Sonocaddie v300

[Giantbear]

yes, another gps thread

I too am in the market for a gps unit and was looking for input on the Sonocaddie v300 from people who have used it. I have read the other threads here extolling the virtues of the golf guru, the golf logix and the sky caddie and am already considering them after reading the other threads. So, has anyone used the Sonocaddie?? Can anyone give me the pluses and minuses of the v300??

Thanks in advance!!

[lawrenceprop]

I purchased the V300 in June 2008 and have really enjoyed it. I had the previous version but this one is way better. The color screen is great and the durabiity is quite nice. the thing I liked about sonocaddie was the fact there was no renewals to pay each year. With a purchase at $400 I wanted to minimize my recurring costs. The GPS strength is superior to the predecessor and the software user interface if very user friendly. I have found that the courses have been spot on even though the courses are mapped via satelitte imagery. The ability to mark new hazards on the fly is awesome plus you can see the lay of the hole for courses you are not famiiar with.

 

Really like it.

[KevinD]

I bought my V300 on ebay this past spring and I can't be happier. I've used my brothers skycaddie quite a bit and I really prefer the sonocaddie. I've never had a problem getting enought satellites and a charge will last four to five rounds of golf. One of the courses I play was not in their system so I called and it was up in less than a week. I really love the add feature. If you have a dogleg and you need to know where the trouble is just add the spot where you would like to know the distance and the next time you play, there it is. My vote is thumbs up! :clapping:

[IllBeCNU]

Does the SonoCadie have any way of letting you move a crosshair to a specific spot on the hole or green and get actually distance to that point? I've been considering the V300 but I wasn't sure if I could get distances to a specific point.

 

Thanks

[titaniummd]

Does the SonoCadie have any way of letting you move a crosshair to a specific spot on the hole or green and get actually distance to that point? I've been considering the V300 but I wasn't sure if I could get distances to a specific point.

 

Thanks

 

The uPro is the only one that does that.

[IllBeCNU]

Does the SonoCadie have any way of letting you move a crosshair to a specific spot on the hole or green and get actually distance to that point? I've been considering the V300 but I wasn't sure if I could get distances to a specific point.

 

Thanks

 

The uPro is the only one that does that.

 

Well, the SkyCaddie SG3 does it and I assume the SG5 would too. But they don't give you the aerial view of the whole.

 

Thanks

[Viking Golfer]

I too am in the market for a gps unit and was looking for input on the Sonocaddie v300 from people who have used it. I have read the other threads here extolling the virtues of the golf guru, the golf logix and the sky caddie and am already considering them after reading the other threads. So, has anyone used the Sonocaddie?? Can anyone give me the pluses and minuses of the v300??

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

I had the older Sonocaddie XV2 monochrome screen and now have the Sonocaddie V300 colour screen model.

 

I also use a Callaway Nikon LR800 range finder - from within 200 yards for extra precision. I've tested the accuracy of the Sonocaddie several times on several courses, and let me tell you - it's always within 2-3 yards of the laser, and very often within 1 yard !

 

Nothing is more precise than a laser, but you get so much extra in a device like the Sonocaddie V300. I love my Callaway Nikon LR800, but also love my Sonocaddie V300 - best of both worlds.

 

The only thing the Sonocaddie v300 lacks is the intelli green of the Skycaddie devices where you can see the elevation of the green in small details - really not something my eyes can't see, when I'm on the green. And I'm not precise enough with my wedges to place the ball within 1 yard to use the intelligreen information.

 

Besides the lack of Intelligreen - the Sonocaddie V300 is a FANTASTIC GPS device. I have nothing but praise for this GPS unit :ok:

 

• Fantastic color screen - really outstanding!
  
• Great set of features built in - watch and date (it keeps track of the time automatically, you don't ever have to set the watch)
  
• Electronic scorecard - works brilliant
  
• Automatic next hole feature
  
• Really sturdy built unit - nice solid rubber base around the unit makes it extremely comfortable and secure to hold in your hands!
  
