OnPar vs uPro vs Golf Guru vs SonoCaddie

[Zlim]

vs others w/o annual fee

You know how it goes but this time onPar is included and let's not bring Sky Caddie into this

I want one but but which?

or at least which you you et/reccommend? and what do I need to know about the legal-ness of these things

Don't say "oh another one of these" or read this link" trust I did research but those are old...and have you read the whole 18 page Golf guru thread? I have...

[Pinehurst1999]

I went through a similar search last summer and ended up with a sonocaddie and love it. It is relatively easy to download and hold 20 courses at a time (XV2). It can be a little off on some locations, but I love it for every day use at courses I play on a regular basis becuase it is so QUICK AND EASY to customize points of your choosing.

[phil75070]

Those that show the hole layout are kinda neat (uPro, Sonocaddie, OnPAr, the upcoming Garmin Approach G5) but I play the same course 95% of the time so I don't need to see it on the GPS, and even on different courses the hole layout can be found elsewhere such as on scorecards usually. Granted, I guess you can measure the distance between two points on them but I am really curious how precise those distances can be given the size of the graphic and given that one is typically looking for accuracy of +/- 2yards or so. I really like the Smart Green functionality of the Golf Guru and the self mapping ability to add targets, hide needless ones or redo them. It is the only unit I know of where you can remap the outline of the green for use with the Smart Green functionality and trumps the hole layout feature for me. Add to that no annual fees and one of themore reasonably priced units for the functionality and my choice is Golf Guru.

[PlaneMaker]

I voted for Guru because I have one. My sole reason for picking the Guru is that it lets me map my courses (including the green) or edit existing courses at a total cost of $199 (refurbished).

 

Simply put this is best deal out there.

[Zlim]

how is your refurbished Guru? i know they are the "upgraded" for color orphans and a new casing is put on but can you tell it was used?

[Zlim]

oh and is the color really worth it? or can I still get by with the grayscale since I dont want to spend too much.

[Viking Golfer]

Sonocaddie V300 rockZzzz :D

[PlaneMaker]

how is your refurbished Guru? i know they are the "upgraded" for color orphans and a new casing is put on but can you tell it was used?

 

The refurb unit looks new. There were no scatches on the screen or wear on the control buttons. The joystick acts new.

 

As far as the inside is concerned only time will tell. But, the unit carries the same warranty as a new one.

 

 

I can see no reason whatsoever to purchase a color unit over the grayscale. Unless of course money is not an issue. As for me my golf I like to save a buck now and then.

[Captain Nimrod]

uPro all the way. Great features, free-to-cheap course downloads, software updates coming now that Callaway owns it. Very easy to use. In my experience, quite accurate.

[jugghead23]

looks like golfsmith now has the onpar on sale for $479

either way, I'm a uPro guy..small, sleek and packed with features. The equivalent to intelligreen is what sold me on the upro over the sonocaddie v300

 

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/products/29988...ll-_-ps-_-0-_-2

[mul1gan]

that par5 looks nasty... even the layups looks tough. :)

[lopaca]

I went with Upro after what I thought was a lot of research as well. I like the fact that I can get either the basic or the pro version of different courses. I get the basic on courses that I know well and am familiar with the layout of the course. During team play I get the pro versions of clubs we will be playing as it is rare for me to play those courses on a regular basis, so the additional detail is great to have. I really like the option of being able to see the flyover on unfamiliar holes. I have to admit that it has saved me quite a few strokes.

 

International Discount golf here in Pasadena, CA has them for (I think) $389 or $369 - can't recall exactly, but they were the cheapest in the area.

 

The feedback re the Sky Caddie customer service was a real negative for me. They will probably get bought out by some big company like Upro was by Callaway and then the customer service may improve.

 

Good luck with your search. They are all pretty cool.

[Zlim]

Are the uPro's (09) more expensive now that cally took them in? oh and how to the Guru and the uPro compare in size...seems to be a race between the two

[mul1gan]

I cant recall which gps unit has the green undulations and slopes with arrows? Was that the sg5?

[milfordj]

looks like golfsmith now has the onpar on sale for $479

either way, I'm a uPro guy..small, sleek and packed with features. The equivalent to intelligreen is what sold me on the upro over the sonocaddie v300

 

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/products/29988...ll-_-ps-_-0-_-2

 

Strange that OnPar is already being sold when their website still does not indicate which, if any, courses are available on it.

[rlheiman]

Anyone know if OnPar GPS is USGA conforming for tournaments?

 

I have searched, emailed and asked with no answer. Anyone here in the know?

