Golf GPS

[moadhia]

So birthday coming up, I am looking for a Golf GPS device not more than $300. I don't want to pay an annual subscription fee. What are my options ?

[Wheels309]

you could go the with a rangefinder. Unlinke gps devices rangefinders give you the exact distance to the pin, not just the distance to the front back and middle. The Bushnell medalist is down to around $250 new, but can be found cheaper online. I have the Bushnell V3 which I bought as part of the patriot pack which was around $279 and came with a case, extra battery and a couple of skins for the device.

[Shripe]

Also, if you have an iPhone, Blackberry, or Droid, take a look at some of the Golf GPS apps available. They cost less (not counting the subscriptions, which you could find with golf GPS units as well) and can help you take advantage of something you already have.

[grizfan]

Pay a visit to rockbottomgolf, they have some great deals right now on golf GPS units. The Callaway uPro for $249 is a great option. No annual fees, good course selection and lots of nice features. They do have some paid extras (the "pro mode" course layouts) but those are one-time fees and entirely optional. Also, for the basics, the Bushnell Neo is quite attractively priced.
I've heard the mobile phone golf GPS apps can be tough on battery life, but are also an option. But, there are some really good prices on dedicated golf GPS units right now, especially for the Callaway units. I'd start there.

[groovezilla79]

  Wheels309 said:

you could go the with a rangefinder. Unlinke gps devices rangefinders give you the exact distance to the pin, not just the distance to the front back and middle. The Bushnell medalist is down to around $250 new, but can be found cheaper online. I have the Bushnell V3 which I bought as part of the patriot pack which was around $279 and came with a case, extra battery and a couple of skins for the device.

I agree. A lot of the new rangefinders will also give you an "adjusted yardage" based on uphill/downhill shots.

[Mr Soane]

I've just got Caddyaid on my Nokia N95 8Gb and it works a treat (well at my home course anyway). Simplest of simple yardages with hazards and whatnot.

[Wheels309]

  grizfan said:

I've heard the mobile phone golf GPS apps can be tough on battery life, but are also an option.

I have the motorola droid, and tried numerous apps. They do drain the battery very quickly, I could barely get 18 holes in before my phone was flashing for low battery. I also found them to be unreliable, often off by 25-50 yards.

[OCdude12]

I was in your same boat a few months ago, shopped around a bit, comparing pros and cons of certain GPS units vs. rangefinders. I got the Garmin G5 off ebay for $300 out the door and I love it. No yearly subscription fees, every course comes preloaded into it -you can start previewing courses from your home the second you turn it on, and has every feature you would want.

It shows an overview of the hole and is a touchscreen that you can move the cursor around and it will tell you the distance to anywhere you want (carry of a bunker, etc). You can then touch the corner of the screen and it zooms in on the green, giving you distance to F, M, B and allows you to drag the flag around on the display of the green to a spot where the flag is that day.

It's quick to get your yardage and is very accurate. You can measure your shots, keep score, and is very durable. 2 AA batteries power it and need to be replaced about every 4 to 5 rounds, thats about the only drawback, constantly having to buy batteries and change them out. I've now just gone to rechargable batteries so I don't have a million of them floating around my golf bag. I highly recommend the G5 if you can find it under $300.