There are not too many people who know as much about golf gadgets as yours truly. In fact, I know too much. That’s a discussion for another day.
Today I’m happy to post a golf blog on the best Father’s Day golf gadgets. The gadgets below have all been reviewed here on Hooked On Golf Blog. You can click the link to read the full review or the link to buy one directly. I try to make it easy for you.
High End Golf Laser Rangefinder – $464
Though I have not posted my review yet, I can tell you this is one badass golf laser. Quickest and most accurate unit I’ve tested to date. The price is a bit steep, but this is a quality piece.
Budget Golf Laser Rangefinder – $172
The most reasonably priced, accurate laser I’ve tested. A great deal for dad (or mom, or son, or sister, or priest, or rabbi).
Putting Analyzer for iOS or Android – $199
User your smartphone or tablet with this device to hone your putting skills.
Pocket Golf GPS – $99 (no-brainer)
This golf GPS goes in one’s pocket, or on one’s belt. Super light. Clear display. Easy to use. Great for senior golfers.
Golf Practice Chipping Net – $34.99
This chipping net can be used indoors or out. Less than $35? Money well spent.
Game Golf Score/Shot Tracking System – $199
Game Golf was one of Hooked On Golf Blog’s 2014 products of the year. It is an awesome system that tracks every shot and lets you analyze on your computer at home. Shots are plotted over a map and every club distance is measured. Many more cool features included. Very cool golf gadget!
Personal Golf Launch Monitor – $198
Another one of the best products of 2014. This unit shows golf club head speed and all sorts of other great golf launch characteristics. Great for practice and club testing.
Frogger Golf Cart Poncho – $44
Very affordable golf cart cover by Frogger. The “poncho” is so portable it can fit inside a golf bag!
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.
Along with my testing of a reasonably priced $173 golf laser rangefinder by ScoreBand, I’m testing the ScoreBand Golf GPS Watch and Scorecard
. This unit runs $129 at retail (very reasonably priced) and serves as a golf GPS and wrist mounted golf scorekeeper. I found this golf GPS watch for $121 on Amazon.
ScoreBand Golf GPS Watch – click to buy
I’m not big on wearing watches and GPS watches tend to be bigger than normal watches. I just mount the unit to my bag most of the time. With the unit conveniently located on my golf bag I can look at the numbers and grab a club quickly and easily.
Features Courtesy of the ScoreBand Website
- Auto-detects nearest course
- Yardage to Front, Back and Center of Green
- Yardage to hazards
- Quick-Score scorecard for each course
- Stores up to 10 rounds
- Shot distance measurement
- Easy software upgrades
- Long-life rechargeable battery 8-10 hours in GPS mode / up to 4 weeks in power-save mode
- 2 hours to fully recharge (DC)
- 3ATM Water Resistance
- Screen 90 x 90 pixels for easy viewing
- GPS accurate time and date
- Uses industry leading u-blox GPS chipset
Pre-Loaded Course Database
- NORTH AMERICA + BRAZIL
- UK/EUROPE/AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND/SOUTH AFRICA
I have a few more testing rounds to go, but so far so good on the ScoreBand GPS watch. Solid so far. Stay tuned for my full review.
Here’s a first look at a new $189 (retail) $173 (street) golf laser rangefinder by the company ScoreBand. I reviewed a ScoreBand product a couple of years ago, a small wrist watch style golf score keeper. Yesterday I did my first round of testing the new ScoreBand PULSE Compact Golf Laser Rangefinder and I was quite impressed.
ScoreBand Laser Rangefinder – click to buy
Though it was only my first round with the unit, I found it to be nice and compact and easy to use. The yardages locked in quickly and were consistent, unlike other lasers I’ve tested. A friend in my group was using a Leupold laser rangefinder and the yardages from the Pulse were always within one yard of that unit, which cost him $499.
I’m still testing but so far I dig this unit. Stay tuned for my full review soon.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
