Garmin g20 vs bushnell neo ghost

[slicer21]

I did some quick searches and couldn't find a direct comparison so sorry if this has been discussed. I'm between these 2 (edit: Garmin approach g10 vs bushnell neo ghost) handheld and really leaning toward the Garmin. Assuming both can be had for the same price, is one significantly better than the other? My local dicks only has the bushnell in Stock. I am playing in a tournament this weekend and was hoping to have it before then but the Garmin won't be here until Tuesday. Is it significantly better? If it is I'll just wait, but if it's not I'm just gonna grab this bushnell.

[slicer21]

Didn't end up getting either one so now I'm not in as much of a rush. After doing some more research I've come across the golf buddy ct2 and it looks like another solid competitor. Anyone with any experience with any of these, or something else in the same price range, I'd love to hear some feedback

[chilidipper72]

Both are very solid, basic, easy to use gps devices. I have owned both because I cannot for the life of me use a watch when I play golf.

 

The Bushnell is larger and thicker, and the numbers are much bigger. The cons I find about the bushnell is that it is square in shape, no ergonomics, and is rather thick for what it is. I bought it with the intention of just leaving it in my pocket while I play but, lately I have noticed I leave it clipped to my bag. This doesn't mean the device is not pocketable, as it is small enough to do just that, it is just for me after awhile I noticed it more and more and stope pocketing it. Also, the other con is that all the layups are listed as abbreviations and I think there are over 15-20 different abbreviations. That is alot to remember although for the most part the same 6-7 are used the majority of the time. But when one pops up that I can't figure out on my own it is a headscratcher and a distraction while playing. Overall, a simple device that just gives distace front back center with nice large numbers. I tend to give this one as a gift quite alot and my Sunday game now is flush with Bushnell Neo Ghosts.

 

The Garmin G10 I have had for about 3 months and it is very comparable to the Bushnell. The main difference is a menu system. With the Bushnell you can push a button from the yardage screen and it will go straight to the layups. From the yardage screen with the push of the button you go straight to the measure shot. With the Garmin, with the push of the button you go to menu -> then push up or down menu to scroll through options to go to layup -> then push another button and scroll through the layups. It just adds additional steps. Also, I found that the Garmin is extremely small, about the size of one of those fitbit counters you see at Dicks Sporting Goods. I have worried on occasion, because i pocket it and not clip it to my belt, that it will be lost. The pros of the Garmin is that I find the yardage more accurate because Garmin uses true measurements, whereas Bushnell uses from center of fairway. So even if you are out in the rough you can still get yardage to center of green and you don't have to work it out in your head. The pro of the Garmin is you get a mini green view with 6-8 preprogrammed dots you can use the arrow keys to select the dot which resembles where you think the flag is for that day. Its the only real difference besides size, and it make a tiny difference but not a deal breaker.

 

Battery I get ~50 (just under 3 rounds) holes with the Bushnell, and with the Garmin I get ~60 (3.5-4 rounds) holes.

 

Overall, I feel these two are obviously meant to compete with each other, and they just offer basic no frills info on yardage. I like that and I am not a believer in all of the additional information with most of the devices. I have used the Bushnell more often because I find that either device, for me, I cannot play while pocketed because the Bushnell is alittle too thick and the Garmin is impossibly too small. So if i am just going to clip it to a bag or leave in a car I wanted the more sturdy Bushnell. If you want alittle more bells and whistles look at the Garmin G6 which is $50 more and might be the best of both devices, especially if you just plan to clip it to your bag. You get the big numbers, touch screen with alot more options for layup and distance, better battery life, etc.

[slicer21]

Wow thanks for the great feedback. Does the bushnell show distance to hazards?

[tatertot]

Wow thanks for the great feedback. Does the bushnell show distance to hazards?

 

Some, depends on the course. You can customize points on each hole and program them in if you want.

[GolfGuitarsCars]

I must be wearing my shorts too baggy because the Bushnell is not too big for my pocket.

[ed8t]

Both are very solid, basic, easy to use gps devices. I have owned both because I cannot for the life of me use a watch when I play golf.

 

The Bushnell is larger and thicker, and the numbers are much bigger. The cons I find about the bushnell is that it is square in shape, no ergonomics, and is rather thick for what it is. I bought it with the intention of just leaving it in my pocket while I play but, lately I have noticed I leave it clipped to my bag. This doesn't mean the device is not pocketable, as it is small enough to do just that, it is just for me after awhile I noticed it more and more and stope pocketing it. Also, the other con is that all the layups are listed as abbreviations and I think there are over 15-20 different abbreviations. That is alot to remember although for the most part the same 6-7 are used the majority of the time. But when one pops up that I can't figure out on my own it is a headscratcher and a distraction while playing. Overall, a simple device that just gives distace front back center with nice large numbers. I tend to give this one as a gift quite alot and my Sunday game now is flush with Bushnell Neo Ghosts.

