In the world of golf, there are two major categories when it comes to rangefinders: laser and GPS. Both types of units can be really good but neither is without fault ether. For instance, lasers are deadly accurate and can be used on any course, but if one suffers from shaky hands they can be a pain to use.
In addition, you have to have a clear line of sight to the target to get a reading. GPS range finders, on the other hand, don’t need that line of sight and all you have to do is look down at the unit for your yardage. Unfortunately, GPS presents new problems. Sometimes, a particular course is not available, you might not be able to get yardages to locations other than the center of the green, and the overall accuracy is diminished compared to a laser.
With the release of the upro mx+, Callaway is looking to alleviate many of the issues with GPS units.
To start, the new upro mx+ helps the “not every course has been plotted with GPS” problem by coming pre-loaded with 25,000 courses (I searched for every course I play around me and they had every single one). Those 25,000 courses are mapped in both BasicMode, which gives yardage to the green as well as hazards, and GoMode. In addition to the yardage data, GoMode includes renderings of the greens and hazards. Beyond that, the upro mx+ offers what Callaway is calling “ProMode,” which gives aerial photos and video flyovers of the course. ProMode courses can be downloaded from the Callaway uxplore website for no additional fee.
For those worried about the accuracy of the product, Callaway uses a proprietary mapping system that maps thousands of points on each hole, giving more measurements than other GPS rangefinders available. The upro mx+ also has AnyPoint technology to help users figure out how to play their next shot. All you have to do is touch the screen and you’ll get a yardage to that point and the remaining yardage to the hole from there.
The upro mx+ isn’t just a GPS device either as you can also keep your score and basic statistics (fairways, greens, putts) on the device. If you choose to use the digital scorecard, you can upload your score and stats to the uxplore website where you can see your performance on courses you’ve played as well as compare them to other golfers on the site.
Physically, the upro mx+ weighs in at a mere 3.0 ounces and measures 4.09″ in height, 1.97″ in width, and 0.65″ in thickness. The unit features a full color 2.2″ LCD screen that is viewable in direct sunlight. The screen, as alluded to above, is a multi-gesture touch screen to give both accuracy and control. The unit also has an omnidirectional antenna to maintain a GPS lock even in less than ideal conditions.
As far as price, the Callway upro mx+ goes for $249 and unlike some other GPS devices from other companies, does not require an annual subscription of any sort.
Callaway Upro MX GPS is promising. Just hope it will really works great.
If this is an upgrade of the original Callaway uPro it will be a game changer, was for me.
Nice. To bad I didn’t see this a couple of days ago. You know Father’s day and all.