Quick Answer: Yes, you can build your own golf launch monitor. The most serious option is PiTrac, a free, open-source project that uses Raspberry Pi 5 computers and camera modules to measure ball speed, launch angle, and spin for roughly $250–$450 in parts. The lowest-effort option is a phone app like GolfTrak, which uses your iPhone’s cameras and costs nothing to try. Both trade accuracy and reliability for cost versus a turnkey unit like the Garmin Approach R10 (about $599.99). Check Raspberry Pi 5 kits on Amazon.
Get the parts to your door fast — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days for two-day shipping on Raspberry Pi boards, camera modules, and cables while you’re sourcing a PiTrac build.
Most launch-monitor buying guides — including our own — assume you’re choosing between commercial units. But a real DIY-the-sensor-itself movement exists, built by golfers who’d rather solder a circuit board than pay $600–$25,000 for hardware. This guide covers the two real paths: the open-source PiTrac hardware project, and free phone-camera apps like GolfTrak — what each actually measures, what it costs, and when you’re better off just buying a budget launch monitor instead.
DIY launch monitors by the numbers
- PiTrac’s own project documentation estimates parts cost at about $250–$450 for the Raspberry Pi 5 computers, camera modules, and custom PCB — versus $25,000+ for a premium unit like Trackman, per independent DIY-build roundups.
- GolfTrak’s free tier caps users at 5 full-metric shots per day; its PRO tier runs $14.99/month and PRO + E6 (adds E6 Connect simulator integration) runs $29.99/month, per the app’s own pricing page.
- Independent DIY-build guides report that camera-based home builds handle carry distance reasonably well but are less accurate on spin rate and club-face angle than purpose-built commercial sensors.
Published September 2026.
Option 1 — PiTrac (open-source hardware)
PiTrac bills itself as the world’s first free, open-source golf launch monitor. It uses Raspberry Pi 5 computers paired with specialized camera modules and infrared strobe-based imaging — similar in principle to how a commercial photometric unit like the Foresight GC3 captures multiple images of the ball at impact — to calculate ball speed, launch angle, and spin in three axes. The project provides a full parts list and connects to GSPro and E6/TruGolf simulator software once built.
The catch is right there in the project’s own documentation: building it requires being “handy with a soldering iron,” able to “figure out how to 3D print the parts,” and willing to “burrow into the Linux operating system to compile and install software.” The creators themselves describe the current release as “really immature,” with only the basic features working reliably. This isn’t a weekend project for most golfers — it’s a genuine electronics build for someone who already has a 3D printer and enjoys embedded Linux work.
Option 2 — Phone-camera apps (GolfTrak, and similar)
If soldering isn’t for you, GolfTrak turns an iPhone’s existing cameras into a basic launch monitor with zero hardware to buy. It claims to land “within 95%” of dedicated launch monitors on its measured metrics, and the free tier gives you 5 full-metric shots per day to test it before paying anything. Paid tiers unlock unlimited shots and simulator integration with GSPro and E6 Connect.
This is the honest starting point for most golfers curious about DIY: it costs nothing to try, needs no assembly, and tells you quickly whether camera-based tracking is accurate enough for your net or hitting bay before you consider a PiTrac build or a commercial unit.
DIY vs. buying: the honest trade-off
| Path | Cost | Effort | Accuracy | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GolfTrak (phone app) | Free–$29.99/mo | None — install and calibrate | Basic metrics only, no hardware sensors | Testing the concept for free |
| PiTrac (open source) | ~$250–$450 parts | High — soldering, 3D printing, Linux | Handles carry distance; weaker on spin/club-face | Hobbyist electronics builders |
| Garmin Approach R10 | $599.99 | None — plug and play | 14 full metrics, warrantied, well-tested | Most golfers |
The math is simple: a DIY build saves you roughly $150–$350 versus a Garmin R10, in exchange for hours of soldering and an admittedly buggy early-stage project with no customer support line to call when it breaks. If you already own a Raspberry Pi and a 3D printer and enjoy the build itself, PiTrac is a legitimate, genuinely free way in. If you just want reliable numbers on the range this weekend, our best golf launch monitor and best budget golf launch monitor picks will get you there faster and with a warranty.
The bottom line
You can build your own golf launch monitor two ways: for free with a phone-camera app like GolfTrak, or for about $250–$450 in parts with the open-source PiTrac hardware project — both trade some accuracy and reliability for cost. Try the free phone-app route first to see if camera-based tracking suits your setup; only move to a PiTrac hardware build if you already enjoy electronics projects. For everyone else, a budget launch monitor like the Garmin Approach R10 delivers more accurate, warrantied data for not much more money and zero soldering.