What Golf Technology Do You Use On The Course?

[Headhammer]

Range finder on the course, though one of the courses I play just went to GPS on their carts.

Rapsodo on the practice range.

Tried ARCCOS, but it just wasn't for me.

[BeeGee]

I use two Garmin products, a Z80 (awesome unit with the GPS hole layout) when I want to know exact distances and a G6 that sits on my push cart for when I want quick info to the Front/Middle/Back.  I just purchased the Shot Scope H4,  I want to see where I can improve and I'm interested in the ability to view the course ahead of time with my tendencies to plan my attack for tournaments before playing a practice round.

[Rex_D]

I use a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Golf pad Gps app. I find it reliable, it tracks every shot and learns how far I hit each club so it recommends which club to hit. 

[Hughesjosh]

I use a range finder and a Garmin watch. I find the watch just helps me make sure I am picking up the flag and not a tree behind. I must say though if I was only to get one or the other it depends if I am playing the same course every week or not. If you know the course a range finder is perfect but if you play different courses each week, maybe a golf watch is better as it gives you hazards etc.

[BallsLeon]

I use a rangefinder, and used GHIN last season for stat/score entry. Thinking about just keeping it to pencil/paper on the course, and recording rounds to the app later to stay off my phone.

[John Marchetto]

All of it. Lol. Bushnell V5 slope , Phantom 2, Wingman & Alphard electric push cart. I need a watch or may use the Grint or GHIN app on my Apple Watch. I like to know distance to hazards so the GPS is necessary and laser to the pin because my depth perception isn't the best. 

[tomdisy]

I have a Garmin range finder that incorporates gps to provide a yardage book view of the hole and overlays an arc across the green to show pin position based on laser. It can be a little frustrating when gps and laser yardages conflict. It’s not perfect technology.

I also use Roundabout app for hole displays, yardages and round tracking. I find it really useful. 
 

I tried Arccos. Didn’t work for me. 

Edited March 8 by tomdisy

[ZJeb67]

I was using an old Bushnell Bowhunter Rangefinder.  It stopped working after golfing through a monsoon last summer.
Since I can't trust myself not to play in a monsoon again, I replaced with a $40 cheapie from Amazon.  It's golf specific and has a flag finding option.

I also use the SwingU app.  I like the app overall, especially being able to map yardages to traps and trouble.
For me, the app downside is having to unlock my phone.  The phone doesn't always recognize my face to unlock.  In late fall I'm wearing gloves on both hands, so the fingerprint is out.

 

[VernL4]

Wow! Lots of Garmin users on here!  I'm always looking for more connections on there- My name is Tom Lohrman. I have a Garmin Fenix 7 Solar. It's a one-stop-shop. It gives me distances, club suggestions with the caddy feature (if you want to use it), shot tracking, and all of the stats I could possibly want. I like the leaderboards, tournaments, and challenges as well. Aside from golf, I use it for Mountain Biking and Hiking. Best part is no monthly fees!

[schmen082]

I use a Garmin Approach G80. This device gives me accurate yardages and allows me to move the flagstick around on my display to adjust for front, middle, and back locations. Also, it gives me a "low cost" launch monitor option. I use it on the range to look at swing speed and ball speed during practice sessions to determine how well swing changes or fixes are working.   I'm a 0.2 handicap and I'm satisfied with the information my G80 provides. 

[jcrueda91]

I usually use gos apps on my iPhone and Apple Watch. The two apps I use the most are Golfshot and 18Birdies, depending on the area one works better than the other one I’d rather use the Golfshot app, but some golf courses in the US won’t work with this app so I use 18Birdies

 

[Rob Person]

I may have to unfollow this topic!  I have plenty of analog watches, and 1 smart watch that is junk (s3 gear)

But after reading through some of these golf specific watches being listed, I may have to start rethinking my tech side a bit more! 

My friends watch features sounds alot like @VernL4 watch.  I'm going to have to ask him about his next time we play

[US_Navy_Retired]

I use my Garmin Marq Athlete watch for yardages and The Grint app for keeping my score. 

One feature I really like about the Grint is you can set it up to automatically upload a score to your GHIN. 

Garmin makes a golf specific version of the Marq, but I didn't care for the green color it came in. Then of course after I buy the Athlete version Garmin releases a carbon fiber version of the Golf that looks amazing....lol

[US_Navy_Retired]

20 minutes ago, VernL4 said:

Wow! Lots of Garmin users on here!  I'm always looking for more connections on there- My name is Tom Lohrman. I have a Garmin Fenix 7 Solar. It's a one-stop-shop. It gives me distances, club suggestions with the caddy feature (if you want to use it), shot tracking, and all of the stats I could possibly want. I like the leaderboards, tournaments, and challenges as well. Aside from golf, I use it for Mountain Biking and Hiking. Best part is no monthly fees!

I live about a mile from the Garmin world headquarters in Kansas.....lol

[VernL4]

2 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

I may have to unfollow this topic!  I have plenty of analog watches, and 1 smart watch that is junk (s3 gear)

But after reading through some of these golf specific watches being listed, I may have to start rethinking my tech side a bit more! 

My friends watch features sounds alot like @VernL4 watch.  I'm going to have to ask him about his next time we play

 I still have two analog watches, but I use them less and less. Battery life on the Garmin is great- mine gets around 18 days per charge. It's been very reliable and tough. 

[Shapotomous]

On the course I have the shotscope h4 which has gps for shots over 160.  For 160 and in i use a cheap laser i bought from mg.

After the round i use the shotscope data for distance and dispersion trends.

[msanagustin]

I started using just the simple app on the Garmin watch and loved it, the GPS is pretty accurate when I compare to my friends rangefinder. Last year got the shot scope x5 and a year into it..... money should've went to a newer Garmin watch....now usually wear both but the amount of work extra work I have to do for the shotscope is really more of a pain in the area.. 

