GC3 vs. Launch Pro. vs GCQuad: What’s the Best Foresight Launch Monitor?

So you’ve heard that the Bushnell Launch Pro is one of the very best golf launch monitors and simulators.

And guess what? It is.

But you’ve also heard that the Foresight Sports GC3 is one of the best golf tech devices available.

And guess what? It is.

Now you’ve noticed that the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3 look exactly the same.

And guess what? They do.

Even crazier, you’re hearing about a Foresight Sports GCQuad. 

What is this, you wonder, and how is it different from these other identical-looking launch monitors?

The whole thing becomes confusing as hell.

So what are each of these devices and how do they compare to each other?

And more importantly, which one, if any, is right for you?

That’s what we’re going to break down today. Once and for all, we’re going to answer your questions about these three golf launch monitors/simulators and we’re going to leave you with everything you could possibly want to know about how they stack up against each other.

Ready to solve the mystery of the Foresight GC3 vs the Bushnell Launch Pro vs. the Foresight GCQuad? Let’s do it.

Foresight GC3 vs. Bushnell Launch Pro: What are the Differences?

OK, let’s put the GCQuad on the back burner for a minute. We’ll get to that below.

First, we’ve got to unravel this tangled mess of confusion between the Foresight Sports GC3 and the Bushnell Launch Pro. Obviously the whole GC3 vs. Launch Pro thing raises questions.

Are you ready for this? The Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3 are the exact same thing.

Same exact device. Except the GC3 is marked “Foresight Sports” while the Launch Pro says “Bushnell Golf/Foresight Sports.”

Both the GC3 and Launch Pro also have the exact same performance.

Each of these units are capable of the same launch monitor data and the same simulator features. Each uses a series of three precision cameras to track your ball and club data. Each unit sits to the side of your golf ball, rather than measuring from behind like some other launch monitors, meaning that both units offer space-saving potential for indoor use. Each unit can accurately track putting when used as a simulator, which not every golf launch monitor can do.

And both the Launch Pro and GC3 are exactly the same in terms of awesomeness.

Seriously, each of these products is generally regarded as among the very best and most accurate golf launch monitors available. I can confirm that with firsthand experience. I’ve tested a whole bunch of launch monitors, and my Bushnell Launch Pro is unquestionably the most accurate device that I own.

But we still haven’t answered the question. If the GC3 and Launch Pro look the same and do the same things, then what’s the point of having two identical products?

It all has to do with the pricing models and the features that each price tier unlocks. That is literally the only difference. And yet it still gets a little confusing. Try to stay with us, and then we’ll tie it all together at the end with a recommendation for which launch monitor might be right for you.

Bushnell Launch Pro Pricing

The Bushnell Launch Pro costs $3,499.99. Out of the box, you get the following ball data metrics:

• Carry distance
• Ball speed
• Launch angle
• Side angle
• Total spin
• Back spin
• Side spin
• Spin axis

But the data you receive is for a single shot, presented on the unit’s LCD screen with no storage options.

To unlock more features, you’ve got to pony up more for higher subscription levels. Your first year after purchase comes with a free Basic software subscription. After that, it costs $249 annually. The Basic package not only allows data storage but also provides additional metrics, including:

• Total distance
• Clubhead speed
• Smash factor
• Club path
• Angle of attack
• Descent angle
• Peak height
• Offline distance
• Barometer adjustment

To use your Launch Pro as a golf simulator, you’ll need to spring for the Gold subscription plan.

At $699 per year, the Gold package gives you everything the Basic subscription can do plus 3D ball flight, up to 10 saved sessions and videos and 10 different simulator courses for up to eight players. Here are the simulator courses included with the Launch Pro Gold subscription:

• Willow Crest
• Teton Pines
• Blue Bayou
• Broken Tree
• Linfield National
• Beaver Hills
• Kinsale
• The Farms
• Tall Pines
• Butterfield

Not the sexiest list of courses, I’ve got to say.

Now, let’s say you get the Launch Pro and after using everything, you decide that you want it all but you don’t want to pay monthly subscriptions. Well, you can unlock everything the Launch Pro can do for a one-time $3,499 fee.

Foresight GC3 Launch Monitor Pricing

So, when it comes to the Foresight GC3 vs. Launch Pro we know that they’re the same. The only difference, other than the branding on the device itself, is the price tiers. Just like with the Launch Pro, you’ve got three options with the GC3.

