SkyTrak+ Review: What the Monitor and the Software Really Cost

SkyTrak is one of the longest-running names in home golf simulators, and the SkyTrak+ is the model most retailers list for buyers who want a camera-plus-radar monitor. This review is based on published specifications and documentation from SkyTrak, PlayBetter and retailers, not on our own use of the unit. It explains what the SkyTrak+ combines, how the software tiers change the price, how much room it wants, and how it compares with the newer ST Max.

The short version: the SkyTrak+ is a capable monitor with a clear upgrade path, and the software tier you pick is as important as the box. Add the tier before you compare it with a monitor that includes courses.

What the SkyTrak+ combines

Rain or Shine Golf lists the SkyTrak+ as radar plus photometric cameras, for indoor and outdoor use. Golfer’s Authority describes the photometric half: cameras capture images at impact and give millimeter-level impact data, and the radar half reads the ball in flight. Hybrid units like this are meant to give the best of both, and Golfer’s Authority says they track 15 to 18 parameters in total.

Retailers list fast shot processing as a strength. Third-party sources put SkyTrak battery life at about 4 hours and weight at 1.7 lb, so it is portable but short on battery.

Photometric units need consistent lighting and no direct sun on the lens, and they need a little upkeep. For SkyTrak, Golfer’s Authority says the ball should sit within 1 to 2 inches of the red laser dot, with drivers and woods 1 to 2 inches behind the dot and wedges and irons 1 to 2 inches in front. It also notes a maximum tilt of 5 degrees on uneven surfaces. Those are setup details worth knowing before you build a mat platform.

The software tiers set the real price

The SkyTrak+ starts from $1,995 with base software. Rain or Shine lists a Core tier with the Foresight course pack at $2,234.99; the listing does not say whether that is a one-time or yearly figure. PlayBetter’s 2026 list of SkyTrak plans reads like this:

Tier	Price
Basic	Free (driving range and some libraries)
Essential	$129.99 per year
Core: Foresight	$299.99 per year
Core: TrackMan	$349.99 per year
Elite	$599.99 per year

Course play needs a tier above Basic. Three of the paid tiers cost $299.99 or more every year, so check SkyTrak’s page for the course list on each tier before you pay.

The listing says the SkyTrak+ works with E6, GSPro and SkyTrak practice software. Carl’s Place’s GSPro review lists SkyTrak as outside GSPro’s official support list. Those two statements do not agree. If you want GSPro, confirm the connection with the makers first. For how other brands charge, see the software subscription guide.

How much room it needs

SkyTrak’s own layout works out to about 18 feet of total depth: roughly 2 feet behind the screen, a teeing area 10 to 12 feet from the screen, and about 7 feet behind the tee. For the SkyTrak ST Max, Shop Indoor Golf’s table lists about 10 feet high, 12 to 13 feet wide and 15 to 16 feet deep, in the group of photometric monitors that sit beside the ball. Shop Indoor Golf’s garage page recommends 11 feet wide, 16 feet long and 9 feet high for a SkyTrak SIG10 enclosure.

Golfer’s Authority puts the ideal distance from the screen at about 9 feet, with a range of 8 to 10 feet, and says under 8 feet is said to hurt mechanics and data. SkyTrak’s own layout puts the teeing area 10 to 12 feet from the screen, so the longer figure is the safer plan for a swing. The ST Max table above is for a beside-the-ball unit; we have no separate placement table for the SkyTrak+, so confirm its position with SkyTrak. See the room size guide for the full dimensions.

Your swing still decides the ceiling. Test a slow driver swing at the spot, keep about 7 feet of clear space around the golfer, and keep children and pets out of the room while someone hits. Electrical work is a job for a qualified electrician.

SkyTrak+ versus the ST Max

The ST Max is from $1,695 and describes dual Doppler radar plus photometric cameras, Speed Training powered by GOLFTEC built in, and a modular internal build. The SkyTrak+ costs $300 more at from $1,995 and is listed as an older design than the ST Max. The cheaper, newer model is the one to price first, and the SkyTrak+ makes sense mainly when a bundle you want includes it.

Both need paid software for course play. Carl’s Place sells a ready-to-golf bundle with the ST Max, a DIY enclosure and a premium impact screen from $6,450. PlayBetter lists the SkyTrak+ with a SimStudio 10 enclosure at $6,595.00. A projector and mat may be extra in both cases.

Run the numbers

Add the monitor and your chosen software tier to the cost calculator, and check the 18 feet of depth with the room size calculator. See all comparisons for other comparisons.

Who should skip it

• Anyone who wants no yearly fee. The Mevo Gen2 includes a permanent license to 8 E6 Connect courses. See our Mevo review.
• Anyone building around GSPro without checking. The official-support question above matters.
• Anyone on a budget under $1,000. The Garmin R10 is $499.99. See our R10 review.
• Anyone who expects a maker’s accuracy number to be proven. Accuracy claims are the makers’. We cannot rank monitors by accuracy.

Common buying mistakes

1. Pricing the box and not the tier. The tier is a yearly cost.
2. Placing the ball outside the laser dot window. The 1 to 2 inch rule is specific.
3. Mat too close to the screen. Under 8 feet is said to hurt data.
4. Putting the monitor on an uneven surface. The maximum tilt is 5 degrees.
5. Skipping the rest of the build. A screen, projector, mat and PC are separate. See the cost guide.