GPS for optically challenged

[YandaB]

My current GPS seems to be on the blink. Does anyone have any recommendations that suit the following:

1) Large numbers so I can see them without glasses. I use varifocals for everyday but can't get on with them on the course so I take them off. Makes reading small things a challenge.
2) I think all watches do front, middle and back, I'd also like distances to bunkers and penalty areas.
3) I'd like it to be fast at finding a signal, I often only remember to switch it on when I arrive at my second shot on the first fairway.
4) No need for score keeping or any other features like shot measurement.
5) I don't wear a watch, so no requirements around looks. Also battery will therefore get recharged after every round. I think I've only played 36 holes in a day twice over the last few years so battery life not so important.
6) I'm not wedded to it being a watch, handheld would probably be OK, especially if it allows for bigger numbers.
7) Prefer to have no subscriptions associated with it.


Anyone recall seeing one that matches that list that they can recommend?

Thanks all.

 

[Orikoru]

https://www.clubhousegolf.co.uk/acatalog/Bushnell-Phantom-2-Golf-GPS-Black.html#SID=6502
This has got pretty massive numbers, and the description says it does hazards as well. Not sure how as I don't use one.

 

[RichA]

I use a Garmin Venu 2.
When I'm playing golf I wear distance glasses. Scorecards are a nightmare. I've never thought about this before, but I have no problem seeing what's on the watch even though it should be a struggle.



And just to preempt someone else's hilarity, no that's not my golf course. Our fairways are in even worse condition than the east Herts roads.

 

[spongebob59]

https://www.clubhousegolf.co.uk/acatalog/Bushnell-Phantom-2-Golf-GPS-Black.html#SID=6502
This has got pretty massive numbers, and the description says it does hazards as well. Not sure how as I don't use one.

I wouldn't recommend any Bushnell GPS , a few year back they dropped support for earlier products that had only been out a few years.

 

[jim8flog]

My reading glasses are +3.

I have no problem reading my Garmin handheld with distance glasses on.

It is not fast to switch on but that may be due to the fact that the first has some very tall trees that might be blocking the satellite signal.

Have you considered using an app on a smartphone?

 

[Alan Clifford]

I have a golf buddy voice 2. You don't need to look at it, it talks.

 

[YandaB]

My reading glasses are +3.

I have no problem reading my Garmin handheld with distance glasses on.

It is not fast to switch on but that may be due to the fact that the first has some very tall trees that might be blocking the satellite signal.

Have you considered using an app on a smartphone?

App on a phone is a possibility, I think that there was a thread on that recently, I'll have a look.

 

[YandaB]

I have a golf buddy voice 2. You don't need to look at it, it talks.

I had a quick look at these, they only appear to tell you distance to centre of the green and the display is super tiny if you want to see more.

 

[YandaB]

I use a Garmin Venu 2.
When I'm playing golf I wear distance glasses. Scorecards are a nightmare. I've never thought about this before, but I have no problem seeing what's on the watch even though it should be a struggle.

View attachment 49903

And just to preempt someone else's hilarity, no that's not my golf course. Our fairways are in even worse condition than the east Herts roads.

Thanks, that looks like a lot of watch for one specific app, but it does fulfill most of the criteria. Do you have a picture of how the distance to hazards looks?

 

[RichA]

Thanks, that looks like a lot of watch for one specific app, but it does fulfill most of the criteria. Do you have a picture of how the distance to hazards looks?

 

[YandaB]

My reading glasses are +3.

I have no problem reading my Garmin handheld with distance glasses on.

It is not fast to switch on but that may be due to the fact that the first has some very tall trees that might be blocking the satellite signal.

Have you considered using an app on a smartphone?

I had a look at a few smartphone apps and despite the large screen available compared to watches, the size of the numbers is often smaller than on a watch! A really simple GPS app on the phone with large numbers would be ideal.

 

[sjw]

I had a look at a few smartphone apps and despite the large screen available compared to watches, the size of the numbers is often smaller than on a watch! A really simple GPS app on the phone with large numbers would be ideal.

Golf Pad (Android) has some pretty large numbers iirc

 

[cliveb]

3) I'd like it to be fast at finding a signal, I often only remember to switch it on when I arrive at my second shot on the first fairway.

I've had two GPS watches (a Garmin and a Bushnell) and they both seem to be a bit sluggish at locking on to satellites.
Sometimes you're lucky and get a signal almost immediately, but usually it takes quite a while.
I think it might be that there's not much room inside a watch, so perhaps they have very small antennae with low sensitivity?

One other tip if you do get a watch: GPS lock happens quicker if you take it off and leave it completely stationary while its searching.

 

[Slab]

Some of the garmin gps have a 'big numbers' mode in the watch menu that takes the already easy to see numbers for front/middle/back and supersizes them

 

[Orikoru]

I had a look at a few smartphone apps and despite the large screen available compared to watches, the size of the numbers is often smaller than on a watch! A really simple GPS app on the phone with large numbers would be ideal.

I've attached two screenshots from Hole19, which is the app I've been using for four or five years. The second image appears when you click on the yardage in the top right corner of the first image. For yardages to hazards you have to manually move the little target to the point you want yardage to and it gives that in the number on the left (showing 61 here).

 

[Alan Clifford]

I had a quick look at these, they only appear to tell you distance to centre of the green and the display is super tiny if you want to see more.

From the manual,

- Press and hold the ( ) button for distances to the Front and Back of the Green.

(Image of the button copied as () )

 

[YandaB]

Thanks all for your contributions. I have gone for the Garmin S12 with the 'big numbers' mode. I tried it out today and it fits the bill perfectly. I couldn't justify the Venu and I couldn't find an app that did all things with large enough numbers (and I tried 5). All in all, a watch works quicker for me and this ticks all of my boxes