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Golf Buddy Voice: The coolest clip-on I’ve ever worn

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It is said that the right tie can make or break a man’s outfit. For serious golfers, the right golf GPS or rangefinder can make a break a successful round.

I’m not one for clip-on ties, and will never be.  And I never thought I’d be a fan of a clip-on golf GPS unit, either. But then I was introduced to the Golf Buddy Voice, a “talking” golf GPS unit about the size of the current Apple iPod Nano.

The Voice weighs only an ounce, and measures 1.7 inches wide, making it small enough to clip onto a belt, shirt collar, or even the bill of a cap. Yet despite its small size, it boasts a collection of 35,000 preloaded courses located across the world, as well as a speaker loud enough to annoy your playing partners (don’t worry, you can adjust the volume). The Voice gives yardages both numerically and verbally, and requires no annual subscriptions or course download charges after purchase. It even tells time.

Inside the Voice’s box is the satisfyingly small unit, a mini-USB-to-USB cord, a charger and a silicon case to protect the Voice from the elements. I charged it the night before my round, and was a little squeamish about seeing the screen’s light bleed a little into the left corner of the device. I realized later that the light only appears when the device is first turned on, so it is of no consequence.

When I arrived at the course for my Sunday 18, I switched on the device, and waited about five minutes as the Voice located my course. It did so without issue. I then clipped it onto my belt buckle and forgot about it as I hit my warm-up balls and a few chips and putts. On the first tee box, a 445-yard dogleg-left par 4, the Voice let me know that I had 433 yards to the pin. The number was accurate, as the official yardage accounted for the dogleg.

I learned quickly while using the Voice that it was best to make sure I was standing still for at least a few seconds before I pushed the yardage button. A few times, I hit the button while I was walking, which gave me a number that was a few yards off. Like using a laser rangefinder, steadying myself near my ball was the best way to get a proper reading. When I did this, I was given readings that I felt were spot on.

My favorite part of playing tournaments during my junior/amateur days, other than the trophies I too rarely won, was the pin sheet I received on the first tee. I always felt I played better when I knew not just the yardage to the pin, but the distance the pin was from the front, middle and center of the green. The Voice is an upgrade from pin sheets, because just by clicking the unit’s main button located on the device’s screen, I was given the numbers I wanted. I much appreciated not having to fumble the pin sheet out of my pocket.

I still used the laser rangefinder that I’ve depended on for years to get the distance to the flag, but with the Voice and a small amount of arithmetic (the less math for writers like me, the better), I was given an accurate measurement of the plus-or-minus yardages from the center, back or front of the green. I was proudly able to tell my playing partner during the round without any doubt, “It’s plus 12, man.”

The Voice also measures the distance of your shots with just of few clicks of its sleek and satisfyingly sized buttons. All I had to do was press the “P” button, located on the lower left side of the device, which prompted me to push the front button to confirm my location. I was testing a few three woods during the round, and through the distance measuring feature I was able to find out exactly how far I was hitting each club, regardless of whether the shots were on the same line or not. When I arrived at the ball, I simply clicked the P button again, at which point the Voice told me the distance, which was also displayed on the screen.

One criticism I have of the Voice is that when my shots strayed into the area of an adjacent hole, the Voice would recognize my location, and switch to measuring the yardages of that hole. I suppose this feature would be excellent for those that hop around the golf course, playing non-successive holes. Luckily, it was not too big of a challenge to switch the device back to the desired hole – just a few clicks.

The Golf Buddy Voice has a rechargeable 8-hour lithium battery, and was a little more than half depleted after my 4.5 hour round. It’s definitely something I would charge before every round. 

The Verdict?

The Voice is something I’d like to have clipped on my belt every time I play, which made the return of my sample, my “golf buddy,” back to the company a sad moment. The device’s MSRP of $199 is a little more than I’d like to pay for a golf-only device, but it’s definitely more of a shot saver than the new $200 flat stick or $400 driver we golfers always have our eyes on.

Click here for more photos and discussion in the forums.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Janette Mossop

    Oct 7, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    I would like to order 2 of the golf buddy hat clip, please let me know how I can order them.

  2. Camille Guillemette

    Oct 10, 2015 at 1:15 pm

    Price on a clip on golf gps

  3. golfer

    Sep 29, 2013 at 8:48 am

    My home course isn’t available in the golf buddy course library. On the internet site of Golf Buddy you can read: … the entire process (to put golf course in library) may take 4-6 weeks for completion on new course requests. I’m waiting 4 months now.

    April: bought Golf Buddy Voice+
    May 13th: request to golf buddy to put golf course in library
    June 3rd: answer to my question in email when the course will be available: two weeks.
    June 25Th: answer to my question in email when the course will be available: 6 – 8 weeks (half July)
    August 28th: call to golfbuddy The Netherlands, they said they will ask USA again and call me back. No call or email.
    August 28th: I sent an email with an official complaint. Reaction: we will sent your complaint to our headquarters. Untill today no reaction from headquarters.
    August 30th: reaction that there are problems with the mapping devices.
    September 13th: called Golfbuddy in The Netherlands for the fourth time in 4 weeks about my request from May to put my home course online. The still couldn’t tell me when this will happen. Last Friday I decided to call 1-888-2516058. There’s was nobody to answer my call not even the operator!. Then I decided to call 1-888-296-1428.They would sent me an email which I could answer and then give the information about my course. I haven’t received an email.

