Game Golf PRO

[Gautama]

Did anyone else get the email from the CEO last month outlining the new machine learning/manual tagging protocol? It also said those of us who'd pre-ordered it would get a complimentary unit mailed to us this month "to show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience." Curious if anyone has actually received their free unit? Not sure they could have made a worse PR move on the heels of all the other issues than telling the most frustrated users a new unit was on the way and then not following through, but it appears that's exactly what they've done. :/

[matchavez]

> @Gautama said:

> Did anyone else get the email from the CEO last month outlining the new machine learning/manual tagging protocol? It also said those of us who'd pre-ordered it would get a complimentary unit mailed to us this month "to show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience." Curious if anyone has actually received their free unit? Not sure they could have made a worse PR move on the heels of all the other issues than telling the most frustrated users a new unit was on the way and then not following through, but it appears that's exactly what they've done. :/

 

Sorry, what are they sending? I must have missed it.

 

 

[Gautama]

> @matchavez said:

>

> Sorry, what are they sending? I must have missed it.

>

>

The May 24 email to their "valued game golf pro community" concluded with:

 

"We are targeting another firmware release June 10th. Once updated, this new, specific firmware will provide all GAME GOLF PRO users with an optimal experience using the data and insights that we collect over the next 6 weeks.

 

_To show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience, we will send you a brand new PRO unit in June_ (emphasis added). With your help, we will have the best shot tracking system in the industry that delivers real value to your rounds of golf."

 

[matchavez]

> @Gautama said:

> > @matchavez said:

> >

> > Sorry, what are they sending? I must have missed it.

> >

> >

> The May 24 email to their "valued game golf pro community" concluded with:

>

> "We are targeting another firmware release June 10th. Once updated, this new, specific firmware will provide all GAME GOLF PRO users with an optimal experience using the data and insights that we collect over the next 6 weeks.

>

> _To show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience, we will send you a brand new PRO unit in June_ (emphasis added). With your help, we will have the best shot tracking system in the industry that delivers real value to your rounds of golf."

>

That's REALLY weird... are they saying they are giving you a second kit for free, or that the new firmware will require a new medallion? "Pro unit" is ambiguous...

 

[Gautama]

I really don't know, and I agree it was vague, but I took it to mean a whole new system when i got the email. I tried doing the enhanced tagging protocol where you were supposed to follow a link, load an update, and then manually tag with the magnetic divot tool after each shot but couldn't get the update to take and just gave up. As I read it for like the fifth time I'm wondering if that's the problem, who knows. I've moved on, but I was amazed they'd send out that encouraging email then drop the ball on it so completely. It just doesn't seem possible they would make such a gross misstep after everything else that was bungled on the launch.

 

This company is bad news man, kind of sad because they've got cool ideas, just disastrous execution.

[jg1166]

Can you post the full email on here?

 

I have used Game Golf for a number of years and was an early adopter of the Pro Version. I get regular emails and updates but I did not get that email

[Gautama]

Sure, certainly don't feel I owe them any special discretion at this point:

 

**TO OUR VALUED GAME GOLF PRO COMMUNITY**

 

I want to start by sharing some great news with you. The USGA has passed a ruling that GAME GOLF PRO is officially "Permitted under the Rules of Golf” for use in competition.

 

I also want to give an update to all of our loyal and valued GAME GOLF PRO users about the performance of our new system and to address the feedback that we have received since our launch.

 

We are aware that some users have had challenges using PRO. We hold ourselves to very high standards to ensure that we deliver the ultimate experience to our users. After extensive research, we are now confident that we have identified the cause of these issues and have developed a new firmware available to download today. By receiving this email, you will be one of the first to use this new firmware and we truly appreciate your feedback.

 

Please note that this specific firmware update is designed to teach and tailor our machine learning algorithms to your swing and pre-shot routine. The setup may require up to one hour of your time and in an effort to ensure the greatest level of success, we ask that you play at least 3 rounds of golf over the next 3 weeks. During this time, we will need your help to mark every shot that you hit on the course. We have created instructional videos to help guide you through this. The more rounds of golf that are played, the stronger these algorithms become as they learn about your tendencies on the course.