First up, for a one-time $5,999 purchase price, is the GC3 Ball Enabled Bundle. With this option, you get only ball data, meaning none of the club data like smash factor, clubhead speed, etc. In other words, the GC3 Ball Enabled Bundle gives you the same data as what you get out of the box with the Launch Pro. However, with the GC3, you also get the following simulator software:

• FSX Play
• FSX 2020
• FSX Pro
• 10 golf courses (the same ones included with the Launch Pro Gold subscription)

Next, for a one-time $7,499, you’ve got the GC3 Essentials Bundle. This package adds the club data that you were missing with the GC3 Ball Enabled Bundle. In other words, you get the same data sets as you would with the Basic package on the Launch Pro. As a reminder, those total metric options include:

• Carry distance
• Ball speed
• Launch angle
• Side angle
• Total spin
• Back spin
• Side spin
• Spin axis
• Total distance
• Clubhead speed
• Smash factor
• Club path
• Angle of attack
• Descent angle
• Peak height
• Offline distance
• Barometer adjustment

Plus, you get the same simulator functionality and golf courses with the GC3 Essentials Bundle as you do with the Ball Enabled Bundle.

So, the Essentials Bundle is the same as the Ball Enabled Bundle except that it adds in all of the club data metrics.

And finally, we’ve got the GC3 Players Plus Bundle for a one-time shot of $8,999. With it, you get everything we’ve already mentioned plus 10 additional simulator golf courses for a total of 20 courses. And those 10 additional golf courses include some biggies. Check it out:

• Pebble Beach
• The Links at Spanish Bay
• Spyglass Hill
• The Old Course at St Andrews
• The Castle Course at St Andrews
• Jubilee Course at St Andrews
• New Course at St Andrews
• Pitch ‘n Putt
• Carnoustie
• Real club Valderrama

So, again, the GC3 Players Plus Bundle is the same as the Essentials Bundle except that for $1,500 more, you get 10 more golf courses including a few famous ones. 

If all of these high price tags feel like too much for you, you might check out either the SkyTrak+ or the Mevo Plus with Pro Package. For less than half the price of the GC3 Essentials Bundle, both offer all of the club data metrics.

Bushnell vs. Foresight

You might be wondering how it ever got to the point that we have two identical products (except for their pricing structures) with two different manufacturer names. Well, in 2021, Bushnell’s parent company, Vista Outdoor, purchased Foresight Sports in a blockbuster, headline-grabbing acquisition.

Foresight had already been successfully marketing and selling their GC3 launch monitor. So, rather than mess with a good thing, Bushnell left the Foresight Sports launch monitor and its pricing model alone and simply added the Bushell Launch Pro as a way to offer this same industry-leading technology in a different pricing package.

Since then, they’ve adjusted the pricing models for both the Launch Pro and GC3 at least twice, keeping us all on our toes.

Bottom line: This was simply a case of positioning one product in multiple ways to appeal to a wider customer base. And I think they’ve done just that. 

Would it maybe be simpler to understand if this was one product with one name and just different purchase tier options? Probably. But the end result is the same. We’ve got choices. And that’s not a bad thing for the golf consumer, even if it does leave some of us with a bit of option overload.

Foresight Sports GCQuad: The One Time 4 is Better than 3 on the Golf Course

So, we’ve unpacked the whole GC3 vs. Launch Pro situation. But there’s more to consider. And that’s the Foresight GCQuad. As you might have guessed, this adds a fourth camera to the three that you get with the GC3 and Launch Pro. With a quadrascopic four-camera system, the GCQuad provides even better accuracy and life-like representation of your shots.

But it ain’t cheap.

The base-level GCQuad package costs $14,500 and doesn’t include any of the aforementioned club data. Instead, it’s just ball data. Now you do get simulator functionality and 10 golf courses, but they are the 10 lesser-known courses. Not the big dogs like Pebble, St Andrews and Spyglass.

Then, for $19,999, you get the Fully-Loaded GCQuad Bundle. And it does include a number of metrics and features not available with any other option, including:

• Loft/Lie
• Face angle
• Impact location
• Closure rate
• Essential Putting Analysis (you can now get insight into every part of your game, including putting)

Interestingly, or disappointingly, even the $20K Quad option only gets you 10 golf courses. And they aren’t even the most desirable ones! Seems like a serious miss there to me.

Now, either way you buy your GCQuad, you also get:

• An 18” x 14” hitting zone (compared to the 7” x 10” with the GC3 and Launch Pro)
• An interchangeable lithium-ion battery
• An enhanced Premium Reflective Memory Display (makes it more viewable outdoors)
• Bluetooth connectivity

The unit itself is 2.5 pounds heavier, an inch wider and a half-inch taller than the GC3/Launch Pro.

GC3 vs. Launch Pro vs. GCQuad: Which Foresight Launch Monitor is Best for You?

