Bushnell Neo iON Golf GPS Rangefinder Watch Review

Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, June 14th, 2016
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Bushnell Golf • Golf GPS • Golf GPS Watch • GPS

Golf GPS rangefinder watch technology is improving. No longer does the golfer have to wear a ridiculously large device to have GPS yardages and other great features on his or her wrist. Case in point is the new Bushnell neo iON GPS rangefinder watch. Let’s take a look.

Bushnell Neo iON GPS Rangefinder Watch

In the photo above I’m either playing a really short par-5 and I’m on the tee, or I just duffed my drive and did the walk of shame 50 yards forward from the tee. Take your pick. But the display does give a good example of the core information I need when approaching a green, the front yardage, middle yardage, and back yardage. Here’s a list of all the basic features of the Bushnell neo iON GPS Rangefinder Watch:

One button operation
Auto course recognition
Auto hole advance
Calculates shot distances
Up to four hazard or layup distances per hole
Pedometer
Odometer
Extended battery life
Over 35,000 preloaded courses

On The Course

One of the most irritating things about many golf GPS devices, watch or others, is the amount of time it takes them to recognize what course they are on. In fact, some of the GPS units I use never find the course. This unit finds the course very quickly and does not lose it.

During the round the yardages are solid and quick. I’ve confirmed them with markers on the ground and via laser. Rock solid. Sometimes it’s better to think about the front or back yardages of the green. Say you have a green with a false front which repels shots. Knowing the right number to avoid that spot is a great advantage. The same goes with pins that are long. If the green has a bad drop behind it or deep rough, long is dead. Knowing these yardages arms the player with great information for a better approach strategy.

The pedometer is a very cool feature. My phone has one, but it isn’t as accurate, and it drains the battery badly. Knowing how many miles I’ve walked is also great. A 7,000 yard course may calculate out to four miles, but the walk can be double that or more. After all, the golfer doesn’t hit straight shots. Left. Right. Left. Right. You get the drill.

Another great bit of information the unit provides is shot distances. One may “think” their 9-iron goes 140 yards when in reality it goes 132. Knowing exact yardages, and accepting what they really are, will save strokes. If only I could teach myself to accept them… That’s another discussion.

Bushnell Neo iON

The battery life of the iON is great. I’ve squeezed two full rounds out of a unit before charging. I think I could have gotten more out of it but wanted to be sure I had a full 18 for my next round.

Critiques

I have the same critique for this unit which I have for 99% of the golf GPS watches I’ve reviewed, the proprietary charging cable. Why is it so hard for companies to put a standard micro USB plug on these units? That way one could charge it with a standard cable should he/she forget to bring the proprietary one.

The other issue I have with GPS watches is the fact that they are watches. I’m not a watch wearer and I find them especially uncomfortable in the golf swing. So I usually attach them to my golf bag. It would be nice if the unit could be stand alone, without the band.

Conclusion

Though it retails for $199.00, I’ve found this golf GPS watch on sale at Amazon for only $149.00. Considering all the features and performance this is a great deal.

Father’s Day is coming up later this week. Dad would love one.

HOG World Tour Visits Pete Dye Course at French Lick Indiana

Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, June 13th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Golf Course Architecture • Golf Courses • Golf Life • HOG World Tour • Travel
Tags: French Lick • Pete Dye

The Hooked on Golf Blog World Tour was in French Lick, Indiana last week to experience golf and the French Lick Resort. In addition to the fabulous Donald Ross course, I had the opportunity to play the Pete Dye course at French Lick. Wowsies.
French_Lick_Dye_Course_22
On a difficulty scale from 1-10, the Dye Course is a 12.3. With a course rating of 80.0 and a slope of 148, I’ve not played a more difficult course. And I’ve played some of the world’s most difficult courses like TPC Sawgrass, Wolf Creek, and Carnoustie.
French_Lick_Dye_Course_04
I will be posting my full review of the French Lick Pete Dye course as soon as I’ve recovered from the beatdown it gave me. Stay tuned.

HOG World Tour Visits the Donald Ross Course at French Lick Indiana

Written by: Tony Korologos | Sunday, June 12th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Golf Course Architecture • Golf Courses • Golf Life • HOG World Tour • Site News • Travel
Tags: Donald Ross • French Lick

This past week the HOG World Tour was in French Lick, Indiana to check out two courses from two very different and equally famous golf course architects, Pete Dye and Donald Ross. The Donald Ross Course was the first on the menu, and I loved the entree so much I went back through the buffet a 2nd and 3rd time.

The Donald Ross Course 10th hole (left) with the practice putting green in the foreground

This was one of the more challenging Donald Ross courses I’ve played due to the large amount of elevation changes and horizontal movement of the holes. And the greens were some of the most extreme I’ve ever putted. Putting or chipping from above the hole is nearly impossible.

Par-3 4th Hole – 240 Yards

I was able to play this fabulous old course (1917) three times. It’s ranked 71st in Golf Digest’s Top-100. I’ll be posting my full review of the experience soon, but wanted to do a quick share and a couple of photos prior to that. Stay tuned.

