrain and course accuracy is very good.

The only complaints I have are that ball landings and roll-outs feel a bit spongy, and bunker textures seem a little weird.

When it comes to entertainment and photo-realism, Refine has both in spades. The graphics certainly will not leave you wanting.

Requirements

To use the Uneekor Refine software, you’ll need a Uneekor launch monitor. You’ll also need a PC with a minimum of:

• Intel i5 8400
• 8GB of RAM
• GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD 3rd Gen Ryzen
• Windows 10 (64-bit)

Refine can either be purchased standalone for $1000 or is included in Uneekor’s Pro subscription package.

As mentioned before, Uneekor software is also available in View and Refine+ versions. View saves you $1000, but it doesn’t include any modes except a driving range. Refine+ costs an extra $2000, or is included in the Champion package, and includes 15 additional courses.

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6. Awesome Golf

Awesome Golf is currently compatible with FlightScope launch monitors (X3, Mevo+, etc.), the Garmin Approach R10, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO, and Foresight and Bushnell units. It’s heavily focused on fun and entertainment with friends, family and children.

The folks behind Awesome Golf felt that existing golf simulator software were too boring and dry, so they set out to create their own software that is fun, easy to use, and enjoyable.

This is not a traditional piece of golf simulator software, but it’s extremely affordable and will keep you busy for hours on end. It also offers a dedicated version for driving ranges.

Course Selection

Unlike other software, Awesome Golf does not contain renditions of real-world golf courses. There are four fictional courses called:

• Spring Park Hills: a countryside course with lush, wide fairways, large greens, and light wind.
• Island Beach: a tropical seaside course consisting of multiple islands, higher winds, and beaches that act as bunkers.
• Desert Canyon: a desert-like course with hills, high winds, and narrow fairways.
• Valley Pines: narrow holes situated in the middle of a pine tree forest.

The course environments are quite charming and the difficulty isn’t too high, so practically anyone can have fun with them. More courses will likely be added over time.

Features

Awesome Golf has four main modes:

• Range: informative practice sessions and an in-depth analysis of every shot.
• Challenges: closest to the pin, long drive, target golf, and skills challenge.
• Shootouts: kid-friendly minigames including Super Splash (chip into pools to score points and avoid sharks) and Boat Blast (hit boats to score points).
• Virtual Golf: full course play on the courses listed above.

Get an idea of how Awesome Golf plays in this video:

By downloading the Awesome Golf Community app for iOS and Android devices, you can also view detailed breakdowns of your stats and compete in leaderboards with other users around the world.

Graphics

Awesome Golf is not designed to be realistic like other software. Instead, it has an appealing cartoon aesthetic, almost like something you would see in The Simpsons or South Park.

This is intentional, as the creators wanted to differentiate themselves from other simulator software. We think it works great because the environments are fictional anyways.

Requirements

First you’ll need a launch monitor that is compatible with Awesome Golf.

You can purchase the software through the official website. At the time of writing, the payment options are either $14.99/month, $159.99/year, or $349.99 one time. Awesome Golf has PC, Android and iOS versions and licenses are multi-platform.

Because of the graphical style of the software, you don’t need a particularly powerful system to run it smoothly. A 7th gen (2017+) Intel CPU should be more than enough.

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7. Creative Golf

Creative Golf (formerly known as Creative Golf 3D) is an interesting golf simulator software solution developed by Slovakia-based company DATAcrea.

It is unique from ultra-realistic software like E6 or GSPro. In addition to giving you the opportunity to improve your game with course play and a variety of practice modes, it offers many entertaining, quirky mini-games that are family and kid-friendly.

Creative Golf has great compatibility — it can be used with the SkyTrak, Uneekor, FlightScope launch monitors like the Mevo Plus, Approach R10, and even Foresight Sports launch monitors.

It’s fairly affordable too, and if you want, you can “supercharge” it with the Golfisimo software which adds a host of cute, entertaining games for children and non-golfers.

Course Selection

In total, Creative Golf offers a good selection of over 140 golf courses from around the world, some of which are real and some of which are entertainment and practice courses.

