Square Golf Launch Monitor Review: $699, No $2,000 Tax

I have been waiting for someone to build this thing for three years. An optical launch monitor under $1,000 that gives you ball and club data without a subscription. The Square Golf Launch Monitor is that product. It costs $699. The next cheapest optical unit with club data is the Bushnell Launch Pro at $2,000, and that is before the $1,500 unlock fee for club metrics.

I have spent a month with the Square. The data is accurate. The simulator works. The build quality feels like a toy. Buy it anyway.

What the Square Actually Is

The Square is a photometric launch monitor. That means it uses high-speed cameras to track your club and ball, not Doppler radar. The practical difference: it sits next to the ball instead of behind it. You need about 8 feet of depth for a radar unit like the Garmin R10. The Square needs 3 feet of space to the side. If your garage is tight, this is the launch monitor that fits.

It measures 12 data points. For ball data: ball speed, direction, launch angle, spin rate, apex, carry distance, run, and total distance. For club data: swing path, face angle, dynamic loft, and angle of attack. That club data set is the headline. The SkyTrak+, which costs nearly four times as much, does not include angle of attack. The Garmin R10 includes it, but its club path accuracy is the weakest part of its data.

You do need to apply club stickers to your shafts for the club data to register. They are included in the box. It is a minor hassle, but it takes 30 seconds per club.

What Works

The ball data is accurate. I tested it side by side against my Garmin R10 over 50 shots with a 7-iron. Ball speed was within 1 mph on almost every shot. Carry distance was within 3 yards. That is the same accuracy range I got comparing the R10 to TrackMan numbers at a fitting last year. For a $699 optical unit, that is remarkable.

The simulator integration is the second reason to buy this thing. The Square connects to GSPro, E6 Connect, and Awesome Golf. No subscription required. You pay $699 once and you get the launch monitor plus the ability to play simulator golf. The GSPro subscription itself costs about $250 per year, but that is a GSPro cost, not a Square cost. Compare that to the Bushnell Launch Pro, where you pay $2,000 for the hardware and then $500 per year for simulator access. The Square includes the plug-in for free.

The putting is genuinely good. Most launch monitors in this price range are terrible at putting. The R10 does not track putts at all. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO tracks them but the data is sparse. The Square tracks putt direction, speed, and distance, and the simulator putting feels real. If you are building a home sim and putting matters to you, this is the budget option that actually delivers.

The Swing Stick is the oddball inclusion. It is a training club with a sensor that lets you practice swings without hitting a ball. The Square tracks your swing data through the Stick and feeds it into the app. For some people, this is a useful warm-up tool. For me, it collected dust after the first day. Your mileage will vary.

What Does Not Work

The build quality. The Square weighs 1 pound. It feels like a TV remote. The plastic is thin and light, and there is no protective cage or carrying case included. If you shank a ball into it, it is done. For $699, I expected a carrying case at minimum.

The alignment stick included with the Square is supposed to slide into a slot on the back of the unit for calibration. It falls out constantly. I gave up on it after the first session and aligned by eye, which worked fine. Breaking Eighty reported the same issue. Some users say newer units fixed this, but mine did not.

The app is basic. No shot storage, no session review, no historical data. You get your numbers for the current session and that is it. If you want to track your progress over time, you need to screenshot your data or write it down. The SC4 Pro stores 1,000 shots offline and syncs to an app. The Square stores nothing.

The hitting zone is small. Because the Square is camera-based, the ball needs to be in a specific position for the cameras to track it. If you move your mat 6 inches, you may start getting misreads. Radar units are more forgiving about ball position.

Who It Is For

The Square is for the indoor-only golfer who wants real data and simulator play without spending $2,000. If you have a garage or basement with 8 feet of ceiling and you want to play GSPro courses all winter, this is the cheapest path to a real simulator experience.

It is not for you if you want a range tool. The Square is indoor-only. The cameras need controlled lighting. Take it to an outdoor range and it stops working. The R10 or the SC300i are your outdoor options.

The Verdict

Buy the Square if you are building a home simulator and your budget is under $1,000. The data is accurate, the simulator works, the putting tracks, and the total cost is $699 plus a GSPro subscription. That is less than a single club fitting session.

Skip it if you need outdoor capability, durable build quality, or shot history tracking. The Square is a indoor sim tool, not a range tool. And treat it gently. One shanked 7-iron into the unit and you are back to shopping for a Garmin R10 at $500.

Where to Buy

• Square Golf Launch Monitor $699 at Amazon
• Garmin Approach R10 $499 at Amazon (outdoor alternative)

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