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GPS Golf Guru - Any thoughts on this?


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I bought one of these units a couple weeks ago and used it once. I've spoken to cust support (very responsive) and told them that if they were to provide a way for users to add course by copying coordinates from Google Earth they would build up a base of courses much faster than they could do manually. They would then have their entire user community helping them create new courses. Perhaps a user mapped course, until, validated, is shown as a different level of accuracy or something.

 

My 2 cents.

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1st post! I just ordered one of these off of Ebay thanks to the comments in this thread. I had a SG2 that I liked but my subscription just expired and thought I would try this since the courses are free and I am selling the SG2 for $150. Figured this is worth the ~$60 for the upgrade. I had been reading about the great customer service but just thought I would share another story. I paid via Paypal at 1:02p (Mountain) and just received shipping confirmation along with tracking number, 20 minutes later!! Now that is great customer service!!

 

Also go the InvisibleShield for it for less than $6 with the 50% online coupon so thanks for that tip also!!

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They still need to get the editing feature up and going but you can not beat their customer service

 

You really can't beat their customer service. I have received no less than 10 emails from them notifying me of software upgrades and relevant information on the Guru since November. I have owned a Skycaddie for 2 years, and a Golf Logix for 1 and have NEVER received any information on upgrades, issues, helpful hints, or any other topic from anyone...period. I do get notices when my annual memberships are about to expire $$. If you want continued support after the sale, look toward the Golf Guru. You won't be forgotten!!

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Even though I have the downloaded version of my home course, I just went out and mapped the front nine this morning because I don't think the mapping of the greens using aerial photos turned out to be very accurate. It was really easy to do and I was able to map a number of targets that were not included on the original download. I, too, however, am anxiously awaiting the software upgrade as it was one of the determining factors in me purchasing this unit in the first place.

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I am really close to pulling the trigger on this device. Is anyone else worried that you do not see them anywhere but on Ebay and their website. I have read every thread on these and it seems that it comes down to the SG2.5 for me versus the Golf Guru. I play out of state on business and the $50/month kills me espscially if the courses I play in NE, OK, and KS go for 12 bucks to walk. I am just a little afraid of the product going the way of the betamax or more recently the HD DVD.

 

The SkyGolf fee is $50 per YEAR.

 

Given the inventory of which GPS devices I have seen at the PGA Superstore, I imagine it would take a new company a little time to work their way into retail outlets.

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With the ability to map courses to the level of detail that the Golf Guru offers, for courses you play regularly it would still be a good deal even if the company went away and you couldn't download any courses (assuming you have the time and inclination to map courses yourself).

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I just emailed them concerning the software upgrade for editing mapped courses. I will post it when I receive their reply.

 

Rick,

 

The course map editing feature for the Golf Guru is in the final stages of testing right now. This is a major software change, and we want to be absolutely sure that things don't start breaking when we release it. We realize that we are running behind our original forecasted schedule, and still can't set an exact date for release, but at this time, we believe we are very close to completing and locking in the software code. Thanks for being patient with us. We know there is a large contingent out there eagerly anticipating this feature. We hope to have good news very soon.

 

Regards,

Golf Guru Support

 

 

 

Obviously they are reading this thread.

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Our course is closed on Mondays so I went out and mapped it myself, even though it is available for download. One of the things I noticed was that the greens did not seem really true to their actual shape. I think that is a problem with using satellite photos as sometimes it is very difficult to determine the edge of the green. It took me about the time it would take to play a round of golf (4 hours) to map all 18 holes, but I have waypoints customized and meaningful for the way I play the course, and now I know the green outlines are accurate.

 

The best feature so far is the "marking" capability. Unlike the SkyGolf units and others where you "mark" your starting point and then "mark" at the ball, once you "mark" at the tee, for example, it will give you a running total of yards as you walk so you can go to your buddy's ball and tell him just how far he hit his drive, then go to yours without "marking", adding yardage differences, etc. I do wish there were a way to adjust the contrast.

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It took me about the time it would take to play a round of golf (4 hours) to map all 18 holes
4 hours?! If you play more than one course, that's a big problem. We play about 10 here.

 

The best feature so far is the "marking" capability. Unlike the SkyGolf units and others where you "mark" your starting point and then "mark" at the ball, once you "mark" at the tee, for example, it will give you a running total of yards as you walk so you can go to your buddy's ball and tell him just how far he hit his drive, then go to yours without "marking", adding yardage differences, etc.

You are mistaken about the SkyCaddie. You can do this--mark multiple tee shots--just fine with the SG2.5 & 5. I don't know about the older versions. You just hit the mark button to toggle in and out of the distance screen.

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It took me about the time it would take to play a round of golf (4 hours) to map all 18 holes
4 hours?! If you play more than one course, that's a big problem. We play about 10 here.

