Counting Courses: Which Simulator Software Gives You the Most Places to Play

The biggest course count belongs to the software, not the launch monitor. The monitor measures the ball and club, while the simulator software draws the course and decides which courses you can play. So the simulator with the most courses is really the software with the biggest library, running on a launch monitor that supports it.

The largest figure in this comparison is The Golf Club 2019 (TGC 2019), which lists 150,000+ courses, as listed by the maker at time of writing. That total mixes licensed and officially recreated courses with courses built by players, and most of it is user-built. Counts change often, so treat every number here as a snapshot and check the maker's current listing before you buy.

Below we compare the main libraries, explain what their totals include, and show which launch monitors connect to each one. We have not tested these titles. Everything comes from maker listings, retailer pages and owner reports, and where we could not confirm a count, we say so instead of estimating one.

How we put this together: we compared published manufacturer specs, retailer listings and owner reports, then applied the criteria below. Links on this page may earn us a commission.

The software decides your course count

A launch monitor only measures the shot. Whether you can play a particular course depends on the software you run and on whether that software accepts data from your monitor. That is why library size belongs to the software. Buy a monitor that supports a large library and you can play that library. Buy one that supports a small library and the big number on the software's page does not help you.

TGC 2019 is the title most people mean when they ask for the biggest course count. Its maker lists 150,000+ courses, as listed by the maker at time of writing, and that is the figure to quote when you compare titles. For most other titles we could not confirm a current count, so the table in the next section gives a figure where we have one and asks you to check the rest.

Most of the TGC 2019 total is user-built. Licensed real-world courses are a much smaller share, so a long list does not mean a long list of famous tracks. Read the number as the size of the library, and check the course names separately.

GSPro is the other name enthusiasts bring up. It has a large community-built library and is a common alternative for players who want to build and share their own courses. Check its current count directly, because it changes.

Whichever title you pick, check which launch monitors it supports today. Support lists change with software updates, and a long course list is no use on a monitor the software has dropped. Our guide to software features that matter at home covers what to look for beyond the course count. The PC requirements for each title matter too, since a bigger library does not by itself need a faster computer.

Course libraries side by side

Every count below reads as listed by the maker at time of writing. Counts change often, and where we could not confirm one, the cell says so.

Software	Courses (as listed by the maker at time of writing)	Licensed vs community-built	Pricing model	Example compatible launch monitors
The Golf Club 2019 (TGC 2019)	150,000+	Mostly user-created, plus official and licensed recreations	Check current pricing	SkyTrak, SkyTrak+, Uneekor QED, EYE XO, EYE XO2, EYE Mini, Garmin Approach R10, FlightScope X3C, FlightScope Mevo+, ProTee VX
GSPro	Check the maker's current count	Mostly community-built	Check current pricing	Check the maker's supported list
E6 Connect	Check the maker's current count	Check the maker's course list	Check current pricing	FlightScope units, see our E6 Connect guide
Golfzon	200+	Check the maker's course list	Check current pricing	Check the maker's supported list
WGT Golf	Check the maker's current count	Check the maker's course list	Check current pricing	Check the maker's supported list
FSX Play (Foresight)	Check the maker's current count	Check the maker's course list	Check current pricing	Foresight GC3, GCHawk and GCQuad, which ship with FSX software
Trackman Virtual Golf	Check the maker's current count	Check the maker's course list	Check current pricing	Check the maker's supported list

Two columns matter more than the raw count. The first is licensed versus community-built. Licensed and officially recreated courses are tied to deals with the course owners or the governing bodies behind them. TGC 2019's licensed content is linked to partnerships such as the PGA Tour and The R&A, but licences can change, so confirm the current list before you buy for a specific course.

The second is the pricing model, which we cover in the cost section below. Together, the licensing and pricing tell you more about what you will actually spend and play than the course count does.

