Category Archives: Golf Course GPS Units

Garmin GPS tipped the golf market with the introduction of the G5 and its approach run free database with free updates (most golf GPS makers charge $ 20 to $ 60 per year for access to the course database). Not long after the success of the G5, uses a small hand-held Garmin GPS chassis (similar to the popular handheld Dakota) to a more favorable approach G3 model to add the line. I had the opportunity a few rounds with the G3 had to play, and found it a very competent unit that does the work, with a few sacrifices to get a price point to be made.

I’m pleased with the trend to touchscreen controls in handheld GPS, and the G3 is as pure as it is touch screen, with only one button for on-off. The G3 is a simple opening screen, with “play”, “preview”, and a tool icon. Select “Play” and you’ll be presented with several options, of course, choose, including the “proximity” and state/alphabetical. I was with the selection of courses in Pennsylvania, including some of the darker and smaller courses I play very impressed. If you start to play, an overview of each hole is shown in color (a drawing, not an aerial view), shows distances to the most important functions. You will also see from a distance to the hole in the top right corner where you stand.

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The left upper figure shows the hole and touch the top left opens the scorecard and shot distance measurement tool. The menu and the controls are intuitive and easy to use overall, and it is easy to drilling ahead to preview ahead of them, without data from the hole you are playing. Touch targeting, you can drag your finger anywhere on the map for a preview distance. As each green to approach a precisely shaped green graph appears. You can touch and drag the stylus to fine-tune placement for what you see.

You can measure shot distance, by starting “measurement” and then see the yards by ticks, as you get closer to where the ball rests. This is a fun feature that I have a couple of times per round.

An advantage of dedicated handheld golf GPS devices, compared with golf Smartphone applications, the water resistance and durability. The Garmin Approach G3 has a very rugged, rubberized casing, and it passed my test water tightness. You can drop this device into the golf cart cup holder or throw it to another player with confidence that you will not be damaged.

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Garmin has extensive expertise in GPS technology, making it no surprise that the acquired and held by the G3 GPS signal is very good, and proved to be exactly on the line.

The G3′s screen is smaller than the G5 and the other golf GPS devices with 3-inch screens, but I never found the numbers in a generous size and the course features are made difficult to see on the screen.

Overall, the G3 a solid value, and is solidly built, and the increasingly free rein to add database to help their low-price value proposition.

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Garmin is a respected name in the automotive, aerospace, marine and sports equipment, but the first golf-centric GPS device, the concept G5 may have his work cut for him. It is in direct competition with established Callaway Golf heavyweight, and although the approach G5 has a number of solid features such as touch screen and a stable housing Callaway’s UPRO decided edge.

With its $ 500 price tag, the G5 comes with preloaded over 8,800 golf courses in the U.S. (Garmin says it will add also posting regular updates, more courses in the future.) This makes it easy for a trip on the fly rather plan than if you before planning your trip, as you would on the UPRO with which it requires all courses offered by Callaway’s Web site download. Callaway Garmin’s database, however, dwarfs, my golf consultant, Rich Long, found that two of the three courses he planned to play (one of which is 116 years old) were not available on the approach G5.

The Approach G5 works good marks for its industrial design to earn. It is 4.5 by 2.3 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.8 ounces (with two AA batteries.) Its 3-inch, pays 240-by-400 pixel transflective LCD touchscreen in bright sunlight visible. The case is as robust as that on other outdoor equipment such as the Garmin Oregon 400T, mainly means that it’s IPX7 waterproof rated to survive is dropped briefly into a shallow water obstacle. It comes with an equally robust belt clip, and you can purchase other accessories (ie a separate mounting kit for your golf bag).

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Garmin makes the top Approach G5 battery life at 15 hours, but rich and I suspect that number is likely to lithium batteries. With typical throwaway alkaline AAS, the batteries lasted through two rounds (8-9 hours). Unfortunately, the concept G5 does not have a battery status indicator, it seems only a low battery warning, if you are almost in power. Fortunately, he keeps players scores while you’re on battery.

When you turn on the first approach G5, you can either preview courses or choose to play the One You’re on. If you want to play, the screen displays a selection of measurements, including the precise distances to the front and rear sand traps. As you approach the green, it adds to your distance to the front of the green and the PIN to the mix. If you touch the hold-birdie icon in the upper right corner of the screen that appears green, and you can easily drag the PIN to his current position, if different than what has the approach G5 is also stored. Play mode can also track shot distances and scores for up to four players. But the Callaway UPRO’s, compared the approach G5 presentation feels a bit flat, the UPRO adds video release previews of every hole and very individual views as you move around the fairway.

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Preview mode lets you go through other courses. Once you choose a course that appears the first hole, his birdie and the distance to hazards and bends in the channel are displayed. Here, where the approach takes full advantage G5 from his touch: When you click on a location, a “target” appears on the screen shows that the distance from the tee and distance to the pin.

The Approach G5 is a strong performer on the track. Not only is it pretty easy to use, the measurements were correct, and never lost satellite in my tests, even in the forest. And it was our group of players from hole to hole automatically.

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All in all, the Garmin Approach G5 does what it sets out to do, and has a number of features that make it worth recommending, as its robust housing and touch screen. In the end, but the Callaway UPRO naturally has a larger database, a striking presentation of course, and a (slightly) more wallet-friendly $ 400 price.