TGC or True Golf for Skytrak

[Mdsypher]

So I am finally getting to the point of deciding which software I should get for my Skytrak. Thank you to all that have helped me through my build so far! This forum is the best! So I have researched both and think I know which one I want but need feedback from people who have actually experienced one or both of these sims. Listed below are pros, cons and questions of each. I might be wrong on pros and cons so please let me know if I am.

TGC
Pros- So many courses to choose from
Online tournaments
Great graphics
Cons- Everyone has to play from same tee
Hard to find actual courses that someone has not doctored
More expensive, but that is not a deal breaker.

Question- Can you practice certain shots (like an approach shot to a certain green) over and over on TGC?
Does anyone know if the new TGC will be available for simulators? If so what changes have they made?

True Golf-

Pros- Real course easy to find.
Great graphics.
Play from different tees.
Able to practice different shots on the course.

Cons- Not as many courses

Questions- Is there online play? It says up to 8 players but is that online as well as just having buddies over?

Any other response will be greatly appreciated! Do you feel like you made the right choice? Does either one offer a try out before you buy? Thanks in advance!
Mike

[penrose]

I have had both. My take. Tru Golf just works. My skytrak always connects on first try, never disconnects, and all shots recorded. Each course is very well done. They do NOT have ghost players and that for me is my favorite feature in TGC. Meaning, I can play a round on course and pick someone to compete with or pick a previous round that I played already and compete against myself. I only have TGC now. I did not renew tru golf.

I will look at tru golf again if and when connect is avail. for the skytrak.

[Mdsypher]

Thanks penrose! So there were issues with Truegolf connectivity and recording shots? I am sorry but I don’t know what you mean by “when connect is available”.

[penrose]

true golf jus works...no issues. During a normal round TGC will miss about 4 shots and sometimes loses connection with the skytrak. Not a big deal really.

[wbond]

Connect is going to be the new version of software for trugolf/E6.

Yes you can practice any shot in TGC, problem is it's kind of cumbersome to do. You have to concede each hole to get to the hole you want, then you have to get to the spot you want to hit from, then you hit R which puts the software in rewind mode so you can hit over and over.

They are currently working on the the sim version for TGC2019, no one knows until it gets released what all the updates will be. Multiple tees is a big item and is supposed to be there.

[Mdsypher]

Thanks wbond (again). I am just not sure how much online I would play. Maybe a lot once I started to play online. The sim will be more for practice than anything. The practice on TGC does sound cumbersome. I am leaning toward True Golf but I am worried about technical issues other people have pointed out. I am also coming to the understanding that no matter which one I choose there will be issues. Just need to pick the lesser of two evils. Thanks again!

[Clevited]

I will do my best to help you out here.

As you know there are pro's and con's to all of the available sim software for ST. You have done some research I know but its a rather large purchase so imo, it pays to be really thorough. Other than TGC, and E6, there was another full featured offering which I cannot mention due to censoring on this site. It can still be obtained if your research leads you to it. You just have to buy a used ST with the license file still attached to it.

Anyways good luck and happy golfing with whichever sim you decide on.

[Mdsypher]

Thanks for responding Clevited. I am pretty sure I know the sim you are referring to. It can be a real “Bear” (sorry😜) to find. Buying another ST is not going to happen. Thanks again!

[Clevited]

Haha, fair enough, although its easier than you might think to sell and then buy a ST with the other software. I know of quite a few that have done it. Anyways gl!

[penrose]

many liked the bear software but I did not find it appealing. just my 2 cents.

[Alphaseekr]

I went with E6 1.6 299 annual subscription, happy. I wanted to wait for TGC 2019. Multiplayer options such as adjustable tees was important to me, current version does not have. In 2019 I will revisit if the TGC 2019 reviews are off the charts, bugs worked out, otherwise it’s E6.

[Mdsypher]

Thanks Alphaseekr! I think that is where I will end up. I really like the different tees and being able to practice different shots. Now to buy a computer. Thanks again!

[Alphaseekr]

Thanks Alphaseekr! I think that is where I will end up. I really like the different tees and being able to practice different shots. Now to buy a computer. Thanks again!

Just keep in mind e6 putting isn’t great at short to intermediate distances. It’s better than WGT overall but there are a high number of misreads on 10-15 ft putts. There are some small ball placement workarounds to improve success but E6 customer service pionts a finger to Skytrak. I don’t sim for the putting, use 10 ft gimmies on e6. From tee to the green it’s top notch, on the greens not much. Maybe we can highlight and someone somewhere with more insight can opine. Maybe SkyTrak_Seth has a view on this thread.