 

We are targeting another firmware release June 10th. Once updated, this new, specific firmware will provide all GAME GOLF PRO users with an optimal experience using the data and insights that we collect over the next 6 weeks.

 

To show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience, we will send you a brand new PRO unit in June. With your help, we will have the best shot tracking system in the industry that delivers real value to your rounds of golf.

 

Please click the button below for further instructions on how to download the new firmware update and what is required as you play.

 

Should you need any further clarification you can contact GAME GOLF at [email protected].

 

Kind Regards,

 

John McGuire

 

CEO, Game Your Game

[matchavez]

Ya, I read that the same way... They're going to send a duplicate. It's almost like they expect the firmware will bork things? This tells me that they have nothing but excess inventory. It's just a weird story. "Hey, my stat tracker is so sh*t that they sent me a second one. Want it, pal?"

I'm sitting on a pre-order myself... I've never opened the plastic much less the box. I was waiting to see if I should sell it. But tell me that people aren't going to flood theBay with all of these additional units now? And nearly demanding you play three rounds means they aren't getting enough data. They want a firmware update, then a "new" dataset collected with that firmware? There is a fundamental flaw somewhere, and it's not easily remedied. It'll be company-critical that they get it sorted here. Otherwise, Arccos will have put them away into a discount, second-rate status.

[jg1166]

Interesting, I got the firmware update but not the offer, could be because I am in Australia, it did improve things, though the machine learning I thought had kicked in on the old firmware as I was not missing nay shots any more the only real niggle I had with it was the putter sensor was to sensitive, when I tapped down repaired plug marks it was registering as a putt. I just had to clean up the number of putts after the hole.

[matchavez]

I've always found the whole "tagging" thing funny. It could be as simple as the medallion has one big-a** button, and you push it when you take a shot. The club in your hand would then be what registers. It would be much more simple and accurate. I'd consider the active "here I was" push to be much more thorough than having to clean up shots all over the place.

 

"Record a shot here." `push`

 

If you need to _clean up_ anything that way, you might have to decide what club you we're using, rather than "where was I". Or "that was only two putts, not 6".

[slowcelica]

> @Gautama said:

> Sure, certainly don't feel I owe them any special discretion at this point:

>

> **TO OUR VALUED GAME GOLF PRO COMMUNITY**

>

> I want to start by sharing some great news with you. The USGA has passed a ruling that GAME GOLF PRO is officially "Permitted under the Rules of Golf” for use in competition.

>

> I also want to give an update to all of our loyal and valued GAME GOLF PRO users about the performance of our new system and to address the feedback that we have received since our launch.

>

> We are aware that some users have had challenges using PRO. We hold ourselves to very high standards to ensure that we deliver the ultimate experience to our users. After extensive research, we are now confident that we have identified the cause of these issues and have developed a new firmware available to download today. By receiving this email, you will be one of the first to use this new firmware and we truly appreciate your feedback.

>

> Please note that this specific firmware update is designed to teach and tailor our machine learning algorithms to your swing and pre-shot routine. The setup may require up to one hour of your time and in an effort to ensure the greatest level of success, we ask that you play at least 3 rounds of golf over the next 3 weeks. During this time, we will need your help to mark every shot that you hit on the course. We have created instructional videos to help guide you through this. The more rounds of golf that are played, the stronger these algorithms become as they learn about your tendencies on the course.

>

> We are targeting another firmware release June 10th. Once updated, this new, specific firmware will provide all GAME GOLF PRO users with an optimal experience using the data and insights that we collect over the next 6 weeks.

>

> To show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience, we will send you a brand new PRO unit in June. With your help, we will have the best shot tracking system in the industry that delivers real value to your rounds of golf.

>

> Please click the button below for further instructions on how to download the new firmware update and what is required as you play.

>

> Should you need any further clarification you can contact GAME GOLF at [email protected].

