simple golf gps recommendation

jaykay74

My dad is looking for a simple golf gps, not in the style of a watch and not with a map style interface either. Just distance to front, middle and back of greens. Also without speech. Can any one recommend one that they have used or seen?

On amazon most seem to be watch based or have maps. Even the basic golf buddy one has voice. That would be fine but it looks to me to only display one value so I guess you have to keep pressing it to get front, middle and back.

Any help greatly appreciated.

spacecoyote

My Dad uses one of the older model GolfBuddy GPS systems.

No touch screen, no colour course display, just front middle back distance. Think you can flick a littel button and it'll pull up a list of distances to various hazards, but other than that its farily basic.

Can't think of the exact model of the top of my head, think its this one:

http://www.golfbuddyglobal.com/products/pro.asp

MP62

spacecoyote wrote: »

My Dad uses one of the older model GolfBuddy GPS systems.

No touch screen, no colour course display, just front middle back distance. Think you can flick a littel button and it'll pull up a list of distances to various hazards, but other than that its farily basic.

Can't think of the exact model of the top of my head, think its this one:

http://www.golfbuddyglobal.com/products/pro.asp

+1
Although you have linked to the GB pro version there, which has slightly more features than the GB tour, the GB tour version would suit the OP better.

jaykay74

spacecoyote wrote: »

My Dad uses one of the older model GolfBuddy GPS systems.

No touch screen, no colour course display, just front middle back distance. Think you can flick a littel button and it'll pull up a list of distances to various hazards, but other than that its farily basic.

Can't think of the exact model of the top of my head, think its this one:

http://www.golfbuddyglobal.com/products/pro.asp

Golfbuddy pro and golfbuddy tour seem perfect but seem hard to source, online at least. Seem to be the older generation. The newer ones have feature overkill it seems.

Maybe I could get in these older models in bricks & mortar golf shops ? Or where do people generally buy these ?

Seves Three Iron

Mightn't be up your street at all but Golfshot app on the iPhone is decent.

Pros: Only costs 23.99 (when I installed it anyway) and no extra fees after that.

Cons: You mightn't already have an iPhone. Not legal in comps.

jaykay74

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Mightn't be up your street at all but Golfshot app on the iPhone is decent.

Pros: Only costs 23.99 (when I installed it anyway) and no extra fees after that.

Cons: You mightn't already have an iPhone. Not legal in comps.

Doesn't have an iphone but thanks for the tip, might be of some use to others.

alxmorgan

jaykay74 wrote: »

Doesn't have an iphone but thanks for the tip, might be of some use to others.

Skycaddie 2.5 would suit. Yearly fee but cheap enough to buy.

GreeBo

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Mightn't be up your street at all but Golfshot app on the iPhone is decent.

Pros: Only costs 23.99 (when I installed it anyway) and no extra fees after that.

Cons: You mightn't already have an iPhone. Not legal in comps.

Its also not legal for competition use...

charlieIRL

alxmorgan wrote: »

Skycaddie 2.5 would suit. Yearly fee but cheap enough to buy.

I have one of these and apart from the annual charge - its exaclty what you are after. Very cheap for a refurbished one now. simple to use and shows distances to front / middle / back of green and hazards are shown with the touch of a button. Noting fancy about it at all.

Stay away from the Skycaddie 4 though, heard nothing but bad reports on them and one of the lads here bought one and it only worked for a few rounds before deciding to give up and not connect to the GPS.

Kace

Bushnell Neo+ is a great little unit. The thing is tiny and works well. Only thing is you may need to buy online from the US - this is how I got mine as I wanted very cheap and no frills.

Check it out.

jaykay74

Kace wrote: »

Bushnell Neo+ is a great little unit. The thing is tiny and works well. Only thing is you may need to buy online from the US - this is how I got mine as I wanted very cheap and no frills.

Check it out.

Might go with this one, Don't fancy yearly subs. Seems a bit unnecessary. Seems to be in stock from amazon in the uk as well for 110 sterling. Thanks for all the advice.

