How to Build GSPro Courses

What you need

A Windows PC that runs GSPro well, a GSPro license to test in, and time: a first course usually takes many weeks of evenings. QGIS, Inkscape, Blender and Unity are free; the OPCD toolset comes through the OPCD community.

Patience with 3D tools helps more than golf knowledge. The community will help with the rest.

• QGIS: free GIS software for terrain (heightmaps) and aerial overlays
• Inkscape: free vector editor for tracing the course layout
• Blender with the OPCD toolset add-on: turns the traced shapes into 3D course meshes
• Unity: the engine GSPro courses are assembled in (use the version GSPro's course tools specify)
• GSPro GreenKeeper: sets tees, pins, hazards, out of bounds and the scorecard

Pick a course you can build well

Start with a course that has public LiDAR. In the US, the USGS 3D Elevation Program covers most of the country; many European countries publish national LiDAR too. Without good elevation data you will be guessing at greens.

For a real course, ask the club before you publish. Many clubs say yes and some share hole photos or green plans; a few will not, and it is their call. Fantasy courses avoid the question entirely.

The build, step by step

This is the shape of the OPCD workflow. Each step has detailed video tutorials from the community; the links below lead to them.

1. Terrain: in QGIS, load the LiDAR, clip it to the property and export a heightmap plus an aerial overlay for reference.

2. Layout: in Inkscape, trace every feature on its own layer: tees, fairways, greens, bunkers, water, paths and rough. Clean, closed shapes save hours later.

3. Meshes: in Blender, the OPCD tools conform your traced shapes to the terrain, cut bunkers and water, and export the course meshes.

4. Assembly: in Unity, import the meshes, apply grass, sand and water materials, plant trees and dress the background, then check performance.

5. Gameplay: in GreenKeeper, place tees and pin positions, mark hazards and out of bounds, and build the scorecard.

6. Test: play every hole in GSPro. Check green speeds and slopes, bunker lips, drops and frame rate on a mid-range PC, not just your own.

7. Beta: share a beta build with a few players in the community Discord and fix what they find.

Publishing and getting paid

Most free courses go to the SGT course server, which every GSPro player can browse in game. Many designers also run a Patreon with early access or exclusive courses on a private server; TPL's course directory tracks both.

Once you have released courses, claim your designer profile in The Perfect Lie directory so players can find your portfolio, follow you and support you.

Where to learn

The OPCD Discord is the main help channel, run by the toolset's author. Between Two Biomes publishes a long-running video series on GSPro course design, and many working designers post build logs on YouTube and the Golf Simulator Forum.