>

> Kind Regards,

>

> John McGuire

>

> CEO, Game Your Game

 

That's funny your's said the 3 rounds of golf over the next 3 weeks, mine said 6 rounds over 6 weeks. I downloaded the new firmware, reset everything up and it's been terrible. Half the time the GPS doesn't work so almost the entire round doesn't get tracked. It was so bad the other day I just turned it off and used the app to finish the round.

[North Butte]

I think we're most likely looking at a failed product here.

 

Just hope it doesn't run the whole of Game Golf out of business and effectively brick my Game Golf Classic and Live units. But it may well do just that.

[Gautama]

 

> @slowcelica said:

> That's funny your's said the 3 rounds of golf over the next 3 weeks, mine said 6 rounds over 6 weeks. I downloaded the new firmware, reset everything up and it's been terrible. Half the time the GPS doesn't work so almost the entire round doesn't get tracked. It was so bad the other day I just turned it off and used the app to finish the round.

 

Did they send you the complimentary unit they promised? I'm just amazed after everything else they got wrong they failed to execute on that piece too. Someone screwed up badly. I hate to fire people, but that's 100% termination-worthy in my world.

[TM_HOYER]

> @Gautama said:

> Sure, certainly don't feel I owe them any special discretion at this point:

>

> **TO OUR VALUED GAME GOLF PRO COMMUNITY**

>

> I want to start by sharing some great news with you. The USGA has passed a ruling that GAME GOLF PRO is officially "Permitted under the Rules of Golf” for use in competition.

>

> I also want to give an update to all of our loyal and valued GAME GOLF PRO users about the performance of our new system and to address the feedback that we have received since our launch.

>

> We are aware that some users have had challenges using PRO. We hold ourselves to very high standards to ensure that we deliver the ultimate experience to our users. After extensive research, we are now confident that we have identified the cause of these issues and have developed a new firmware available to download today. By receiving this email, you will be one of the first to use this new firmware and we truly appreciate your feedback.

>

> Please note that this specific firmware update is designed to teach and tailor our machine learning algorithms to your swing and pre-shot routine. The setup may require up to one hour of your time and in an effort to ensure the greatest level of success, we ask that you play at least 3 rounds of golf over the next 3 weeks. During this time, we will need your help to mark every shot that you hit on the course. We have created instructional videos to help guide you through this. The more rounds of golf that are played, the stronger these algorithms become as they learn about your tendencies on the course.

>

> We are targeting another firmware release June 10th. Once updated, this new, specific firmware will provide all GAME GOLF PRO users with an optimal experience using the data and insights that we collect over the next 6 weeks.

>

> To show our appreciation for all your feedback and patience, we will send you a brand new PRO unit in June. With your help, we will have the best shot tracking system in the industry that delivers real value to your rounds of golf.

>

> Please click the button below for further instructions on how to download the new firmware update and what is required as you play.

>

> Should you need any further clarification you can contact GAME GOLF at [email protected].

>

> Kind Regards,

>

> John McGuire

>

> CEO, Game Your Game

 

Thanks for posting the email. I never got it and have emailed support about it. Also my mailing address has changed since I got my Game Golf Pro.

[larciel]

I really want to meet GG CEO and see how he could've screwed this much over this.

[slowcelica]

> @Gautama said:

>

> > @slowcelica said:

> > That's funny your's said the 3 rounds of golf over the next 3 weeks, mine said 6 rounds over 6 weeks. I downloaded the new firmware, reset everything up and it's been terrible. Half the time the GPS doesn't work so almost the entire round doesn't get tracked. It was so bad the other day I just turned it off and used the app to finish the round.

>

> Did they send you the complimentary unit they promised? I'm just amazed after everything else they got wrong they failed to execute on that piece too. Someone screwed up badly. I hate to fire people, but that's 100% termination-worthy in my world.

 

No I read it as, you have to play 6 rounds in 6 weeks to get it, which I did not, idk.

[slowcelica]

Anyone still using theirs?

