GPS for me!

[Boeing777]

I want a gps that shows carry, i have a laser but i'm looking for something that would show the course up close and tell me carry yardage. Like bunkers, ditches, etc. So help me out brothers.

[rjal4296]

No question.... They speed up the game!

[bunkerputt]

For all of you that use these devices: do you use them on the range and simulate playing conditions? Calculate carry vs total distance? It's funny the people that say they hit their "whatever club" to a distance of "whatever" but when they get on the course they can't figure out why they can't hit over a certain hazzard. I'm not slamming anyone here. Just pointing out that there is no gadget in the world that is going to make you a better player if you don't put in the time practicing under course conditions. Hitting your 6 iron over and over again and determining your number to be whatever is fine, but, try and simulate couse conditions: hit off of grass rather than mats, use a tee, don't use a tee, go to the edge of the range and hit out of the rough, etc.

I can't speak to other GPS devices, but the uPro doesn't work on ranges as far as I can tell. Courses are mapped on a per-course basis by using satellite imagery. It's possible that they mapped the range on a very popular course, but none that I play. The GPS (and laser rangefinders for that matter) just gives you a straight line distance. You have to account for elevation, wind, lie, etc.

Obtaining total distance with the GPS is easy, just hit "Mark" where your ball is lying, put the gps in your bag, hit the ball, walk up to it, and check the current distance from the marked position. Most GPS devices do this. Unless you can back up a 3-iron, you're going to have a more difficult time figuring your carry yardage. You have exactly two options if you are trying to be precise: 1. Get a friend down the course to spot your landing area. Have him stand still or flag the spot until you get there so you can measure it. 2. Find your pitch mark and measure to there. Good luck with this one if you aren't hitting the green. If you are hitting the green, it's pretty easy and works for lots of shots inside 200 yards. Otherwise you will have to either physically hit a measurable landmark with your ball or estimate the distance your ball landed from a landmark. The carry yardage difficulty exists with every measuring device, to my knowledge.

[YajR]

http://www.golfshot.com/?gclid=CKOfh...FSFRagodIEVqjg

i saw this while browsing on the iphone. has anyone had experience with this this? it's only 30 bucks and i'm thinking about getting it. I can't afford the expensive GPS .. 200 bucks holy cow! and the uPro at 400!

[rjal4296]

The G-5 is great.

Long battery life.

Great color and info when playing new courses.

[ryanf]

I can't speak to other GPS devices, but the uPro doesn't work on ranges as far as I can tell. Courses are mapped on a per-course basis by using satellite imagery. It's possible that they mapped the range on a very popular course, but none that I play.

OnPar has the range as a separate hole (marked DR) on each course that I've loaded that has a range. At my home course I went out one evening and "marked" each of the flags since they don't move but the teeing area is highly variable (all grass, so there is lots of room to move the teeing grounds around to keep it in good shape).

[jonjones]

http://www.golfshot.com/?gclid=CKOfh...FSFRagodIEVqjg

It does it's job well. What's handy is the satellite tee to green and expanded green views. It saved me on a few holes at a course that I hadn't played at before. While in satellite view you can also drag the icon and get a distance to anything on the course. Distances are within 2-3 yards of my SG5. You can also measure the distance of your shots. What it doesn't have is the ability to log those distances. Golflogix for iPhone does, but, it doesn't have the tee to green views. As far as the scorecard goes, it works as well as any other. But, I prefer Scorecard2.

[YajR]

It does it's job well. What's handy is the satellite tee to green and expanded green views. It saved me on a few holes at a course that I hadn't played at before. While in satellite view you can also drag the icon and get a distance to anything on the course. Distances are within 2-3 yards of my SG5. You can also measure the distance of your shots. What it doesn't have is the ability to log those distances. Golflogix for iPhone does, but, it doesn't have the tee to green views. As far as the scorecard goes, it works as well as any other. But, I prefer Scorecard2.

Sorry if this sounds ignorant, but why would i want to log those distances? DOn't I move on after I take the shot, and have no need for that again?

How did you do on the battery life on that thing ... How much did you have left after a 5 hour game? I'm afraid mine might not last that long if i keep the screen on the whole time for the game.

[jonjones]

Sorry if this sounds ignorant, but why would i want to log those distances? DOn't I move on after I take the shot, and have no need for that again?

I keep track of how far I hit each of my clubs so I can get an average. I care more about that than my max. Its easier to keep track of when done electronically. Like I said, Golflogix does this. After your round you can check how many times you used a particular club, your farthest and average distances.

Battery life was ok. I started out with a full charge, turned off BT and wifi and auto brightness and turned the brightness down. It lasted me all 18 holes with life to spare.

[iacas]

I keep track of how far I hit each of my clubs so I can get an average. I care more about that than my max.

I continue to see almost no point at all in doing that.

I've hit my 7I from 80 yards. I've hit it from 200 yards. Both ended up pin high. I can also hit it my stock yardage of about 167 really high in the air or really low. Or the normal trajectory. Once you have a "stock" figure for your clubs it's much more about the trajectory, spin, and feel of a shot than some sort of "average" number. Everything changes on every shot - green firmness, wind direction, the lie... and more. Heck, after some rounds doing this might show me that I hit my 6I farther on average than I hit my 4I if certain conditions happen to warrant those kinds of shots.

[Big_M]

I continue to see almost no point at all in doing that.

I completely agree... my GPS or rangefinder is to give me yardages to objects on the course... I don't want it to try to keep score or to make club recomendations or to track stats or track club distances.

