The GolfSim Compare blog
Dated research posts built on the same data as the rest of the site — tracked retailer prices, the spec database, and sources cited in the text. Newest first.
Best Projectors for a Golf Simulator: Throw-Ratio Math First
Pick the projector after the room math, not before. We derive the throw ratio your room actually requires from recorded launch monitor space specs, then match short-throw models that fit per their manufacturer spec sheets.
· projectors / simulator-setup
Black Friday Golf Simulator Deals 2026: What the Data Says Will Actually Drop
A data-grounded preview of Black Friday 2026 launch monitor and golf simulator deals: which units have room to fall, which are already at their floor, and which never discount.
· deals / black-friday / buying-advice
DIY and Open-Source Launch Monitors: What Actually Works
An honest look at PiTrac, OpenFlight and the open-source launch monitor scene — what they measure, what a build really costs, and when a $199 radar is the smarter buy.
· diy / open-source / budget
E6 Connect Pricing, Explained (and What's Bundled Free)
What E6 Connect actually costs in 2026 — the $300 and $600 subscriptions, the $1,000 perpetual Home license, the new E6 Apex tiers, and which launch monitors already include E6 content in the box.
· software / pricing
Garmin Golf Membership: What's Actually Behind the Paywall
Garmin Golf membership costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Here's exactly which features it gates on the Approach R10 and R50, what stays free, and how it compares to Rapsodo and SkyTrak plans.
· garmin / subscriptions
Is the Garmin R10 Worth It in 2026?
A use-case-by-use-case answer to whether the Garmin Approach R10 is still worth buying in 2026, built on tracked prices, Garmin's own release notes, and credibly reported limitations.
· launch-monitors / buying-decisions / garmin
Golf Impact Screens: Materials, Safety, and What to Buy
What golf impact screens are actually made of, why every brand claims a 250 mph rating, how far to stand back, and when a $795 net is the smarter buy than a $600 screen.
· screens / setup / safety
Golf Net or Impact Screen? The Ball-Flight Answer
Whether you need a net or an impact screen comes down to one spec almost nobody checks: your launch monitor's minimum ball flight. Here's the recorded number for every unit, plus real net and screen prices.
· setup / nets / impact-screens
Golf Simulator Mats: What Matters for Your Joints and Your Data
A golf simulator mat is not just turf — it decides whether your wrists survive winter practice and whether your launch monitor reads the ball correctly. Construction tiers, placement rules per monitor, sizing, and longevity, with sources.
· mats / setup / buying-advice
Golf Simulator Rental Costs vs Buying: The Break-Even Math
What renting simulator time actually costs at Five Iron Golf, X-Golf, Golfzon Social and Topgolf Swing Suites — and the sessions-per-month break-even where buying your own setup wins, computed from our recorded 3-year ownership costs.
· buying-decisions / costs
GSPro vs E6 Connect: Which Sim Software Fits Your Hardware
GSPro vs E6 Connect decided the way it actually gets decided — by what your launch monitor connects to and what the license really costs — using the per-device compatibility records we keep across 39 units.
· software / comparisons
Is a Golf Simulator Worth It? Cost-Per-Round Math
We ran the three-year cost of six real simulator setups against NGF's average US green fee. Here is the break-even point, the abandonment risk, and who should skip it.
· buying-advice / cost
Phone Launch Monitor Apps: What They Can and Can't Measure
Camera-based launch monitor apps like Golfboy and ShotVision really do measure ball speed and launch angle — but spin, carry, and club data are estimates. Here's the honest breakdown.
· launch-monitors / apps
The October 2026 Launch Monitor Price Index
Street price vs. list price across the 28 launch monitors we track: who is actually discounting this month, who never moves, and which deals are real.
· price-index / deals
Launch Monitor Prices Are Going Up, Not Down (October 2026 Data)
Three launch monitors got more expensive heading into the holidays, not cheaper. What our tracked price snapshots show, why it's happening, and what it means if you're waiting for a deal.
· price-tracking / launch-monitors
What Launch Monitors Do Tour Pros Actually Use?
Tour pros overwhelmingly use three launch monitors — Trackman 4, Foresight GCQuad, and the Full Swing KIT — and the PGA Tour's own ShotLink system runs on Trackman radar. Here is the documented evidence, what each unit costs, and what 'tour-level' actually means in specs.
· launch-monitors / tour / buying-advice
The Most Accurate Launch Monitors, by the Evidence
Which launch monitor is actually the most accurate? We rank units by what they measure versus model, using recorded spec data, manufacturer claims, and the thin independent research that exists.
· accuracy / launch-monitors / buying-advice
New Launch Monitors Worth Watching (2026–27)
A maintained watchlist of announced-but-unreviewed launch monitor hardware: the Nova by Open Launch, TruGolf's LaunchBox, and the Square Golf Omni preorder — with recorded prices, verified specs, and what to check before the reviews land.
· new-hardware / watchlist / buying-advice
How to Practice Golf All Winter (Without Joining a Club)
A three-tier winter practice plan — putting-mat basics, a net-and-launch-monitor bay, and a full garage sim — priced from our tracked data, plus what the cold actually does to your ball.
· practice / winter / indoor-golf
RCT Golf Balls: Prices, How They Work, and Why the MLM2PRO Uses RPT Instead
What Titleist RCT golf balls cost per dozen, which launch monitors actually need them, and why the Rapsodo MLM2PRO takes a different marked ball entirely.
· launch-monitors / accessories
Square Golf Launch Monitor: Where to Buy, Stock, and Accessories
Every channel that sells the Square Golf launch monitor new in the US — current stock at each, our tracked price record, the one verified discount code, and what the official case and accessories cost.
· square-golf / buying-guide / launch-monitors
vTRACK: The Overhead Launch Monitor Everyone's Searching For
What the vTRACK launch monitor actually is: Laon SwingCraft's $5,000 ceiling-mounted unit, its published specs, how it stacks against the ProTee VX and the overhead units we track, and what's still unproven.
· overhead / launch-monitors / new-hardware
Looking for the evergreen layer instead? Read the explainers, see ranked picks, or compare any two models.