Creasy_bear

"Golf buddy tour" is the one to go for if he just wants front, back and center.

All Gps in McGuirks/Halpenny have come down in price so you should pick one of these up quite cheap. I know there was a lad selling one on adverts or donedeal recently. It was 2nd hand but it would still do the trick.

http://www.adverts.ie/golf/golf-buddy-tour-gps/2267560

edit - Just checked there.....the gps/lasers in mcguirks/Halpenny seem to have gone up again from today. Every few weeks they drop it price for a few days it seems.

TRS30

Sureshot Micro- small screen and just does front, middle & back.

Is €149 and you can but in a place in Ballycoolin Ind Est. Comes with a lifetime memebership, 14,000 course etc.

I think their website is golfgps.ie.

My Dad was over with them last week and bought one.

Back9bandit

I have the Caddylite,no maps,no voice, just distances to hazards such as water or bunkers, distances to clear hazards and distances to front,middle and back of greens. www.golf-plus.co.uk is the website. Cheap to buy £70 and £20 annual membership. The Caddylite stores 10 courses at any one time and has over 30,000 courses mapped. i've used it all over europe and have never found fault with it. Worth a look.

Senna

Is there any of them that allow you to map yourself using Google maps?
I use Procaddie on my phone and the best thing about is i can map courses myself and look at pre-mapped courses to make sure its correct. I'd hate to buy one and find out a local course isn't mapped and have to wait a week or two for them to map it.

That's the only thing stopping me from buying a Bushnell neo+ watch.

TRS30

Senna wrote: »

Is there any of them that allow you to map yourself using Google maps?
I use Procaddie on my phone and the best thing about is i can map courses myself and look at pre-mapped courses to make sure its correct. I'd hate to buy one and find out a local course isn't mapped and have to wait a week or two for them to map it.

That's the only thing stopping me from buying a Bushnell neo+ watch.

You can map the course yourself with a Sureshot 8850. Not exactly sure how it works as never had to do it.

Senna

TRS30 wrote: »

You can map the course yourself with a Sureshot 8850. Not exactly sure how it works as never had to do it.

You can map it yourself while on the course, but you can't map it via google maps, you have to ask them to do it and wait a few weeks till they get around to it.

evillive

Senna wrote: »

Is there any of them that allow you to map yourself using Google maps?
I use Procaddie on my phone and the best thing about is i can map courses myself and look at pre-mapped courses to make sure its correct. I'd hate to buy one and find out a local course isn't mapped and have to wait a week or two for them to map it.

That's the only thing stopping me from buying a Bushnell neo+ watch.

you can map a course yourself using googlemaps with on www.freecaddie.com if it isnt done already and download to your phone, i was the first person to map my own course on the website, had to play the course a few times then and readjust the pin positions back on the website - gives a clear front middle and back of green

first course is free and then i think its 6 bucks for all the other courses that have been uploaded by users - it seems to be all user uploaded too

i really got use out of it until i got my garmin gps

Senna

evillive wrote: »

you can map a course yourself using googlemaps with on www.freecaddie.com if it isnt done already and download to your phone, i was the first person to map my own course on the website, had to play the course a few times then and readjust the pin positions back on the website - gives a clear front middle and back of green

first course is free and then i think its 6 bucks for all the other courses that have been uploaded by users - it seems to be all user uploaded too

i really got use out of it until i got my garmin gps

Yeah i meant Freecaddie, not procaddie as i said above. Freecaddie is excellent, i've been using it for a couple of years and it is without a doubt the best app (i know i've tried all of them) problem is I cant use it in competitions.

Ryan29

I'm in the hunt for a GPS too, In mcguirks they have the golfbuddy voice & Bushnell neo+.. I'm just wondering which one is better & why?? Or would I be better off getting the laser Bushnell but ive heard its hard enough to use?

adeypius

+1 for Freecaddie


play at a course which does not seem to be mapped by so many of the cheaper gps systems

was eyeing up Garmin Approach G3 on amazon.co.uk, but will stick with Freecaddie for a while.