 

The Garmin G10 I have had for about 3 months and it is very comparable to the Bushnell. The main difference is a menu system. With the Bushnell you can push a button from the yardage screen and it will go straight to the layups. From the yardage screen with the push of the button you go straight to the measure shot. With the Garmin, with the push of the button you go to menu -> then push up or down menu to scroll through options to go to layup -> then push another button and scroll through the layups. It just adds additional steps. Also, I found that the Garmin is extremely small, about the size of one of those fitbit counters you see at Dicks Sporting Goods. I have worried on occasion, because i pocket it and not clip it to my belt, that it will be lost. The pros of the Garmin is that I find the yardage more accurate because Garmin uses true measurements, whereas Bushnell uses from center of fairway. So even if you are out in the rough you can still get yardage to center of green and you don't have to work it out in your head. The pro of the Garmin is you get a mini green view with 6-8 preprogrammed dots you can use the arrow keys to select the dot which resembles where you think the flag is for that day. Its the only real difference besides size, and it make a tiny difference but not a deal breaker.

 

Battery I get ~50 (just under 3 rounds) holes with the Bushnell, and with the Garmin I get ~60 (3.5-4 rounds) holes.

 

Overall, I feel these two are obviously meant to compete with each other, and they just offer basic no frills info on yardage. I like that and I am not a believer in all of the additional information with most of the devices. I have used the Bushnell more often because I find that either device, for me, I cannot play while pocketed because the Bushnell is alittle too thick and the Garmin is impossibly too small. So if i am just going to clip it to a bag or leave in a car I wanted the more sturdy Bushnell. If you want alittle more bells and whistles look at the Garmin G6 which is $50 more and might be the best of both devices, especially if you just plan to clip it to your bag. You get the big numbers, touch screen with alot more options for layup and distance, better battery life, etc.

 

Excellent information. I was thinking about a G10 or Neo ghost just to clip it on my bag, but I didn't realize that you can clip the G6 to your bag too. Do you have to buy a separate clip/skin for the G6 for bag attachment?

[North Butte]

The Ghost is best, as has been mentioned, just clipped to your golf bag or push cart. Huge numbers, easy to read even from several feet away, I've found mine to be as accurate as any other golf GPS (not always exactly perfect but usually very close). I would not carry it in my pocket as the form factor just isn't really suited for that.

 

One advantage when compared to something like a G-series Garmin is that the screen with its big numbers is always on. There is no timeout and screen blanker. Yet even with the numbers always showing it is easily good for two 18-hole rounds or even an 18 and a 27 as long as you turn it one right before you tee off and turn it off immediately after the round. So I guess that's two advantages.

 

If the G10 had existed when I picked up the Ghost I would have gotten the Garmin. Garmin gives front edge, middl, back edge of the green relative to your actual position at the moment. Bushnell gives distances to three fixed points labeled "Front", "Middle" and "Back" but depending on the shape of the green and where you are standing, the "Front" and "Back" may not be anywhere close to correct. This is a limitation of Bushnell's iGolf-based maps which do not geocode actual green outlines.

 

I assume but don't know for sure that the G10 has similar battery life to the Ghost, that the numbers are large and legible and that the screen stays on continuously. I've never checked on those things for sure since I already own the Neo Ghost. FWIW, I have never used any of the hazard yardages on any GPS so I can't comment on those features.

[chilidipper72]

Both are very solid, basic, easy to use gps devices. I have owned both because I cannot for the life of me use a watch when I play golf.

 

The Bushnell is larger and thicker, and the numbers are much bigger. The cons I find about the bushnell is that it is square in shape, no ergonomics, and is rather thick for what it is. I bought it with the intention of just leaving it in my pocket while I play but, lately I have noticed I leave it clipped to my bag. This doesn't mean the device is not pocketable, as it is small enough to do just that, it is just for me after awhile I noticed it more and more and stope pocketing it. Also, the other con is that all the layups are listed as abbreviations and I think there are over 15-20 different abbreviations. That is alot to remember although for the most part the same 6-7 are used the majority of the time. But when one pops up that I can't figure out on my own it is a headscratcher and a distraction while playing. Overall, a simple device that just gives distace front back center with nice large numbers. I tend to give this one as a gift quite alot and my Sunday game now is flush with Bushnell Neo Ghosts.

