GAME Golf Live

[dkolo]

Looks like there's a new Game Golf system coming out that finally gives live feedback on your round, as many, myself included always wanted. I wonder how this will affect the free tagging feature of the app. I suspect that will shift to a for-pay format. http://www.wareable.com/golf/new-game-golf-live-adds-real-time-smartphone-insights-for-your-round-1854

New Game Golf LIVE adds real time smartphone insights for your round

Game Golf, the round tracking wearable, has been updated to add a host of new features.

The new tracker dubbed Game Golf LIVE gets its name from the new smartphone paired app, which enables you to get more information when out on the course. 

For the uninitiated Game Golf consists of a wearable receiver that clips to your waistband and a bunch of sensors that plug into the top of your clubs. You tap the top of the club on your belt before you play a shot, and when you get back you'll see a map of your shots, as well as stats on average distances with each club, success rates, putting data and a whole lot more.

However, the previous Game Golf only got useful when you got home from a round, and as we mentioned in our review, built up a few rounds of history.

Game Golf LIVE adds real time insights by connecting to a smartphone app. You can use it for yardages to the pin, a major omission from the last model and a real bone of contention for those who need to fork out for a GPS watch and the Game Golf system.

It's also added Google Maps imagery in addition to Bing and Apple's own cartography.

There are also additions to the post-round analysis as well. There's now a feature called Stroke Gained analysis that helps players find weaknesses in their game to work on during lessons or at the range. It will also put you up against scratch golfers to see which element is contributing to your downfall. 

Game Golf LIVE is set to retail for $249.99 and previous owners of the Game Golf Classic (as it's now being marketed) can upgrade for $99 if they get in before 11 November.

[Abu3baid]

I won't be upgrading.. Maybe never.. :)

[SavvySwede]

I won't be upgrading.. Maybe never.. :)

Ditto. Why would I pay a hundred bucks to make my equipment non-conforming? Real time stays are pretty useless anyway. I'm not so absent minded that I don't realize when I've missed three greens in a row to the left. Long term trends are what you need to see for making changes to your game.

[iacas]

There are also additions to the post-round analysis as well. There's now a feature called Stroke Gained analysis that helps players find weaknesses in their game to work on during lessons or at the range. It will also put you up against scratch golfers to see which element is contributing to your downfall. 

That sounds like something everyone could get via the website. I wonder if the system is going to detect that you have a "LIVE" hip unit and only show you those stats then? If so, anyone could plug in a LIVE unit once…

We're talking with GAME this afternoon.

@SavvySwede there are plenty of times you might want to use it when you don't care if it's non-conforming or not. When you're playing a tournament, don't use your phone. 

If there are any questions that you'd like us to ask this afternoon, please post them here.

[saevel25]

Game Golf LIVE adds real time insights by connecting to a smartphone app. You can use it for yardages to the pin, a major omission from the last model and a real bone of contention for those who need to fork out for a GPS watch and the Game Golf system.

I am not entirely sure how this would work? Would it take data from people who are already on the course or do you move the pin where you think it is on your phone and it gives you a yardage? 

I found the app's GPS to work just fine on the course. When you get with in a certain distance it changes to a green view with front, middle & Back. I like how the app performs almost more than tagging. 

I like the strokes gained aspect of it. I wonder if they are going to add in strokes gained putting. 
 

If there are any questions that you'd like us to ask this afternoon, please post them here.

How does the yardage to the pin work? 

Can the app link to the hip unit to use it's GPS instead of the phone's GPS? 

Will the app show club yardages for reference on the course?

What specific real-time information is going to be shown on the app? 

With talk about speeding up the game of golf does the new features lend its self to speeding up the game of golf? 

Is there going to be any changes to the website and how the data is viewed? Particularly distance from center of fairway being the actual distance from the center instead of the percent distance from the center related to how wide that fairway is on the hole you play? 

Is there going to be enhanced putting stats like strokes gained putting?

 

[dkolo]

Biggest question I have is whether the Game Golf app and the tagging functionality through it without the physical device will continue to exist and whether it will remain free. 

I'm also curious whether the option will return to finish and upload a round from the all without it automatically signing before I've had a chance to review it more carefully on the computer. 