Almaviva

Ryan29 wrote: »

Or would I be better off getting the laser Bushnell but ive heard its hard enough to use?

I would stongly advise no. Go for one of the GPS options.

I have both laser and GPS. Laser is excellent but impractical day in day out because it is just too much hassle to use (not that its difficult to use, but while it might sound bizarre if you havent used one, even the 10 or 20 seconds is too long before a shot).
The GPS zero trouble. Fixed, to your bag, you just glance at it and have the distance to front-middle-back instantly.
Laser might be good for the cat 1 golfer playing serious golf on unknown courses, where a few yards of pin placement might make a difference. But even then I am sceptical that the GPS would not be sufficiently as accurate.

If you play unknown courses, the maps on the graphical GPS ones rather then simply the distance Golfbuddy voice style are also very usefull to show you distance to doglegs, layups for water, etc.

Having said all that, my game is as kraap with or without either. But the GPS one does add to the fun.

Senna

I always picture what would happen if I bought a Laser, standing over the ball on my first shot, get the exact measurement, then proceed to top it:D

I've just picked up a cheap Bushnell neo GPS on ebay for €70. It hasn't arrived in the post yet, but all I need is a distance to centre of green and I don't really want to be spending extra on graphic views, scorecards (awkward to use on most), even distance to hazards doesn't bother me as I'm playing the same courses week-in-week-out and there aren't many hazards I need to layout in-front of, but the neo does that anyway.

If the powers that be would just allow mobile phones it would be so much handier. I still use my mobile to keep score, but don't use gps etc.

onlyfinewine

Senna wrote: »

If the powers that be would just allow mobile phones it would be so much handier. I still use my mobile to keep score, but don't use gps etc.

I think they will be allowed in the future, technology is expanding all the time and the artificial constraints that are currently being enforced are not sustainable in the longer term. If your mobile has a temperature or compass capability you are theoretically breaking the rules???

m r c

Senna wrote: »

I always picture what would happen if I bought a Laser, standing over the ball on my first shot, get the exact measurement, then proceed to top it:D

I've just picked up a cheap Bushnell neo GPS on ebay for €70. It hasn't arrived in the post yet, but all I need is a distance to centre of green and I don't really want to be spending extra on graphic views, scorecards (awkward to use on most), even distance to hazards doesn't bother me as I'm playing the same courses week-in-week-out and there aren't many hazards I need to layout in-front of, but the neo does that anyway.

If the powers that be would just allow mobile phones it would be so much handier. I still use my mobile to keep score, but don't use gps etc.

I've been keeping an eye on eBay for something similar lately, €70 sounds like a steal there well done. Did you buy from the states? I was a little worried about mapping etc if I did that.
The GPS I'd snap up if it didn't matter us vs European versions would be is the callaway upro mx+ anyone have one out of interest?

Senna

m r c wrote: »

I've been keeping an eye on eBay for something similar lately, €70 sounds like a steal there well done. Did you buy from the states? I was a little worried about mapping etc if I did that.
The GPS I'd snap up if it didn't matter us vs European versions would be is the callaway upro mx+ anyone have one out of interest?

Funny you mention the Callaway, I was just about to buy one of those and I decided I'd check if my course was mapped and it wasn't, the course is Portsalon in Donegal and its mapped on every other device so I wasn't even going to check, I just did while I was waiting on the auction to end.
Have you checked your course or courses in the area?

onlyfinewine wrote: »

I think they will be allowed in the future, technology is expanding all the time and the artificial constraints that are currently being enforced are not sustainable in the longer term. If your mobile has a temperature or compass capability you are theoretically breaking the rules???

Its really the ability to get wind speed and direction that's ruling out mobiles, but I cant see how anyone bar a pro could benefit from that information more than just throwing some grass in the air and seeing where it falls.