• Battery is rechargeable and will last 15-20 hours
  
• Comes with a net adapter, so you can charge it without connecting it to your computer
  
• Can hold up to 30 courses in the unit - enough for me :)
  
• Free membership - I paid $30 for an eagle membership, which gives you eternal rights to downloading of courses and keeping your own database on their server
  
• Joystick and buttons are very comfortable and has precise response, when you activate them
  
• Very easy to edit an already mapped golf course and create a new mapping. I've mapped my own home course with it, and it's very straight forward
  
• GPS Satellite signal strength is far superior in this unit to any other unit, I've seen or tested. Better than the old model. The V300 finds 5 satellites in my kitchen - the old model and my cellular GPS finds only 3. Out on the course, it often finds 10, 11 or even 12 satellites :ok:
  

 

Only downsides are:

 

• Lacks Intelligreen feature
  
• Could have a built in alarm, which is handy when your tee time is up and you're still standing on the range
  
• Could actually make sure you birdied every hole :D
  

 

I'll give the Sonocaddie V300 9½ / 10 - very hard to improve anything in this unit :ok:

 

And for the record - I don't work for Sonocaddie, they just made an excellent product, which deserves praise and recognition :yes:

[IllBeCNU]

Nice post, thanks for all the details for those of us on the outside looking in.

 

So exactly what yardages do you get with the SonoCaddie V300? Is it distances to specific points along the hole that are pre-defined? And around the green you get what, front, middle and back measurements?

 

Also can you edit/add points on the course while in play mode? So if I'm playing a round and I want to mark and add a new point, can I do that easily?

 

And lastly, in looking at the course listings, not all courses show they have color layouts, sometimes only having scorecard and GPS information. So when you don't have the color layouts but only have GPS functionality, what do you really get? Just point to green values or does it also give you distances to the hazards and bunkers and such.

[TheGasman]

The uPro is the only one that does that.

 

Do you know if the U Pro keeps score? It doesnt say it on the site, so im assuming it doesnt.

[KevinD]

The program has most of the specific points built in but all can be changed or deleted. The green yardages include the greenside bunkers and front, middle and back green yardages from the angle that you are standing. Everything can be edited, changed or deleted and you can mark what ever point you wish. I have even marked the bar in the clubhouse at my home course just for kicks. For example, I played a course sunday I hadn't play in a few years. I went into a dogleg right. I marked the trouble stright out and the water hazard in front of the green both front and back. You must to be standing on the point you wish to mark. It's very easy to do and only take a few seconds. That didn't help me yesterday but the next time I play it those distances will be there. I too didn't find a few courses I play either in the system. Sonocaddie V300 is rather new and they are still mapping courses daily. I called the company and ask for a specific course to be mapped and it was in the system in less then a week. You will also find more courses than those that are listed on the website in the weblinked program after you have bought it.

Good luck,

Kevin :hi:

[milfordj]

I dispute two of the above posts. (1.) "Automatic next hole feature" The V-300 does NOT AUTOMATICALLY advance to the next hole; you have to mash the Forward Toggle Button to go to the next hole (2.)"The green yardages include the greenside bunkers and front, middle and back green yardages from the angle that you are standing." The color display SHOWS the greenside bunkers, but does NOT show the yardage to those greenside bunkers; front, middle and back green yardages and NOT measured from the angle that you are standing (like the Guru). Those points are mapped to a specific spot and would ONLY be measured from the angle you are standing IF you happened to be standing IN LINE between the previously mapped Front and Back "SPOT" on the green. I appologize if I happen to have misinterpreted the above comments, OR if the V-300 has changed since I purchased mine.

[IllBeCNU]

It would seem an odd engineering design for a GPS to show "fixed" yardages from some obscure point in the fairway when you approach the green. Surely the display would have the yardage to front/middle/back from where you are currently standing holding the gps...right? I just can see why you would do everything else that way except the green. Seems odd but maybe I'm mis-interpreting the previous post.

