Guides

Finishing & Publishing Your Course

You've built your course, configured GreenKeeper, and tested it in GSPro. Now it's time to polish, optimize, and prepare for public release. This section covers final Unity touches, performance troubleshooting, pre-beta testing checklists, and the submission process for official GSPro distribution.

11 min read

Finishing & Publishing Your Course

Home > Guides > Building GSPro Courses > Finishing

Overview

Publishing Path:

Internal Testing: Play your course extensively
Final Unity Polish: Hole markers, performance optimization
Pre-Beta Checks: Systematic validation using GreenKeeper tools
Beta Submission: Share with OPCD beta testers via Beta App
SGT Submission: Official submission to Swing Golf Technologies for public release

1. Final Unity Polish

Adding Hole Markers to Unity Scene

📺 Adding Hole Markers to Unity scene

Placing visible hole number markers on tee boxes and signage.

Hole Marker Elements:

Tee box signs (hole number, par, yardage)
Directional arrows or fairway markers
Distance markers (100/150/200 yards)
Yardage plates on cart paths
Green-side signage

Placement Best Practices:

Place on or near tee boxes (visible when standing on tee)
Orient signs toward golfers
Use consistent style across all 18 holes
Match real course signage if it's a replica
Ensure markers don't interfere with play

OPCD Sign Assets:

Pre-made hole marker prefabs included in base project
Customizable materials for course branding
Variety of styles (modern, classic, rustic)
Editable text for hole numbers and yardages

Marker Checklist:

☐ All 18 holes have tee box signage
☐ Yardage markers placed at standard intervals
☐ Signs are properly oriented and visible
☐ Text is legible and accurate
☐ Style is consistent throughout course

Performance Troubleshooting

📺 Performance Troubleshooting

Diagnosing and fixing frame rate issues.

Performance Targets:

Ideal: 90+ FPS consistently
Acceptable: 60+ FPS minimum
Problem: Below 60 FPS (stuttering, lag)

Common Performance Issues:

Too many trees/vegetation
- Solution: Reduce density, optimize LODs
High-poly objects
- Solution: Use lower poly models, check import settings
Excessive draw calls
- Solution: Batch materials, combine meshes
Texture resolution too high
- Solution: Compress textures, reduce sizes
Post-processing overhead
- Solution: Disable effects, reduce quality settings

Unity Performance Tools:

Profiler: Identify CPU/GPU bottlenecks
Stats panel: Real-time draw call and triangle count
Frame debugger: See rendering order
Occlusion culling: Hide objects not in view

Optimization Workflow:

Run flyover benchmark in GreenKeeper
Note holes with FPS drops
Load problematic hole in Unity
Open Profiler and Stats panel
Identify high draw call or triangle count objects
Simplify or remove offenders
Re-benchmark and verify improvement

Quick Optimization Wins:

Disable 3D grass on distant meshes
Use billboards for background trees
Combine small objects into single meshes
Enable GPU instancing on materials
Reduce post-processing quality

2. Pre-Beta Validation Checks

Before submitting to beta testers, run systematic validation checks using GreenKeeper's built-in tools. This ensures your course meets quality standards and won't have obvious bugs.

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Introduction

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Introduction

Overview of the pre-beta validation process.

Pre-Beta Checklist Overview:

Base course info completeness
OOB boundary validation
Hazard area coverage
Tee position accuracy
Pin placement quality
Scorecard correctness
Flyover benchmark performance
Collider mesh integrity
CPU/GPU bounding checks

Why Pre-Beta Checks Matter:

Catch errors before beta testers do
Ensure professional quality
Avoid resubmissions and rework
Demonstrate attention to detail
Respect beta tester time

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Base

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Base

Validating course metadata and base information.

Base Information Checklist:

☐ Course name is correct and properly capitalized
☐ Designer name(s) listed
☐ Location specified (City, State/Country)
☐ Course type set (Public, Private, Resort, etc.)
☐ Year built/modified included
☐ Course description is accurate and concise
☐ No placeholder text remains ("Test Course", "TBD", etc.)

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - OOB

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - OOB

Verifying out-of-bounds areas are properly defined.

