Bushnell Launch Pro or Foresight Sports GC3: Which One Should You Buy?

It’s been a wild ride on a winding road trying to track the pricing and comparative details of the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3 golf launch monitors. Things have changed numerous times. But with this post, we’re going to give you the latest, updated information so that you can make your best Bushnell Launch Pro vs GC3 buying decision.

Before we get going, know this: These are two of the very best golf launch monitors and simulators on the market. Each of them sits in that sweet spot between what might be considered budget launch monitors that cost less than $1,000 and what you might think of as professional-grade launch monitors that cost upwards of $20,000. Think of these two products as “prosumer” golf launch monitors.

In other words, if you want a launch monitor that’s accurate enough for top-level players and that allows for incredibly realistic simulator golf experiences but that isn’t the absolute top-of-the-mountain, latest-and-greatest device, the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3 are two of the very best products for your consideration. 

But all it takes is one look at both of them together for the confusion to begin.

A lot of golfers have a lot of questions, like:

• If these are two different products, why do they look exactly the same?
• Do they both deliver the same data?
• Is one of them better or more accurate than the other?
• As golf simulators, do they both work the same?
• Which one represents the best value?
• Which one should I buy?

If you’ve got any of those questions on your list, you’re in the right place. We’re going to clarify, once and for all, how the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3 compare with each other.

If you’re in the market for either of these, congratulations! You’ve narrowed your decision making down to two excellent golf launch monitors. Now, let’s help you figure out which is the right one for you.

Comparing the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3: How Did We End up With Two Different Golf Launch Monitors?

To help you understand why the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3 look identical, let’s briefly study a bit of history.

In 2021, more than 10 years after they had released their GC2 golf launch monitor, Foresight Sports debuted the GC3.

Shortly after that, Vista Outdoors, the parent company of Bushnell, acquired Foresight Sports.

But rather than just selling their new launch monitor design under one name, the decision was made to keep the GC3 under the Foresight brand while additionally releasing a Launch Pro model under the Bushnell brand. It seems the decision makers viewed Foresight as a brand that resonated more with a professional audience while Bushnell was more familiar to the everyday consumer. The company wanted a way to reach both audiences, and this was their solution.

So we’re left with two golf launch monitors that are the exact same device. Except for the price.

Initially, the Launch Pro was sold with a series of subscription tiers that unlocked its various shot-tracking and simulator capabilities. Meanwhile, the GC3 was sold as the turnkey, fully-unlocked, no subscription alternative.

But it was confusing. You had to do some serious math to figure out which Launch Pro subscription unlocked what and which of these two golf launch monitors was the better buy.

All of this went through multiple pricing iterations, the consumer becoming more and more confused with each subsequent change.

Finally, things have stabilized to the point where we more easily understand what makes the Bushnell Launch Pro different from the Foresight Sports GC3.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Both launch monitors look the same except for the GC3 has a “Foresight Sports” badge on the unit while the Launch Pro’s marking says “Bushnell Golf/Foresight Sports”.
• Each product is capable of reading the same data metrics.
• Each launch monitor is available as a Ball Data only model and a Ball and Club Data model.
• To play simulator golf and to store and review your data with the Launch Pro, you’ll need to pay an annual subscription.
• There is now only one subscription tier, the Gold Package, associated with the Launch Pro.
• There is no annual subscription with the GC3.

So, as you see, the real difference between these two products is that to play sim golf or use the software to review your data, you’ll pay as you go with the Bushnell Launch Pro, whereas with the GC3, you’ll only pay once.

So, which one is the better buy? Let’s walk through each option with each launch monitor to find out.

Updated Bushnell Launch Pro Subscription Options

OK, as I mentioned, you can get the Launch Pro in one of two flavors, the Ball Data only model or the Ball and Club Data model.

With the Bushnell Launch Pro Ball Data only model, for $1,999.99, you get:

• Carry Distance
• Ball Speed
• Total Spin
• Horizontal Launch Angle
• Vertical Launch Angle
• Back Spin
• Side Spin
• Spin Tilt Axis
• Barometer

With the Bushnell Launch Pro Ball and Club Data model, for $3,499.99, you get all of the above plus:

• Clubhead Speed
• Club Path
• Angle of Attack
• Smash Factor

Then to use the Bushnell Launch Pro as a golf simulator, you’ll have to buy the Foresight Sports Gold subscription package, which costs $499 per year after a free 14-day trial.