 

 

I agree! No way would I want to map every course or a number of courses if I played that many on any kind of rotating basis. Golf Guru has 19 courses mapped within 20 miles of my zip code, including the one I belong to, and only one course that I would play is missing so I did not "need" to map my home course. I mapped my home course for the very reason that I do play it probably 85% of the time and I wanted it "personalized" for the way I play it. Also, depending on when the aerial shots were done, 12-13 of our greens were redone within roughly the last year, changing their size and outlines. I am also an impatient person :clapping: and am still waiting for their software upgrade which will allow editing these "professionally mapped courses, software that is supposed to be in final test but was expected to be out by the end of February. Plus, I had the day off and was curious as to how easy or difficult it would be to map a course as I had never tried it with the SG2 I have owned for the last 5 years.

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Bought one last night... What I would like to see is if once you map a course, if it could be uploaded back to GolfGuru so that if anyone else downloads it they would have the updated info. If we all did this (like one big Guru Community) we would all benefit from it. Think about it, if the course that you play (even with some frequency) you would take the time to do just a couple of holes at a time, you would have it done after a couple of rounds. This is how this unit would truly stand out head and shoulders above the rest !!!

 

GOLF GURU .... please take notice of this possible feature.... I'm sure that the people that have already purchased will see the value in this type of "community" and put this unit in everyones bag !!!

 

C'mon guys, let them know that this would be a good feature, i'm sure we all agree, right !?

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Bought one last night... What I would like to see is if once you map a course, if it could be uploaded back to GolfGuru so that if anyone else downloads it they would have the updated info. If we all did this (like one big Guru Community) we would all benefit from it. Think about it, if the course that you play (even with some frequency) you would take the time to do just a couple of holes at a time, you would have it done after a couple of rounds. This is how this unit would truly stand out head and shoulders above the rest !!!

 

GOLF GURU .... please take notice of this possible feature.... I'm sure that the people that have already purchased will see the value in this type of "community" and put this unit in everyones bag !!!

 

C'mon guys, let them know that this would be a good feature, i'm sure we all agree, right !?

 

You can upload courses that you map back to Golf Guru but they will not be posted on their site at this time. They told me that they are currently working on the software that would convert that file so that they could post it on their website. Hopefully it will be part of the editing software upgrade.

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been using the guru for a couple of weeks.

 

very positive points for size, weight and ease of pocket use. best feature is how fast it works, helps keep you in the flow of a pre shot routine. rainproof is good. self mapping is easy and painless. the mark shot is very intuitive and works anywhere. when the software upgrade allows you to edit a downloaded course this becomes a great GPS unit.

 

website claims it uses more accurate GPS satellites than the others, i know that the yardage seems to be right on the 100 and 150 markers at the courses i've used it on.

 

best thing is walking up behind my buddy while he is looking at his sky caddie and telling him the yardage.

 

so far, so good.

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Our course is closed on Mondays so I went out and mapped it myself, even though it is available for download. One of the things I noticed was that the greens did not seem really true to their actual shape. I think that is a problem with using satellite photos as sometimes it is very difficult to determine the edge of the green. It took me about the time it would take to play a round of golf (4 hours) to map all 18 holes, but I have waypoints customized and meaningful for the way I play the course, and now I know the green outlines are accurate.

 

The best feature so far is the "marking" capability. Unlike the SkyGolf units and others where you "mark" your starting point and then "mark" at the ball, once you "mark" at the tee, for example, it will give you a running total of yards as you walk so you can go to your buddy's ball and tell him just how far he hit his drive, then go to yours without "marking", adding yardage differences, etc. I do wish there were a way to adjust the contrast.

 

Actually, the best way to do it is to premap the course sitting at home, especially if it is one you play all the time. Setup each hole with the targets you want mapped before you go out to the course. Then go out and borrow a cart, drive around the course and complete the mapping. Simple!!!

 

Golf Guru is getting pretty good at mapping courses though. The first couple they did for me were a bit sparse on targets, but the last two they did for me were really great. Just about every target I needed was included. The guys in my group prefer my Guru distance over the GPS on the carts at the course because you cannot drive the cart on the tee box, and sometimes the cart GPS just do not work because of cloud cover. The Guru works even with heavy cloud cover, and even in my house.

 

There are several folks at my course that use the Skycaddie and the Guru will beat them every time. We stand side by side inside the club house and turn them on at the same time. Within a couple minutes or sooner the Guru will obtain the satellite and give me distance to the first hole, while the Skycaddie will not even obtain a satellite until they go outside, and it takes a while when they go outside. The Guru receives about 3 to 4 more satellites than the Skycaddie at my course and is more accurate. Try it with your friends that have the Skycaddie and you will really set them to scratching their heads. One fella that had just bought his Skycaddie was mapping the course on the same day I was mapping mine and he wondered why I was walking around the green while mapping it. When I showed him the Guru was drawing the green on the screen he was upset that he could not do that with the Skycaddie that he had paid twice as much for. He could only set the front and back of the green. Our course has not been mapped by Skycaddie so he cannot move the pin on the green to get exact distance. Once folks see what the Guru can do and hear what I paid for it, they opt for the Guru.

