Bushnell Neo X GPS Wristwatch.

[RoverRick]

Bushnell Neo X GPS Wristwatch: Handy as a pocket on a shirt.

 

Having a golf GPS Device on your wrist? Man, that has to be as handy as a pocket on a shirt. I had to have one. However, if you put anything in your shirt pocket, it will probably fall out when you bend over to get your ball out of the hole and stuff will probably fly out if you make an aggressive swing.

 

Ok, the SkyCaddie was 5 years old and had really done an excellent job, but the annual renewal was up and the battery was failing and the buttons barely worked and it was held together with rubber bands and time to replace it. I debated a year almost, and I could wait that long because the SkyCaddie simply refused to die. (It still works a month and a half after the subscription expired.)

 

I loved the idea of the GPS that show the complete hole. There are a number of apps out there that show this and I love them when playing courses I have never played before or looking over a new course before I go play it. However, I play a new course, maybe, six to ten times a year. Heck, last year I played one new course. The rest I was familiar with. I did, however, play the same course nearly every day. So 95% of the time all I really care about is distance to the green. (front, center, and back) Plus, we all know the disadvantages of using a smart phone app as a GPS device. So, I wanted the one that was as handy as a pocket on a shirt.

 

Bushnell has long been a leader in the Optical Range Finders but this is not their first rodeo in the GPS side of the business. They have the Golf Buddy, and as far as wrist watch GPS they have the Neo, Neo + and now (available May 13^th) the Neo X. Once I decided to get a GPS wrist watch, I decided since the price for a brand new design not released until last week was only $199 I could not help but wait on the new one. I bought it on line and received it May 14^th and paid no freight or tax on it. I have since been contacted twice by this company asking if I was satisfied with the watch and the service and I received a $25 gift certificate from them, gadgetsforgolf.com. I probably will lose it long before I will use it so it was a safe bet for them.

According to Bushnell:

SmartRound Score Improving Features:

 

• Auto Hole Advance
• Auto Course Recognition
• Preloaded Hazards
• Shot Distance Calculator
• Round Odometer

Additional Features:

 

• Thin, lightweight with simple to use operation
• Stopwatch, Timer, Odometer
• Long Battery Life - over 3 rounds between charges
• Tee Time Start & Auto GPS Off
• Posi-Lock Clip for easy charge or course updates
• Legal for tournament play

Simplicity and Functionality:

 

I have to say that this is one of the simplest thing to use I have ever tried. It has five buttons, two left and three right. On the right side are up, select, and down. On the left side are Golf and Menu.

 

I simply got out of the car and pushed the golf button and the select button. Unlocked my cart shed and backed my cart out, and looked down and it asked me if I was at that particular course. I pushed select again and it told me I was 201 yards from the first green that very second. It did not tell me I was on the wrong side of the driving range but if I cannot figure that out I should not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle. But the acquisition time was fast. Of course I am comparing it to the 5 year old Sky Caddie that would often take 7 to 10 minutes. I have played the first hole more often than not without the use of the Sky Caddie.

 

Basically, if you want to know your distance from the green you look at the watch. Pretty simple.

 

Ok, our course is undergoing construction and Friday they are bulldozing the tee boxes on the second hole. If you are wondering, it is 230 yard to make the dogleg from the whites, and 240 from the blues and then another 150 yards to the green. Once the new boxes are opened up, it will be like 200 from the white and 250 from the blue. This will make both groups of golfers happy. They are also redoing the red and yellow tee boxes, and since there is a road between them, which does make it exciting for drivers of the cars, they had the temporary tees moved way up. So I punched the select button and it told me that the end of the fairway was 162 yards away. It was really kind of neat because all of us were hitting from an area we were not familiar with and click, I knew what to hit. This was the case on five tee boxes this weekend but number 2 was the only one that hitting it too far meant out of bounds.

 

 

 

By the way, I played 36 on Saturday and 36 on Sunday and had no battery issues at all. Hooking the charger to is not a big deal, much nicer than the Soviet era-like connection on the Sky Caddie, and it has a flashing battery symbol you cannot miss to ensure it is charging.

 

I did not take advantage of the shot tracking and score keeping functions as yet. I will do so but it is hard enough to remember where the darn GPS is located when I want it. I do not generally think about GPS after I putt and before I tee off since I know the course.

 

I will also add that when you are on the green it displays the time.

 

Looks and Fit:

 

This has been said before but it is big black and chunky, reminiscent of the old Casio Digital watch from the 80's. I could have worn it to the midnight opening of Iron Man 3 and would have been quiet the fashion plate. I would also fit in as an extra on Big Bang Theory with it, but it is not that ugly. It is thinner and more stylish than the previous Neo's and compared to the Garmin, that a friend of mine has, it is actually much better looking. The Neo X is more rectangular that its older sibling the Neo + which has a rounded face.

