Bushnell Launch Pro Space Requirements - How Much Space Do You Need? [Home Golf Simulator Guide – Full Indoor/Outdoor Specs]

Not only is the Bushnell Launch Pro the most accurate affordable golf launch monitor, it’s also one of the best indoor golf simulator choices.

Why?

Space! Because this photometric golf launch monitor sits to the side of the golf ball rather than from behind, using it indoors requires much less room depth.

So, if you’re trying to set up your dream indoor golf simulator studio but you have some room-size limitations, the Bushnell Launch Pro may be the perfect solution.

But it’s not the right choice for everybody — no golf launch monitor would be.

Let’s identify exactly how much room you’ll need to comfortably use a Bushnell Launch Pro. And while we’re at it, let’s identify some of the factors that could make a golf launch monitor other than the Bushnell Launch Pro a better choice for you.

How Much Indoor Space Do You Need for a Bushnell Launch Pro Golf Simulator?

The Bushnell Launch Pro is a very attractive indoor golf simulator option for a few key reasons:

1. Space-saving opportunities. As discussed, you’ll need far less room depth using a Launch Pro than you would with a radar golf launch monitor like the FlightScope Mevo Plus, Rapsodo MLM2PRO, Garmin Approach R10, or Swing Caddie SC4.
2. Accuracy. There’s a reason that the Launch Pro and its even higher-end product siblings like the Foresight Sports GCQuad and QuadMAX are trusted by playing professionals. It’s because it delivers unmatched data accuracy. You can trust the numbers you’re getting. That’s great for game-improvement, but it also makes for exceptionally realistic simulator golf.
3. Price. It wasn’t long ago that golf launch monitors were cost prohibitive for most home golf simulator consumers. That’s changed completely. In fact, you can buy a Bushnell Launch Pro Ball Data Only model for just $1,999.99. But… To use it as a golf simulator, there is an annual subscription fee. We’ll discuss that more below.

Of those three primary reasons for using a Bushnell Launch Pro as an indoor golf simulator, the space-saving opportunities might be the biggest selling point.

It all comes down to how golf launch monitors read golf shots. In the case of the Launch Pro, the unit uses three cameras to read shots from the side of the golf ball. So whereas a Doppler radar launch monitor needs to sit 6 to 8 feet behind the golf ball and needs significant room in front of the ball to accurately read ball flight, the Launch Pro doesn’t need any of that.

While room size requirements, especially ceiling height, will vary depending on the height and length of swing of the golfer, our general room-size recommendations for comfortably using a Bushnell Launch Pro indoors are:

• 10 feet wide
• 10 feet deep
• 9 feet tall

Again, these space requirements are not absolutes. They will vary depending on the size of the users.

Generally speaking, you need enough depth to allow you to swing your longest club without hitting the wall behind you as well as enough room between the ball and your impact screen so that the ball can hit the screen and not ricochet back into your body. Ten feet is a good expectation, though you may find that up to 12 feet provides you even more comfort. Compare that to the 21 feet of room depth recommended for something like the FightScope Mevo+ or Mevo+ Limited Edition, and you can see how useful a Bushnell Launch Pro is for people with smaller rooms.

As for ceiling height, you of course need to be able to freely swing the driver without the risk of putting holes in your ceiling. Taller golfers with longer swings may need more than 9-foot ceilings. Conversely, shorter golfers may be able to get away with even less height.

For room width, you again just need enough space to swing freely without hitting either side wall. That said, be mindful that the Launch Pro does need to sit a couple of feet away from the golf ball in order for it to read the shots. That means that you can’t stand immediately next to the Launch Pro to hit your golf shots. You’ll need a little bit of additional room width.

Regarding that room width, if you buy one of the Bushnell Launch Pro PlayBetter SimStudio packages, it comes with a 5’ x 5’ hitting mat. Depending on how close you stand to the golf ball, you may have an issue fitting both the Launch Pro and your feet onto a hitting mat of that size. If that situation arises, you may need to place the Launch Pro on something like a book or magazine or extra piece of turf so that it can sit to the side of the hitting mat, allowing you to stand fully on the hitting surface.

The bottom line is that you don’t need nearly as large of a room to use a Bushnell Launch Pro as an indoor golf simulator as you would with other golf launch monitors.

However, nothing is perfect. Let’s find out why the Launch Pro could present issues for some types of golfers.

The Downside of the Space-Saving Bushnell Launch Pro Golf Launch Monitor

For as great as it is that the set-to-the-side Bushnell Launch Pro means you won’t need as large of a room, it also means that if you’re playing indoor simulator golf with both righties and lefties, you’ll need to move the Launch Pro back and forth.

With a radar-based launch monitor, the unit sits 6 to 8 feet behind the golf ball. That, of course, means you need a lot more room depth. But it also means that you can stand on either side of the golf ball without having to move the launch monitor.

With the Bushnell Launch Pro, or options like the SkyTrak+ or Foresight Sports GC3, the launch monitor sits to the side, with the golf ball in between the golfer and the launch monitor. So, if you switch from a righty to a lefty, you’ll need to move the golf launch monitor to the opposite side of the golf ball. Doing so would of course disrupt the rhythm of a simulated round of golf, so that is something to take into account if you plan to play sim golf regularly with both righties and lefties.

The other potential sticking point for using a Bushnell Launch Pro as a golf simulator is that to do so you’ll need to pay $499 per year for the Golf software package. That annual subscription price is on the steeper side compared to some competitors.

If you do pay the subscription, you get access to all of the Foresight Sports 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)

And while that annual subscription requirement is, again, on the steep side, the simulator experience that it unlocks is nothing short of outstanding. When you combine the accuracy of the Launch Pro with the graphics of FSX Play, you’re talking about incredibly realistic simulator golf.

Is the Bushnell Launch Pro a Good Indoor Golf Simulator Option?

If you are tight on space but really want an indoor golf simulator studio, you really can’t do much better than a Bushnell Launch Pro. The space-saving opportunity makes it an ideal choice for a lot of prospective users.

But you definitely don’t have to have space limitations for the Bushnell Launch Pro to be a great option. Even if you’ve got an enormous simulator studio, the unmatched accuracy of the Launch Pro makes it an excellent choice for golfers who want a serious, prosumer-level setup.

That said, if you’re going to plan to regularly play simulator golf with both righties and lefties at the same time, having to move the golf launch monitor back and forth is going to be a pain.

As for the annual subscription, yes, it’s on the high side. But really, for all that you’re getting, it’s more than worth it.

So if you’re planning an indoor golf studio, and especially if space is an issue, the Bushnell Launch Pro is a fantastic buy.

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc "Shef" 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.