Launch Pro Circle B: Unrivaled Accuracy, Exceptional Value, Minor App Flaws

As the Equipment Editor for The Daily Duffer, I’ve spent countless hours in fitting bays and on the range, with pretty much every launch monitor worth its salt by my side. I’ve seen the best and the worst, the genuinely revolutionary, and the outright snake oil. Every piece of gear that crosses my desk faces a gauntlet of skepticism and data analysis. So when a new contender enters the relatively crowded, but highly competitive, launch monitor market, especially one tied to a brand like Bushnell that’s already got a strong reputation, my ears perk up.

The Bushnell Launch Pro “Circle B” Edition lands in a very interesting sweet spot. It’s essentially a re-badged Foresight GC3, and if you know anything about professional-grade launch monitors, that alone tells you a lot. Foresight’s GC line is the gold standard for accuracy in many-a-fitter’s bay, including my own. My GCQuad has been an indispensable tool for years, and having the opportunity to put the much more accessible Launch Pro Circle B through its paces alongside it was a revealing experience.

First off, let’s talk about accuracy. This is non-negotiable for a launch monitor that claims to be “professional grade.” I can tell you from experience, there’s a lot of marketing fluff out there about “near-accurate” or “good enough” data. But when you’re trying to dial in spin rates or diagnose a swing flaw based on path and angle of attack, “good enough” simply isn’t good enough. The Launch Pro Circle B, with its three-camera photometric system, delivers on this front. My testing, running it head-to-head with my GCQuad, confirmed its pedigree:

“Ball speed was typically an exact match. Spin rates were within tens of each other. Launch angles differed by less than a degree. Across every metric, both machines matched each other, were internally consistent, and logical.”

This isn’t just a casual observation; it’s an endorsement from someone who trusts launch monitor data to make precise club recommendations. When ball speed numbers are identical, and spin axis differences are negligible, you’ve got a unit that’s truly capturing the ball’s flight characteristics with high fidelity. For golfers looking to optimize their launch, reduce dispersion, or even fine-tune their gapping, having reliable numbers for carry distance, total spin, and launch angle is paramount. The Circle B provides these eight critical ball data points without breaking a sweat.

Where things get interesting, and where the “value” discussion really begins for me, is the club data. The Launch Pro Circle B offers four key club metrics: club head speed, smash factor, club path, and angle of attack. These are the foundational elements for understanding how your club is interacting with the ball. From a fitting perspective, knowing your club path and angle of attack is crucial for correcting slices, hooks, optimizing contact, and unlocking distance. I’ve fitted hundreds of golfers who thought they needed a new driver when, in reality, their angle of attack was costing them 20 yards. The data from the Launch Pro Circle B can pinpoint these issues with precision.

However, it’s also important to acknowledge where the Launch Pro Circle B differentiates itself from its bigger, more expensive sibling, the GCQuad. You’re not getting features like closure rate, loft/lie, impact location, or face angle data. While these are invaluable for professional fitters doing deep dives, for the vast majority of golfers, the core clubhead data provided by the Circle B is more than sufficient to make tangible improvements in their game. Think of it as getting 90% of the benefit for a fraction of the cost, which, for many, is the sweet spot they’re looking for.

Ease of use is another significant factor that often gets overlooked in the tech-heavy launch monitor world. Nobody wants to spend 15 minutes setting up their practice session. The Bushnell Launch Pro Circle B shines here:

“Set the unit down, power it up, hit balls. Thanks to the built-in touchscreen, that’s all you need to do to get professional-grade launch monitor data.”

This “plug and play” simplicity is a huge plus, especially for golfers who want to quickly get into their practice. The small club markers required for club data are a minor consideration but are standard for photometric devices to measure club face data accurately.

The Subscription Model: A Necessary Evil?

Here’s where the conversation gets a bit nuanced. The up-front cost of $2,500 for the Launch Pro Circle B is incredibly competitive for a device of this accuracy. However, to unlock its full potential, particularly club data and simulation capabilities, a subscription is required. Bushnell offers Silver ($199/year) and Gold ($499/year) plans. The base hardware gives you ball data, but club metrics and simulator access are behind the paywall. This isn’t unique to Bushnell or Foresight in the golf tech world, but it’s crucial for buyers to understand the total cost of ownership.

For me, the addition of club data is almost a necessity for serious game improvement, making at least the Silver subscription a worthwhile investment. The Gold subscription, enabling GSPro compatibility, opens up a world of realistic simulation that rivals some of the most expensive commercial setups.