Accessory Reviews
Review: Game Golf
Pros: Combines GPS and motion sensing technology to track every shot with minimal disruption to the flow of the game. Advanced data capture lets golfers learn the true distance and accuracy of each of their clubs to formulate a better tee-to-green strategy.
Cons: The device itself does not double as a rangefinder, requiring players to carry a separate product to identify the distance to the pin. Less avid golfers, the kind that play only a few rounds a season, can probably get by without Game Golf’s more advanced features. There are more affordable options for players who only care about their average score and putts per hole.
Bottom Line: When released earlier this year, the makers of Game Golf promised to revolutionize how golfers play, compete, socialize and improve their game. It’s safe to say they’ve kept that promise intact.
Overview
Introduced with great fanfare at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this past January, Game Golf has been one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise abysmal year punctuated by store closings, employee layoffs and shrinking participation. If the sky is falling, as many industry experts proclaim, Game Golf hasn’t felt it. The product was sold out shortly after making its splashy debut.
Like other technology apps that have come before it, Game Golf records your rounds and analyzes your performance. But it does this with unparalleled ease and sophistication. The device itself, which is smaller than a deck of cards, clips to your belt. A set of durable tracking tags are attached to your clubs. When you’re ready to address your ball, touch the tag to the sensor on the device. You’ll hear a subtle beep and the device will gently vibrate indicating that it’s ready to track.
When your round is over, connect the device to your computer. Game Golf will transmit your data to its website where you can review your match. Like other pre-existing shot tracking systems, Game Golf will crunch your fairways hit, greens in regulation, average score and other standard insights. Where Game Golf truly separates itself from its competitors is through its ability to calculate the mean distance that you hit each club and the tendency you have to leave shots short, long, left or right of the flag. While Game Golf isn’t quite ready to tussle with the undisputed king of shot tracking systems – ShotLink – the margin of separation continues to shrink as the platform evolves.
Game Golf sells for $249 and does not include any annual subscription fees. The device can be bought online or through participating Apple stores.
Data and Accuracy
There are literarily hundreds of shot-tracking apps in the marketplace. And all of them are nearly identical in being able to track your FIRs, GIRs, putts per round, scoring average, etc. For a golfer who only plays a few times a year, this is plenty.
As for the avid golfer, the kind who can explain the difference between static and dynamic loft – you better bring the heat. This is the sort of player that will pour over results to help themselves identify what areas of their game fall short of levels attained by elite amateurs and pros.
One of the criticisms directed at Game Golf early on was that it didn’t make full use of its shot-tracking data collection. Yes, the system has always been able to measure and display shot distances, accurate to within five feet of the actual landing area. And it can’t be overstated how important it is to know how far you can actually hit your ball to lowering your score. But it’s also equally if not more important to be aware how well or poorly you’re controlling your shots as the distance to the hole increases.
The recently released Shot Performance Analysis feature is a breakthrough in advanced analytics allowing golfers to view their both their tee shot and approach shot accuracy. The new component displays a visual pattern of all your tee shots, mapping the distance each shot has travelled as well as the direction relative to the center of the fairway. On approach shots the flag becomes the target, allowing you to gauge your proximity to the hole using different clubs and from different distances.
Game Golf developed the Shot Performance Analysis component based on feedback collected from tens of thousands of avid golfers engaged with the platform, but it’s worth understanding how Columbia University Professor Mark Broadie’s research on golf shot performance has been equally influential.
For those who not familiar with Professor Broadie, he developed the acclaimed Strokes Gained Putting statistic adopted by the PGA Tour. He has also theorized (and proved through quantitative analysis) that the quality of a golfer’s shots from outside of 100 yards have a greater bearing on score than the quality of shots around the green. Or to put it another way, an average golfer would gain about 9.3 shots per round having Tiger Woods hit all their shots over 100 yards out but only 2.2 shots with Woods doing all the putting.
“We believe Mark Broadie’s strokes gained analysis is truly transformative, and it has certainly influenced how we’ve designed our analysis features,” says James Wang, Vice President of Product at Active Mind Technology, the makers of Game Golf. “One example of this is how we created visualizations of shot dispersion and distance from off the tee; similarly for approach shots, we visually show shot dispersion from various distances and various lie types. The intent is to help users formulate better tee-to-green strategies armed with this data.”
Are you consistently slicing your driver, but hooking your 3-wood? If you lay up with an iron will the gain in accuracy at a loss of distance translate to a better score? The Analysis tab can help you identify patterns in your game and will ensure practice time is spent working on the right things to lower your score. You can also use this feature to test drive a new club and compare its on-course performance against your existing gamer. Savvy golfers and industry professionals will quickly realize the immense opportunity this tool has for improving the teaching and club-fitting experience.