[mchepp]

I would like to know when they can show individual hole trends. Like I want to see an overview of my 8th hole for example and where my drives typically end up and what score I make from each location with the drives. Same with approaches to the green. Right now there is a plethora of data related to how close I hit my 7 iron, but no idea how I can play my 8th hole better.

[iacas]

I would like to know when they can show individual hole trends. Like I want to see an overview of my 8th hole for example and where my drives typically end up and what score I make from each location with the drives. Same with approaches to the green. Right now there is a plethora of data related to how close I hit my 7 iron, but no idea how I can play my 8th hole better.

I would like that too, but I'm not asking them that, as that likely has nothing to do with the hardware.

Discussing this isn't the main purpose of the phone call, so we'll get whatever questions we can in but I can't make any promises.

[mvmac]

Just got off the phone with GAME Golf, they were open and informative. Thanks for the questions but I'd rather not get into too many details right now because we want to give GAME their opportunity to share the details and don't want anything lost in translation. We do want to let everyone know that if you're a current user you'll be getting an email in a week or so with all the information. November 9th will be the official launch. Lots of great stuff coming!

[iacas]

Yeah, look for the emails on Monday or Tuesday.

[Slowcelica]

I got the email today, seems like the same device just paired with the app through bluetooth. It will also be usga legal as long as you don't use it with the app.

[Missouri Swede]

I got the email today, seems like the same device just paired with the app through bluetooth. It will also be usga legal as long as you don't use it with the app.

I got it too. I see they have a 30-day guarantee, but it's the wrong time of the year for a lot of us.

I don't really need the real time features. The strokes gained analysis looks interesting--I wonder if that's only with the real-time upgrade or will also be put into the online analysis for those of us in "classic."  I may email them later.

[Slowcelica]

I went ahead and ordered it, if I don't like it I figure I can resell it for at least what I paid for it, on ebay or something, at the very least I can sell my old unit and get back most of the $$ I paid to upgrade.

[saevel25]

I went ahead and ordered one. I am missing about 6 tags. Replacement tags are $99. So it's a good deal for me to get the actual device for $60 more. 

[mvmac]

Excited!

[iacas]

I got the email today, seems like the same device just paired with the app through bluetooth. It will also be usga legal as long as you don't use it with the app.

The device is almost the same. The exterior is a different color of course, but internally there's now a Bluetooth connection to pair with your phone (and the app on your phone).

I got it too. I see they have a 30-day guarantee, but it's the wrong time of the year for a lot of us.

I don't really need the real time features. The strokes gained analysis looks interesting--I wonder if that's only with the real-time upgrade or will also be put into the online analysis for those of us in "classic."  I may email them later.

I don't really have one either, but I can see times here on TST where we might have some "live" tournaments or something like that, and even if you're buddies with someone you might want to play him "live" too, or something. It could be cool on buddy trips too if you're spread across foursomes.

I went ahead and ordered it, if I don't like it I figure I can resell it for at least what I paid for it, on ebay or something, at the very least I can sell my old unit and get back most of the $$ I paid to upgrade.

Yes, that's one of the nice perks of doing the upgrade: you get to keep the old one which will still keep working.

I might put one in one golf bag and the other in a different golf bag.

I went ahead and ordered one. I am missing about 6 tags. Replacement tags are $99. So it's a good deal for me to get the actual device for $60 more. 

Yeah, I was wondering about that, but since you're just ordering the stock kit, it appears that you do get a new set of tags.

I know originally (in the original post) the article said $99, but it was 99 GBP. The Wareable site got that one a bit wrong. Graeme was probably talking pounds and not dollars. It's $299, upgrading is ~$149.

---

To clarify two things:

1. It's a completely new device. You keep your old device (and can still use it as they're not tied to your account).
2. The new features on the site (like the Strokes Gained stuff) will be available to all users.

 

[kpaulhus]

Im going to upgrade mine as well. I broke my clip and lost a tag, so might as well get another unit. I am very interested in the smart GPS feature saving battery life, tho I use a laser, and the strokes gained. One of my goals next year is to get to a sub 5 handicap, so this should give me a better idea on what I should be working on.

 

Plus, whats another $150 on golf stuff lol

Edited October 27, 2015 by kpaulhus

[kpaulhus]

I guess I can sell my old unit for $100 once my new one arrives. I wont need two devices.