Foresight Sports GCQuad 2024 Review: It’s Good Enough for the Pros, but Are You Good Enough for It?
Marc says: "In the hands of someone who understands how to interpret the data, the GCQuad is a game-changing monster!" Find out EVERYTHING you didn't know about this truly pro-grade golf launch monitor!
If you’ve watched pro golfers warm up on the range, whether on TV or in person, you’ve seen the Foresight Sports GCQuad golf launch monitor. In fact, you’ve probably seen a number of them used at the same time on the same range by different professionals. That’s because the GCQuad is the preferred tool of many of the best golfers in the world who want to confirm their numbers before they play their most important rounds.
Why is it the golf launch monitor they turn to?
Because of the GCQuad’s unmatched ball and club data accuracy. The pros trust the numbers that the GCQuad reports.
If it’s good enough for them, I think we can skip past any deliberations about whether or not it’s good enough for you or me. Of course it is!
The real question is, are we good enough for it? That, to me, is the crux of determining value in the professional-grade golf launch monitor space. Especially when the price tag jumps north of $15K like with the GCQuad.
In other words, a GCQuad might be worth it to a tour pro, but what about us? Would a “normal" golfer benefit from having the best, or are we better off saving money and buying something else from a long list of really good golf launch monitor options?
We don’t even have to look beyond the Foresight Sports brand to find a launch monitor that could be a better fit for many golfers. The Foresight Sports GC3 and its twin product, the Bushnell Launch Pro, are much less expensive than the Quad, and they’re nearly as accurate.
What, then, makes the GCQuad worth the price? And is it worth that much more money than a GC3 or Launch Pro?
I tested the GCQuad in person. And I’ll tell you straight up that it’s unbelievably awesome. But is it worth buying? Here’s what I think…
Foresight Sports GCQuad vs GC3 vs Launch Pro: Is 4 That Much Better Than 3?!
The Foresight Sports GC3 ball and club data model retails for $7,999. And the Bushnell Launch Pro ball and club data option, which is the same thing as a GC3 except with a pay-as-you-go $500 annual subscription, is $4,129.99.
So, for an asking price of $15,999.99, how much more can the GCQuad do?
The answer is that it’s not necessarily the number of extra features with the Quad. It’s just that they do each and every one of them better than not only the GC3 and Launch Pro but every other launch monitor I’ve tested, except for the new-and-improved Foresight QuadMAX model, which I’ll review soon.
For starters, the GCQuad does give you more. Four cameras instead of three, of course. That means one additional vantage point from which the launch monitor can even more precisely read ball and club data.
And it means more data options. In fact, it means every useful data metric a good player, teaching pro, clubfitter, or golf simulator junkie could need.
For ball data, you’ve got:
- Launch angle
- Side angle
- Ball speed
- Total spin
- Carry distance
- Side spin/spin axis
That’s the same set of ball data metrics that the GC3 and Launch Pro delivers. It’s when we get to club data and putting that the GCQuad separates itself. Club data includes:
- Clubhead speed
- Smash factor
- Club path
- Angle of attack
- Loft/lie (not available with GC3/Launch Pro)
- Face angle (not available with GC3/Launch Pro)
- Impact location (not available with GC3/Launch Pro)
- Closure rate (not available with GC3/Launch Pro)
That’s a pretty sick set of metrics. And in the hands of someone who understands how to interpret the data, the GCQuad is a game-changing monster. It’s everything I love about the GC3 but more of it.
Some of this information gets totally next level. Closure rate, for example, shows you how fast the face is closing as the club moves into impact. This kind of specific, precise information and, more importantly, the culmination of all of these data points give the right user a complete picture of their golf swing.
GCQuad Putting Analysis: Best in Class
Where the GCQuad really gets wild is with the putting analysis option. No other launch monitor gives you anything as complete as this putting experience. You’ll learn things like how the ball launches off your putter face and for how long it skids before rolling. Even just to be able to see where on the putter face you’re making contact could help you revolutionize your putting. I’d think the GCQuad would be a putter fitter’s dream.
But the putting add-on costs another $2,500, which means that a totally tricked-out GCQuad is going to cost you $18,499. And that, of course, is the general problem or challenge with the GCQuad. It’s quite costly.