[jamgam]

Never got to use mine in the first place. 4 it 5 of my tags won't pair and the support won't respond to my emails (or twitter or Facebook). I didn't get to use it immediately so i was past return window before I started. Just sitting on my desk. every 2 weeks or so I email support normally with no response

[Bucken77]

That was pretty much me. I could never get the tags to actually work. They would pair but then something would happen and I would have to pair again. Very frustrating and it was just a mess. Plus the damn things fell apart after every swing. I tried gluing them after they suggested that but it still did not work and they would fall off after any swing taken. Absolutely poorly conceived product that should never have gotten to the product testing phase. There is no way that those tags were not falling apart on them as well

[jg1166]

Yes still using mine, I must be the exception as it is working fine for me only issue I am having is it occasionally does not read tap in puts but I just add and confirm before teeing off on the next hole

[NoCaution]

I'm only still using it because I can't afford to buy Arccos right now. My next round will be my 300th on Game Golf, and I pray it's my last. The pro unit is absolute garbage. I was one of the few that actually had some success when it first came out, and I was totally happy for a while. Nowadays; Half the tags just stopped working completely, I gave up on using the putter tag and add my putts manually, GPS disconnects randomly and then won't let me leave a certain hole, and I have to do twice as much editing as I did with the "Live" version. The only reason I haven't switched back to the Live unit, is that I got used to not tagging every shot, and the Live unit crashed CONSTANTLY. I desperately want to switch to Arccos and will do so as soon as I have the money.

 

F*** Game Golf. They knew full well how crappy the Pro unit was (which is why it was delayed for nearly a year), but they released it anyway. They should be ashamed.

[larciel]

Arccos very cheap on ebay

[slowcelica]

> @NoCaution said:

> I'm only still using it because I can't afford to buy Arccos right now. My next round will be my 300th on Game Golf, and I pray it's my last. The pro unit is absolute garbage. I was one of the few that actually had some success when it first came out, and I was totally happy for a while. Nowadays; Half the tags just stopped working completely, I gave up on using the putter tag and add my putts manually, GPS disconnects randomly and then won't let me leave a certain hole, and I have to do twice as much editing as I did with the "Live" version. The only reason I haven't switched back to the Live unit, is that I got used to not tagging every shot, and the Live unit crashed CONSTANTLY. I desperately want to switch to Arccos and will do so as soon as I have the money.

>

> F*** Game Golf. They knew full well how crappy the Pro unit was (which is why it was delayed for nearly a year), but they released it anyway. They should be ashamed.

 

This has been my experience too. When I first got it worked, but then I upgraded it, and that broke everything half the time it loses connection halfway through a round or turns off. It got so bad I just stopped using it. Then the other day I checked and there is an update so I go through and am updating everything and 2 of my tags are under 10% battery so I cant update them. I've used the thing maybe 5 times, I emailed their support and no response at all. I still have my live unit, so I'll either switch back to that until I find an arcoss unit for a decent price or just buy it new in the spring.

[slowcelica]

Ok I'm officially done with the pro, I've tried to play about 7 or 8 rounds with the thing I think one worked without issues. Yesterday after the first hole, the GPS signal lost again, then by the 4th hole it turned off. Any ideas on how I can get some sort of refund on this thing, obviously I'm well past the 30 day period, considering how this thing just does not work I feel like a refund should not be out of the question.

[jamgam]

> @slowcelica said:

> Ok I'm officially done with the pro, I've tried to play about 7 or 8 rounds with the thing I think one worked without issues. Yesterday after the first hole, the GPS signal lost again, then by the 4th hole it turned off. Any ideas on how I can get some sort of refund on this thing, obviously I'm well past the 30 day period, considering how this thing just does not work I feel like a refund should not be out of the question.

 

I'm going to follow just to see if you figure something out. I can't even get support to talk to me. They only thing I can find is email

[larciel]

File a claim with your credit card company.

[slowcelica]

> @jamgam said:

> > @slowcelica said:

> > Ok I'm officially done with the pro, I've tried to play about 7 or 8 rounds with the thing I think one worked without issues. Yesterday after the first hole, the GPS signal lost again, then by the 4th hole it turned off. Any ideas on how I can get some sort of refund on this thing, obviously I'm well past the 30 day period, considering how this thing just does not work I feel like a refund should not be out of the question.