Features and Usability
One of the best features of the Game Golf platform is the visual map overlay of your previously signed rounds. There’s nothing quite like being able to review a round of golf you’ve played hole-by-hole, seeing the flight of the ball superimposed against the course with club and distance information available at your fingertips. When combined with Game Golf’s other statistical tools, the visual map can help you ascertain some amazing discoveries about your playing ability – whether it’s on certain holes, certain golf courses or specific situations like those long carries over water where a 5-yard miscalculation can be the difference between being wet or staying dry.
Whether you access your Game Golf profile over the web from a desktop computer or through the mobile app, the visual map is rendered the same way. It’s worth noting that the map can be a bit sluggish when viewed from a mobile device but that’s a minor quibble.
Another potentially great feature is the comparison tab where you can measure yourself against other golfers within the Game Golf community. For instance, you can compare the average length of your drives against Lee Westwood’s and feel wholly inadequate (unless of course you’re a member of GolfWRX). The tab lets you filter by all the usual stats (Fairway Accuracy, GIR, Scrambling, etc.) in addition to limiting the result set by a range of rounds or by golf course. It might be fun to see how your friends performed over the same period of time, but for the most part the comparison feature is still very primitive.
Future updates to the compare tab might allow a golfer playing to a 15 handicap index to measure themselves against the average single digit player based on a variety of criteria. “I don’t want to give too much detail here, but yes, this is something we’ve thought a lot about,” says Wang. “We know that more tools for comparison will add a lot of value for our users and help them even more in figuring out what areas of their game to focus on improving.”
In terms of statistics, Game Golf has just about everything covered. They have recently added sand save percentage, correcting a glaring oversight. Putting statistics themselves could use a pretty big overhaul, but Wang assures me that a future update will contain more detailed stats that are simple, intuitive and seamless.
Active Mind Technology has tried to strike a balance between catering to the community’s desire to immerse themselves in advanced analytics while at the same time not neglecting simple, but critical usability enhancements such as improving the scorecard.
A new drop down menu allows a user to quickly access any hole and make edits. There’s also an overview screen where you can review your round at a glance, as well as add or remove putts directly instead of having to wade through each hole’s shot-by-shot view.
Having been able to try out the device over the past several months, I’ve only had one instance over the course of 18 rounds where a scorecard was botched while being uploaded to the site. And even then, the support team at Game Golf was able to recover my shot data within the same day.
Judging by what early adopters have reported, most of the problems with scorecards were due to rounds recorded at nine-hole courses. Platform updates have since resolved those issues and Game Golf is able to handle both 18 and nine-hole rounds, as well as partial rounds and situations requiring shotgun starts.
As far as the platform’s social sharing capabilities, they are adequate for now. Users can brag about their rounds through Facebook, Twitter or email without much fuss. Push notifications let you know when any of your followers have posted rounds of their own.
John McGuire, CEO of Active Mind Technology has often referred to the platform as having a “stickiness” factor, but the reality is that the individuals within the community are still very much disconnected from a broader and more engaging social experience.
Platform Availability
Game Golf is compatible with Microsoft Windows and Apple operating systems. I have had the opportunity to run Game Golf on my MacBook Pro as well as on a laptop running Windows 8. The software runs flawlessly on Apple but has crashed on occasion on Windows. Even when it runs smoothly, data transfers with the Windows app can be a little slow.
Game Golf’s online media hub, which lets users view their rounds and stats, can be accessed through a web browser or iPhone app. Beta testing for devices running Android was recently completed and the app is now available for download from the Google Play store.
Hardware
The Game Golf device is sturdy, compact and weather resistant. The device can store up to nine rounds of golf and go about 10 hours or 36 holes before needing to be charged. When charging, a user can either plug in the device to their computer using the provided USB cable or they can connect the cable directly into an iPhone wall charger.
Setting up the device itself is pretty straightforward. Register a profile on the Game Golf website and download the appropriate software for your computer. Plug in the device to your computer so that it can be recognized. At the same time, remove the tags from the packaging and screw them into the grips on your golf clubs. Once your online profile is setup you’ll be prompted to identify the make and model of each club you’re tagging.
Once you’re out on the course, turn the device on. Game Golf will automatically discover your location, usually within five minutes. A set of indicator lights will notify you when it’s ready to go. Since releasing the product in January, Game Golf has done an outstanding job mapping courses. As you would expect, the United States has the most coverage (over 18,000 identified so far). International courses are also well represented – a list that includes more than 3,000 in the United Kingdom and 1,700 in Australia alone.