I should note that even if you don’t get the putting analysis add-on, you can use the GCQuad to read putts for a round of simulator golf. And it actually works quite a bit better and is more realistic than with several other golf launch monitors.
Foresight Sports GCQuad Data Accuracy
As for GCQuad accuracy, we’ve talked about that. It’s dead-on. But here’s the thing: So is the Foresight Sports GC3 and Bushnell Launch Pro. I’m not going to say the Quad isn’t more accurate. Who am I to argue with the game’s best? But I’ve also found the GC3 and Launch Pro to be insanely accurate for anything near their price point. In fact, we’ve got to jump all the way up to the Quad’s price class to best the GC3/Launch Pro accuracy.
From that standpoint, the GC3 and Launch Pro both look like a hell of a bargain. And I’m beginning to see that they really are. In fact, for most golfers, I think the GC3 or Launch Pro would be more than adequate. But not everyone is “most people.” There are those who require the best, and that’s who should be considering the GCQuad.
One of the coolest things about the GCQuad, I found, is that the crystal-clear display includes the face impact location right on the screen. It’s the only launch monitor that gives you instant face impact feedback.
The display on the GCQuad is far better than on the GC3. It’s bigger, brighter, easier to read, and just an entirely better experience. The GCQuad looks and feels like a high-class product, and the screen, especially when it’s on and in use, is a huge part of it. It’s a beautiful display.
Another luxury with the GCQuad is a much larger hitting area. With the four cameras and the way they’re more spread out, you’ve got a 14-inch by 18-inch hitting zone, compared to the 7 inches by 10 inches with the GC3/Launch Pro.
It’s nice to be able to throw a ball down and not really worry about checking to see if the launch monitor is going to read the shot. And outside, where turf divots mean your ball position can move a fairly large distance through a practice session, the larger hitting area means you don’t have to move the launch monitor.
GCQuad Setup: As Simple as It Gets
One thing that’s exactly the same with the GCQuad and GC3/Launch Pro is the ease of setup. It’s one of the best things about each of these products. There’s no extensive calibration or alignment. It’s all done in a matter of seconds once you set the launch monitor down and turn it on.
The built-in display on the GCQuad means that you can get numbers without even using the app. I absolutely love that for quick tune-up or pre-round sessions. And I know that teaching pros and clubfitters benefit from instant feedback without the need to fumble around with a connected device.
When you do want to connect with the Foresight software, all of your GCQuad data will automatically be stored in the cloud for your review and analysis. Again, with as many different data points as the Quad delivers, there’s a lot to analyze. Data nerds will have a field day. But if all those numbers aren’t really your thing, the GCQuad might mean you’d be paying for overkill.
One thing I’m not crazy about with the GCQuad is that, to get all the club data, you need to apply four stickers to each clubface. Let me tell you, if you leave the stickers on full-time (which you most likely will, though be warned that they’re not legal in competitive tournaments), people are going to ask you about them when you’re out on the golf course. And then you might have to invite them over to play on your GCQuad. So take that into account.
I definitely don’t love having to include four stickers on each clubface, but they are simple to put on and they last for a really long time. In my experience, each sticker is good for several months, if not longer. And the Quad comes with a sticker dispenser for easy application.
As I’ve talked about in other golf launch monitor reviews, photometric units like the GCQuad mean you need far less room depth than with a radar-based launch monitor that sits about 8 feet behind the ball and needs another several feet in front of the ball to read shots accurately. Radar units often require as much as 21 feet of room depth. With the GCQuad, you’d likely be safe in a room that was:
- 10 feet wide
- 10 feet deep
- 9 feet tall
The only potential issue with using a golf launch monitor like the Foresight Sports GCQuad as an indoor golf simulator is if you’re going to be playing with righties and lefties at the same time. You’re going to have to move the launch monitor from one side to the other every time you switch between righty and lefty. That’s certainly not ideal for a fun and seamless round of sim golf. If that’s going to present a problem for you, you may be stuck considering a radar launch monitor that can stay in a fixed position behind the ball.