HOG World Tour Arrives in French Lick Indiana

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, June 9th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Golf Life • Golf Lifestyle • HOG World Tour • Travel
Tags: French Lick

Greetings from the fabulous and beautiful French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana. I think I can see Larry Bird’s house from here. I’m in French Lick on a press trip to review the resort and the three golf courses here. More to come on the golf.

View from a balcony room into the dome at the West Baden Springs Hotel

The photo above is a shot from the balcony of my terrific room here at the West Baden Springs Hotel. The hotel is circular with a huge dome in the middle. The reverberation is quite lengthy.

This is a very classy place. They obviously aren’t on to me being a blogger. They must think I’m a “journalist.” Shhhh. Don’t tell them.

Bananas Foster

Last night I had a dinner, feast rather, fit for a king. Above you can see the waiter making up my favorite dessert in the universe, Bananas Foster. Wow was that good. Great restaurants here at French Lick Resort.

Check back for some golf related posts from the Ross Course and the Pete Dye course.

Fell Flat on My Face in Gross Match

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, June 8th, 2016
Categories: Golf
Tags: Match Play

In my previous posts I’ve discussed the Salt Lake City Amateur and how I feel a lot of pressure. Two days after that tournament I had to play a gross match against a 1.4 handicap opponent. I’ve not been playing to a level I expect from myself, so I had doubts as to my chances of victory.

I started out hot though. I made birdie on the first two holes, winning both. We tied the third hole and my opponent made birdie on the tough 4th, at which time I was just 1UP. We both had eagle putts on the par-5 5th and both two-putted. On the par-3 6th we both hit the green. I two-putted but my opponent missed a very short par-putt. Back to 2UP.

Then it got weird. On the short par-4 7th I hit a pushed drive down the right rough were there are some trees. Often the shot will finish in an okay position there, just a sand wedge to the green. My ball looked to hit right at the base of a tree and neither of us saw it bounce or go anywhere at that point. We searched for the allowed five minutes and the ball was nowhere to be found. I theorize the ball embedded into the tree somehow, or ended up climbing up and lodging high overhead. I had to go retee and ended up making a double. Back to 1UP.

I made a solid par on the par-4 8th and my opponent had tree trouble which produced a bogey. 2UP.

On the very difficult 195 yard par-3 9th I almost jarred my tee shot. It finished about four feet. I made birdie. 3UP.

We both tied the 11th with 2-putt-pars.

The Fall

Walking to the 11th tee with my 4-iron I stepped over a rope. Somehow my shoe caught the rope and I was not ready for that. I fell flat on my face and my ball, tee, and 4-iron went flying. I hurt my left wrist and left knee. Mostly I hurt my pride. Somehow I managed to hit a solid tee shot being a little shaken. I made par and my opponent made bogey. 4UP.

We both tied the par-5 12th. I got away with that one. He was a long hitter and was over the green in two. I made a clutch par saving downhill putt from about five feet.

I had a great opportunity on the 13th. My opponent made bogey and I ended up with a five footer uphill to win the hole and put the match to dormie. I should have been more aggressive. The putt tailed off and missed. That gave him life and he took advantage.

On the par-4 14th I made bogey and my opponent made an impressive birdie. 3UP.

On the par-3 15th from 225 I chunked a 4-iron. I then chunked my 2nd shot. At this point I’m beginning to battle the choke mechanism. I lose the damn hole to a bogey. Not impressive.

The 16th is a very reachable par-5. I knew my opponent would have a good shot at birdie or even eagle. He blocked his drive into the right rough and had a slight tree issue. I was a couple of feet in the left rough about 250 out. I hit a killer hybrid which crept onto the front of the big green, but the pin was back. My opponent blew his shot past the green nearly into some trees. He had no backswing. His third shot hit the rough behind the green and he chipped onto the green to about 15 feet. I was too conservative with my eagle putt and ended up 3-putting for a par. My opponent made a clutch putt to tie and keep the match alive. Dormie 2 (2UP with two holes to play).

At this point I’m getting nervous. He has the momentum after that clutch putt and clawing his way to dormie two from 4-down. He hit a stellar shot to the par-3 17th and had about 10 foot birdie putt. I gagged my tee shot and ended up short of the green. Would my nemesis chipping and bad short game lose this hole? Not if I use a Texas wedge! I putted from about 10 feet off the green to about four feet. My opponent missed his birdie and I gave him the par. That left me a slick left to right four footer for the win.

Nailed it.

I shot -2 on the front nine with a double (the tree ball), and ended with my best round of the year, 74. It would seem I felt much less self-induced pressure in this match than in the City Am over the weekend.

Match play is without a doubt my favorite form of golf. The intensity and pressure of a one-on-one match like this is so fun. I should have had the match in the bag, being 4UP with five to play. But it’s very hard to not let your brain get in the way of finishing off the match in that position.

My next match is likely against an even better player, a +2.5. He’s human. I hope he brings his C game. 🙂

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