 

It has a lot of adjustments to fit more adult wrists, however, I will acknowledge that it would look much bigger than on my wrist.

 

 

 

Problems:

 

Sadly, there were a few problems. First was the registration process and downloading of the software. It was cumbersome and a pain in the butt, but since I only had to do this once, I can get over that. Second, is that my course is being renovated. 10 greens have been moved in the last year, some as much as 150 yards, five more tee boxes are being built now, a giant lake is being dug and two fairways rerouted this year and one next, and at least 72 sand bunkers will be added before the end of the summer. Most GPS devices have not updated yet and Bushnell is no worse or better than the rest. How can you update something that still has the equipment driving back and forth on it. Also, since tee boxes were moved, as recently as Friday, this makes the changing to the next hole not work properly. These are problems that are unique to people who play courses that are being renovated, so for most it is not an issue. I wished that it was easy to program your own course, like I did with the Sky Caddie.

 

The other night I had a beer with the majority owner of the club, who put up the money for the renovations, and the club president, who is overseeing the renovations, and told them that according to my new GPS watch the greens were in the wrong place and they needed to move them back. I do not think that will be happening any time soon. But I did contact Bushnell and asked that the course be updated, however since renovation will not be 100% complete until next year, I will have to live with this, but the greens are in their final spots. I do not care if they do not have the yardage to clear a lake that is being built. I just need to know how far away the green is from me.

 

A huge problem that is not unique to me is that if you wear the GPS watch on your left hand, and you wear a golf glove, then every time you move your wrist the glove pushes the up or down or select button, causing it to change holes. For the first couple of days it drove me nuts, I would be on the 6^th hole, no changes to that one at all, and was on the green and happened to look down and it said 257. Then I notice it was on hole number 14. Later on, I just refused to believe I was 187 from the 10^th hole, only to look closer add see it had somehow gone back to the 8^th. At first, I did not know what the problem was but noticed it was the glove doing it. So I either have to not wear a glove or wear this on the other wrist.

 

Conclusion:

 

I have not had this very long at all, and I am sure that if my course was current I would feel differently. Also, after years of looking in one spot to get my yardages, looking in another spot is simply cumbersome. I look where the Sky Caddie was, not there, oh yeah the watch, look there, oh yeah other wrist. I have added a visual game of twister to my preshot routine but will soon adjust. I suspect that where this will really come in handy is when I carry a couple of clubs rather than the whole bag or cart to where the ball is, particularly, inside 100 yards. I am sure that eventually I will find this as handy as a pocket on a shirt, once I learn to bend over without dumping all my crap in my pocket.

[Walkerjames]

Nice review Rick. I have been thinking about getting a GPS watch but I don't wear a regular watch so it may take some getting use to. I enjoyed the review thanks!!

[Aotearoa_Brad]

This is great Rick! Looking forward to the MGS review of it as well to compare experiences.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Awesome review Rick! I had the Motorola for about a month last year and had to return it - don't think they could have possibly made it more difficult to use. This sounds a good bit simpler....

[Mr_Theoo]

Great review. Might just have been the push I needed to get me one of these guys. I have my laser but I usually only use it when I'm at a weird angle or at the range. It'd be nice to just look at my wrist and go

[Blade]

Good job Rick.

[GolfSpy WD]

Just used my son's bushnell neo plus watch today and kept it attached to my bag.

 

It took a few steps for me to advance to a different hole though, so it might be the issue you found is only with the newer model.

[RoverRick]

Just used my son's bushnell neo plus watch today and kept it attached to my bag.

 

It took a few steps for me to advance to a different hole though, so it might be the issue you found is only with the newer model.

 

 

My issues were for the most part cause by a new course more than a new model GPS. They tell in the instructions that you have to get into certain zones to advance to the next hole. However, when there is a D8 Cat Dozer driving back and forth over that area it may just be easier to push the button.

 

The glove issue may have been just the combination of the Mizuno glove and where I was wearing the watch. I had a friend who had one strapped to his bag, which fell off the cart on to the concrete which broke the watch.

[BK in TEXAS]

Excellent review. I bet that would look ginormous on my wrist. I also wear a glove and watch on my left wrist. The accidental hole changing would drive me nuts.

[RoverRick]

Excellent review. I bet that would look ginormous on my wrist. I also wear a glove and watch on my left wrist. The accidental hole changing would drive me nuts.