Some golfers have wondered why the device doesn’t double as a GPS range finder or provide instant statistical feedback and analysis as you progress through your round of golf. The makers of Game Golf wanted to ensure that their product would conform to USGA rules for tournament use – which it does. From a more practical standpoint, everyone from Bob Rotella to Gary Player believe that having too much information at your fingertips not only affects the pace of the game but can actually wreck a golfer’s score.
Takeaway
So is Game Golf a slam-dunk decision for each and every golfer?
With the exception of a casual player who rarely tees it up outside of a summer scramble tournament, the answer is a resounding yes. The ability to accurately track your shot distances and analyze your misses is a must-have feature for anyone who takes their game seriously and wants to improve their performance.
It isn’t simply a matter of putting meaningful data into the hands of recreational players – other technology vendors will come along with their own take on stats. Game Golf has succeeded because it has taken an idea — tracking your score — and made it inherently simple. And like other award-winning products we see in other sectors, once we start using them we often wonder what we did without them.
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Accessory Reviews
Insider photos from Tiger Woods’ launch event for his new “Sun Day Red” apparel line
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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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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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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Pingback: Golf WRX Agrees: GAME GOLF Lives Up to the Hype! – Game Golf
RK Kliebenstein
Dec 5, 2014 at 3:21 pm
Purchased Gamegolf with great excitement only to find out it does not work unless you can devote a USB port to it. The device has a technical glitch and does not work with hubs (even powered). I will be taking it back.
Hopefully more thought will be in the next version and they will fix the issue. Also, Gamegolf never warned this is a problem, which makes me believe there are other skeletons in the closet they do not disclose. It is a shame they are not more forthright with consumers.
CL
Jan 25, 2015 at 6:55 pm
You go around everywhere and leave the same negative feedback about how it doesn’t with with a hub. Who doesn’t have a usb port they can’t use fir this? I don’t know many people that even use hubs. This isn’t a deal breaker. Review the product. Maybe it’s your hub. Did you try with a different hub? Did you contact support? Did you at least try to give the product a chance bypassing the hub?
tiger168
Jan 5, 2016 at 1:21 am
This is a terrible feedback, as an avid golfer, you always find a way to make things work as golf is a life long game with life long journey to imporve upon yourself. It is a game you against yourself, and looks like you loose just on merit of given an unfair feedback on a product that has nothing to do with the product itself.
Game Golf cerrtinal isn’t perfect, but, not becuase of a reason of an UDB port versus a USB hub. USB hub is an after market product, who knows what haecking is going on in the cheap unit? If you have a UDB hub built-in with the motherboard, you won’t have this problem.
Do us (readers) a favor, review and feedback the product, a real review, instead of blaming something irrelevant, and sounds like you didn’t even try to find out why or even an attempt to resolve such issue.
Please don’t waste our (readers) time in the future.
damann
Mar 9, 2016 at 11:50 pm
I am just curious as to whether or not you have any idea on how to get rounds to upload that are still stored in pending folders on your computer after encountering this glitch. I did not know about it until it was too late, and the rounds are no longer on the device, but rather in temporary folders in the .gamegolf directory. How do I get them onto the site now?
Jason
Oct 26, 2014 at 11:31 pm
I’ve never left a product review on GolfWRX, but felt the need to do so, after using Game Golf for two months. I was hesitant to drop the $ on it, but I’m happy to say that it has exceeded my expectations. I recently moved to Denver after playing golf for years at sea-level, and was having a very difficult time figuring out my new distances because of the altitude. This device has actually lowered my handicap from about a 5 to a 2 because I’m making better club selections based on the data I review after each round. Sure, I forget to tag the club on several shots per round, but it’s easy to add them in after the round when I’m looking at the stats. Before I had the device, I would enjoy thinking about my different shots after a round, but now I actually get to see them again on the screen with the cool graphics. Lastly, because I usually play at twilight, I often only get in 6 or 8 holes at a time. I was thrilled that Game Golf can record everything, even if it’s not a full 9 or 18 holes, and will gather every stat just the same. I don’t work for the company, or have any vested interest in them. But, this is a terrific product.
Al
May 6, 2015 at 8:34 pm
Thinking about buying this product…Can someone tell me how you set where the hole actually is? I would think the application would need to know that since one of the stats should be how far from the hole all shots are. So if the green is 100 feet long and the pin is in the back, how does it know verses the pin in the front?
Mike Jarrett
May 16, 2015 at 5:28 am
You can’t , but if you record the putts it is fairly good as it knows where you are on the green.