>

> I'm going to follow just to see if you figure something out. I can't even get support to talk to me. They only thing I can find is email

 

Ya I have 2 almost dead sensors, emailed them last week to get them replaced, not response.> @larciel said:

> File a claim with your credit card company.

 

Does that effect credit at all? I'm in the middle of moving and don't want my mortgage app to get screwed up. Also what basis can I file on?

 

I requested a refund from gamegolf, I'll see if they respond, I feel at this point they are about to go under too.

 

Edit: So I finally got someone from gamegolf to respond, they are sending me 2 new tags, and told me eventually they will be sending out new tags that allow us to change out the batteries. They have them in but are testing them before sending them out.

[slowcelica]

So I was at golf galaxy the other day after playing a round and being so frustrated with my game golf pro, I decided it was time to give arccos a chance, so I picked one up. I played my first round with it yesterday, and being used to gamegolf it was weird. It was nice to not have to charge a medallion before the round, and just use my phone, what confused me at first is arccos only cares about the first putt distance and not the rest of the putts, so that threw me off till I figured that out. The other thing that is nice is when you hole out, you just pull your phone out and hit a button on the app to mark the hole location, also if you need to edit putts the app is much easier to use they are easier to move around and the flag is easier to move if you need to. I also prefer the way they break down the round, and show you where each facet of your game is in terms of handicap, for example I can see that I really need to improve on my driving and approach shots.

[North Butte]

> @slowcelica said:

> So I was at golf galaxy the other day after playing a round and being so frustrated with my game golf pro, I decided it was time to give arccos a chance, so I picked one up. I played my first round with it yesterday, and being used to gamegolf it was weird. It was nice to not have to charge a medallion before the round, and just use my phone, what confused me at first is arccos only cares about the first putt distance and not the rest of the putts, so that threw me off till I figured that out. The other thing that is nice is when you hole out, you just pull your phone out and hit a button on the app to mark the hole location, also if you need to edit putts the app is much easier to use they are easier to move around and the flag is easier to move if you need to. I also prefer the way they break down the round, and show you where each facet of your game is in terms of handicap, for example I can see that I really need to improve on my driving and approach shots.

 

Arccos is much cooler overall than Game Golf but if you're serious about capturing everything, OMG do they want you to fiddle with your phone *constantly* during the round. After trying it twice for fairly decent numbers of rounds, I had to quit with it. I just can't keep my head in the game if I'm carrying a phone and constantly swiping and tapping stuff. Golf isn't relaxing when I feel like I'm full-time tethered to my smartphone like that.

[slowcelica]

> @"North Butte" said:

> > @slowcelica said:

> > So I was at golf galaxy the other day after playing a round and being so frustrated with my game golf pro, I decided it was time to give arccos a chance, so I picked one up. I played my first round with it yesterday, and being used to gamegolf it was weird. It was nice to not have to charge a medallion before the round, and just use my phone, what confused me at first is arccos only cares about the first putt distance and not the rest of the putts, so that threw me off till I figured that out. The other thing that is nice is when you hole out, you just pull your phone out and hit a button on the app to mark the hole location, also if you need to edit putts the app is much easier to use they are easier to move around and the flag is easier to move if you need to. I also prefer the way they break down the round, and show you where each facet of your game is in terms of handicap, for example I can see that I really need to improve on my driving and approach shots.

>

> Arccos is much cooler overall than Game Golf but if you're serious about capturing everything, OMG do they want you to fiddle with your phone *constantly* during the round. After trying it twice for fairly decent numbers of rounds, I had to quit with it. I just can't keep my head in the game if I'm carrying a phone and constantly swiping and tapping stuff. Golf isn't relaxing when I feel like I'm full-time tethered to my smartphone like that.

 

I'd agree, you can buy the medallion and turn it into a game golf pro that I'm guessing actually works, but I like not having to make sure something is charged before my round other than my phone. I think once I get used to it, I won't pull my phone out other than to mark the hole location after each hole, like I did with gg live.