 

The Garmin G10 I have had for about 3 months and it is very comparable to the Bushnell. The main difference is a menu system. With the Bushnell you can push a button from the yardage screen and it will go straight to the layups. From the yardage screen with the push of the button you go straight to the measure shot. With the Garmin, with the push of the button you go to menu -> then push up or down menu to scroll through options to go to layup -> then push another button and scroll through the layups. It just adds additional steps. Also, I found that the Garmin is extremely small, about the size of one of those fitbit counters you see at Dicks Sporting Goods. I have worried on occasion, because i pocket it and not clip it to my belt, that it will be lost. The pros of the Garmin is that I find the yardage more accurate because Garmin uses true measurements, whereas Bushnell uses from center of fairway. So even if you are out in the rough you can still get yardage to center of green and you don't have to work it out in your head. The pro of the Garmin is you get a mini green view with 6-8 preprogrammed dots you can use the arrow keys to select the dot which resembles where you think the flag is for that day. Its the only real difference besides size, and it make a tiny difference but not a deal breaker.

 

Battery I get ~50 (just under 3 rounds) holes with the Bushnell, and with the Garmin I get ~60 (3.5-4 rounds) holes.

 

Overall, I feel these two are obviously meant to compete with each other, and they just offer basic no frills info on yardage. I like that and I am not a believer in all of the additional information with most of the devices. I have used the Bushnell more often because I find that either device, for me, I cannot play while pocketed because the Bushnell is alittle too thick and the Garmin is impossibly too small. So if i am just going to clip it to a bag or leave in a car I wanted the more sturdy Bushnell. If you want alittle more bells and whistles look at the Garmin G6 which is $50 more and might be the best of both devices, especially if you just plan to clip it to your bag. You get the big numbers, touch screen with alot more options for layup and distance, better battery life, etc.

 

Excellent information. I was thinking about a G10 or Neo ghost just to clip it on my bag, but I didn't realize that you can clip the G6 to your bag too. Do you have to buy a separate clip/skin for the G6 for bag attachment?

 

The Garmin g6 comes with a separate belt clip that you can attach to the unit, but I bought a Garmin silicone carabineer clip case that works alittle bit better.

[North Butte]

So if you clip a G6 to your bag, can you set it for the screen to stay on? Or to you have to do something to wake up the screen in order to read it?

[chilidipper72]

So if you clip a G6 to your bag, can you set it for the screen to stay on? Or to you have to do something to wake up the screen in order to read it?

 

 

You can watch this YouTube video and it shows you the display settings.

 

[slicer21]

Anyone have any luck with Dicks price matching online stores? They have the neo ghost for 99 but the g10 is 129. Literally everywhere I look online has the g10 for 100. I asked the only person I could find at dicks the other day (a girl from a different department because there was no1 in the golf section) and she said they don't match online ads. I have 100 gift card for dicks so I was wanting to get it there. Didn't know if it was true they won't price match online or should 8 go back and push a little harder?

[ed8t]

Both are very solid, basic, easy to use gps devices. I have owned both because I cannot for the life of me use a watch when I play golf.

 

The Bushnell is larger and thicker, and the numbers are much bigger. The cons I find about the bushnell is that it is square in shape, no ergonomics, and is rather thick for what it is. I bought it with the intention of just leaving it in my pocket while I play but, lately I have noticed I leave it clipped to my bag. This doesn't mean the device is not pocketable, as it is small enough to do just that, it is just for me after awhile I noticed it more and more and stope pocketing it. Also, the other con is that all the layups are listed as abbreviations and I think there are over 15-20 different abbreviations. That is alot to remember although for the most part the same 6-7 are used the majority of the time. But when one pops up that I can't figure out on my own it is a headscratcher and a distraction while playing. Overall, a simple device that just gives distace front back center with nice large numbers. I tend to give this one as a gift quite alot and my Sunday game now is flush with Bushnell Neo Ghosts.

 

The Garmin G10 I have had for about 3 months and it is very comparable to the Bushnell. The main difference is a menu system. With the Bushnell you can push a button from the yardage screen and it will go straight to the layups. From the yardage screen with the push of the button you go straight to the measure shot. With the Garmin, with the push of the button you go to menu -> then push up or down menu to scroll through options to go to layup -> then push another button and scroll through the layups. It just adds additional steps. Also, I found that the Garmin is extremely small, about the size of one of those fitbit counters you see at Dicks Sporting Goods. I have worried on occasion, because i pocket it and not clip it to my belt, that it will be lost. The pros of the Garmin is that I find the yardage more accurate because Garmin uses true measurements, whereas Bushnell uses from center of fairway. So even if you are out in the rough you can still get yardage to center of green and you don't have to work it out in your head. The pro of the Garmin is you get a mini green view with 6-8 preprogrammed dots you can use the arrow keys to select the dot which resembles where you think the flag is for that day. Its the only real difference besides size, and it make a tiny difference but not a deal breaker.

