Apparently my dad wants something like this for his birthday. I've only seen them in SkyMall so just assumed they were a gimmick.

I also realized maybe there's an iPhone app that uses GPS and course maps to do the same thing.

Any advice on how to get something for him and not be a fish would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!

I use a Bushnell laser as do most serious golfers. You can get smartphone apps but from what I've heard they eat you battery alive. GPS is convenient though and plenty accurate for a recreational golfer. I have a Golf Buddy GPS that I use from time to time. It holds like 40K courses and you never have to pay any fees for updates/courses.

Thanks, looking quickly both of those look sweet but $250+, he's a fairly recreational golfer and it would not be appropriate to spend that much.

Especially the Golf Buddy GPS seems like someone could make an iPhone app that does the same thing... I wonder if it exists yet.

Looks like Golfshot - Golf GPS would be the winner for iPhone apps, but is that silly to get compared to the legit things more serious golfers use?

There are cheaper options than the Bushnell's.

Here are some at TGW (searched GPS less than $90). I'd just do some research and read some reviews to find out which are free and which require a subscription.

Golfshot is a very good app. The two primary complaints are that GPS is not as accurate as a laser. That's true, but for most people GPS is accurate enough. In addition, GPS can give you distance to a bunker or to a layup spot, etc. And anyways, thats not a complaint specific to golfshot - it applies to all GPS devices. Golfshot is as accurate as the $200 standalone GPS devices as far as I know.

The other complaint is, as said above, it'll chew your battery apart. I'd say in a typical 4 hr round, golfshot uses about 85% of my iphone battery, because it keeps the GPS tracking the whole time. The only time that's been a big issue, to me, is when I forget to charge my phone the night before, so I'm starting at 60% battery. To solve that issue, I bought an external iphone battery built into a case. So, combined, I've spent ~$70 to have a pretty good GPS+scoring device.

This topic has been covered.

Golfshot is excellent and affordable. Unless you're under a 10 handicap, you don't need anything else. It does NOT drain your battery badly, because you're a smart person and lock your screen between shots, and you will not have your wifi on. Once I tweaked my settings and learned to hit the top button, I had NO problems at all.

I got tired of going back and forth to the cart though, so my wife got me a Garmin wristwatch GPS.

It's the nuts. Front/middle/back only, but so convenient.

But really, if you do not mind an iPhone in your pocket or using it from the cart, Golfshot is fine.

a guybehind me had the course ongps on his ipad and loved it

does one company map the course and then provide to anyone? ie standardized?

also, can you the layout for distances without 3g? ie make estimates just looking at the layout? i assume yes, but maybe no (ie thecourse description isn't saved on your ipad)

thanks. sorry for poor touchscreen typing

I use golfshot but I wouldn't trust it 100%. Some holes its spot on but others its up to 8 yards off

My course only has markers at 150 yards though so its great for anything further than that where being a few yards out isn't going to make much difference, i'll usually step it out once I walk past the 150 marker.

Playing courses you don't know can be hazardous as well, as some greens are simply not where they are marked to be, usually new greens etc.