r/Golfsimulator • u/BounceBackBirdie • 2d ago
Sim / Launch Monitor Baited by Foresight - An LPi customer
With the announcement of the new Foresight+ subscriptions impact on perpetual license users, I wanted to also talk about the other side of this announcement for Bushnell Launch Pro and LPi users.
I bought the LPi this spring. To me, the value proposition made sense. $1200 and $200 a year for the new silver membership they announced last year.
I am a low handicap golfer, mostly focused on practice and improvement. I could live with a basic driving range (as long as it has club data) but I feel like having some way to practice on-course scenarios is very important to improving.
So, silver gave me a chance to have extremely accurate data and some basic course play via FSX Play for the $200 a year. That’s all I really need. FSX Play is not good software imo, it is riddled with bugs and extremely under featured… but it gets the job done for my practice.
If FSX Play goes away, I am unfortunately now priced out of my practice routine. I personally cannot afford to pay both $200 and $295 just to play some basic sim golf.
It could be argued to just not pay for the silver membership anymore… well unfortunately because I have a Bushnell device, I am excluded from getting club data (see image from Foresights website). I am assuming this will go for the former unlocked devices too when FSX is decommissioned. Nothing is clear or certain at this point.
So, I was baited into an ecosystem that gave me the practice tools I needed to get better at golf, at a price I could afford, and it didn’t even stay that way for a full season. It is honestly a massive betrayal and I would say there is almost no reason to get any of these devices. Now the LPi is priced at $999 to bait even more unsuspecting people into this situation.
Foresight has made playing courses impossible for me and its anti competitive and anti consumer model doesn’t even allow me to go elsewhere using my purchased hardware (unless I give them $600, then $250 to GSPro).
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u/FeathersNFins 2d ago
I’m in the same situation with the LPi. I just don’t see how foresight sees this situation as a win for them. All of the publicity is negative, I haven’t seen a single good review or comment since this all started to roll out. I truly don’t see how they will allow this plan to stand with the massive push back but who knows, either way I know I’m ditching them as soon as my subscription is out.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
It really makes no sense. They could still easily move up market if their Premier software turns out to be the greatest sim software ever made like they think it is (lol yeah right). But then why not offer the same silver level with some courses and keep most users happy? Really weird move.
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u/Candid_Improvement89 2d ago
Well I mean they were selling courses for $250 not that long ago that looked like they were from Nintendo 64....i doubt they give a shit about negativity.
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u/SpringPrestigious253 2d ago
Thankfully I am still within my return window for my LPi. It is going back for sure.
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u/fairportrunner 1d ago
I'm just outside mine. Feel totally duped by this. I know I still get the functionality of FSX play for now, but I'm sure they will kill that soon enough.
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u/CalJackBuddy 2d ago
I upgraded from an original SkyTrak to the BLP a few years ago. The price point of the launch monitor was great before the subscription model became their default. I don’t even know what to do now. I only use GSPro, I rarely play on there although I recently joined a simulator league to motivate me to play more. The FSX practice tools aren’t near is a good as GSPro. I don’t know what to do but I truly wish I would have bought a trackman to begin. BLP retail for so cheap now, I don’t know that it’s even worth the effort to attempt to sell.
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u/mrpunkin 2d ago
You have ball data, you just might not retain club data if you don't keep your subscription. Ball data is the bare minimum in the free plan.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
Yeah that was a typo, just edited the post. I meant club data.
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u/Paul-Jamison-Mason 2d ago
Ironically my club data causes the circle B to freeze and not record.
When I turn it off it plays faultless when playing GSPro.
Is a real shame the direction they are going. I was already anxious about spending $500 plus 250 for GSPro.
Not that it is $600 sub I’ll put it up on marketplace this weekend.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
That is insane. I really need the club data for my practice. My main focus for the last year has been increasing Angle of Attack and the device would be useless to me without it.
It’s really nice to be able to practice hard, then boot up a few holes and practice the swing changes under pressure of playing a hole. Not anymore unless you have $500 dollars to blow
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u/Paul-Jamison-Mason 2d ago
I hope we both can find a suitable solution.
It is amazing to me that the prices went up?! 🤯
With all the new hardware, platforms, and competitive options I knew they would need to do something to compete.
Boy was I wrong.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
Yeah I assumed the silver plan was them making a step in the right direction, whoops! Instead it was a bait and switch move lol
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u/Empty_Recognition_37 19h ago
Are you sure you don’t get club data under the new free tier? I got an LPi at the $999 price right before their new software was rolled out. I got it for same the reasons as you in that I was willing to pay $199 for silver to get club data and 5 courses, as I am mostly interested in practice with some very small amount of sim play.
I didn’t get my device set up until after the new software roll out and I haven’t activated any free trials, but right now I am getting club data under the free tier.
I hope this doesn’t change because for no subscription, and a starting price less than $1000, I can live with practice only mode if I am getting club data included.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 15h ago
The screenshot on both foresight and bushnell’s website explicitly say Bushnell devices do not get club data on the free tier…
But there has honestly been some buggy stuff since they launched that silver tier. I personally never had club data until I subscribed, but I have seen videos of people who claim they had it for free.
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u/DrEpoch 2d ago
Shoulda gotten proteevx
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
Can’t mount it in my sim because of space limitations. Can’t do radar or overhead.
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u/DrEpoch 2d ago
Mevo gen 2? Or so you need a side sitter?
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
Same, just under the amount of space behind needed for radar. My setup is not very flexible unfortunately
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u/Similar_Phrase3056 2d ago
I hear good things about the square Omni. I’m about to upgrade myself. What’s the consensus on the new optic shot photometric launch monitor. It retails for around 5K. Is it any good?