The full course library can be accessed with a separate purchase, and more courses are being added. Notable real courses include:

• The Oxfordshire Golf (England)
• The Royal Selangor Golf Club (Malaysia)
• Kingsville Golf & Country Club (Canada)
• Rush Creek Golf Club (USA)
• Golf Bluegreen Pléneuf-Val-André (France)
• GCC Dachstein-Tauern (Austria)
• Golfclub München Eichenried (Germany)
• Black Stork Golf Resort (Slovakia)

Environments and geographical features seem very accurate. Course recreations are based on elevation and satellite data as well as photos.

Features

Here’s a run-through of the modes and game types:

• Practice: Practice on a driving range or chip and putt on a course of your choice.
• Course Play: Choose the course, game type (stroke, match play, etc.), number of players, and play a full round of golf.
• Challenges: Participate in competitions locally (with friends or family) including closest-to-the-pin and long drive.
• Mini Games: Play fairy tale golf (altered environment, larger holes, etc.), mini golf (putting), and demolition golf (hit windows of old buildings).
• Online Game: Play a game type and course of your choice with anyone in the world. A Discord community is available to join.
• Tournaments: Join tournaments listed on the tournament server and compete with players around the world.

If you have purchased Golfisimo along with Creative Golf, there will be a dedicated Golfisimo section on the main menu. From there, you can access fun games like darts, barrels, bridges, demolition golf, battlefield, and grand slam.

Take a look at the official trailer below:

Graphics

The graphics are not as good as software like WGT or E6 CONNECT, but it’s still very playable. You also have to consider the fact that modes like “fairy tale golf” will have graphical elements that are unconventional and unrealistic.

You can tell that Creative Golf is more of a “game” than a photo-realistic simulation, but for many people, that won’t matter. What’s important is having fun, being able to see your shots and the consequences of those shots.

Requirements

Creative Golf can only be run on PC. Minimum PC requirements include Windows 7 or higher (64bit), 2GB of memory, 1GB of VRAM, and 2.5GHz processing speed.

Creative Golf has come out with numerous updates to their software (V2.9 and beyond) since the first release, with additions such as cloud tournaments, terrain influence, world ranking, online games, and new courses.

Creative Golf has software licenses for purchase on their e-shop. You can make one-time purchases or buy annual subscriptions for Uneekor and FlightScope systems, while SkyTrak purchases are made through the SkyTrak website. Licenses for Creative Golf, Golfisimo and the full course library are all available.

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8. WGT Golf

World Golf Tour (WGT) is a virtual golf game and simulator software released in 2008. Owned by Topgolf, it can be played standalone on a PC, Mac, Android or iOS device.

This software used to be supported by popular golf simulator systems such as SkyTrak and Phigolf, but no longer. If you can get past the lack of compatibility with most launch monitors, then WGT Golf should be one of your top choices. Its strengths are:

• stroke play format (recreations of many of the most famous golf courses around the world)
• various multiplayer formats
• closest-to-the-pin challenges

Course Selection

The course selection in WGT Golf is quite limited at 24. However, they are some of the best and most famous courses in the world. Examples include Chambers Bay, Congressional, Valhalla, Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, and Bethpage Black.

Each course recreation has had a lot of care put into it, and is highly accurate to real life.

Features

Modes in WGT Golf consist of single player and multiplayer options. Single player modes include:

• Stroke Play: play renowned courses from around the world
• Putting Green: hone your putting skills
• Training: take a swing training tutorial

Multiplayer modes include:

• Head-To-Head: earn coins playing against players online
• Tournaments: earn prices and climb the leaderboard
• Games such as match play, stroke play, alternate shot, and skins
• Topgolf simulation

Get a feel for how WGT worked with the Phigolf WGT Edition here:

Settings and customization aren’t very extensive. Nonetheless, you can change factors such as green speed, wind strength & direction, and pin locations.

Graphics

The graphics of WGT Golf used to be really bad, but that has all changed. It now has some of the most photo-realistic graphics of any simulator software. In fact, the virtual environment is so photo-realistic that you might think you’re watching a broadcast on TV.

What’s lacking, however, are camera features like hole flyovers and different camera angles for viewing, which is a bit disappointing.

Also, keep in mind that the graphical prowess will depend on the system you’re using, with iOS and Android mobile devices providing an inferior visual experience compared to PC.

Requirements

You can easily sign up for WGT Golf and play online, whether it’s through a PC software download or an iOS or Android app. You can also play the game via the Steam service.

Minimum requirements for PC are Windows 8.1 64-bit or macOS 10.14, 4 GB of RAM, and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Minimum requirements for mobile devices are Android 5.1 and iOS 12.

