Got a Garmin S3 for x-mas! Any tips or tricks for a gps newbie?

[SteveL1]

My lovely bride got tired of me whining about wanting a range finder and got me a Garmin S3 for Christmas. Yep, she's a keeper! I did a bunch of research last summer on gps watches but never ended up getting one so I'm a little new at this. I've read that the S3 has the ability to enter hazard points or other specific markers and wonder if there is a quick, easy way to do this on the fly? Going to Mesquite NV in two months and would love to enter as much info ahead of time as possible. Is there a way to get yardages off of Google maps or some other web site so I can plug them in?

 

Also, any tips on changing pin locations for a guy with fat fingers? :) Excited about giving this a try but the weather does not look good for the foreseeable future. Is it possible to play around from home in the meantime? Can you tell that I'm a little excited?

 

Thanks and Merry Christmas to all.

[Rickochet]

I do not have a S-3 but for what research I did seems like I remember that the hazards might have to set while at that particular point on the course. There might not be any premapping before you get to a course. That might be why I lost interest in the S-3. So you basically will have no hazard info on a new course.

I also have chubby fingers and have a Golf Guru 4 GPS with a movable pin. I use a wooden tee to move the pin.

I hope I am wrong about the S- 3 hazard mapping. Please keep us posted on how it goes. Maybe take it to a course close to your house and give it a test drive.

[ennead]

My wife got me one of these also. I have not used it yet, and just skimmed the manual. I'll check it out and let you know. It seemed like there was some sort of software you could get on your computer that you may be able to use to set custom points, but we'll see.

[ennead]

It appears that the distance to hazards and doglegs are pre-programmed - at least whatever Garmin decided to put in there. You can add up to 5 of your own per hole, but there are built in distances for each hole other than front/middle/back.

[ennead]

It appears that the distance to hazards and doglegs are pre-programmed - at least whatever Garmin decided to put in there. You can add up to 5 of your own per hole, but there are built in distances for each hole other than front/middle/back.