What a six-figure course total actually includes

A total in the six figures does not mean six figures of famous holes. Most of TGC 2019's number comes from courses built with its Course Forge editor. Players design a course, share it, and other players download it. A user rating system helps sort strong designs from weak ones, and it is worth reading before you spend an evening on a course you have never seen. If you want to build your own, our course design guide covers the options.

Quality varies a lot. Some community courses are fictional. Others are loosely modelled on real layouts, and the resemblance ranges from close to rough. Check the ratings and the course notes before you assume a course matches the one it is named after.

Licensed and officially recreated courses sit in a much smaller part of the total. If the courses you most want to play are well-known tracks, the licensed list is the one to check, not the headline count.

Scanned recreations deserve a closer look. Courses built from laser or drone survey data generally aim for more accurate terrain than versions built by hand. Terrain changes how a ball sits, rolls and stops, so this is the detail that separates a convincing recreation from a rough one.

Where the famous courses live

Readers often ask whether a specific famous course is in a library. For TGC 2019, course names that come up often include Pebble Beach, St Andrews, Pinehurst, Spyglass Hill, Augusta National, TPC Sawgrass, Bay Hill and Carnoustie. Not all of these are licensed versions. Some may be community recreations, so check each one against the maker's current course list before you buy for a particular track. Augusta National is the one to check first.

Golfzon's library is also reported to include Pebble Beach and St Andrews. Confirm that against its current catalogue, since reported lists and live catalogues can differ.

The maker's current course list is the only reliable check. Licences can change, and a course can leave a library or change its name, so a list you saw a year ago may not match what you can download today.

Which launch monitors connect to the biggest library

Support depends on both the software and the monitor, and it changes with updates. The table below covers the monitors people most often pair with TGC 2019. "Official" means the software maker names the monitor as an official option, "supported" means it is named as compatible, and "unofficial" means a community-built workaround that may stop working after a software update.

Launch monitor	TGC 2019 support	How it is sold	Notes
Garmin Approach R10	Official (confirm before buying)	Standalone or in packages	Compact Doppler radar unit
FlightScope Mevo+	Official (confirm before buying)	Standalone or in packages	Radar-based; see our E6 Connect guide if you plan to run other titles on it
SkyTrak	Official (confirm before buying)	Through SkyTrak's own software store	Photometric tracking
SkyTrak+	Official (confirm before buying)	Through SkyTrak's own software store	Photometric plus Doppler radar; captures sidespin
ProTee VX	Supported (confirm before buying)	Standalone or in packages	Overhead camera tracking
Uneekor QED, EYE XO, EYE XO2, EYE Mini	Supported (confirm before buying)	Standalone or in packages	Camera-based tracking
FlightScope X3C	Supported (confirm before buying)	Standalone or in packages	3D Doppler radar; the maker lists 50+ metrics, including chipping and putting
Foresight GC3, GCHawk, GCQuad	Unofficial only (community workaround)	Ships with FSX software	The connector is community-built and may break after updates

The rows follow technology, not price. We don't quote prices here because they move, so check current pricing before you compare any two units.

The Foresight row needs more care. With those monitors, TGC 2019 works only through a community workaround. If you already own one, start with the FSX titles and treat TGC 2019 as a bonus that may need attention after updates.

If ProTee VX is on your shortlist, our ProTee VX review covers the hardware side. If you are running a SkyTrak+ with TGC 2019, our SkyTrak software setup guide walks through the connection. Radar and photometric units also return different data, so compare the metric lists rather than assuming the same numbers on screen.

Check compatible launch monitor prices ↗

What the biggest libraries cost to keep

Library pricing comes in three shapes: a one-time licence, an annual licence, or a subscription bundled with a launch monitor's membership. A single title can change model over time, so check the current terms for the title you want. We don't quote prices here, but you can work out the three-year cost of any title with the structure below.

Worked example: three-year cost. Write down three numbers from the maker's current pricing page:

1. F, the one-time software fee. Use 0 if there is none.
2. R, the annual renewal. You will multiply it by 3 for three years.
3. C, the total for any course packs you expect to buy. Use 0 if you don't plan to buy any.

