iGOLF neo GPS Review

[warbirdlover]

I got this on sale at TGW for $131. I'll tell you what. For that money this is one of the best purchases I've made this year. Pa Jayhawk said he couldn't get his to work right without turning off the WAAS and stabilizer settings but I left mine on and it worked just fine. I took a reading (didn't flicker or change yardage), walked 20 yards away, and came back to the original spot and it gave me the same yardage. Someone also said in here that the SkyCaddie was more accurate because they have a guy with a unit on his back mapping all the courses. I personally doubt they do that very much and it's a sales gimmick but I found this "programmed" mapping to be very good. This also has a rechargeable battery vs. changing batteries after a round. I really like this and after playing 9 holes it has not gone down at all. It's just like charging a cell phone and IMHO much nicer then carrying a bunch of batteries around. You just watch the charge and make sure it's charged up for the day. It says it lasts for about 3 rounds before recharging. Based on what I've seen this sounds about right.

It's very simple to use, just load the software onto your computer, download the courses (after joining the igolf site for $30+) and save them on your computer. You just "synch" the unit and download up to 10 courses on it. You can also download the courses directly onto the unit but I prefer to make sure I saved them. Once you have downloaded them they are yours and there is no need to continue your membership. You get 100 courses for the years membership.

You manually have to change the unit to the next hole but no big deal. You can find the center, front or back distance. It also has a "shot" feature where you set it to 0 at the tee block and when you get to your ball you can read the distance of your tee shot.

My longest drive was 261 yards. Most were in the 230-245 range.

Now for the good part. I have been short or long hitting my irons to the green lately going off the course markings.

Today, using the neo, (when I hit the shot right) I was ON the pin. Over and over. This thing is going to seriously save me some strokes. And no 3 putts. It's alot easier putting when you get the ball close!!

I played a very easy course today, par 35, where most low cappers shoot in the low 30's. I shot 36, birdieing two holes which would probably equate to low 40's on the tougher courses we play.

I'm so happy....

Seriously, for this price you can NOT go wrong buying this GPS...

[bunkerbound]

i agree 100%

[Augster]

I also have the Neo. There is only ONE thing that I HATE about it and that is when you map your own points.

The Neo is GREAT about letting you map your own points on the course. Plus you can remap front/back/middle to make up for them just poking it from the satellite which is often off by a few yards or more.

So you map your custom points while you are on the course. You need to SAVE each one before you start "using" the GPS again. This is all fine and quite easy to do.

Now you get the thing home, plug it into the computer, and want to add some more courses. So, because the documentation is terrible, you hit "Sync" in the software THINKING that the items you have on your NEO will update to the computer. This is absolutely not the case. SYNCING WIPES EVERYTHING OFF YOUR GPS AND REINSTALLS THE PREVIOUS MAPS.

If you NEVER save a custom point, you have ZERO to worry about. If you do use custom points, I'll explain how to avoid losing all your hard work.

The workaround for this is quite clunky so stay with me.

What the "SYNC" button does, actually, is move all the files from the GREEN DESKTOP FOLDER to a Queue where you then select which courses you want to move to your NEO. If you've never done anything else, these are the courses that you originally downloaded, hence, no extra saved points.

Workaround.

When you plug the NEO in and start up the software, click the "SAVE" instead of the "SYNC" button. I created a folder inside the Green Neo folder that I call "Backup". Then I save all the courses FROM my Neo to the Backup folder.

I then go into the main GREEN folder, and delete every instance of the original map of the courses that I have created and saved custom points. (That are now waiting in my "Backup" folder)

I then go back into the Backup folder, highlight the courses and COPY them to the Green Igolf folder.

NOW when you ever hit Sync, those courses with the different saved data will overwrite the courses on your NEO. But since it is the same saved map, it is no big deal and you have your custom points.

I, of course, learned this the hard way. After spending 2+ hours mapping everything on my course. Pffffft. Gone.

The only other gripe I have is that some of the courses they have for download are totally incorrect. I had a tourney out of town two weeks ago and loaded the course I'd be playing. I know the course quite well, so I didn't "need" the yardages, but I was hoping to show of the Neo to my pals.

Not a single hole was correct. Not even close. Embarassing really. My pals SG4 worked flawlessly. I turned the NEO off after the 3rd hole came up totally erroneous.

At least the "Shot" function still worked.

Good review WBL. I just thought I'd post that workaround for anyone Googling how to back up your courses the correct way with the Igolf Neo.

[warbirdlover]

Thanks for that info!! I haven't mapped my own points yet so this will save me some frustration!

[golfclubsreviews]

Thanks for great neo GPS review warbirdlover!
Didn't try neo.
For that money I think you can't expect more.
But it's gadget you need to have.

Regards,
golf clubs reviews

[SplooGe]

Whoa nellie, snuck a link through. Sling must be sleeping on the job.

[JEFF4i]

I have one on the way. I BETTER NOT BE DISAPPOINTED WARBIRD!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by SplooGe

Whoa nellie, snuck a link through. Sling must be sleeping on the job.

Team effort Spooge old chap.

Did you triangle the offender? (I did, just in case...)

[Wi-Golfer]

Can't wait until spring so WBL & I can compare the iGolf against the Golflogix. Be interesting to see what differences if any there is.

[SplooGe]

If I make it out I'll bring a skycaddie and we can have a 3 way shootout. Sadly, that would probably be the only competition I could bring as my game is in the crapper.

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by SplooGe

If I make...out ... and we can have a 3 way ... that would probably ... my game

I see the truth between the lines!

[Wi-Golfer]

Originally Posted by JEFF4i

I see the truth between the lines!

I think I just threw up a little.

[SplooGe]

Don't be scared it'll only hurt for a minute. Besides Jeff is just hoping for the pictures.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Wi-Golfer

Can't wait until spring so WBL & I can compare the iGolf against the Golflogix. Be interesting to see what differences if any there is.

Make sure you bring a laser, so you can see how inaccurate they both are...

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by Wi-Golfer

I think I just threw up a little.

Originally Posted by SplooGe

Don't be scared it'll only hurt for a minute. Besides Jeff is just hoping for the pictures.

All the same.

And from my experience the SkyCaddie SG5 is pretty durn accurate, laser-confirmed.