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I wear glasses with bifocals but wear contacts when I play golf. This makes it very hard to read the scorecard without my reading glasses.

 

Can someone with a similar issue let me know how easy it is to read the golf guru display?

 

I sent an e-mail to GPS Golf Guru about this questions and here is their reply:

 

"Although we use a fairly large font on all of our distance views, it depends on just how good your reading vision is. I personally need my reading glasses in order to read many of the screens, except the "big numbers" distance view that gives you distances to the near, center, and far points of the green. I have this problem with any of the gps units on the market today. If your contacts help with near vision, than you might be ok. I hate taking my glasses with me while golfing, but if I want to use a rangefinder, I don't have much choice."

 

I found this reply to very honest about the limitations of the unit for us with poor eyesight. I now have to decide whether it is more productive to put on my reading glasses or tromp around the course looking for the distance markers. I know taking the glasses on and off will be aggrevating but it has to faster than looking for the markers.

 

I asked about the software upgrade and there is no implementation date as they have only been testing it for a couple of weeks. I am just glad to hear they are willing to provide a free update versus making you have to buy new hardware.

 

After reviewing all of the GPS units on the comparison chart on this site and the Golf Guru, I am going to buy the Golf Guru today as it seems to have the features I am looking for in a GPS system and does not (currently) come with an annual subscription. I appreciate all of the comments about the various GPS units on this site as they have definitely helped me come to an informed decision.

 

I will provide a review after I have used the Golf Guru for a few rounds of golf.

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  • 2 weeks later...

i have a golf guru, i'm looking for a holster to clip to the belt on my side or back while playing golf.

 

i know its been mentioned that the blackberry case would fit. but they have different models of the blackberry.

 

which holster will fit? i want to order on ebay. they have different models of the blackberry.

 

the 6000 series, 7000 series and 8000 series. does anyone know whats the exact size match of the guru compared to the blackberry?

 

 

 

thats ok.

i looked at the blackberry website and the golf guru website.

there is no exact match. but blackberry curve comes really close.

 

golf guru = 4.4 x 2.4 x.75 inches

 

blackberry curve = 4.2 x 2.4 x .6

 

the leather cases would fit. but the belt clip holsters. i'm not so sure about.

 

i'm going to buy the belt clip swivel instead. its cheap and it does the job.

 

 

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"Tabs" added for "Community Courses" & "My Mapped Courses" under member section now, when you sign in. Glad to see they are moving forward with what appears to be the options all have requested.

 

 

They have the one course and driving range that I mapped under the "My Mapped Courses" but it is not available to everyone yet. They are supposed to have the self mapped courses available to everyone very soon.

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Just received a Golf Guru in the mail yesterday. I like the design of the unit but beware - I took off what I thought was the protective cover on the Golf Guru logo. Bad idea. Upon removing the thin sheet (it looks *just* like a protective film often found on electronic devices) the logo looked sticky. I scratched to get the gunk off and instead I got the whole design. Check out the pictures.

 

I wont be contacting the company for a replacement because I didn't get the thing to look pretty. Just need those distances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will be giving an unbiased review of this thing as soon as this crappy Michigan weather gets its act together.

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What kind of turn around on support email has everyone been getting? I picked up a guru earlier in the week, but have experienced a few software related issues that I emailed to their support about 3 days ago, but haven't had any response.

 

I've heard about the company's great cust. service, but not even getting so much as a canned 'we'll look into the issue' response after 3 days seems a bit odd...especially after experiencing issues with the device.

 

I'm really looking forward to using the unit this weekend...hopefully the kinks can get worked out.

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What kind of turn around on support email has everyone been getting? I picked up a guru earlier in the week, but have experienced a few software related issues that I emailed to their support about 3 days ago, but haven't had any response.

 

I've heard about the company's great cust. service, but not even getting so much as a canned 'we'll look into the issue' response after 3 days seems a bit odd...especially after experiencing issues with the device.

 

I'm really looking forward to using the unit this weekend...hopefully the kinks can get worked out.

 

They are pretty loaded with emails right now. Call them, they are more than happy to answer any questions. I had to have some kinks worked out with my laptop and they were great to work with on the phone.

 

1-866-654-GURU (4878)

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Thanks for the response Gozz. I'm not in a real big hurry, so I may give them some time to respond before calling.

 

I'm having two issues when attempting to 'pre-map' a course. Has anyone else experienced either of these issues?

  1. If I try to add a target with no distance applied (for example Right Bunker, but a '?' in the distance field) the unit powers off when I hit save. I was hoping to set up targets before going to the course and then marking the locations while playing. Unfortunately the unit powers off when trying to save the targets.
     
     
  2. Whenever I save a course, the name gets duplicated. (for example typing "Grapevine - Mockingbird" saves as "GrapevineMockingbirdGrapevine - Mockingbird.gcd")

Hopefully there will be a good workaround and/or software update to resolve these issues.

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