Tim Green
Sep 20, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Hi, can this be used with android or only Iphones?
bradford
Dec 1, 2014 at 7:58 am
both
dude
Sep 1, 2014 at 9:34 pm
I have used this for 6 rounds and love it. I love technology and this does not disappoint. For me it is great to see what I need to work on to prepare for the next tournament. I am not a pro, but like to play in a lot of state events. It is easy to adjust a round or shots after the round. The best thing I have found out about this is that I completely forget about my score during the round. I remember where I hit the ball when I get done, but it really helps to take your mind of score. I highly recommend and it appears they are updating all the time. I take the distance avg with a grain of salt, but I think it is relatively close to normal. The more shots I hit and rounds I log will work my avg. club distances out.
John B
Sep 8, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Completely agree, I think the system is fantastic to be honest. I’ve been using it for the past 3 months and have already dropped 5 strokes. For what it does, it does it beautifully and is very easy to use. The tag and go comes second nature to me now and has actually helped me improve my game can use it as performance trigger to get me in the zone before each shot. These guys also listen to their customers and are constantly improving the entire system so I’m giving them a huge thumbs up for that. The amount of time and effort it has saved me by providing quality stats. I was never a stats nut but now I am and when you look at the value it has brought to my game it’s a no brainer.
The Challenges feature they just released is another major break through, I had my brother in London and my Dad back in France all out competing against me yesterday in our own private GIR challenge. So much phone and the fact I on gives me an extra bit of pocket change this week 🙂
Splitter
Aug 28, 2014 at 5:14 am
Reply to Rob:
For some reason the software will not let me reply to you.
Thanks for posting the link. It was nice to see what is on the back end. Since this is about GG, I don’t want to do the same link to my fav and be labled a spammer, or worse, get into a Gui pissing match, but I will say that * IMHO* the stats I get immediately after the round and on the web are more detailed.
For example:
Same overview shot style screen. I.e lines on the fairway from shot to landding.
ALL tracked yardage vs. average yardage
Score comparo between this round and average round
Average score per hole for round vs. average
Average puts per GIR & hole (misses) vs. average
GIR round vs. average
Drive results for round vs. average ( straight, left, right, fat, thin)
Scramble chances, successes vs. average
Sand saves
Penalties
Etc…
That said ANYONE can take the data we are giving to the system and spit it back out. It’s literally just a good geek and programmer picking the right data to analyse and deliver in an easy to use way.
The key as you noted is ease of use. It may have been hard once, but I hit three buttons.. Start, club, stop. That’s the Beauty of software. They can fix it quickly and cheaply. 🙂
Which is why I want to see these guys fix the data gathering. It needs to be TOTALLY transparent to the user. That’s what people are not getting. The tags and box are going to kill them when we people understand that it’s easy to fix the gathering with three button pushes. BUT, I HAVE to push the buttons (easy or not). I don’t really want to, but want to do that more than carry a box and attach things to my clubs. GG could fix that!
These guys could do that because they are already in the HW biz . But they are talking about software?!?! This battle won’t be won in software, but in the HW gathering devices..
What happens when someone uses the same software on my phone ( or watch) but puts a passive RFID sticker on my clubs that speaks to my phone via a Bluetooth portal on my bag.
I’m just not seeing that GG gets that. And that is the future of their company, NOT software.
But I am happy you are liking the device and appreciate the link.
JF8
Aug 21, 2014 at 11:38 am
Can someone who owns this explain how the distance data works?
My concern with the device is when you play different types of shots with each club …. knock downs, cuts and draws etc
How can it give you an accurate average distance? Is there an easy way to differentiate between the types of shots your hitting? e.g. manually tagging them when the device is connected to a computer?
Rusty Cage
Aug 21, 2014 at 12:14 pm
JF8,
Straight from Game Golf’s support staff:
Thank you for reaching out to us at GAME GOLF! Right now, our system takes a median distance, so shots that are not hit full will cause little to no effect on your club performance data. That being said, our next feature we will be releasing will allow you to set a minimum distance for each club which will allow us to only calculate the yardages hit over X yards into your club performance section. This feature will provide even more accurate figures than we currently present.
JF8
Aug 22, 2014 at 6:29 am
Thanks for that…. based upon their response…. I think i’ll just stick to working yardages out using a launch monitor!
Rhett
Aug 28, 2014 at 8:29 pm
According to a new piece they just put in the club performance section of your profile Distance Averages are calculated as approximately 90% of your shots for each club. After 2 rounds you will notice outliers being eliminated from your club performance, this includes chips and any punch shot that isn’t flushed close to your full distance.
Obviously the more rounds and shots you put into the system the more precise data you will get out of it. It has worked great for me, I’ve been playing the same distances since high school and realized my real on-course yardage is about 4 yards shorter with my mid irons to wedges than the yardage I associated each club with in my head.