  4. Charles York

    Feb 2, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    This Little Gadget is fantastic. Iwould like to have one.please send information on how to order it on line

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Accessory Reviews

Insider photos from Tiger Woods’ launch event for his new “Sun Day Red” apparel line

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On Monday evening, inside the swanky, second-story “Coach House” event center in the Palisades Village, just minutes down the road from the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, Tiger Woods and TaylorMade officially announced their new apparel/footwear/accessory line, called “Sun Day Red.”

The Sun Day Red website officially launched on Monday night during the event, and the products are set to go on sale starting May 1.

The “Sun Day Red,” or “SDR” name will be self-explanatory for most golf fans, since he’s been wearing a victory-red shirt on Sunday’s for his entire professional career, but Woods explained the meaning of Sun Day Red at the launch event:

“It started with mom. Mom thought – being a Capricorn – that my power color was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments. Lo and behold, I go to a university that is red; Stanford is red. We wore red on the final day of every single tournament, and then every single tournament I’ve played as a professional I’ve worn red. It’s just become synonymous with me.”

The Sunday Red outfit has worked to perfection for his 82 PGA Tour victories, including 15 majors, so why not make an entire apparel line based on the career-long superstition?

As I learned at Monday’s launch event, the new Sun Day Red line includes much more than just clothing. To go along with a slew of different golf shirt designs and colorways, there were also windbreakers, hoodies, shoes, hats, headcovers, ball markers and gloves on display.

The upscale event was hosted by sports media personality Erin Andrews, with special guests David Abeles (CEO of TaylorMade) and Tiger Woods himself.

As explained by Abeles, the Sun Day Red brand is an independently-run business under the TaylorMade umbrella, and is based in San Clemente, California (rather than Carlsbad, where TaylorMade headquarters is located), and it’s run by a newly-formed, independent group. Brad Blackinship, formerly of Quiksilver and RVCA, is the appointed president of the new brand.

As for the logo itself, obviously, it’s made to look like a Tiger (the animal), and is comprised of 15 tiger stripes, which correspond with Woods’ 15 major championships. While the logo may need a 16th stripe if Woods adds a major trophy to his collection, it makes perfect sense for the time being.

The golf/lifestyle line is meant to combine premium precision and athletic comfort, while still having plenty of wearability and style off the course. Like Woods said on stage at the event, he wants to be able to go right from the course to dinner wearing Sun Day Red, and that was exactly the aesthetic on display at the event on Monday.

Following the official announcement from Woods and Abeles, they revealed multiple pieces of clothing, accessories and footwear for the event-goers to ogle (and photograph). Check out a selection of product/event photos below, or head over to our @GolfWRX Instagram page for video coverage…OR, head into our GolfWRX Forums for even more photos and member discussion.

Enjoy this exclusive look at Tiger Woods’ new Sun Day Red apparel lineup below.

See more photos from the Sun Day Red launch event here

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Accessory Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Motocaddy M7 Remote and M5 GPS DHC electric cart review

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I have been thinking about electric golf push carts, or trollies, ever since I started playing in my league seven years ago.

Motocaddy has been making high-quality electric, and non-electric, carts since 2004 and has a couple of great options for the golfer who loves to walk. Motocaddy was nice enough to get their M7 Remote and M5 GPS DHC in my hands to try out on the course for a few weeks.

I have had a lot of people stop me to ask about the carts, and the one thing I keep telling them is that these carts are just flat out fun to use on the course.

Motocaddy M7 Remote

The M7 Remote was very easy to get set up right out of the box. All you have to do is charge the battery, install the wheels, and you are pretty much ready to go. The M7 folds up pretty small, just a little larger than the 3-wheel pushcart that I had been using for years. Getting it to the course should be no problem with just about any trunk space. Now, the one downside to an electric cart is the weight when moving it around, and both carts come in at around 35 pounds each. Even with that extra weight, I didn’t have much trouble lifting them in and out of the back of a pickup.

The M7 unfolds quickly with the flick of two levers and extends the front wheels automatically. Once unfolded, you drop in the battery, plug it in, and secure your bag. If you own a Motocaddy bag, they have developed a really nice system called EasiLock that involves two metal studs that fit into the bottom of the cart. This system also includes a molded base that prevents the bag from rotating at all, even on the roughest terrain. You can still use the M7 with almost any other golf bag as it includes elastic straps that wrap around the top and bottom of the bag.