[Viking Golfer]

I dispute two of the above posts. (1.) "Automatic next hole feature" The V-300 does NOT AUTOMATICALLY advance to the next hole; you have to mash the Forward Toggle Button to go to the next hole (2.)"The green yardages include the greenside bunkers and front, middle and back green yardages from the angle that you are standing." The color display SHOWS the greenside bunkers, but does NOT show the yardage to those greenside bunkers; front, middle and back green yardages and NOT measured from the angle that you are standing (like the Guru). Those points are mapped to a specific spot and would ONLY be measured from the angle you are standing IF you happened to be standing IN LINE between the previously mapped Front and Back "SPOT" on the green. I appologize if I happen to have misinterpreted the above comments, OR if the V-300 has changed since I purchased mine.

 

That's funny, because my V300 has "Auto advance to next hole" feature. Maybe I have a newer firmware than yours :wacko: :blink: - or maybe it has to do with the fact, that I always use the built in electronic scorecard, and when I have entered my score for one hole, I go to the next score/hole in the electronic scorecard AND then I go from the Electronic Scorecard and directly into the GPS function (it only takes the press of one button to go from the V300 Electronic Scorecard and to the V300 GPS Function and back again, a lot of people don't know this and that's a shame for them). When you do it that way, it will automatically advance you to the next hole without any further do.

 

But I also think the "Auto advance to next hole" feature works without using the built in electronic scorecard - I'll have to check up on that. Won't play outdoor for the next 5-6 weeks though - too cold right now to play - temperature is only 40°-45° F :black eye:

 

What's your firmware version ?

[Giantbear]

now this is what i was looking for, thanks guys, this is really helpfull. I am between the v300 and the u-pro. I have been known to miss the fairway by a little and the feature which lets you see the distance to a point is real nice. On the other hand, it's a lot of money

[milfordj]

Club Ho Uno, Mine is Version 2.3, 2008. I do NOT use Scorecard Feature, so that probably DOES explain the reason mine does not automatically advance to next hole. Since you are inputting info (score), you are hitting a link on the unit, which would be the same as me having to hit the forward toggle to go to next hole(s).

 

To the other poster who did not understand how the unit correctly measures distance from outside the fairway, but NOT to the green, the following is MY Understanding of how this GPS functions (and I do NOT understand how the units with "intelligreen" or "greensense" are able to vary the angle of approach to green): The GPS measures FROM whereever the individual is standing (located), and TO a Designated or Specified TARGET. This Target is determined through Mapping and is to a specific Point on the Front and Back of Green plus midway between those two points for Middle / Center of Green. If you are 30 yds to the right of the green and 10 yds short of the green (based on a line perpendicular to the Center of Fairway line), your measurement will be Longer to the Front of the green (which is now more to your Left) than to the "Front" of the green -- Nearest point on green located on a line between your present location and the Middle or Center of the green (the reading you would get from an "intelligreen" or "greensense" unit). Your yardage could even be Closer to the Middle / Center of the Green than to the Front of the green. At least This is the way that I understand it. I know that I have tried to "Check" my units Accuracy to Front and Back of green by Standing on a "Spot" that I felt constituted the Front and Back of green, and taking a reading with my V-300 to see if it would indicate 0 yds. If I had selected a "Spot" 5 or 6 yds left or right of the "Mapped" Spot, it would show a 5 or 6 yd Distance to Front or Back rather than 0. I would walk right or left of where I had just stood, to locate the actual "Spot" that my unit was reading to. If I wanted to change to the Spot where I had previously stood, it was Easy to Edit my V-300 to incorporate this "NEW" Front and/or Back of green location that my unit would measure to in the future. Sorry for the LENGTHY diatribe. Any Different Viewpoints, Please Advise.

[IllBeCNU]

Milford, so you're saying that if I'm near the green, the V300 will give me a distance TO THE VERY FRONT of the green, NOT the closest point of green that is in front of me. Ok, so the yardages are right, I just have to understand where they are measured to. Whereas with SkyCaddie and other's "intelligreen", they rotate the green and give me yardages to those based on where I am around the green.