 

The good thing about the accidental hole change is that it is just as easy to change back. And I feel I should add it is very fast. Unless you just happen to be in the gray area between holes. 180 to one hole and your random watch setting says 195 to another it is an easy thing to notice. When you are wondering if you are 120 or 130 to the hole and it says, "313" then it is easy to see something is a miss. Simply look at the hole and punch the appropriate button and it almost instantly has the right distance. Just like the pocket on the shirt, you crap falls out, pick it up and put it back. Sooner or later you will learn to hold your stuff when you bend over, just as I will eventually learn to check the hole.

[Shambles]

I've been thinking about getting a replacement for my old gps and thanks to this review, the bushnell neo is off my list. Most of the courses in my part of the world are not mapped and we have to do our own mapping. I like the size of this one but it sounds like it lacks durability and would become a regular expense.

 

 

Shambles

[RoverRick]

I've been thinking about getting a replacement for my old gps and thanks to this review, the bushnell neo is off my list. Most of the courses in my part of the world are not mapped and we have to do our own mapping. I like the size of this one but it sounds like it lacks durability and would become a regular expense.

 

 

Shambles

 

I have no idea what brand of GPS watch he broke but it would not make any difference. His bag was apparently not strapped properly and went flying in the air when he hit a bump. It landed GPS watch first on the concrete. But yeah, I thought the Neo X could be programed here but apparently not. If I would not have read that it could I would not have bought it, but I am confident it will be fixed shortly. If not I will raise hell.

[Hula Rock]

Thanks for the review Rick.....

 

Was it hard to get use to wearing a watch while playing ...... This is what is holding me back from getting the watch version from sky caddie....

[RoverRick]

Thanks for the review Rick.....

 

Was it hard to get use to wearing a watch while playing ...... This is what is holding me back from getting the watch version from sky caddie....

 

Forget the damned watch, I want a shirt with you avatar on it. MBP out did himself with that one. I will have to go and vote now.

 

No, it was not. I have played with a watch on and with it off, just like a glove. I remember hearing one time that even wearing a golf can change the swing weight, and effect the golf swing. Maybe that is true for the pros or those 300+ yard hitters, but for a 49 year old who plays at least an hour everyday, and averages 265 or so, there are so many other factors that effect the swing the weight of a watch or a golf is nothing to me.

 

If I would have played yesterday afternoon and again this morning, one with the watch on and one without the watch on the one thing I would notice is, that the wind was blowing 30 miles per hour faster yesterday. After two or three swing I would not have noticed the watch.

[RoverRick]

Excellent review Rick!

 

As I just learned to post pics by myself on the site, two years in, I'm probably gonna stick with my laser from a technical standpoint, however this was an excellent read.

 

Though it is still fairly new to you, you consider this to be the "best" watch-like device?

 

 

Thank again for the review

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

 

This has the best battery life of any GPS Watch, and it is also the newest design so of course it has the latest battery technology. I completely ignored the Sky Caddie GPS Watch because it has to have an annual contract.

 

Three weeks after I got the Sky Caddie, the screw that barely held the electrical connector stripped out. I had to buy a new one, but first I contacted Sky Caddie and they said they were sorry but it was a Garmin design and they did not like it either. A few month later the second one stripped out. Another letter another apology and now it is to late to take it back to the store. I could have exchanged it for 90 days. This happened a total of 5 times in the first 2 1/2 years. Since then I have used a rubber band. Actually several rubber bands but I got a deal on them.

 

I have sent a total of 8 letters to Sky Caddie and they have always maintained that it was not their design so not their problem. I feel that they put their name on it and wanted money from me for annual services, but all they were willing to do was have me buy a new one at a 10% discount.

 

In spite of the fact that I got 5 years of excellent service out of the Sky Caddie, the electrical connect was so poorly designed that I was not interested in their product this time around. Also, I did not want to pay an annual fee.

 

However, I will say that I expected trouble at my course. I have this for Canada. In order to load the Canadian course on my old Sky Caddie I would have had to get the Eagle Membership which is $70 or something like that. It is only $20 for the watch contract world wide.

 

I can continue to use my only Sky Caddie on courses that I have mapped until it dies of natural causes. It will just not let me download any maps. This is fine because Bushnell sent an email saying they will fix the problem in a reasonable amount of time. Are the done yet?

[Hula Rock]

Forget the damned watch, I want a shirt with you avatar on it. MBP out did himself with that one. I will have to go and vote now.

 

No, it was not. I have played with a watch on and with it off, just like a glove. I remember hearing one time that even wearing a golf can change the swing weight, and effect the golf swing. Maybe that is true for the pros or those 300+ yard hitters, but for a 49 year old who plays at least an hour everyday, and averages 265 or so, there are so many other factors that effect the swing the weight of a watch or a golf is nothing to me.

 

If I would have played yesterday afternoon and again this morning, one with the watch on and one without the watch on the one thing I would notice is, that the wind was blowing 30 miles per hour faster yesterday. After two or three swing I would not have noticed the watch.

