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Set up your simulator
How do I set up a Square Golf simulator?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 4 min read
The short answer
Charge it, install the Square Golf app and connect over Bluetooth. Stand it at ball height with the hitting zone 42cm in front and 23cm to the right. Set the target line with the alignment stick. The device running the app sends the picture: use an HDMI cable from a PC to the projector.
What's in the box
Square Golf's manual lists the launch monitor, a removable battery, a USB-A to USB-C power cable, a club marker, a remote control, three patterned golf balls, a welcome credit card, and a swing stick with a safety strap. If you bought our Square Golf package, the enclosure, Tee Turf switchable mat, rubber base, any side netting you added and the BenQ AH500ST projector with its floor case come in separate boxes, with a setup guide. No HDMI cable is included.
What you need ready
- A device for the Square Golf app. That can be a Windows 10 PC or later, an iPhone or iPad on iOS 13 or later, or an Android phone or tablet on Android 10 or later.
- Bluetooth Low Energy on that device. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless link, and pairing is the one-time step where two devices learn to trust each other. Most phones have it, but check that your PC does.
- A Square Golf account. It's free, and you can also play as a guest.
- A USB charger. A full charge takes about 6 hours from empty on a 5V/2A charger, and lasts up to 8 hours.
- An HDMI cable (the standard lead that carries picture and sound) long enough to reach the projector.
- A Windows PC if you want GSPro, and for firmware updates on the Home Edition.
Where it goes in the room
Our rooms start at 3.0m wide, 2.7m high and 4.2m long. A ceiling of 3m or more is ideal, and I plan on about 2.5m from the ball to the screen.
Square Golf is a camera unit that sits beside the ball, so it needs no extra space behind you. From Square's manual and help centre:
- Stand it on flat ground at the same height as the ball, facing the hitting area.
- The centre of the hitting zone is 42cm in front of the unit and 23cm to the right, as you look at its face. The zone is 15cm square.
- Keep it out of sunlight, and away from other infrared light (some lamps give it off). It sees with infrared light of its own.
- Use a mat that's a different colour from the ball, and keep reflective clutter out of view.
- Don't set the screen too close. Square says a ball bouncing back off a close screen causes double reads.
Step-by-step setup
- Clip the battery in and charge it with the USB-C cable. The charging light is green while it charges.
- Install the app: SquaregolfHE from the App Store or Google Play, or the Square Golf Launcher for Windows from Square's support page.
- Open the app and log in, or continue as a guest.
- Hold the power button for 2 seconds to turn it on. The power light comes on.
- Connect from the app's on-screen Bluetooth connector. The Bluetooth light goes solid blue once connected.
- Update the firmware on a Windows PC. Download the OS and firmware updates from Square's support page and connect the unit by USB-C. Run SQG_OS_Update.exe first, then SQGFWUpdate.exe.
- Set your target line. In the app, go to Settings, Target Alignment, and lay the alignment stick in the stick zone, 42cm in front of the unit. It adjusts up to 5 degrees either way.
- For club path and attack angle, fit the club marker to the shaft, 20cm up from the floor with the club upright.
- If you're left-handed, set it in your profile's My Page settings.
Connect to the projector
The picture comes from whichever device runs the app, not from the Square Golf unit.
- With a Windows PC, plug the HDMI cable into the PC's graphics card and into the projector's HDMI input.
- Select that input on the projector.
- On the PC, press the Windows key and P together and choose Duplicate or Second screen only.
A phone or tablet needs an HDMI adapter for its charging port. Square doesn't publish a guide for that, so for a permanent setup I'd use a PC.
First-shot check
- Open Driving Range in the app.
- Place a ball in the hitting zone. The status light blinks blue while it looks for the ball.
- When the light turns solid green, hit. It goes blue while it works out the shot.
Ball speed, direction and spin should appear, and the shot should fly on the big screen. It counts shots from 3.4mph and putts from 1.1mph.
Playing courses
The Square Golf app is free and has no subscription. Driving range, closest to the pin and putting practice cost nothing. Course play uses credits: one credit per hole per player. You get 1,000 welcome credits with the device. After that, Square Golf UK sells 100 credits for £2.99, 220 for £5.99, 440 for £9.99, 770 for £17.99 and 1,000 for £19.99.
It also works with GSPro on a Windows PC (with a GSPro Square licence and Square's GSPro connector), E6 Connect on a PC or iOS (licence bought from E6), and Awesome Golf (£14.99 a month, £149.99 a year or £349.99 for life, with a 14-day free trial).