Foresight GCQuad Golf Simulator Software and App Experience
First things first, the Foresight Sports FSX Play software paired with a GCQuad makes for as realistic a simulator golf experience as is available anywhere. Between the pinpoint accuracy of the data and the sharp, super-lifelike graphics of FSX Play, anybody is going to be blown away by this setup.
Here’s what you get out of the box with a GCQuad:
- FSX Play simulation software plus 25 simulator golf courses
- FSX 2020 software
- FSX Pro Performance software
- Awesome Golf lifetime membership
- Foresight Fairgrounds
As for the sim golf courses that are included, none of them are real show stoppers in terms of international renown, but there are plenty of fun tracks, great designs, and interesting golf holes. Here’s what you get for sim courses out of the box:
- Blue Bayou Golf and Fishing Club
- Broken Tree Golf Course
- Linfield National Golf Club
- Teton Pines Golf Course
- Willow Crest Golf Club
- The Farms Golf Club
- Beaver Hills Country Club
- Tall Pines
- Butterfield Country Club
- Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club
- Awbrey Glen Golf Course
- Barren Boulders Executive
- Black Rock Golf Course
- Detroit Country Club
- Glen Flora Country Club
- Greencastle Golf Club
- Meadowbrook Country Club
- Mill Creek Golf Club
- Potter’s Park Golf Course
- Prairie Bluff Golf Club
- Sunnyside Golf & Country Club
- The Bedens Brook Club
- Twin Run Golf Course
- Wellington National Golf Club
- Tropical Paradise Executive
If you want to play the biggies — courses like Pebble Beach and St Andrews — via FSX Play, you’ll have to pay $500 a pop.
Another great thing about the GCQuad, like with the GC3, is that there are no annual subscriptions. You can play simulator golf as soon as you get your launch monitor and for as long as you own it.
GCQuad Pros, Cons, Value, and Investment
The GCQuad is a hell of a golf launch monitor. There’s no disputing that.
But is it worth $15,999? Or $18,499 if you add the putting analysis?
For a lot of golfers, I don’t think that it is. I think that a golf launch monitor like the Foresight Sports GC3, Bushnell Launch Pro, SkyTrak+, or FlightScope Mevo Plus Limited Edition is a better option. Each of those units costs considerably less money and delivers a launch monitor and simulator experience that is still outstanding.
But none of them are as good as the Foresight Sports GCQuad. When you combine accuracy, data points, ease-of-use, convenience, simulator software, and build quality, there’s no other launch monitor (other than the QuadMAX) that can compete with the GCQuad.
Is it worth between $15,999 and $18,499? For the right person, it definitely is. It’s kind of like how one 18-hole golf course might cost $20 a round, while another course might cost thousands of dollars per month. They’re both golf courses. But for the right user, the more expensive option provides value.
The pros of the GCQuad are extensive. Basically, everything having to do with a golf launch monitor and simulator is a pro with the Quad.
The cons are relatively few. I don’t like the four stickers. And, of course, for a lot of people, price is going to be the prevailing con.
When you’re dropping this kind of coin on a golf launch monitor, you’re making an investment. To me, you’re either seriously investing in your game improvement, or you’re investing in an entertainment system. Or, most likely, you’re investing in both. I do see handsome returns for the right kind of investor.
Who Should Buy the Foresight Sports GCQuad?
The Quad is for people who want the best. That’s definitely going to include the most skilled golfers who need the highest level of accuracy and most extensive set of data. It’s also going to mean teaching pros and clubfitters. And I think commercial operations that want to provide the best golf simulator experience are likely candidates.
It’s also for people who can afford the best. If you want the peace of mind of never having to question the data, this is how you do it. Do you really think that tour pros, with millions of dollars on the line, would use a launch monitor that wasn’t spot-on accurate? It means that you can get your numbers and know that they are correct. It also means that when you use it as a golf simulator, the experience is as realistic as any golf launch monitor can provide.
Look, if you’re just trying to have a great golf simulator or a great golf launch monitor, you can do that without spending this much money. We’re living in a golf technology boom period, and affordable golf launch monitors and simulators are leading the way.
It’s when you’re trying to have the best golf simulator or the best golf launch monitor that you want the Foresight Sports GCQuad. If that’s you, this is the one.
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.