When I do golf equipment reviews or golf accessory reviews I typically do a “first look” post to get the word out that I’ve received a product for testing and give those who submitted the product a little air time. That gives them a little golf blog love and buys me time to spend testing the unit. I do spend a lot of time testing, unlike other fly-by-night sites who test from their kitchen table or by hitting three range balls.
This time around I’m compelled to do an intermediate post on the new TomTom Golfer Premium GPS watch. I already did my first look of the TomTom golf GPS watchand I’m not quite ready to post a full review because a single round is definitely not enough. I was so impressed with this unit during my first round I have to post about it.
The TomTom golf GPS watch is not overly large like other golf GPS watches. So it is actually wearable for those who can wear a watch and play. I’m not a watch guy, so I played a couple of holes with it on, then just attached it to my golf bag.
The yardages were quick and accurate, and I love the way they display with the black background. Below you can see the yards to the front, back, and middle:
This GPS watch not only gives yardages, but has all sorts of other great features. It will track scores, show green view, and even show hazards. See below? The first hole has water all the way down the right side:
And below is a shot of the score tracking. I made par on the par-5 first hole.
I’m not done testing and have yet to post my full review, but now that I have a round under my belt I already know the TomTom Premium golf GPS watch is superb. Stay tuned for my full review.
My winter torture continues. Now in my hands is a micro golf GPS from GolfBuddy, the CT2. I’m hoping for some global warming so the snow melts fast and the courses open up, allowing me to start testing this baby. For now, here’s a picture and a few of the features listed below. Pray for the snow to melt.
Golf Buddy CT2 Mini Golf GPS
- Versatile design fits in pockets & clips to towel rings, belts, lanyards, golf bags, etc.
- Dynamic green view with pin placement and distance readings from the golfer’s perspective
- Distances to front/center/back of the green
- Distances to hazards and layups
- Digital scorecard
- Automatic course/hold recognition
- Legal for tournament play
- Rechargeable battery provies up to 17 hours of golf GPS
- Time
- GPS Odometer
- Waterproof up to 10 meters
- Lanyard included
This is painful. There are two feet of snow on the grass here and the golf courses are closed for probably 2-3 months. I just got this TomTom Golfer Premium Golf GPS Watch in for review and all I can do is charge it up, put it on my wrist, stare at it in my office and dream of being on a golf course.
Here’s a photo of the unit on my wrist. As close as I can get to testing right now #snow
I guess I could put on my snow boots and go for a walk round the golf course with it to check yardages…
So here’s the first look at least for now, and the unit and it’s accessories. I hope to review this golf GPS watch soon. Maybe I’ll have to make a trip to a warmer area, or maybe global warming can be real and the snow will melt soon.
First impressions are that this is perhaps the first golf GPS watch I’ve received, and there have been many, that is actually small enough to wear comfortably.
Bushnell NEO Golf GPS
I certainly can’t blame my golf accessories if I miss a green or a target! When I’ve got the Bushnell NEO Ghost pocket golf GPS on my person I have a light and easy to read yardage. Let’s take a look at the NEO Ghost in detail.
Features
- Preloaded with 33,000+ courses
- 14 hour battery life. Number of holes or rounds obviously depends on pace of play.
- Auto course recognition
- Auto hole advance
- Clear and large yardage numbers, easy to read
- Up to four hazard distances per hole
- Easy-to-use interface
- Multi-function clip and USB charging cable included (clip to belt or golf bag)
- Super light
- Available colors: black, charcoal, green, white
On The Course
First things first. To get the NEO Ghost ready for a round it needs to be charged. Unlike many golf GPS units, the NEO Ghost has a standard micro USB port. It can be charged with a regular micro USB cable one might use for a smartphone or other USB peripherals. Since it has no proprietary bizarre cable to charge it, you won’t end up on your first trip to Bandon Dunes realizing you can’t use your GPS because you forgot the funky charger. Rant over…
A full charge lasts forever, or up to 14 hours. I say forever because I can go several rounds before having to charge the unit. Other GPS units I’ve reviewed barely last more than one round.
The size and ease of use of the NEO Ghost is a big selling point. The soft edges and rounded corners slide in and out of my pocket easily. Nothing sharp to bug me when the unit is in my pocket. It is so light that I can hardly tell it is on my person.
Invaluable and accurate golf data in the palm of my hand!
Looking at the display is refreshing. It is super simple with big clear yardages. The big number is the center of the green. The smaller numbers represent yardages to the front and back of the green. The unit will also provide crucial information regarding hazard yardages, like greenside bunkers. It is always great to know the exact yardage to “cover” a bunker.
The unit powers up quickly and automatically knows the course I’m playing. With 33,000 courses it is unlikely a user will run across a course which is not in the unit.
Conclusion
Ranging from $99 to $129, the NEO Ghost golf GPS by Bushnell is a very affordable and easy to use golf measuring device. It delivers solid data, is sharp looking, light, charges easily, and lasts a long time. Fantastic.
The NEO Ghost would make a great golf gift for Father’s Day, Christmas, Birthdays and more.
Looks like a solid 6-iron to the par-3 9th hole!
The ScoreBand company is filling a vacant spot in the golf accessory industry, affordable golf laser rangefinders and affordable golf GPS devices. Today’s review is the ScoreBand golf GPS watch. This unit gives solid yardages, tracks the distance of shots played, and also can serve as a golf scorekeeper. Aesthetically it is not too shabby looking to boot.
Features
- Front, back, and green center yardages displayed
- Over 30,000 worldwide courses preloaded with no additional fees
- Automatically detects the nearest golf course
- Measures shot distance
- Scorekeeping
On The Course
I’m not a watch wearer, and golf GPS watches are bigger than regular watches. So I use the unit attached to my golf bag. When I’m at my bag I check the yardage right there, then know what club to pull.
I tested this unit over several months and the GPS yardages are quick and accurate. One can hit a shot with confidence knowing the yardage is right and the club selection is the best one. I used a laser and a more expensive golf GPS made by another company side by side with the ScoreBand golf GPS watch. The yardages were nearly identical.
Critiques
I have the same critiques with this golf GPS watch that I have with seemingly all the others. First the size and weight are a little big for comfort during a golf swing.
Second, the charging cable for this unit is a non-standard, proprietary cable. So when you are finally making that lifelong trip to Bandon Dunes or Pebble Beach, make sure you didn’t forget the charging cable. You won’t find one at a Walgreens.
ScoreBand Golf GPS Watch – click to buy
Price Point
The big selling point of this golf GPS watch is its price point. At $139 here on Amazon, this unit runs around half the price of many popular golf GPS watches. As I mentioned, I couldn’t tell a difference in yardage, so I would say $139 is a hell of a deal.
Conclusion
This very affordable and accurate golf GPS watch is a no-brainer. Consider this golf gps for a Father’s Day Golf Gift, Christmas golf gift, or the perfect unit for the person finally ready to dive into golf GPS technology.
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