The three things that most often go wrong
The app can't find it over Bluetooth
The device running the app needs Bluetooth Low Energy, and Square says to keep the two close with nothing in between. Press the Bluetooth button on the unit to reset the connection, then try again.
Missed shots or double reads
Move the screen further away, clear reflective clutter, block sunlight and infrared lamps, and use a mat that contrasts with the ball. The unit must sit at ball height.
The spin looks wrong
Square's manual says backspin is measured with the patterned balls and only estimated with a normal ball. Use the supplied balls when you want spin you can trust.
Official help from Square Golf
- Home Edition user manual (PDF)
- Support and downloads, for the app, firmware and GSPro connector
- Setting up your launch monitor and installation environment
- Keeping it up to date and technical issues
- Third-party software setup for GSPro, E6 and Awesome Golf
I couldn't find an official Square Golf setup video. The ones on YouTube are from retailers, so use the manual above.
Setup at a glance
| Step | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fit the battery and charge it | Up to 6 hours from empty |
| 2 | Install the app and log in or continue as guest | 5 min |
| 3 | Power on (hold 2 seconds) and connect by Bluetooth | 2 min |
| 4 | Update the OS and firmware from a Windows PC by USB-C | 10 min |
| 5 | Place at ball height; ball 42cm in front, 23cm right | 2 min |
| 6 | Settings, Target Alignment, with the alignment stick | 2 min |
| 7 | HDMI from the PC to the projector | 5 min |
| 8 | Driving Range: wait for solid green, hit | 1 min |
Times are my estimates, except the charge time, which is from Square Golf's manual (5V/2A input). Placement figures are from the Home Edition manual.
Best practice
- Charge before setup dayA full charge takes about 6 hours from empty and lasts up to 8 hours. Start it the night before.
- Use the patterned ballsSquare's manual says backspin is measured with the patterned balls and only estimated with ordinary ones.
- Contrast ball and matSquare Golf asks for a mat that's a different colour from the ball, with no reflective objects in the camera's view.
- Re-align after a restartThe target line goes back to default every time you restart the unit, so run Target Alignment again if you'd changed it.
Gotchas to avoid
- Screen too closeSquare links double reads to a screen set too close, because the rebounding ball confuses the unit. Keep about 2.5m from ball to screen.
- No Bluetooth LE on the PCThe app connects by Bluetooth Low Energy. An older desktop PC may need a Bluetooth adapter first.
- Firmware needs WindowsHome Edition firmware updates run from a Windows 10 or 11 PC over USB-C, not from the phone app.
- Club marker on the shaftClub path and attack angle need the club marker fitted 20cm up the shaft. Ball data works without it.
Our recommendation
Square Golf is simple to set up on a phone, but for a projector I'd run the app on a Windows PC. Charge it and update it first.
- If you'll play mainly from a phone or tablet
- Use the free app and the 1,000 welcome credits before buying more.
- If you want it on the projector every day
- Run the app on a Windows PC with an HDMI cable to the projector.
- If you want GSPro
- Buy a GSPro Square licence and install Square's GSPro connector on the same PC.
What you'll need
The complete Square Golf setupSquare Golf Home Golf Simulator Package for Garage - Complete Setup, UKEnclosure, mat, side barriers and short-throw projector around the launch monitor.from£3,599
The HDMI cable4K/8K HDMI 2.1 Cable 10mNot included in the package. 10m runs from the PC to the projector.£29.99
A PC to drive the screenGolf Simulator Gaming PC (HD Spec)Runs the Square Golf app or GSPro and sends the picture to the projector.£1,790
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Questions people ask
Does Square Golf need a subscription?
No. The app is free, practice modes cost nothing, and course play uses credits at one per hole per player. You get 1,000 welcome credits with the device, and top-ups start at £2.99 for 100 on Square Golf UK.
Can I run it from my phone?
Yes. The app runs on iOS 13 or later and Android 10 or later. For a projector, though, a Windows PC with an HDMI cable is the simplest way to get the picture onto the big screen.
Where exactly does the ball go?
Square's manual puts the centre of the 15cm hitting zone 42cm in front of the unit and 23cm to the right as you face the device. The unit sits on flat ground at ball height.
Do I need club stickers?
Not for ball data. For club path and attack angle, Square uses a club marker fitted to the shaft, 20cm up from the floor with the club upright.
How do I update it?
For the Home Edition, download the OS and firmware updates from Square's support page to a Windows PC. Connect by USB-C, then run the OS update followed by the firmware update. The phone app updates through your app store.
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