Best Golf GPS

Best Golf GPS

• Storing useful information on the length of your last shot (which you can retrieve later for reference and game analysis)
• Warn you of potential hazards by providing info on the location and distance of targets
• Keeping score of up to 4 players.
• Allow you to target specific locations on the fairway.
• Thousands upon thousands of courses are available.
• Touch screen technology.

Top golf GPS units can be purchased in varying prices, from a low of $150 to the more pricey ones at $500. The best golf GPS for one person may be completely different from that of another; it all depends on your needs. To determine the best golf GPS that would truly meet your expectations and requirements, there are some key points that you have to consider before investing in a unit.

What to Look For in the Best Golf GPS

• The Price/Cost Factor. Find out the total cost of ownership. Besides the price of the best golf GPS gadget itself, check if there are annual membership fees, monthly subscription fees, a one-time membership fee or a pay-per-downloaded-course type of access. When deciding which of the best golf GPS units to buy, it is essential that you understand that the price factor is largely influenced by your personal preferences and requirements.

For instance, is it more important for you to have high resolution graphics that depict the fly over view of each hole? Or are you quite satisfied with the basic information on distance measurements in bold, readable numbers? If so, you can pick up a great unit for less than $150. However, if you want a unit with all the bells and whistles then you will pay between $200 to $500 for such a unit.

• Mapped or Not Mapped. Of course you can request to have your favorite courses mapped; it is part of the services that golf GPS companies provide. However, the time it takes for them to add your request to the database is an altogether different matter. Some may comply within a few days while others could take weeks or months. In which case, it’s a good to check if the unit you’re planning to buy has your favorite and most-frequented courses already mapped and included in the database.

• Information Presentation. If you prefer a more sophisticated golf GPS with aerial views and fantastic graphics rather than a unit with quick, practical interface in numerical presentation, be aware that interpreting info could be a lot more complicated. It’s a choice between stylish looks and functionality. Now if you can have both in a single best golf GPS unit, that’s a perfect combo.

• The Warranty Period. Most golf GPS reviews show that warranty periods vary in length from three months to one year. The perception, of course, is that best golf GPS units with long warranty periods indicate the manufacturer’s confidence in their product. This is certainly one aspect worth looking into.

• Other Features to Consider. Also to be considered when looking for the best golf GPS to suit your needs is: size (is it handy and convenient?); ease of use (simple and user friendly or too intricate for you); power source (how long does the battery last?); accuracy of data (it would be a waste of time and money if your GPS turn out to be inaccurate); screen resolution (is it readable even in bright sunlight? Can you make out the data at one quick glance?); and customer service (are you technically covered and supported? how prompt is the response when you need help?).

Time to Decide – Which Best Golf GPS Fits the Bill

To help you decide which is the best golf GPS for you, here are three golf GPS comparisons you may want to check out. Each one is representative of particular requirements/preferences with the budget having been considered, too.

iGolf Neo Pocket Size Golf GPS         (Price Range: $85 – $99)
If the best golf GPS device you’re looking for is one that is inexpensive, no-nonsense and simply straightforward, iGolf Neo is just right for you. With no frills and no extra features, iGolf Neo is the least expensive among the best golf GPS units on the market today. For what it does, this unit gets really good reviews from satisfied golfers. Although it doesn’t have fancy on-screen maps, iGolf Neo is the best golf GPS that has everything you need in terms of yardage data, fairly accurate information on distance to the front, back and middle of the green as well as distance to the pin, plus your last shot distance.

The iGolf Neo is so small that it can fit right into your pocket; it weighs only 2.5-ounces. While the iGolf Neo is so compact,it can still store up to 10 files of golf courses at one time, and four customized points for each hole. iGolf Neo is one of the best golf GPS devices that uses an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can last for hours and accommodate about 4 rounds of golf. With an annual membership fee of $34.99, you get unlimited access to 33,500 downloadable golf courses in any part of the world. Plus, you can request additional information for any course.

SkyCaddie SG3.5 Golf GPS                (Price Range: $249 – $299)
The SG3.5 is the lowest-priced model among Skygolf’s family of best golf GPS devices. Except for a few differences, SG3.5 is equipped with most of the high-end features that Skycaddie products offer. Golfers who travel a lot find this the best golf GPS unit because it is specifically built to run on 3AAA batteries – totally free of cables and wires! Although this unit has a smaller screen than other Skycaddie GPS devices, the 2.2-inch screen with vibrant color display is large enough for easy data reading. Skycaddie SG3.5 is also one of the best golf GPS units with bigger storage capacity and is capable of storing up to 20 courses at once.

Being among the best golf GPS models that use more advanced GPS technology, SG3.5 can give you a flyover view of the green and provide you with crucial distance information necessary to enable you to shoot lower scores and play more confidently. Accurate distances are relayed and presented in a comprehensive manner through the use of powerful and exclusively patented technology such as IntelliGreen, IntelliGreen Pro (Beta), QuickVue, and HoleVue (Beta). All these technologies show real-time distances to hazards, fairway targets, carries, layups and other key areas on the hole from any angle of approach, allowing you the liberty of choosing a suitable club for better shots.

A start-up annual membership fee of $29.95 entitles you to join the member community and have unlimited access to reliable information from the biggest course map database/library of nearly 30,000 golf courses all over the world, which were professionally ground mapped – not just taken from satellite feed. The SG3.5 actually walks the ground of each course using survey-standard GPS instruments for accurate mapping. Along with the high-quality, course maps that are ground-verified by professional golf walkers, this golf GPS can display approximately 40 targets per hole. With so much to offer, it is no wonder the SG3.5 is considered one of the best golf GPS units available today.

Garmin Approach G5 Golf GPS           (Price Range: $359 – $440)

The Garmin Approach G5 truly deserves to be called best golf GPS. This top of the line golf GPS is indeed a work of art. Built with sturdy and rugged attributes, the first thing you notice about this waterproof device is its large, vivid-color touchscreen display with easy-to-navigate menus for simplified and user-friendly course-plotting. In an unprecedented move that has upset the golf GPS industry, Garmin preloads the Approach G5 with more than 10,000 golf courses for free as well as free updates and additional courses through its website.

One of the biggest advantages of Approach G5 is the ability of this best golf GPS gadget to present distances from one point to any location of the course with a simple touch-and-drag motion. You simply touch a target to obtain the distance, and you can have accurate measurement in an instant! Be warned, though, sometimes the touchscreen gets a tad too touchy and the circle jumps around a bit as you drag it, which makes it a little difficult to find a precise position. However, you can correct this minor flaw with a free update that you can access at Garmin’s website.

The WAAS-enabled Approach G5 is the best golf GPS unit that uses high-sensitivity receiver for outstanding accuracy and all the readings you get on the course concurrently match well with predetermined distance markers. Accurate distance information speeds up the play, helping you make swift and informed club selections, while also providing an ongoing tutorial on which club and what type of stroke to apply in various conditions. Another plus of this best golf GPS model is the huge advantage of getting a preview of exact distances to targets and hazards as you advance to each hole, regardless of your current position.

The Garmin Approach G5 is really the best golf GPS – fabulous and a pleasure to use with its simple touchscreen interface. The non-distracting features easily give you quick and precise information out there on the course, so you can just enjoy the game without being bothered trying to figure out what the gadget is trying to convey.

Conclusion:
Deciding which best golf GPS would suit you (or someone you want to give it to) is not an easy task considering your game is at stake. How often you golf and what type of information you require will determine which of the units suit  you best. The iGolf Neo, Skycaddie SG3.5 and Garmin Approach G5 are some of the best golf GPS units available today; you won’t go wrong with one of these!