[BirdieBob]

looks like golfsmith now has the onpar on sale for $479

either way, I'm a uPro guy..small, sleek and packed with features. The equivalent to intelligreen is what sold me on the upro over the sonocaddie v300

 

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/products/29988...ll-_-ps-_-0-_-2

 

Strange that OnPar is already being sold when their website still does not indicate which, if any, courses are available on it.

 

Maybe when it is available in 3 weeks they will finally have the courses listed.

 

"Availability:

Shipping on 27-FEB-2009"

[pflogger]

Anyone know if OnPar GPS is USGA conforming for tournaments?

 

I have searched, emailed and asked with no answer. Anyone here in the know?

 

Being that their website images show the screen with a "Try 8i 148 yds avg" the answer would be no. Club suggestion is NOT allowed by USGA rules for distance measuring devices, even if they give you the ability to turn off that feature.

[Zlim]

Which ones are legal for tournaments anyways? plan on using this on some local comps if I can

[Zlim]

WHOA just came across this from sonocaddie...its the sonocaddie v100 any one have any experience with these?

[mul1gan]

I dont get it, how come a caddie can suggest a club and distance but the gps unit cant?

Also, how is tracking my stats on the gps unit any different then tracking it on my scorecard/

[phil75070]

I dont get it, how come a caddie can suggest a club and distance but the gps unit cant?

Also, how is tracking my stats on the gps unit any different then tracking it on my scorecard/

 

A caddy and a player have a unique relationship under the Rules of Golf. No one else, friend, parent, teacher, can offer advice. A GPS is an artificial device and a GPS and a rangefinder are only allowed by specific local rule and may not give anything else except distance, no club advice, no slope, no wind measurement, etc. Tracking stats on a GPS is NOT illegal.

[Zlim]

so you can use the gps for distances only (if the local rules even allow gps?)

[mul1gan]

So you are saying I am within my rights to use the the gps to jot down yardages and club selection used during a shot/round and reference that cheat sheet later on in the round if I needed to???

 

I understand the rules, but I was just curious as to why a PDA, Cell phone, laptop are all illegal but jotting down club selection, slopes of the green and elevation changes on a notebook whith a pen is allowed.

[Soxx22]

I don't quite understand why i it would be illegal to get club selections from a gps. If i'm playing someone who needs to be told what club to hit from 148 yds - i'm pretty sure he's not going to beat me. I doubt there are many people on this site who don't know what club to hit from any distance.

[phil75070]

I don't quite understand why i it would be illegal ........

 

That can be said about a lot of the Rules in golf. :D

[Spyderman55]

I looked at quite a few of these GPS's, and went with the Color Golf Guru (and yes, I did read all 18 pages on the Guru). I was intrigued by the uPro, but at the time the course selection was not so great and I guess I wasn't too thrilled with paying for the Pro versions of the courses. That's one of the reasons I went with the Guru - no subscription fees and free course downloads! Another reason I went with the Guru is that my friend had one, and the GPS receiver seemed very sensitive and would acquire quite a few satellites. I have used my Guru at home and have actually got all 4 signal strength bars (WAAS) and 11 satellites IN MY BEDROOM! I also like the fact I can map the entire green to use with the Smart Green feature, and edit the pre-mapped courses to add new landmarks. The Guru has worked quite well on the course, and it is very easy to use. Another plus for the Guru is it's small size.

 

The screen is backlit and is very easy to read in all lighting conditions. The only downside with the backlight is that when you pull the Guru out of the case to read, the screen is dark and you need to move the joystick or press a button to turn the backlight on again (it has an adjustable turn-off delay). In my experience on the course, it becomes automatic to pull the thing out an just move the joystick, so this isn't really a problem for me. In my opinion, the screen of the color unit is MUCH easier to read the the B/W one. My friend had a B/W guru, but after seeing how easy it was to read my color screen, he got "screen envy" and decided to trade in his B/W Guru for the color one. I am quite happy with my Color Guru, but everyone has different wants and needs so it may not be right for everyone.

 

I must admit that I am a bit fascinated by the OnPar and the touch screen, but I don't know much about that unit yet. If I were currently in the market, I would definitely look into the OnPar...

[Zlim]

Hey spyderman, how is the battery life of the GG color? is it really 14+ with good use or 14 hours just sitting there. electronic companies tend to give you the maximum possible (power saver, standby mode, low power) numbers. I'm really liking the GG and want to go color and just wondering the Bat life

[samuraisjl]

I have the GG color and the battery life is great. I have played 36 holes with at least 5 days in between and the battery indicator after the 36th hole was down only one bar. I also played 18 forgot to turn off and turned back on a few days later to play and it was down only 2 bars. After the 18 it was still only down 2 bars. No issues with battery life...

[phil75070]

I can get three rounds in on a single charge. Typically, however, I will charge it up before my weekend play (18 on both dyas).