 

Ok, if that's the way it works, then I don't want it. This game is hard enough without having to do work and figure out how I have to transpose the number I see on the screen. To me that's the whole reason for having one of these devices is to not have to think and guess about the distance.

 

So thanks for the inputs, it's helped me eliminate one from the list.

Scott

[Viking Golfer]

Regarding the way the V300 measures distances to the front and back of green - I don't know precisely how the unit works - I guess only the engineers, who made the V300 really knows this - and hopefully the guys at Sonocaddie also ;)

 

But the way I understand it, the Sonocaddie V300 always measure from the midfront, midback and center to the green - giving the accuracy of normal golf GPS units, the Intelligreen feature to me seems a bit pointless, if the accuracy is only 2-3 yards and at best 1 yard compared to a laser range finder.

 

So can anyone please tell me the point of the Intelligreen feature, when the accuracy among golf GPS units at best is 1-2-3 yards. This won't give you the proper effect of the Intelligreen feature, if the accuracy isn't better than that - and won't compare to a laser range finder at all :huh:

 

I do my own mapping on all the regular courses, I play - so I know pretty precisely where the front and back and center of green is on all the courses. If I play a course, that I have't mapped myself - I can pretty much figure out, where the front, back and center measurements on the green is - and so far it has worked very well.

 

There's a reason why I always use my Laser Rangefinder from within 150 yards - the GPS does not give me precise enough yardage, no matter if the GPS unit has Intelligreen feature or not - my Callaway Nikon LR800 gives me the precise yardage - almost down to an inch :ok:

 

Don't expect ANY golf GPS - currently on the market - to give you yardages down to ½ a yard or 10" of precision - only a laser range finder will give you that precise measurements.

[phil75070]

Typical greens at my course are anywhere form 32 to 40 yards deep with most in the 35-37 yard range. However, that is from the front most point and to the farthest point. For an odd shaped green or one that is kidney shaped, say, but runs on an angle, e.g. from SW to NE as you face it, having fixed FCB yardages is not very helpful. The device that use Intelligreen or Smart Green technology, the entire perimeter of the green is mapped. I don't know how many points SkyGolf uses, but it can be up to 150 per green with the Golf Guru. Those up to 150 coordinates are displayed graphically as the outline, the actual shape of the green. By moving a pointer around you are telling the device which points, which coordinates to provide a distance to. Typical accuracy is more than sufficient.

 

I find it interesting that many people, including yourself, attribute greater accuracy to laser's than their own manufacturers do. With the exception of a flagstick or some other vertical, laser-reflective object like a stake, tree or person, you have to assume for anything flat that you are trying to measure to that you are hitting the right spot, if you even try. For example, how do you get a reading to the front of an elevated green, much less the back? I assume you pick out the highest piece of land near the front and guess from there? I know you can get the distance to the pin, but is it closer to the front or the back? How much room is in front or behind the pin?

 

I have tried to use a laser at the range to get a distance a shot with a certain club might carry. I might get a reading, but the slightest, and I mean slightest movement up or down of the laser gives me different readings far outside the +/- accuracy of a GPS. Obviously, you can't measure any shot on the range with a GPS; you have to "mark" and walk to a spot and "mark" again. I just use that as an example of the problems trying to get a reading on any flat surface with a laser.

 

Obviously, I favor a GPS but have nothing really against lasers. If one is a "flag hunter" and that is your style of game then they are a perfect fit. I just think for someone who prefers more of a course management style of golf that a GPS may be better suited.

[IllBeCNU]

I have a friend that uses laser range finders and he too talks about how he relies only on that for the inside X yardage distances...but I've seen him use it and he basically has to hold it and prop it on something like his bag or push cart in order to keep it still enough to get a reading. Now that's just his process and he does it every time...though now he's added the Golf Guru because he can't see the ball from further out.

 

I used to have one but got way to frustrated with how I kept getting different yardages when I pointed to what I thought was the same point over and over. It was just my inability to get and hold the exact position all the time, but when I'm seeing 10-20 yards different because it's hitting something behind the green that I wasn't expecting it to read, I'll take take limitations of the GPS. I'm not saying they don't work, but it was harder for me to trust the values I got.