[Lostcause105]

I use a blue tees pro range finder that I've had good luck with, other than occasionally wishing it had pin lock.

I just recently started using the smart caddie app with my galaxy watch and have had a great experience so far. It does an excellent job with distance not quite as well at counting strokes.

[dalessit]

NX9 rangefinder, does the job at a decent price.  Use that when sighting flags to get exact pin position.

I have tested out pretty much every mobile app that will work on my Apple watch and I settled on GolfPad.  It's definitely not as flashy as others but it does exactly what I need.  It has a GPS app on the phone so I can get an idea of what the hole does, hazards, traps, etc, gives me distances to all of that.

The big thing I like is the simple watch interface.  Shows me distance to front, middle and back, suggests the club I should used based on my averages, I hit the screen once and it asks what club I'm hitting, (defaulting to the club it thinks I should hit) I pick the club and hit.  When I get to the next shot it tells me how far I hit the previous club.

All the apps do this, but I found the Golfpad interface the quickest to interact with on the course, you don't want to be sitting there for 30 seconds between shots clicking buttons.

[Hacker60521]

I’m using the ShotScope X5 (after having tried and tossed Garmin and Arrcos) for my general reference and for the post round data. I also carry a Bushnell laser when I’m trying to figure out odd distances — like a punch out from the rough to mid fairway or something. I don’t laser to the pin as I’m better off aiming for the center of the green so front/middle/back is all I need. 
 

That said, I’m also like @berkeleybob in that I still use a paper scorecard, and even carry a PuttView yardage book for the courses I regularly play.

[tdc1]

In order of usage: Shot Scope G3 watch, Nikon Coolshot 50i rangefinder, and Swing U app.

I was a dedicated find-the-yardage-brick/sprinkler-head-and-walk-it-off guy until I started to do course ratings in 2022.  I had to have a significantly more accurate way to measure distances.  When I'm playing, I rely on the watch, rangefinder and app in that order. 

I will use the watch on pretty much every hole.  I will use the rangefinder especially to confirm carry distances to/over penalty areas or to holes on narrow/oddly shaped greens.  I will use the app when I am playing alone or my group is not in a rush or being pushed from behind -- I like the app but the data gathering/input is cumbersome and not always intuitive, IMHO.

[David Leighton Reid]

I use the Alphard Club Booster V2 electric push cart, which makes walking more enjoyable; a Bushnell Tour X range finder, and whatever tech is built into my clubs.

[Hacker60521]

24 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

I may have to unfollow this topic!  I have plenty of analog watches, and 1 smart watch that is junk (s3 gear)

But after reading through some of these golf specific watches being listed, I may have to start rethinking my tech side a bit more! 

My friends watch features sounds alot like @VernL4 watch.  I'm going to have to ask him about his next time we play

When I retired, the first thing I got rid of was my Apple Watch. My “daily wear” watch is now my Omega Speedmaster because I think analog watches are just more elegant and my phone keeps me connected more than I need - Haha. When I’m on the course I wear a ShotScope X5.

[Brenda]

I have had a Garmin Approach S62.  It has been a great watch.  I have had only one real issue. I got a small burn on my wrist when my sweat got into the charging port.  Garmin replaced the watch and sent covers for the port. The other issue was not really with the watch but with the GPS mapping.  The course had made significant changes and failed to have the course remapped. 

I find the watch to be accurate and easy to use.  I would lose a range finder as it is not attached to me. LOL.  I sometimes like to walk between shots to clear my head.

 

[Hamviper]

Golf pad on my Samsung golf watch and a leuepold range finder. GPS is sometimes off, added the range finder this year. 

[StrokerAce]

I have a shot scope v3 watch - can't say that I always wear it though... it's really bulky.

I have a COOLSHOT PRO STABILIZED rangefinder that I got on a big discount. I thought it would be better than it is and I'm kind of disappointed in it.

Sometimes I'll use the course GPS feature on the GHIN app to get an overview of the hole.

I have an airtag that I have taped to my rangefinder because I've left 2 of them at the course and never got them back. 

-----

things I wish I had - an electric powered push cart, a better gps watch, a better LRF.

[Sonny Beach]

I like to play fast so I rely on my Garmin watch mostly. I can do the math. I use the range finder on a Par 3. Too many slow players pulling range finders on every shot, when they can't hit a specific location on a fairway much less the fricking green! 

Edited March 8 by Sonny Beach

[StrokerAce]

1 minute ago, Sonny Beach said:

I like to play fast so I rely on my Garmin watch mostly. I can do the math. I use the range finder on a Par 3. Too many slow players pulling range finders on every shot, when they can hit a specific location on a fairway muchness the fracking green. 

I get a kick outta people that use the rangefinder when they're less than 50 yards away.... 

[Placasse61]

I have used 18 birdies the past 6 years for yardage and scoring. I did use diablo for keeping my handicap, but there were some technical issues and all my rounds were lost 2 years ago so I just keep it on 18 birdies now. I am thinking about using Arccos to monitor club distances, because I did not like how cumbersome 18 birdies is with tracking that data. Any thoughts on Arccos ease of use on the course.

[ericduffett]

3 minutes ago, StrokerAce said:

I get a kick outta people that use the rangefinder when they're less than 50 yards away.... 

I’d actually argue that the range finder is most important once you get inside the number for your highest lofted wedge. Especially if you’ve been hitting on a launch monitor, you learn how to dial in your wedge swings based on the number, rather than a visual. GolfBetterTucson just talked about this on the Ping Proving Grounds pod and how he uses his rangefinder quite a bit around the green because he’s dialed in his feels for a bunch of short yardages based on the #