OOB Validation:

☐ All 18 holes have OOB boundaries defined (even if minimal)
☐ OOB polygons are closed (no gaps)
☐ Boundaries are on terrain surface (not floating/underground)
☐ Adjacent holes have separation OOB to prevent crossover
☐ OOB areas are logical and fair
☐ Tested with shots near boundaries

Testing OOB:

Hit shots toward each OOB line
Verify penalty is triggered correctly
Check that ball is marked OOB appropriately
Ensure no false positives (balls in play marked OOB)

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Hazards

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Hazards

Verifying water hazards and penalty areas.

Hazard Validation:

☐ All water bodies are marked as hazards
☐ Hazard type is correct (yellow/red stakes)
☐ Polygons completely cover water surface and edges
☐ Drop zones placed for complex hazards
☐ Penalty triggers correctly when ball enters
☐ No invisible hazards (marked areas with no visual water)

Testing Hazards:

Hit shots into each water hazard
Verify penalty stroke and drop options
Check that splash effects appear
Ensure fair relief areas

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Tees

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Tees

Validating tee box placements and aim points.

Tee Validation:

☐ All holes have all tee sets (typically 4-6 tees per hole)
☐ Tee markers are on flat tee box surfaces
☐ Tee markers face correct direction
☐ Aim points are set appropriately
☐ Yardages are accurate
☐ Spacing between tees is logical
☐ No floating or buried tee markers

Testing Tees:

Load each tee in GSPro
Verify camera aim is correct
Check that tee shot has clear view
Confirm yardages match expectations

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Pins and Conditions

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Pins and Conditions

Validating pin placements and green conditions.

Pin Validation:

☐ All holes have 3-6 pin positions
☐ Pins are on green surface (not in fringe/collar)
☐ Pin locations have variety (front/middle/back)
☐ Pins avoid extreme slopes
☐ Default pin is set for each hole
☐ Green speed and firmness are realistic

Testing Pins:

Hit approach shots to each pin
Verify flag is visible and positioned correctly
Check green speed feels appropriate
Ensure putting lines are realistic

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Scorecard

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Scorecard

Verifying scorecard accuracy and completeness.

Scorecard Validation:

☐ Par totals 72 (or appropriate total for course)
☐ Yardages match measurements
☐ Handicap rankings are logical (1=hardest, 18=easiest)
☐ Front 9 and back 9 totals are correct
☐ Course rating and slope are calculated
☐ Tee set names are consistent

Scorecard Balance:

Par 3s: Typically 4 holes (2 front, 2 back)
Par 4s: Typically 10 holes
Par 5s: Typically 4 holes (2 front, 2 back)
Front/back balance: Similar difficulty and length

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Flyover Benchmark

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Flyover Benchmark

Running automated performance benchmark.

Flyover Benchmark:

Go to GreenKeeper > Benchmark tab
Click "Run Flyover Benchmark"
Automated camera flies through all 18 holes
FPS is recorded for each hole
Report generated with performance summary

Performance Standards:

Excellent: 90+ FPS average
Good: 70-89 FPS average
Acceptable: 60-69 FPS average
Needs work: Below 60 FPS

Addressing Performance Issues:

Identify worst-performing holes from report
Load problem holes in Unity
Use optimization techniques (see Performance Troubleshooting above)
Re-run benchmark to verify improvements

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Collider Inspector

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - Collider Inspector

Verifying terrain collision meshes are correct.

Collider Validation:

Colliders define where ball can land and roll
Must cover all playable surfaces
Holes or gaps cause balls to fall through world
Overlapping colliders can cause physics glitches

Using Collider Inspector:

Open GreenKeeper > Collider Inspector
Select hole to inspect
Tool highlights collider meshes
Verify coverage is complete
Check for gaps, holes, or overlaps

Common Collider Issues:

Missing colliders on meshes (ball falls through)
Colliders not conforming to terrain (ball bounces oddly)
Overlapping colliders causing physics conflicts
Non-convex colliders on complex shapes

GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - CPU_GPU Bounding

📺 GreenKeeper Pre-Beta Checks - CPU_GPU Bounding

Checking mesh bounding boxes for rendering optimization.