Add them up: three-year cost = F + (3 × R) + C. Two shortcuts follow from the formula. A title with no fee and no packs costs three times its annual renewal. A title with a one-time fee and no renewal costs that fee plus whatever packs you add.

Compare the result with the hardware you would pair it with. A cheaper monitor can end up costing more than a dearer one if its software charges every year. For the broader picture, see our software subscription models guide. If you want to avoid an annual fee altogether, look at launch monitors without an annual fee.

Is the library still growing?

A library is only as useful as its next update. TGC 2019 has historically grown through community uploads and new scans, so its count reflects what players keep adding. Because it is an older title, check its current development status before you buy. A quiet release page does not settle the question, so ask the maker directly.

Community-driven libraries depend on active course designers. GSPro's library grows as long as people keep building courses for it, so the question to ask is whether designers are still active. Licensed libraries grow when makers sign new course deals, which happens on the maker's timetable rather than the community's.

Ask two questions before you commit: how often does the maker add courses, and do new ones arrive for the monitor you own? The ecosystem around a title matters as much as its count. Our guide to software ecosystem lock-in explains why the software you pick can tie you to one hardware brand for years.

Pick your library by how you play

Use these branches to narrow the choice. Each one assumes you have already checked the monitor's support list.

• You want the largest number of courses and don't mind uneven quality: TGC 2019 on a supported launch monitor. Expect to sort through user-built courses using the ratings.
• You want realistic physics and an active community course scene: GSPro. Check hardware support first.
• You want famous licensed tracks and family-friendly play: Check the E6 Connect and Golfzon course lists against the tracks you care about most.
• You own a Foresight unit: Start with the FSX titles. TGC 2019 works only through a workaround.
• You play in online leagues: Pick the library your league uses. Our online leagues and tournaments guide explains how the options compare.
• You want to build your own course: Start with TGC 2019's Course Forge, or the course-building tools in GSPro. Check each title's current editor before you begin, and see our course design guide.

Ready-made bays that can include a big library

If you would rather buy a complete setup than assemble one, some retailers offer TGC 2019 as an add-on at checkout. Check exactly what the bundle includes, because an add-on may be only the software licence and not the monitor you had in mind.

Packages fall into families. SkyTrak+ packages come in SIG8, SIG12 and retractable options. Uneekor packages include EYE XO2 and EYE Mini bundles. FlightScope Mevo+ and X3 packages and Garmin R10 packages are also sold. Availability changes, so check what each retailer lists before you plan around a specific bundle.

Group your choice by room fit rather than by award labels. Compact rooms usually fit the SIG8 class, full-width bays suit the SIG12 or SwingBay class, and shared spaces are where retractable options make the most sense. Measure the room first, because the space you have decides which package families are open to you.

ProTee VX and Foresight bundles that include TGC 2019 are less common, so confirm that a retailer lists one before you assume it exists. Our SkyTrak+ package guide and Uneekor package guide cover those families in more detail.

Browse complete simulator packages ↗

Questions about course libraries

Can I design my own course and play it on my simulator?

Yes, in The Golf Club 2019 (TGC 2019), through its Course Forge editor. GSPro also has community tools for building courses, though the details depend on the version you run. Check each title's current editor before you start a project.

Do community-built courses play as accurately as licensed ones?

Ball flight comes from the software, so the physics are the same whichever course you pick. What changes is the terrain, the green contours and the hazards, and those depend on the person who built the course. Community ratings and reviews are the best guide to quality.

Does a huge course library need a more powerful PC?

The number of courses does not drive hardware needs. Graphics settings and the detail of individual courses do. Compare the published requirements for the title you plan to run before you buy a computer for it.

Can I switch software later without losing my launch monitor?

Often yes, if your monitor works with several titles. Some monitors limit which software you can run or sell licences through their own store, though. Check the monitor's supported software list before you commit to a library.

Can friends in other cities play the same course with me?

Many titles offer online play and tournaments. Both players usually need the same software, and the course has to be available to both of you. Check each title's online features, since they differ.