If you do spring for the Gold package, you’ll get access to all of the Foresight golf simulator software, including:

• FSX Pro (Foresight’s mobile app)
• FSX Play (Foresight’s newest simulator software)
• 25 simulated golf courses (additional courses available for purchase)
• Awesome Golf (a more animated, arcade-like version of simulator golf)

We could go on and on about the shot-tracking and simulator virtues of the Bushnell Launch Pro and how it compares to any competitors. But that’s worth it’s own post. So if you’re interested, check out this in-depth Bushnell Launch Pro review.

Our task here is to cut through the Bushnell Launch Pro vs GC3 confusion. We’ve now identified the options and prices associated with the Launch Pro. Let’s explore the same with the GC3.

Foresight GC3 Price

Just like the Launch Pro, the Foresight Sports GC3 is also available as a Ball Data only model or as a Ball and Club Data model. As you’ve likely guessed, the data that you get with each respective version is the exact same as what you get with the corresponding Launch Pro versions.

Here’s how the price breaks down for the Foresight Sports launch monitor options:

• Ball Data Only with 25 sim courses and Awesome Golf = $5,999.00
• Ball and Club Data with 25 sim courses and Awesome Golf = $7,999.00
• Ball and Club Data with 25 sim courses PLUS 10 premium courses and Awesome Golf = $8,499.00

You’ll notice that there is no subscription fee with the GC3. So, unlike with the Bushnell Launch Pro, you can play sim golf the day you get your launch monitor without having to worry about an annual subscription.

But does that mean it’s a better deal? Let’s break it down.

Bushnell Launch Pro vs GC3: Which Is the Better Deal?

To summarize, you can get a Ball Data only Bushnell Launch Pro for $1,999.99. But then if you wanted to play simulator golf, you’d have to pay another $499 a year. For the sake of this comparison, let’s assume you do in fact want to play sim golf (because of course you do!).

You can get a Foresight Sports GC3 Ball Data only model for $5,999 with no annual subscription.

That means that if you paid the annual subscription you could own a Bushnell Launch Pro Ball Data only model for eight years before you paid out what it would cost you to own a Foresight Sports GC3 Ball Data only model.

How about for the Ball and Club Data models?

You can buy a Bushnell Launch Pro Ball and Club Data model for $3,499.99 and have to pay $499 per year for simulator golf.

Or you could buy a Foresight Sports GC3 Ball and Club Data model for $7,999 and skip the annual subscription.

So in the case of the Ball and Club Data models, you’d have to own your Bushnell Launch Pro for nine years before you caught up to what you’d pay for a Foresight Sports GC3.

Now, listen, I hate subscriptions as much as I assume you do. I of course hate having to pay them, but I also hate having to keep track of expiring payment methods, etc. It’s the pits.

But I’ve got to say that I think most people would find themselves money ahead if they went the Bushnell Launch Pro route. The reason being that eight and nine years is an incredibly long time when we’re talking about golf launch monitor technology. Who knows how things may evolve? Will you still want to own the same golf launch monitor nearly a decade down the road?

On the other hand, you may be the sort of person who finds great value in getting everything you want and need right out of the box without ever having to worry about any additional costs. If that’s you, the Foresight Sports GC3 is clearly the way to go.

Or you might be the kind of person who knows definitively that once you buy your dream golf launch monitor, you’re never going to replace it. The way that the Launch Pro and GC3 are built, there’s no reason to think it won’t still be operating in 10-plus years. So if you know that you’re going to want to own one of these for at least close to a decade, why not get the GC3. After eight or nine years, you’ll have saved money.

At the end of the day, it’s nice to have options. And now that we’ve eliminated the confusion and answered the most common questions, you hopefully have a clear vision of which of these two launch monitors makes the most sense for you.

My advice: Let this end your deliberations. Now, get to the good stuff of choosing your best golf launch monitor and simulator and let the fun begin!

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.