[Viking Golfer]

Typical greens at my course are anywhere form 32 to 40 yards deep with most in the 35-37 yard range. However, that is from the front most point and to the farthest point. For an odd shaped green or one that is kidney shaped, say, but runs on an angle, e.g. from SW to NE as you face it, having fixed FCB yardages is not very helpful. The device that use Intelligreen or Smart Green technology, the entire perimeter of the green is mapped. I don't know how many points SkyGolf uses, but it can be up to 150 per green with the Golf Guru. Those up to 150 coordinates are displayed graphically as the outline, the actual shape of the green. By moving a pointer around you are telling the device which points, which coordinates to provide a distance to. Typical accuracy is more than sufficient.

 

I find it interesting that many people, including yourself, attribute greater accuracy to laser's than their own manufacturers do. With the exception of a flagstick or some other vertical, laser-reflective object like a stake, tree or person, you have to assume for anything flat that you are trying to measure to that you are hitting the right spot, if you even try. For example, how do you get a reading to the front of an elevated green, much less the back? I assume you pick out the highest piece of land near the front and guess from there? I know you can get the distance to the pin, but is it closer to the front or the back? How much room is in front or behind the pin?

 

I have tried to use a laser at the range to get a distance a shot with a certain club might carry. I might get a reading, but the slightest, and I mean slightest movement up or down of the laser gives me different readings far outside the +/- accuracy of a GPS. Obviously, you can't measure any shot on the range with a GPS; you have to "mark" and walk to a spot and "mark" again. I just use that as an example of the problems trying to get a reading on any flat surface with a laser.

 

Obviously, I favor a GPS but have nothing really against lasers. If one is a "flag hunter" and that is your style of game then they are a perfect fit. I just think for someone who prefers more of a course management style of golf that a GPS may be better suited.

 

I see your points - I always aim my laser at the pin - unless I know I will be in trouble because of a very tight pin location.

I only play 5-6 courses - and know them very well. So I know how the greens slope and where NOT TO place the ball and so on.

 

Knowing where the front and back of the green is, when I'm 150 yards or further away, is more than sufficient information for me. When inside 150 yards, I almost always pick my Laser Range finder and aim at the flag or a bunker or small hill near it. This will provide me with more than enough information, so I can concentrate on hitting my shot with full confidence.

 

As I mentioned, the Sonocaddie V300 is not perfect, but in my view very close. Intelligreen or Smartgreen feature would make the V300 unbeatable as a GPS unit.

Skycaddie has other limitations - expensive membership, lack of electronic scorecard, can only hold up to 10 courses in the unit and it has an outside thick antenna and is 1" longer than the Sonocaddie.

[Viking Golfer]

I have a friend that uses laser range finders and he too talks about how he relies only on that for the inside X yardage distances...but I've seen him use it and he basically has to hold it and prop it on something like his bag or push cart in order to keep it still enough to get a reading. Now that's just his process and he does it every time...though now he's added the Golf Guru because he can't see the ball from further out.

 

I used to have one but got way to frustrated with how I kept getting different yardages when I pointed to what I thought was the same point over and over. It was just my inability to get and hold the exact position all the time, but when I'm seeing 10-20 yards different because it's hitting something behind the green that I wasn't expecting it to read, I'll take take limitations of the GPS. I'm not saying they don't work, but it was harder for me to trust the values I got.

 

Maybe I have a set of steady hands or a Laser Range finder with better Pinseeker technology/First Target Priority mode than the one you had - don't know, but I get very constant readings with mine. I very seldom have to read more than twice, just to make sure I get the correct reading the first time :)

 

But if I prefer to use the GPS that day, I still think the Sonocaddie GPS gives me plenty of information. I agree that Intelligreen or Smartgreen would be nice to have, but I just don't like the outside antenna and lack of electronic Scorecard in the Skycadiide SG5 device - and I don't miss the Intelligreen feature, because the Laser 9/10 times gives me very usefull and precise yardage to the pin from inside 150 yards. Only the top models from Leopold, Callaway Nikon and Bushnell are usefull as golf laser range finders in my view. The cheaper models are slow at finding the pin and - as you say - gives improper and different readings to the flag.