45 degree weather v. 95 degree weather means 10-15 yards difference for most clubs... some days I feel better and hit the ball further than others... all those things you mentioned, wind, firmness, trajectory, etc. will effect shot distance. If you play golf enough to have a GPS chances are you have figured out your stock yardages for each of your clubs. Only instance I could maybe see using my measuring feature (besides humiliating the jackass that thinks he's bombing 300 yds off the tee when it's only 245)... I might take my clubs to a range or field and hit 10 6-irons, 10 7irons, etc. just to get my stock yardages for a new set of clubs or after some swing changes or something. But, chances are I can figure this out just by playing one or two rounds. And in this case I could care less if the GPS stored these yardages... I'd just walk out in the field and stand in the middle of my 10 balls which should be within the same area and get a number.

[jonjones]

I continue to see almost no point at all in doing that.

But that IS the point, getting a 'stock' figure.

I can use my hybrid to roll onto the green or hit it 200 yards. I can use my 7i to bump and run from the fring at times too, but, that doesn't go into any 'average'. I also want to know what I can do with any club at 1/2, 3/4 and full swings. I want to keep track of these until they become more ingrained into my mental database. But, you are both correct, course conditions need to be taken into account and then adjust accordingly. I'm not a single digit handicap yet, but, the more I play the more consistent these numbers are getting. I don't know the exact quote, but, I saw or read that Tom Watson was asked "what club would you use for a 100 yard shot"? Tom Watson replied "all of them".

[iacas]

But that IS the point, getting a 'stock' figure.

Another way of saying what I was trying to say is that in order to figure out your "stock" yardage you need a "stock" shot, and those rarely seem to present themselves in a round of golf. 9 out of 10 of your shots in a round of golf are probably not "stock" shots and thus irrelevant for helping to figure out your average.

Much better to find a field or visit a good driving range and hit ten stock shots with your odd-numbered irons or something.

[daveh]

I played with a gps for the first time today. The course I play most of the time only has 150 markers and on at least one hole it's hard to find.

Recently when playing on a course with 100 yard markers I realized that I didn't even know what to hit at 100 yards. I've been eyeballing it... "this looks like a gap wedge".

I really enjoyed playing with gps, and I'm sure that in no time at all I'll know my club distances better.

I think it was worth the money and I'm cheap . ;)

[ryanf]

Another way of saying what I was trying to say is that in order to figure out your "stock" yardage you need a "stock" shot, and those rarely seem to present themselves in a round of golf. 9 out of 10 of your shots in a round of golf are probably not "stock" shots and thus irrelevant for helping to figure out your average.

Actually, the "on the course" not stock shot is valuable to track over time, thanks to the law of averages.

Yes, each shot is unique and the same club can purposefully/correctly be hit varying distances based on conditions and requirements. But over many rounds (say a whole season) the law of averages makes the average number very useful in determining the shot needed. Say your "stock" 9 iron is 130 yards. Sometimes you hit it 138, sometimes 120 - depending on conditions and requirements. Those same and different conditions and requirements will repeat themselves, or not, all figuring into the average. So while the "stock" 9i is 130, your average maybe 125. Meaning, over time, the conditions and requirements of the shots made with this club tended to be at or about 125 yards. You know you can still hit the club 138 yards, but the most common shot for the conditions and courses you play is to hit a 125 yard shot with that club -- the numbers not only tell you about the club you hit but the conditions/courses/shot requirements in your game since you know the "stock" is 130, max is 138, but the average is 125. A lower average than stock might mean you play in windy conditions that keep the short irons from traveling. Or, that the courses you play tend to have more trouble in front of the green then in back, so you'd rather hit a smooth 9i then a strong 8i, favoring a miss long rather than short. Both the "stock" number and the true on-course "average" have meaning and are worthwhile numbers to know. As always, its up to you to apply them in a beneficial manner.

[iacas]

Actually, the "on the course" not stock shot is valuable to track over time, thanks to the law of averages.

No, it won't. The flaw in your assumption is that you're going to hit each of your shots with the same power all the time.

Under the exact same conditions I can hit my 7I close to 200 yards or as short as I'd like. The former might require a bit of a rope hook, the latter perhaps a fade type swing (or even a flop shot type setup and swing). Never mind that you're more likely to get a flier lie with, say, a mid-iron than you are a long iron, and how your course is set up, and you're going to get dramatically different numbers than if you played elsewhere with the same set of clubs. Learn your stock yardages somewhere where you can hit a bunch of "stock" shots in a row, not by spending a bunch of time writing down a bunch of meaningless stuff on the golf course over several months, which probably won't even give you good numbers in the end anyway.

Both the "stock" number and the true on-course "average" have meaning and are worthwhile numbers to know. As always, its up to you to apply them in a beneficial manner.

I disagree. Who cares about an average when you're faced with one specific shot, which most likely will not be anything like the "average" shot?

Again, I think you're much better off finding your "stock" yardage for all of your clubs and learning how to adjust it for the conditions: shape, trajectory, swing length, position in your stance, the lie, the wind... etc. You think Tiger cares what how far his "average" five iron goes? Not one bit. He might be able to tell you his stock 5I goes 193 but he'll hit it from 240 or 140 if conditions warrant.

[mhodar13]

I might eventually get one, if I can find one cheap. Probably not till next year about this time though. I need to get new wedges for Christmas.

[flopdarock]

a gps is definately next on my equipment list... maybe for christmas