Clearly, there’s a lot to digest here. I know that it may still feel a little overwhelming, but I hope that we’ve simplified things at least a little bit.

Here’s my general take:

First of all, like with all golf tech products, what’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for another. That’s a given.

I’ll say this: If you’re a high-level competitive player or regular teaching pro, then the GCQuad is the best you can do. It’s going to give you the absolute best accuracy and graphics. It’s a bummer about the golf-course limitations, but maybe something will change down the road. Regardless, if you’re at the highest level, or if you’ve got a very large budget and simply want the ultimate, I’d get the GCQuad, cry once, and be done with it, knowing you have the best.

But if you’re like almost everyone else, it’s a matter of choosing which of the Launch Pro or GC3 subscriptions makes the most sense. To recap those:

You’ve got the launch monitor-only capability with the out-of-the-box Launch Pro for $3,499.99.

• Who is this for? For the person that wants the most accurate pro-sumer launch monitor and who isn’t too concerned about playing simulator golf. Likely, this makes a lot of sense for outdoor-only users.

Then, for another $249 per year (first year free), you can add the Basic Launch Pro subscription and get club data but still no simulator features.

• Who is this for? For the golfer who wants more data but still doesn’t care about sim.

For $699 a year with the Launch Pro Gold package, you can get all of the data plus simulator functionality with 10 golf courses.

• Who is this for? For the person who wants everything we’ve mentioned so far but maybe doesn’t plan to keep the unit for more than five years. Because if they do, I think they are better off with:

The option to fully unlock the Launch Pro with a one-time fee of $3,499.

• Who is this for? For the person who buys the Launch Pro and then decides down the road that they want everything it can do. Rather than pay $699 a year over and over, you’d be money ahead after five years if you opted for this choice rather than the Gold package.

Then there’s the option to buy the one-time $5,999 GC3 Ball Enabled Bundle. You won’t get club data, but you do get simulator access to 10 courses.

• Who is this for? Probably for the person that values sim more than data. If that’s you and you don’t want to spring for the extra 10 courses, this is probably your cheapest way to use this unit as a simulator. At least if you’re going to keep it for several years. If you were only going to keep it for a few years, it’d be more economical to buy the Launch Pro and pay for the Gold subscription, plus you’d get club data. But again, after five years, you’d spend more money than if you had bought the GC3 Ball Enabled Bundle.

Then we’ve got the GC3 Essentials Bundle for a one-time cost of $7,499. This one adds all of the club data plus the 10-course simulator access.

• Who is this for? Honestly, I don’t know. Why would you pay for this package when you could buy a Launch Pro and fully unlock it for a total of $6,998.99? Let me know in the comments below if I’m missing something. If not, this just seems like a trap that should be avoided.

And then there’s the GC3 Players Plus Bundle for a one-time purchase price of $8,999. You get all the ball and club data plus 20 simulator golf courses.

• Who is this for? For the golfer who wants to play simulated rounds at classics like Pebble Beach and the Old Course. This is how you do that.

And finally, there’s the GCQuad for either $14,500 (no club data but 10 courses) or $19,999 (all the data plus the 10 courses).

• Who is this for? As we’ve already discussed, ballers only.

There you have it. Even when we try and make it as simple as possible, it really isn’t all that simple. But if you take your time in combing through all that we’ve spelled out, I think it will become obvious to you which choice makes the most sense for you.

Here’s something that really is simple and obvious: By whatever name you want to call it, this launch monitor/simulator is killer! You buy this baby in whatever iteration, and you’ll be way, way ahead in terms of accuracy, dependability and fun.

Still unsure about which golf launch monitor is right for you? Take our quiz. After just 30 seconds, you’ll have a recommendation that fits your personalized specs.

Other Related Launch Monitors to Consider

If you’re not sure a Foresight launch monitor is right for you, I’ve got good news: you have lots of other options.

• Best Golf Launch Monitors – This is my breakdown of all the best options on the market. So definitely take a look at this to make sure you’ve covered all your bases.
• SkyTrak Plus – The SkyTrak Plus simulator experience isn’t quite as smooth as Foresight, although it does have better courses. Where it shines though is in it’s user interface and practice experience. It’s fantastic, and setup is a breeze.
• FlightScope Mevo Plus – This has been our best overall recommendation for a reason. It’s versatile, affordable, nad even fully loaded with Pro Package and Impact Detection it comes in under $4k. Want impact detection on a Foresight? You’ve gotta spend $20k for the fully loaded GCQuad package.
• Rapsodo MLM2PRO – This is much more of a budget option,so if you’ve been considering a Foresight device, then this likely won’t do it for you. But if budget is a significant issue, then consider the latest from Rapsodo.