 

I have had both the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Tournament edt. and now the Callaway Nikon LR800 - and both were great in my view, just fancy the smaller size of the Callaway Nikon LR800 much more than the big bulky Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Tournament edition - but both were excellent at reading distances fast and accurate and providing me with the same readings to the pin :yes:

[phil75070]

But if I prefer to use the GPS that day, I still think the Sonocaddie GPS gives me plenty of information.

 

Wanting to get away from expensive replacement batteries and high annual fees, and looking for the ability to add some of my own targets, the Sonocaddie V300 was one I took a long look at. The only two things I could see as negatives were the limited number of courses that I play with the hole layouts available (which negated one of their cooler features) and the lack of an Intelligreen-type function.; having used a SKyGolf SG2 for 4-5 years I found that invaluable at times and would not use a GPS without that feature - that's a personal prejudice :) . Thus my decision to get the Golf Guru. However, that takes nothing away from the Sonocaddie V300 if your courses are fully mapped to include the layout and you don't need an Intelligreen-type feature. I think it is a very nice device.

[pjccjp]

I've been reading a lot on these (Golf Guru and Sonocaddie) - much of it here and it has been invaluable to read about the experiences everyone has had. Thank you. I think though (laughing at myself) I may be "over educated" now, which always leads to confusion :russian_roulette: . I have an SG5, so I obviously get the Intelligreen feature. What I am still foggy on is how GG and Sonocaddie deal with FMB distances at angles. Anyone who could paint a picture of this for me for both units would have my thanks.

[phil75070]

. What I am still foggy on is how GG and Sonocaddie deal with FMB distances at angles. Anyone who could paint a picture of this for me for both units would have my thanks.

 

The SG5 is a great choice! I can't speak definitively about the Sonocaddie but from reading here I understand them to provide distances to "fixed" points identified as front, center and back of the green. I think you do see the actual outline of the green? Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

With the Golf Guru, you see. just like with Intelligreen, the actual outline of the green. The only difference in how the two work is that the green image rotates with the SkyGolf product relative to your position (from what I have learned they have that patented, BTW) while with the Golf Guru the outline of the green, its orientation is fixed and the points through the center of the green rotate relative to your position. Both units have a joystick like function to estimate the pin position and/or to move the front and back points on the green to wherever along the outline you want a yardage.

[pjccjp]

. What I am still foggy on is how GG and Sonocaddie deal with FMB distances at angles. Anyone who could paint a picture of this for me for both units would have my thanks.

 

The SG5 is a great choice! I can't speak definitively about the Sonocaddie but from reading here I understand them to provide distances to "fixed" points identified as front, center and back of the green. I think you do see the actual outline of the green? Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

With the Golf Guru, you see. just like with Intelligreen, the actual outline of the green. The only difference in how the two work is that the green image rotates with the SkyGolf product relative to your position (from what I have learned they have that patented, BTW) while with the Golf Guru the outline of the green, its orientation is fixed and the points through the center of the green rotate relative to your position. Both units have a joystick like function to estimate the pin position and/or to move the front and back points on the green to wherever along the outline you want a yardage.

 

 

Many thanks

[Viking Golfer]

I have two big problems with the GolfGuru Color GPS and they are that it looks like a cheaply made Taiwanese piece of cheap plastic junk device and the buttons are placed upside down - other than that, I definitely probably most likely could live with it :D

 

I have two big problems with the Skycaddie SG5 GPS and they are that it has an outside antenna and is too bulky and it has no electronic scorecard - other than that, it's probably a great GPS golf device :D

 

I have one big problem with the Sonocaddie V300 GPS and it is, that it lacks the Intelligreen feature - other than that it's almost perfect and flawless :ok:

 

Since I already use the Laser around the green from 150 yards and in, I really have no use for the Intelligreen feature. Since I love the electronic Scorecard feature and the overall size, shape and form of the V300, of course I bought the Sonocaddie V300

 

I preferably use my V300 for keeping my score, watching a color screen view of the hole and golf course layout and for dogleg holes and finally also for my longer shots, so I know where the traps and OB's are !