 

 

Thanks man, Dan knocked it out of the park..... I just gave him a couple of ideas and BOOM ....

 

I ordered one last night, going to put it through the ringer this weekend if I get it back in time. It's been blowing pretty hard in South Texas too. I never hit so many Knockdown shots in my life.....

[RoverRick]

I received an email for iGolf, the people who do the GPS for Bushnell, asking if the information they had on the site was correct. Of course the answer is no. I could understand their response if they say, "Hell, the club does not even have current information why should we mess with it. It took them less than a week to respond. Not bad in my book. We are after all playing golf not starting a rescue expedition.

[Mrs.Manbearpig]

Great review Rick!

[Mr_Theoo]

This watch is now 150 @ golfsmith, think im gonnna pick one up here soon

[RoverRick]

This watch is now 150 @ golfsmith, think im gonnna pick one up here soon

 

Just my luck. I expected the price to drop on the Neo + but I just checked and the price on the Neo X has also dropped. Thanks for ruining my weekend.

[Hula Rock]

Just my luck. I expected the price to drop on the Neo + but I just checked and the price on the Neo X has also dropped. Thanks for ruining my weekend.

WHAT !!!!!

 

I am Canceling my order and Going to GS for lunch...

[fozcycle]

I have used both the Neo and now the Neo + so i am sure that the X is using the same software...

 

These babies are spot on! I constantly check it against course markers and other gps devices......no issues with accuracy.

 

Since I like the Neo +, I am also interested in the watch.....

[martymick]

I have the Expresso watch and have the same problems when I wear a glove. I found that if i do NOT use the velcro closure it eliminates that. I find the watch much more user friendly then a hand held GPS. I do not have to go looking it when I want a yardage, don't have to worry about dropping it, etc. It's always where I put it, on my wrist, it go's where I go.

[RoverRick]

I have the Expresso watch and have the same problems when I wear a glove. I found that if i do NOT use the velcro closure it eliminates that. I find the watch much more user friendly then a hand held GPS. I do not have to go looking it when I want a yardage, don't have to worry about dropping it, etc. It's always where I put it, on my wrist, it go's where I go.

 

Excellent points MartyMick and welcome to the site.

[Mr_Theoo]

Just my luck. I expected the price to drop on the Neo + but I just checked and the price on the Neo X has also dropped. Thanks for ruining my weekend.

 

I'm sorry

[SirBigSpur06]

Nice review Rick!

 

I purchased the Bushnell Neo+ GPS watch earlier this year and absolutely love it! You mention that a problem was the glove pressing buttons accidentally and changing holes on you... but it looks like one of the features is auto-hole recognition... does it not automatically find the correct hole w/o you having to change it manually? I know the Neo+ watch does this.

 

The Neo+ does not have distance to hazards (which would be nice sometimes)... how does that functionality work on the Neo X?

[GolfSpy WD]

Rick, does the X turn off by itself after leaving the course? One thing that bugs me about the + is it doesn't, and when I forget to click "end round" I find myself with a dead battery.

[RoverRick]

Rick, does the X turn off by itself after leaving the course? One thing that bugs me about the + is it doesn't, and when I forget to click "end round" I find myself with a dead battery.

 

I do not know. I, on occasion, find myself in the Gentleman's Bar after a round. Since it is not my location at that point concerns me as much as the amount of time I have been there (read hanging out drinking) I switch over to clock mode.

[RoverRick]

Today, Bushnell, iGolf.com. sent me an email saying that they have updated my golf course and included instructions on how to download the new information. I have not used it yet but I am certainly happy the effort that they made to get this resolved quickly.

[RoverRick]

Today, on the 16th hole, I hit a 3 iron off the tee put my club in the bag, jumped in the cart and drove to the ball. It was not a particularly good drive and about 50 yards shorter than usual, but I looked down at my approximately 120 day old Bushnell Neo X GPS Wristwatch and it was telling me how far I hit the 3 iron. This was not something I wanted to see because usually off that tee I hit it 210 to 229, I know because I keep track of that. and have 65-75 yards to the center of the green. Today, I was closer to 120. Caught it a bit fat.

 

I pushed the button, and nothing happened. I pushed the button several times and nothing happened. I guestimated the distance and found the fringe. a chip and a putt later I moved to the next hole, and it advanced.

 

On 18, I drove close to the number 1 tee box and it jumped to that hole. A usual occurrence based on how the course is laid out rather than a flaw in the GPS. So I pushed the button to get my distance, and none of the buttons worked.

 

Now several hours later, my 120 day old GPS Wristwatch does not work. It tells the time but none of the buttons work. No explanation. Looks like I may be renewing my SkyCaddie before the Texas Open.

 

If you ask me right now I would say this is not very f***ing handy anymore.