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Buying Guide

Investing in good software for your golf simulator or launch monitor that will meet your needs is very important. If your software doesn’t have features you want like multiplayer or skills challenges, for example, it can really put a damper on your enjoyment.

Here are the most important factors you need to consider when determining which simulator software to get for your system:

1. Compatibility

Compatibility is really the most important factor when getting software for your simulator system, because it limits your options.

Some systems may only offer a couple (often in-house) software solutions. Foresight Sports has recently integrated GSPro and Awesome Golf into their software ecosystem but they require an FSX 2020 license to access.

To set up software not officially compatible with a system, you can often force it through something called the ProTee Interface, but not everyone will want to do this.

Simulators like the Uneekor EYE XO have better compatibility, with the option to set up View/Refine/Refine+, E6 CONNECT, TGC 2019, Creative Golf, or GSPro.

The SkyTrak Plus has very good compatibility, with at least five possible options. Keep in mind, though, that some of these options are only usable on one device like an iPad or PC.

It’s crucial to make sure that the software you’re interested in is compatible with your simulator system, and that you have the device and minimum specs to run it. Some software are quite demanding in terms of resources, while others aren’t.

2. Features

What do you want to do on your golf simulator? Do you just want to hit shots on a virtual practice range?

If you’re solely interested in viewing your numbers and improving your ballstriking on the range, then you might not even need any third-party software at all. Many systems, such as the ST+, come with practice ranges out-of-the-box.

Whichever system you’re using, you should figure out what you can do on it without having to install any third-party software.

On the other hand, if you want more features like:

• multiplayer (playing locally with family or friends)
• game modes like stroke play and match play
• chipping and putting around the green
• challenges like closest-to-the-pin and long drive
• online tournaments
• fun minigames

In this case, you’ll need to look at what the software offers. Different software options may offer multiplayer, skills challenges, online play, or tournaments.

Think about what features you want or need, and consider the software that does the best job of aligning with that.

3. Graphics

How important are ultra-realistic graphics to you? Do you want the most photo-realistic experience possible when you’re playing replicas of famous courses?

If yes, your best bet is to go with GSPro, E6 CONNECT (supports 4K graphics display), FSX Play, or WGT Golf, if these software are compatible with your system.

But if you mostly care about features, then you should be open to software like Creative Golf or TGC 2019 (which still have very good graphics). There’s also Awesome Golf, which has its own cartoonish style that is not designed for photo-realism.

Remember that more graphically demanding software will typically require more powerful computer hardware.

4. Budget

Many software options available for golf simulator systems are quite expensive. For instance, the FSX 2020 software license for Foresight Sports launch monitors can cost as much as $3000.

That’s a professional solution, though; many other software options won’t cost nearly as much.

Still, your budget is important, and it means that it might not be worth spending the big bucks if you don’t want much more than a driving range. One of the most popular simulators and launch monitors on the market, the SkyTrak, comes with a virtual driving range at no extra cost.

Some of the software reviewed above have annual fees of several hundred dollars. Some have course packs that run at a few hundred dollars a piece.

It’s generally true that the less you spend, the less you get in terms of features and graphics, but it’s certainly not a hard-and-fast rule. Sometimes, professional solutions that cost many thousands of dollars don’t offer a lot more than much more affordable software.

If you have yet to buy your simulator system, check this out: our recommended golf simulator source here provides easy financing options that allow you to pay for a SkyTrak+, Uneekor launch monitor, or even a Foresight Sports system over the course of a year or longer. Don’t forget about this option.

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Conclusion

The software you end up using for your golf simulator will ultimately come down to your personal preference, whether you place more importance on hyper-realism or entertainment, and what’s compatible with the system.

These days, there are many quality software solutions on the market. Some have multiplayer features, some have challenges and minigames, and some even run worldwide tournaments that you can compete in and win various prizes.

The ideal golf simulator software displays informative club and ball flight data, has good graphics and accurate course recreations, and has the features and game modes that you want. Finding the software that will best meet your needs is certainly possible with some research.

We’ve given you the information you need to make a decision; it’s up to you to go the rest of the way.

If you have a SkyTrak or plan on getting a SkyTrak, check out our article on the best software for that system here.

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Thanks for reading this guide. Which software are you considering for your golf simulator system? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.