GB72
Money List Winner
I put alot of research into GPS units before taking the plunge, alot of it coming from forum feedback. I was quite specific in what I was looking for, no annual subscription for a start so no Skycaddie. Also did not want to pay large amount for course downloads so that put the Caddielite out of the running. At first I thought that the Golfbuddy Platinum was the only way forward but was a bit put off by the cost then up came the suggestion of the Sonocaddie (think BobMac suggested it). The V350 plus model ticked all of the boxes in that there was no subscription for UK courses and the plus model comes pre-loaded with all 24000. It also only costs a one off £25 payment to have unlmited access to the global courses. The price is also dropping with the V500 model due soon so at £220 the cost was in the right price bracket.
Setting it up was a breeze. Insert CD, plug into PC and register and off you go.
Whilst I have not yet had a chance to use the more advanced features yet (it will store stats on a detailed 'scorecard' etc) I have now taken it out on 2 courses so can at least comment on the basic functions.
First things first, I arrived at the course, switched it on and it had found enough satellites within a minute or 2. I chose the option to locate the nearest course and in seconds it had found the right one. A quick click on the course and the hole I was starting on and we were underway. The unit provides all of the essential information. It has distances to hazards, front, back and middle of the green, lay up points etc. All appeared accurate on both courses tried and I did notice that I was hitting more greens today as I trusted the GPS. There is also a simple 'mark' button where 2 presses will give details of your shot length that can be saved and downloaded.
Another nice touch is that the unit asks you to rate the accuracy of the mapping at the end of each round and uploads this feedback when you plug into a PC.
On a more practical level, the buttons are large and easy to use, the screen is well lit, the battery life seems decent and it also comes with a plug in charger so no need to have a laptop to power it up. It is also pretty compact and I felt happy having it in my pocket rather than clipped on to a bag as many do.
So far then I am confident that I have made the right choice but time will tell. Certainly I am looking forward to using the more advanced options to see if they help my game
Setting it up was a breeze. Insert CD, plug into PC and register and off you go.
Whilst I have not yet had a chance to use the more advanced features yet (it will store stats on a detailed 'scorecard' etc) I have now taken it out on 2 courses so can at least comment on the basic functions.
First things first, I arrived at the course, switched it on and it had found enough satellites within a minute or 2. I chose the option to locate the nearest course and in seconds it had found the right one. A quick click on the course and the hole I was starting on and we were underway. The unit provides all of the essential information. It has distances to hazards, front, back and middle of the green, lay up points etc. All appeared accurate on both courses tried and I did notice that I was hitting more greens today as I trusted the GPS. There is also a simple 'mark' button where 2 presses will give details of your shot length that can be saved and downloaded.
Another nice touch is that the unit asks you to rate the accuracy of the mapping at the end of each round and uploads this feedback when you plug into a PC.
On a more practical level, the buttons are large and easy to use, the screen is well lit, the battery life seems decent and it also comes with a plug in charger so no need to have a laptop to power it up. It is also pretty compact and I felt happy having it in my pocket rather than clipped on to a bag as many do.
So far then I am confident that I have made the right choice but time will tell. Certainly I am looking forward to using the more advanced options to see if they help my game
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