 

I understand that guys who don't use both a GPS and a laser have other demands and needs in a GPS, than I do - so I'll let this be my final words in this awesome GPS thread !!

 

I really hope all you guys find the Golf GPS device you need - I wish you all good luck in your search !

 

I'm sure both the Sonocaddie V300, Skycaddie SG5, GolfGure Color GPS, Sureshot GPS and other devices all are great choices - just not for everyone out there. So the best thing is to read threads like this one and be wiser, and then decide what's best for YOU :)

[KevinD]

Giantbear,

The end result is the Sonocaddie or the Upro are great and I'm sure you will be more than happy with either one. You will find slight differences between the two with pros and cons of each. Just get the one that you think looks cooler.

[Giantbear]

Thanks Kev. For me, since i am going to be playing a lot of unfamiliar courses, seeing the shape of the hole is necessary so it's really down to the sonocaddie and upro. I'm a 14 index, so i aim mostly at the middle third of the green no matter what. There was a new one i saw on this site that looked like an itouch with all the features i want, but it is not out yet and i don't like brand new technologies.

 

Thanks all for the input though.

 

Anyone have any word on whether any of these manufacturers are releasing new models with newer or improved features next year??

[phil75070]

I have two big problems with the GolfGuru Color GPS and they are that it looks like a cheaply made Taiwanese piece of cheap plastic junk device and the buttons are placed upside down - other than that, I definitely probably most likely could live with it :D

 

At first, the buttons at the top took getting used to. Now, I don;t even think about it or even take notice of it.The advantage that was actually mentioned to me by a friend of mine who kept dropping his SG2 to the point that it stopped working, is that the Golf Guru felt "more secure" in his hand as with the buttons at the top he found himself holding it more in the palm of the hand than up in the fingers.

 

As far as looking like a "Taiwanese piece of cheap plastic junk device", you are certainly entitled to your opinion and depending on what you want or expect that may appear to be true. However, one of the goals, one of the features they have emphasized starting with the grayscale unit, was to try to provide a full featured, light weight device that could comfortably be carried around in one's pocket. Oh, and BTW, it is designed, made (or at least assembled), sold and supported here in the U.S. As far as where all the components come from, perhaps some do come from Taiwan. :)

[Viking Golfer]

I have two big problems with the GolfGuru Color GPS and they are that it looks like a cheaply made Taiwanese piece of cheap plastic junk device and the buttons are placed upside down - other than that, I definitely probably most likely could live with it :D

 

At first, the buttons at the top took getting used to. Now, I don;t even think about it or even take notice of it.The advantage that was actually mentioned to me by a friend of mine who kept dropping his SG2 to the point that it stopped working, is that the Golf Guru felt "more secure" in his hand as with the buttons at the top he found himself holding it more in the palm of the hand than up in the fingers.

 

As far as looking like a "Taiwanese piece of cheap plastic junk device", you are certainly entitled to your opinion and depending on what you want or expect that may appear to be true. However, one of the goals, one of the features they have emphasized starting with the grayscale unit, was to try to provide a full featured, light weight device that could comfortably be carried around in one's pocket. Oh, and BTW, it is designed, made (or at least assembled), sold and supported here in the U.S. As far as where all the components come from, perhaps some do come from Taiwan. :)

 

Sorry, wasn't trying to bash the Golf Guru color GPS - just think the one I saw looked really cheaply made in dark grey black plastic.

Didn't know the buttons were placed 'upside down' to prevent one from dropping it - but now that you mention it, I can understand the reason why.

If the Sonocaddie V300 didn't have the nice soft thick outside rubber band like material, I definitely would have dropped it several times.

 

Must say, that from all the GPS devices I've tried and held in my hands, the V300 seems like the best made of them all. Very solid build quality and very nice firm grip around it, because of the thick soft rubber material, that surrounds the device completely.