As soon as you plug in the battery the LCD screen comes to life and you are ready to go. You can use the M7 without the remote by using the dial on the handle to control the starting, stopping, and speed. But the M7 has a remote that is activated by a simple press of the power button to get going. The remote is very simple with just five buttons to control where the M7 goes.

Getting a feel for the M7 takes no time at all and by the time you drive it from your car to the 1st tee you will be in complete, and confident, control of the cart. You simply press the “+” button to start moving forward and the cart takes off gently without any rattling of your clubs, and you can press that same button again to increase the speed. The cart will go from a slow crawl, for bumpy or tight areas, too, as fast as I could run with just a few presses of the button. The big red “stop” button in the center stops the cart immediately, and when stopped it is locked in place, even on steep hills. You don’t have to worry about remembering to set the brakes or anything because it is done automatically.

Steering is just as easy: simply press the right or left button to turn the cart. Small, quick presses will just slightly adjust the cart as it moves down the fairway while a long hold of the button can make it turn on a dime to the right or left.

Almost everyone asked me how stable the cart was and if it would tip over. I can proudly say that it has stayed upright even on some unseen bumps at maximum speed. Side hills, ruts, and even curbs are handled with ease with the help of the small rear wheel.

I really enjoy strolling down the fairway with nothing but the M7’s remote in my hand — it just makes golfing more fun!

Motocaddy M5 GPS DHC

After using the M7 and its fancy remote, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t like not having it. But to be honest the M5 was just as fun to use, but for a different reason.

As the name suggests, the M5 has a built-in GPS with 40,000 courses preloaded into it. The screen is a good size, pretty responsive to the touch, and easy to read in direct sunlight. Having the GPS directly on the cart is great, you drive up to your ball and immediately have yardage to the front, back, and center of the green as well as bunkers and hazards. You can easily toggle between screens on the GPS and it offers a couple of different views to help navigate the hole. The M5 can also keep score and let you know shot distances right on the screen. Motocaddy even includes nice little touches like a screen protecter kit to ensure durability.

Driving the M5 is just as easy as the M7 with using the dial on the handle. And speaking of the handle, the grips have a great tacky rubber that grips well even in hot and humid conditions. To start the M5 you just press the dial down and the cart will gently start down the fairway. You can turn the dial to increase or decrease the speed — I found between 5-6 to be the most comfortable for me. But the speed can go up to a very fast pace if you are looking to set a record for fastest round of the day.

As you walk down the fairway, or rough, stopping the cart is as simple as pressing he dial again. When stopped the M5 engages a parking brake automatically so you don’t have to worry about it running down a hill without your approval. The M5 has tons of power to go up just about any hill and the Down Hill Control (DHC) keeps the speed consistent even when going down a steep decent.

Since the M5 has so much power, and it is a little heavy, I thought steering would be a little bit of a challenge. It wasn’t, at all. Guiding the M5 took very little effort and slight adjustments going down the fairway were very easy. Really tight turns took a slight bit more effort as the torque can want to go forward a little more than turn. Again, once you get the M5 from the car to the first tee, you will be a master at driving it.

Overall, Motocaddy has created two great carts that provide additional enjoyment to walking your favorite 9 or 18. Having the ability to walk without carrying or pushing your bag, clubs, and whatever else goes with you. I like them so much that it is going to be hard to get the M7’s remote out of my hands when I go play!

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Accessory Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Crossrope weighted jump rope & app

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An 18-hole round of golf averages out to just under five miles of walking, which on its own is a good workout. Once you throw in some potential uphill trekking you get some serious cardio too, but if you all looking for a quick workout between rounds of golf look no further than Crossrope.

Crossrope – The details

Crossrope is a system of the weighted jump rope that allows you to quickly switch the weight of the ropes you are using to boost your workout—they range from 1/4 lbs all the way up to 2 lbs depending on the kit you start out with. There is an accompanying app that helps you go through multiple workout routines and is available free, or you can upgrade to the entire library of workout routines along with more workout tracking options.

This is NOT your middle school jump rope

The handles are heavy duty and feature precision bearings to allow the rope to move smoothly around as you go through a routine. They are also ergonomic and fit into your hand naturally, which making gripping easy, something that is really nice when you’re swinging a 2 lbs coated steel cable around. The handles also come with a fast clip system to make changing cables depending on your selected workout easier too.

The ropes themselves are made from braided steel and are almost impossible to tangle, allowing them to be easily transported and stored when not in use. All in you are getting a premium piece of workout equipment that is effective and easy to store—hard to same the same thing about a treadmill.

When it comes to a workout, skipping rope is one of the most effective cardio workouts you can do, and with Crossrope, you can get both cardio and low impact weight training when using the heaviest ropes, and follow along with the guided workouts.

As someone that hadn’t used a jump rope in over a decade, starting out lighter was a nice way to ease in before moving up, and I was pleasantly surprised how easy and fun some of the workouts in the app were. If you are looking for a fun way to add something to your workouts, or you just want to try something new to get you into golf course walking shape, this could be right up your alley. To learn more check out crossrope.com

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