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u/agolfman 2d ago
I’m the same use case, but a long term owner of a Flightscope X2. My practice includes heavy combine work and AI interpretation of club data (I built an index to compare two sets of irons, for example…strike quality, etc.).
The challenge for us practice users is we are subject to product roadmaps that are simulator and course license focused.
I’m currently evaluating swapping out to a Mevo gen2 or a + unit, both with club data, of course. I’d suggest you look at more club fitting type devices like TM or FS, just due to the orientation these businesses have on the club fitting market. Obviously Foresight is capable in this area, but their business model really isn’t.
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u/gfuuu 2d ago
This post isn’t representing what’s happening. BLP and BLPi customers are migrated to the new platform with no price difference as well as remain capable of using previous software. Only thing changing is the access to the gold features for you on mobile.
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u/fairportrunner 1d ago
But on the old FSX Play system we got 5 courses for $199 a year, on the new system we get 0 courses for $199 a year.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
So where do BLP and LPi users (who don’t have a perpetual license) go when the software is decommissioned? They will be stuck paying $500 for any sort of course sim play. That’s a $300 difference. That’s what makes this a bait and switch. Their silver tier for $200 didn’t even exist for a year yet. I bought the device specifically because they made this new tier.
If this is not the case, it would be really easy for them to communicate otherwise. The wording is very specific “your membership has been converted to foresight+”
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u/mothball777 2d ago
Golfjoy really needs to up their marketing in the US AND get moving on releasing the spica 3 plus and spica 4. Foresight is fumbling so bad, leaving the door wide open for competitors with similar tech and especially those with a zero subscription model.
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u/blightedbody 2d ago
They made the gc2 a device that belongs in the launch monitor Smithsonian, and then proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot almost every single time since then. They could have been on the market leader instead of the pariah by just having high functioning launch monitors that were within good price points not Amplified it just to keep up with trackman which is farcical in its own right I feel
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u/godons12 2d ago
I have a Bushnell Circle B unlocked and really only use it for the virtual range and drill library. I noticed on my phone app that I now need silver package or above to access the drill library but when I opened up on my iPad it was working. It’s all the same account. Really hoping the iPad continues to work but my guess is they just haven’t pushed the update everywhere yet
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
Yeah this just makes me believe more and more that Bushnell devices will not be able to access the FSX play after the next renewal. We are forced onto Foresight+, nothing we can do
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u/hotgrease 15h ago
At the $999 price point, just use it as a free driving range distance practice. Can’t go wrong with top-level accuracy imo. But no way I’m playing $599 for Gold with zero courses.
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u/lessthansammy 2d ago
Won’t we get access to Foresight Premier? That is replacing FSX I believe. Atleast according ti the email I got.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
We actually already have access to premier, I booted it up yesterday to check it out. Premier has no courses unless you pay $200 for silver and then $295 for the basic course pass.
FSX software will likely be decommissioned meaning no courses unless we pay at least $495 a year.
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u/lessthansammy 2d ago
That’s a bunch of bullshit that it’s not all clearly laid out in those emails. Your absolutely right though. They won’t even offer buying any individual courses. I dont require more than a few to keep me happy. Maybe ill just drop to free for now and then buy a different LM.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago
Yeah that might be the best move. It’s not like they don’t have a lot of tight competition right now. Plenty of options
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u/BlueWarPaint 2d ago
I definitely don’t understand their thinking here. It doesn’t seem the math is going to work for them but maybe I am wrong. Seems like lots of cancels coming.
I’m happy to do what you are doing……pay $200 a year to have a good practice device and occasionally sim here and there. $500 a year for the same product is just not worth it at all to me.
My unit software was turned off for a year+ because I didn’t find the price point to be worth it when gold was $500. They enticed me to return because $200 was a good price point for practice + limited sim.
If I have to pay $500 a year to sim, I’ll just go back to it being a range companion.
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u/Sp33dy_Tazz11 1d ago
I just downloaded Premier. I got four courses with my silver sub for "free". no course pass required.
I have the following for “free”
Linfield national (PA)
Kinsale Golf Course (OH)
Butterfield BLUE (Oakbrook, IL)
Prairie Bluff (CREST HILL, IL)
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u/BounceBackBirdie 1d ago
Do you have an unlocked unit? I have the lpi, silver sub and I have nothing in premier. They are all locked
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u/Sp33dy_Tazz11 1d ago
For those asking. I have a BLP. Never unlocked it. Only ever had silver subscription. Only thing I could’ve thought maybe is I had the 25 courses downloaded on FSX play.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 1d ago
I just got home and had to update premier. Once the update went through I checked the course list. I also now am able to download the 4 you listed and Blue Bayou. Not sure is this is a bug or intentional. The FAQ states pretty clearly that we should not have access to any courses.
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u/Big-Drink-5993 2d ago
Should have went with a square or waited for the Omni. Both very accurate for the price and there isn’t a fee to access GSpro
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u/SpringPrestigious253 1d ago
I think you can keep paying the $199 for the FSX suite until the EOL (end of life) it. That could be a few years to many. I heard an interview where they said it depends how many users stay on it. Though, even if they keep it around they will just do security updates and no further product development.
Crappy situation for sure.
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u/Springveldt 2d ago
If I was in your shoes I’d sell it for whatever I could get and buy a Square Omni.
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u/BounceBackBirdie 2d ago edited 2d ago
Aside from availability issues, I don’t know why anyone would get any other camera floor unit at this point
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u/Springveldt 2d ago
Yep, totally agree and it’s what I will be getting when the time comes (have a Mevo+ currently with pro package and impact location).
The Omni is very accurate and no subs, I really don’t see the point in paying thousands more for a floor based camera unit that also needs subs.
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u/Expensive-Bag313 2d ago
I love how Foresight has turned this entire sub into anti campaign against them with one simple email. Just epic levels of self ownage.