Bounding Box Validation:

Bounding boxes determine when objects are rendered
Incorrect bounds cause pop-in or invisible objects
GPU instancing requires proper bounding

Using Bounding Inspector:

Open GreenKeeper > Bounding Inspector
Check for oversized bounding boxes
Verify bounds match actual mesh extents
Recalculate bounds if needed

Bounding Issues:

Oversized bounds: Objects render when off-screen (performance hit)
Undersized bounds: Objects disappear when partially visible
Incorrect center: Objects cull prematurely

3. Beta Testing

Once all pre-beta checks pass, you're ready to submit for community beta testing.

Preparing Your Course File for Submission

📺 Preparing Your Course File for Submission

Building and packaging your course for distribution.

Build Process:

Save all Unity scenes and GreenKeeper data
Go to Tools > OPCD > Build Course
Select output directory
Build process generates course files
Verify output contains all necessary files

Course Package Contents:

.course file (main course data)
Texture files (compressed images)
Metadata JSON (course info, scorecard)
Preview images (thumbnails)

Pre-Submission Checklist:

☐ All GreenKeeper pre-beta checks passed
☐ Course plays smoothly in GSPro
☐ No known bugs or glitches
☐ Performance meets standards
☐ Course files built successfully
☐ Preview images created
☐ Course description written

OPCD Beta App - Course Submission, Update and Removal

📺 OPCD Beta App - Course Submission, Update and Removal

Using the OPCD Beta App to share your course with testers.

OPCD Beta App:

Community platform for testing in-progress courses
Invite-only beta tester group
Feedback and bug reporting tools
Version management (update courses)
Download statistics

Submitting to Beta:

Create account on OPCD Beta App
Click "Submit New Course"
Upload course package files
Fill out course details form
Add screenshots/preview images
Select "Beta" status
Submit for review

Beta Testing Phase:

Beta testers download and play your course
Feedback collected via Discord or Beta App comments
Common issues: OOB bugs, hazard problems, yardage errors
Iterate based on feedback
Upload updated versions as needed

Beta Etiquette:

Respond to feedback promptly
Be gracious (testers are volunteers)
Fix reported bugs quickly
Update version notes with changes
Thank testers publicly

4. Official SGT Submission

Once beta testing is complete and all issues resolved, submit to Swing Golf Technologies (SGT) for official GSPro distribution.

Submitting Your Course to SGT to be Played Officially in GSPro

📺 Submitting Your Course to SGT to be Played Officially in GSPro

Final submission process for public release.

SGT Submission Requirements:

Course must be beta tested
All bugs and issues resolved
Performance meets standards
No copyright violations (if replica course)
Professional quality and polish

Submission Process:

Go to GSPro course submission portal
Create submission account (if needed)
Upload final course package
Provide course details and description
Include designer credits
Submit for SGT review

SGT Review Process:

Typically takes 1-4 weeks
SGT tests course for bugs and performance
May request changes or fixes
Once approved, course added to official GSPro library
Available to all GSPro users worldwide

Post-Release:

Monitor community feedback
Address any post-release bugs
Submit updates if significant issues found
Celebrate your achievement! 🎉

Official Release Checklist:

☐ Beta testing completed
☐ All feedback addressed
☐ Final playtest confirmed quality
☐ Course description polished
☐ Designer credits accurate
☐ Preview images professional quality
☐ Submitted to SGT portal
☐ Awaiting SGT approval

Congratulations!

You've completed the journey from raw lidar data to a published GSPro course. This is a significant achievement that requires patience, attention to detail, and passion for golf course design.

Your Course is Now:

Playable by GSPro users worldwide
Part of the growing OPCD course library
A testament to your dedication and skill
A contribution to the golf simulation community

What's Next?

Build another course (each one gets easier!)
Explore Advanced Techniques for polish and refinement
Help others in the OPCD Discord community
Consider building fictional or dream courses
Experiment with unique design challenges

See Also:

Advanced Techniques → - Polish techniques and advanced tools
GreenKeeper Setup - Course configuration reference
Unity Setup & Materials - Unity optimization guide

Part of the Building GSPro Courses complete guide series

More guides →