I just bought a preowned MSI laptop on eBay with a i5 chip, GTX 940MX 2GB card for super cheap and it is more than enough for e6. Which helps total cost of annual play!

[Mdsypher]

Thanks for the input! I agree on not using the sim for putting. That is great news on the computer! I will look into it. Thanks again. You just help me make my decision!

[HackerDave]

Maybe this is the right place to ask this. I was looking at the Trugolf setup below and was curious if any of you have it or something similar. There were a few things that raised concerns. One, the projector is only 720P. It seems like common sense to me to have higher definition, especially if you want to also use it as a theater. This is going into a hobby barn (think big adult clubhouse) and I would also love to throw up a football game etc. But I digress......

There also appears to be two different levels of computer. Not sure if this is a big issue or not. I don't plan to use the putting as it never seems to work properly. This particular unit places the projector low on the floor. Issues I should be aware of? I really appreciate any and all input. This seems to be a fair price of entry. I was originally looking into building something around a Skytrak but it seems to be a LOT of work.

https://www.costco.com/TruGolf-Vista-10-C-Series-Golf-Simulator.product.100463214.html

[Mdsypher]

HackerDave you might want to start a new topic in the general simulator forum (on the first page) and there will be plenty of people who will way in but here is my two cents worth. I have a wonderful wife who said ok to me doing this but to keep the cost down as much as possible. I also know how to build things so that made things a little easier for me. I have also heard/read (and this might not be accurate) that TruGolf customers service is not the greatest. So you might want look into some reviews. Below is a rough cost for my simulator room, specs, and pictures. My simulator room is in my outbuilding, so I needed to add heat and AC.
Skytrak-$1999
CCE Mat- $450 (5’x5’)
Preferred Impact Screen 8’x10’- $380 (this included bungees and fittings for EMT)
10-10’ EMT poles-$115
Projector-BenQ WXGA-$389
Platform-wood,carpet and misc material $500
Misc elect/ audio visual-$200
Mini split HVAC- $800

Things I still need:
Netting for mishits $100
Black cloths for batting to hit higher shots-$100.

Total=$5500-$6000

Personally I think $14K is a lot to spend but you do not have all the work and thought to put into as well. If I had $14K to spend just on a simulator I would probably do the same layout I did here but go with a Forsight or equivalent simulator. Just my two cents.
I also had the building spray foamed, but I am not adding that into my simulator cost because I would have done that anyways. I still have some work to do as you can see but I can at least hit balls and work on it when I can. I hope this helps. Good luck on the build!

[dmsimm69]

Would you be able to provide more information on how you constructed the screen frame? Hopefully you have pics

[triplebogeysrbetter]

Awesome job with the build.

[wbond]

Mdsypher How much did the spray foam cost you and how big is the building you did? I'm considering doing this.

[Mdsypher]

wbond. My out building is approximately 30’x40’. The cost was around $2000. For walls and ceiling. I had to use spray foam because the previous owners did not put a vapor barrier on the walls or ceilings when they built it. If they had I could of used regular insulation. I am extremely happy with the spray foam. The spray foam is only 1 1/2” thick instead of 3”. I am very happy with that. R-value of 14 ish. In the future I might build interior walls and insulate them but for now it stays nice and warm in there. I also used epoxy paint on the floors to seel out all moisture from wicking up through the concrete. The most expensive part about insulating the building were the two 10’x10’ insulated garage doors. One on each side of building. About $1500 a piece but they have an R value of 15. I built a 2x6 wall to separate the golf room from my wood/work shop and insulated the wall with just regular R-19. That is the plywood wall you see in the picture. I don’t heat my shop area unless I plan to be in there for awhile. Actual golf room size is 30’x25’. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

[Mdsypher]

dmsimm69. Here are a couple of pics. I hope they help. I used 1”x10’ EMT pipe. You can find this at any Home Depot or major hardware stores in the electrical department . Here in the midwest they run around $10-$11 per. I used 1” because the fitting I bought were 1”. Fittings were bought from carlofet.com. I think I could have bought just their basic fitting package and would have been fine. The only reason I bought the fittings through them is because I could not find the right fittings anywhere. They were around $80 for 8. I also bought the bungees from them as well. I used black foam tubing (found in the plumbing department) to hide the EMT. Let me know if you have anymore questions.