 

Battery I get ~50 (just under 3 rounds) holes with the Bushnell, and with the Garmin I get ~60 (3.5-4 rounds) holes.

 

Overall, I feel these two are obviously meant to compete with each other, and they just offer basic no frills info on yardage. I like that and I am not a believer in all of the additional information with most of the devices. I have used the Bushnell more often because I find that either device, for me, I cannot play while pocketed because the Bushnell is alittle too thick and the Garmin is impossibly too small. So if i am just going to clip it to a bag or leave in a car I wanted the more sturdy Bushnell. If you want alittle more bells and whistles look at the Garmin G6 which is $50 more and might be the best of both devices, especially if you just plan to clip it to your bag. You get the big numbers, touch screen with alot more options for layup and distance, better battery life, etc.

 

Excellent information. I was thinking about a G10 or Neo ghost just to clip it on my bag, but I didn't realize that you can clip the G6 to your bag too. Do you have to buy a separate clip/skin for the G6 for bag attachment?

 

The Garmin g6 comes with a separate belt clip that you can attach to the unit, but I bought a Garmin silicone carabineer clip case that works alittle bit better.

 

I picked up the G6 and I was looking for a decent silicone case and attachment system so I can clip it to my bag. Can I ask you what you bought and where? It seems like the European G6's comes with a carabiner clip, the North American models the belt clip so the silicone skins I see are like the Tuff Luv Silicone Cases doesn't quite work unless you have the Garmin carabiner attachment.

[hawk45]

I ordered a G10 Sunday.. got if for $85 online (Jet.com with 15% off code and free shipping) I wanted something small that would fit in my pocket (I hate stuff in my pockets and can't do a watch). I also wanted something with a green view, even if it's just an outline. I was going to grab a Neo but when I found the G10 for the same price, it was a no brainier. Fingers crossed it's a good compliment to my laser rangefinder for elevated greens and general yardage readings when the LRF can't be used. I'll post a report after a few rounds.

[North Butte]

Hawk,

 

I have a Neo Ghost which I use in conjunction with a laser rangefinder. On courses I'm familiar with (i.e. for 99% of my rounds) I am perfectly fine with just the laser. In fact on my home course I probably only laser 8-10 shot a rounds on average. But on a less familiar course having the Neo Ghost in my pocket is more convenient than either looking for marked sprinkler heads or pulling out the laser to get general "how far to the green" distances when I'm 180+ yards out and basically planning a layup or to play just short of the green.

 

There are occasionally circumstances where more detailed knowledge would be nice for an approach shot but it's not really possible to get a good reading on, say, a back-of-green distance with the laser. The Neo Ghost I don't really trust for its "front" and "back" fixed points. So I laser what I can, rely on memory or guessing for the rest and fortunately it just doesn't happen much on my usual courses.

 

I've had the Neo Ghost for several years (however long since they first came out) and mine is all beat to heck from rattling around with tees and divot tool in my pocket or in my golf bag. I keep thinking of picking up a G10 for just the reason you chose it. The only thing holding me back (other than being a cheapskate and my Neo Ghost still works fine) is I can't see the G10 numbers, much less the green outline, without my reading glasses. I can see fine to play golf or to read the huge center-of-green numbers on the Neo Ghost but the display on the G10 is tiny with a lot of information crammed on there.

 

Other than the glasses thing, the G10 is by a long, long ways the better choice between it and the Neo Ghost. The G20 is a whole 'nother type of gadget than either of those.

[hawk45]

NB,

Thanks for your feedback. If I could stand to wear a watch, much less when playing a sport, I'd have gone with one of the new Garmin watches (G20 or X40). I figure if I don't find myself using the G10 much I can gift it to my father. Can never do that enough, right?

[ctime]

I got a G10 for the purpose of getting yardages to the front/back of greens, measuring driver/shot distance (I hit it 340 like everyone else on here btw), and having the abilty to just put it in my pocket. I have never been able to wear a watch while playing and the Neo Ghost which I considered since it came out was simply to large. I've used a laser since I ditched my skycaddie a few years ago but I had always missed it for the first two reasons I listed above. The G10 does exactly what I want and works great. The only recommendation I have for people who are going to keep it in their pocket is to cut an old cell phone screen cover to fit so the tees, coins, or whatever else you keep in your pocket doesn't scratch up the screen over time.