Review: uPro Golf GPS

[mruseless]

  kfowler said:

A big improvement is the download screen can be minimized now so you can still surf while syncing. Customer service is superb.

Great point! I forgot to mention that.

[Damien45]

I have this GPS and I love it! I bought mine used and had a couple of issues with the purchase. The unit is great, never freezes. Customer service is outstanding. The issue I had was the previous owner had never called to transfer ownership.

Callaway did everything to protect the previous owner. They made attempts to contact him to verify ownership. Once the attempts where exhausted, they finally changed ownership over.

The downside that I feel should be added is the length of time it takes to map a "non home course". My home course was reopened in Dec with a redesign. The old layout is available, but the new one keeps getting pushed back. I realize that clear skies plays a huge part in getting the satelite images.

Now since I am transferring in 3 weeks, I am not going to try to "change my home course". Which leads me into the next problem, how do you do that? The previous owner has his home course in South Carolina, so I really want to change it. I am waiting to find out where I will be going in a year before doing the change, and I hope they have made it an option by then.

[me&theboy]

Thanks for the review. I had already decided this is the unit I'll be getting but your review cemented the deal. I've been testing the iphone apps that say they are ready and have used GolfCard, flycaddie, and a couple others (can't remember the names). FlyCaddie is great for yardages to the hole only otherwise the software is useless. I don't use the scorecard because GolfCard is great for scoring then i upload it to oobgolf. This is a feature I love. But GolfCard GPS is bad at best even after I mapped the couses myself plus you have to rotate the phone every hole and it takes forever to load each hole. I just need distances to the green and bunker carry near the green and neither of these apps do this well. I defended the iphone as long as I could because the apps were cheaper well I hope after I get a upro that I can happily say you get what you pay for. Seems like it will work better than what I'm currently using and I hope it doesn't take as long to load images. I can't play slow because of my stupid apps loading that's irritating to me and the groups behind me. I hope this device is worth the $400-$500 it costs.

[mruseless]

  me&theboy said:

Thanks for the review. I had already decided this is the unit I'll be getting but your review cemented the deal. I've been testing the iphone apps that say they are ready and have used GolfCard, flycaddie, and a couple others (can't remember the names). FlyCaddie is great for yardages to the hole only otherwise the software is useless. I don't use the scorecard because GolfCard is great for scoring then i upload it to oobgolf. This is a feature I love. But GolfCard GPS is bad at best even after I mapped the couses myself plus you have to rotate the phone every hole and it takes forever to load each hole. I just need distances to the green and bunker carry near the green and neither of these apps do this well. I defended the iphone as long as I could because the apps were cheaper well I hope after I get a upro that I can happily say you get what you pay for. Seems like it will work better than what I'm currently using and I hope it doesn't take as long to load images. I can't play slow because of my stupid apps loading that's irritating to me and the groups behind me. I hope this device is worth the $400-$500 it costs.

Please let us know your opinions after you've had a chance to use it. Since I'm such a fan of the device I love to hear other people's experiences, both good and bad.

Callaway says they are working on a way to keep score on the device, essentially by marking every shot and entering the number of putts. In my dreamworld, you could then upload that data to their website and do all sorts of statistical analysis.

[kfowler]

I find that I don't really use the hole preview fly over. I do however use the aerial view a lot. Especially when determining where to hit an approach shot or where trouble lurks.

[mruseless]

  kfowler said:

I find that I don't really use the hole preview fly over. I do however use the aerial view a lot. Especially when determining where to hit an approach shot or where trouble lurks.

I stopped using the flyover after about a day. Takes too much time. I use the basic view most, and the aerial views on unfamiliar courses or when I get off the beaten track and need to measure to a specific landing area.

[ApocG10]

Stupid question, but do they give you any bonus credits when you buy it? To download a free course or two?

[me&theboy]

  mruseless said:

Please let us know your opinions after you've had a chance to use it. Since I'm such a fan of the device I love to hear other people's experiences, both good and bad.

I definately will! I will say if you have an iphone get golfcard because it's an awesome piece of software with all the different things you can track and then it'll show you a bunch of graphs and everything on the phone of all the stats you track it was very inexpensive as well for 5.99. I uploaded my home course specifics cause they were on the site but incorrect. If upro decides to add this functionality then I'd be set because I'd have it all in one device. GolfCard - GIR, Putts, Fairways hit miss, left, right (i love that option), penalty strokes, sand shots, tee off club. It's pretty cool and doesn't take long to score each hole while your walking to the tee box of the next one.

[mruseless]

  ApocG10 said:

Stupid question, but do they give you any bonus credits when you buy it? To download a free course or two?

I think you get one Pro download for free. But note that you can download the Basic info for any course for free. You get yardage to green and all hazards, and the "mark" feature. You need the Pro version of a course to get the aerial views and "measure" feature.

Hope that helps.

[Mallet]

I finally got my uPro last weekend, and I love it. I've played 4 rounds with it thus far, and I've yet to have any crashes, freezes, or anything like that. The flyover mode is cool, but not necessary on course that I play all of the time.

Does anyone know when the voice recognition or shot tracking update will be available for download?

[mruseless]

I emailed tech support a few weeks back, and they said "We are expecting to have Voice Recognition coupled with Score Keeping and Shot Tracking available in the upcoming months."

Hopefully before the end of the golf season here in Colorado!

[Mallet]

  mruseless said:

I emailed tech support a few weeks back, and they said "We are expecting to have Voice Recognition coupled with Score Keeping and Shot Tracking available in the upcoming months."

Same here. I'm guessing that you guys have a short season just like we do here in MI.

[mruseless]

The golf season here probably isn't as short as in Michigan, but we do have winter, so yes.

But the weather here can be very strange. I've played golf in January and February several times.

[Abs777]

I called tech support last week about an issue (time wouldn't sync, I had it in preview mode and it didn't acquire satellite. It has to be in play mode) and while I had them on the phone I asked about these features and he told me that they are in the final testing of the final build and it should be soon. I just bought it last week and LOVE IT. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a top notch GPS.

[mruseless]

  Abs777 said:

I called tech support last week about an issue (time wouldn't sync, I had it in preview mode and it didn't acquire satellite. It has to be in play mode) and while I had them on the phone I asked about these features and he told me that they are in the final testing of the final build and it should be soon. I just bought it last week and LOVE IT. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a top notch GPS.

Sweet!! That's great news! I hope it's good software, I'd definitely pay a few bucks for it ($20-30).

[bobped]

I contacted them last fall about shot tracking, etc., and they indicated "spring", so they're a bit late with that. I'm assuming the Callaway acquisition probably has had an impact in some way. mruseless, my understanding is that this will simply be a free download, i.e. no cost for the software upgrade.

[mruseless]

  bobped said:

I contacted them last fall about shot tracking, etc., and they indicated "spring", so they're a bit late with that. I'm assuming the Callaway acquisition probably has had an impact in some way. mruseless, my understanding is that this will simply be a free download, i.e. no cost for the software upgrade.

Well, if its free then I'd definitely buy it! :D

[Certifi_able]

From The UPro web sites FAQ

When will additional software downloadable features, like voice recognition, be available?
Voice recognition will be available in Spring 2009.

Will there be a cost for additional software downloads?
Yes, additional software features such as voice recognition will carry a small additional fee.