New Toy - GolfZon Smart Marker

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Was at the local PGA SuperStore today and saw this interesting little doo-dad at checkout
.


At first I thought it was just a ball marker but after looking closer I saw it somehow tied to a phone app. It's actually a Voice GPS - you connect it via Bluetooth to a golf app on your phone, press the button and it gives you distances.

Also, it apparently can do Shot tracking as well - although I'm not sure how yet.

It was $35 so I figured what the hell, let's give it a try. Here are some pics and some screenshots from the app.













Going to try it out tomorrow and see if it does anything worthwhile. I don't usually use a gps app but we'll give it a whirl.

It's made by a company called Tittle. We heard from them last year with an at home golf
Similar that was selling for under $100 as an intro price. Saw the simulator at the PGA show and it looked pretty good for the price.

Any initial thoughts on this thing?


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[STUDque]

Arccos without the tags huh? Guess you just click that button to tag a shot. I could see myself having a score in the thousands because I fidget bad with my ball marker. I wouldn't be able to stop hitting the button.

 

 

 

My question is what benefit does it actually give you on the green? That's an enormous ball marker.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[MattF]

My question is what benefit does it actually give you on the green? That's an enormous ball marker.

 

Looks about the same size as a poker chip and there's plenty of people that use them as a ball marker.

[STUDque]

Looks about the same size as a poker chip and there's plenty of people that use them as a ball marker.

Yeah I get that. I mean what benefit does it give besides being a ball marker? Or is the benefit the fact that you've already got the ball marker in your pocket at all times so it's easier to track shots?

 

 

Sent from carrier pigeon using MyGolfSpy

[Golfspy_CG2]

Interesting. I'll be curious to see how it does for your Barbs. I do occasionally play with a poker chip style ball marker. So I guess it's no worst than that, from a size aspect or having one more thing in my pocket.

[PlaidJacket]

It's an interesting gadget. I use a gps device (skycaddy) and a laser range finder when I play. The problem I see for me with this device is it's too large to use as a ball marker and you'll still have to fiddle with your phone. At first glance at the top of the post I thought it might display distances on the face of the marker but it doesn't do that.

For a ball marker I use a coin or other marker that's about the size of a quarter or smaller. IMO a poker chip size marker is too large and distracting. 

Golf electronics such as this are just getting off the ground I believe. So who knows what lies ahead. Interesting.

[PMookie]

Interesting idea, but I'm not a fan of the shot tracking and voice distances. Curious to see how well it works, though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[STUDque]

Interesting idea, but I'm not a fan of the shot tracking and voice distances. Curious to see how well it works, though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

The problem I see with voice distances is it will (at best) only give you front middle back. Not target distances based on the flags location. What if you need to carry a bunker that's on the side? Or a ridge?

 

 

Sent from carrier pigeon using MyGolfSpy

[PlaidJacket]

That's why I use both GPS - front, middle,back and my laser RF. For instance if you need to carry a bunker or other hazard I shoot the back of the bunker. I shoot a pin and check my GPS to better determine the pin placement. How many times have you shot a pin with your laser only to discover the pin was much further back than you thought? If I know the front, middle, and back distances and then shoot the pin I am better able to know the actual pin placement. I find using both helps you make better decisions.

[MattF]

Or is the benefit the fact that you've already got the ball marker in your pocket at all times so it's easier to track shots?

 

 

Sent from carrier pigeon using MyGolfSpy

 

My guess is, that's it.

[TBT]

Definitely interesting, great price that's for sure

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

This thing appears to be one of those gadgets that requires some work to get it to do what they say it will do.

 

At its bare bones, it's a voice GPS.  You pair it with your phone and keep the ball marker in your pocket. Press the little button and it will give you distance to the green through your phone (you have to download the GPS app). So in that respect, it's pretty useful - I kept my phone in the basket of my pushcart and whenever I wanted a distance I just pressed the button (you can tell it to give you distance to front, center or back - but you tell it that when you set it up - you can't change it for each hole without more phone interaction that I would want. So for $35 you basically get the equivalent of a $130.00 Voice Caddie, you just nee to use for phone along with it. 

 

I didn't use the GPS app - I think it'll take a little time to figure out (it's not that intuitive or automatic), and I haven't figured out the shot tracking function. The weird thing is that you wind up downloading three apps -- not sure yet if you actually need all three apps, but there are three apps to download - one for GPS, one for Voice GPS and one is a scorecard. Again, it'll take some effort on my part to learn how to use it as anything beyond a Voice Caddie.

 

Personally, I don't mind technology, but I don't want to work too hard to make it usable - I like to just play golf. For a first go through, I'd say for $35 it's a dandy Voice Caddie - it'll be another two weeks before I can get out and play again (and with Minnesota weather, that might be iffy), but I'll try using some of the other functions to see if I can figure them out. The marker itself is a wee bit smaller than a poker chip - but it's basically the same thing. I didn't use it for a ball marker - I just kept it in my pocket and used my regular ball marker.  

 

So far I've tried the TomTom Golfer GPS watch and the new SkyCaddie for GPS/Shot Tracking as well as Game Golf and Shot Scope for just shot tracking - the SkyCaddie was WAAAYYYY too much work for me (I hate tagging), as was Game Golf (I really hate tagging - beside, I lost the little unit somewhere on the course). The TomTom is a very good GPS and is surprisingly good at shot tracking - you don't have to do anything but sometimes it registers practice swings as actual shots - and it vibrates every time it registers a shot, which some people may find irritating. I didn't, but some might. 

 

As far as shot tracking without doing anything other than playing golf, I found Shot Scope to be by far the easiest to use - don't have to do anything other than play golf. I'm anxious to see the V2 with the GPS function built in.  

 

Anyway, early grade on the Smart Marker - as a Voice Caddie - B+, as a GPS and shot tracker - incomplete. If it turns out to be more hassle than it's worth, it'll become an expensive ball marker. 

[STUDque]

I'm honestly surprised you gave a B+ after reading the narrative. I'm with you on the hassle consideration. 3 apps on my already crowded phone? No thanks. This probably wouldn't be a product for me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I'm honestly surprised you gave a B+ after reading the narrative. I'm with you on the hassle consideration. 3 apps on my already crowded phone? No thanks. This probably wouldn't be a product for me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

The Voice Caddie part is actually pretty simple - sync with bluetooth, set it up the way you want it and it works just fine. Like I said - not sure if I need the other apps yet - need to figure out the shot tracking and whether the GPS on the phone is really usable -- but for distance to the green once you set it up (and that part is pretty easy), you press the button and it gives you a number.

 

The hassle part is the shot tracking - no one other than Shot Scope seems to have that part figured out so it's easy. 

[StrokerAce]

You mentioned you have the TomTom watch - were the measurements for this device accurate?  were they the same or similar to your watch?

It seems fairly small/thin - do you think you could lose it or is it substantial enough to notice if it fell out of your pocket reaching for a tee or ball marker or something?

 

Just FYI - I have the TomTom watch too and there's a firmware update where you can turn off the vibrations if you want.  I was one who didn't like that feature and turned it off.

[cksurfdude]

I'd looked at the Golf With GPS app, primarily for checking out new courses .. I don't like futzing with my phone nor apps, etc during a round.

 

I saw their Smart Marker and thought it might be a useful .. and cheap! .. way to help determine distances for each club.

 

If I recall to activate the Shot Track feature is a long press .. vs a click .. on the Smart Marker. There's a manual somewhere on their website with instructions.

[TBT]

Sounds like it's a decent voice caddie and that's about it, but for $35 that's pretty damn goid