The result, more greens hit and lower scores, makes the game much easier 🙂
Splitter
Aug 21, 2014 at 4:36 am
Isn’t this the second front page review / preview on this? C’mon golfWRX! It reads like an ad to boot. 🙁
I REALLY like what they are claiming to do behind the scenes, but I tend to judge technology on how well it does the table stakes stuff. If the “easy” isn’t there, why should I trust the tough data?
And, to be clear, I love companies like this. We need guys doing these things. But, IMHO, these guys will be dead within 24 months if they don’t find an easier, less intrusive way of gathering the data.
So… I’m not buying ease of use or value vs. current gear for the high $$$ just yet.
My inexpensive phone GPS app already does this with scorecard & GPS too. And although I usually only look at the occasional distance if things are wonkey that day, you can look at the stats real time. Oh.. And I can see my buddies as well. The line about not looking during a round is PURE marketing.
Within a year any decent gps watch or phone GPS will do this. Strike, record, stop. It’s not rocket science.
Since any dope can take big data and make it readable, GGs only advantage is in making the hardware SUPER EASY. And, IMHO it needs work. Work that, like some of their software issues, no one seems to want to acknowledge. I’ve watched dozens of great tech companies drink their own kool aid, not recognize their *real* issues and sink because of it.
Would LOVE to be proven wrong, but their startup strategy has not been impressive and I’m not dumping $250 on a company that may or may not exist in a year.
Mike Connolly
Aug 21, 2014 at 1:30 pm
GMAC, Jim Furyk, Lee Westwood, US Golf Channel and the PGA of America to name but a few are behind this product. The line about not looking at your phone during a round is not a marketing gimmick. If there is any interaction with your phone on the course (i.e.) then it would not be permissible under the rules of golf. For GAME GOLF there is no interaction with your phone on purpose during play – as such the US PGA and British PGA have approved this device to be used in tournament play. Otherwise it would not be allowed.
That is part of the problem with your phone or any other device at the moment.
You mention software issues and their start-up strategy is not impressive. How impressive do you want a start up to actually be? I have already named out the list of backers/fans of this product and even Obama was out wearing it last week. http://www.golfwrx.com/238475/spotted-president-obama-uses-game-golf/
You must know some awesome start-ups that could beat the collection of folks this company has behind them.
Its very annoying when people comment on devices when it is pretty obvious they haven’t even used it. This is new, innovative and instead of trolling the company you should be impressed that they are trying to do to move Golf forward.
Every month they are releasing new software enhancements and features which adds to this product – they are actively listening to user requests and actually doing something about them. Since I bought the device they have done a new release of the software each month. Pretty damn awesome if you ask me!
Adios.
Splitter
Aug 22, 2014 at 12:22 am
Maybe you should re-read the positive comments in my post. You know, the parts where I say ” I love companies like this, we need guys doing these things” and “I really like what they are claiming to do” or “I would love to be proven wrong”.
I know, it’s easier to find something to argue about instead of understand the written post.
Blind loyalty only goes so far. If they are willing to listen, *real* feedback is important. “Obama uses it, so it’s good enough for me!”, not so much. That’s naive, serves no purpose in moving the company forward and may even hurt them.
I don’t suppose you understand the complete contradiction of saying “it is very annoying when people comment on devices when it is pretty obvious they haven’t even used it”… Right along with “This looks even better than I thought it was”. “My wife doesn’t know it, but I might treat myself to a birthday present this month.” I’d humbly suggest you be annoyed with yourself.
In the meantime, when the product does what *I* want from it, I’ll buy it. But for now, like it or not, I get to have an opinion and NOT buy based in what I’ve seen.
Uhhh.. Adios to you too?
Jeremy
Aug 23, 2014 at 12:50 am
Check and mate, sir.
Rob
Aug 25, 2014 at 2:00 pm
I have this device. I’ve owned it for a while now. I saw it in an Apple store in London and just thought wow!
However a month or so later I was tempted to return it as I didn’t really see the point, until last month. They released the analysis functionality that’s an eye opener!
Anyway I have previously used the iPhone apps that you mention. The whole process of tagging your shot is simply hold the butt of the club to your belt, it beeps you take your shot. The iPhone app method was just toooo instrusive having to click through different clubs click at the start click at the end, select another club etc etc.
You also get evidence to back up your bragging rights in the 19th hole 🙂
There’s one of my better rounds if you are interested in seeing how the web site looks:
http://www.gamegolf.com/round/67716
Rob
tiger168
Jan 5, 2016 at 2:00 am
Let me see…
we dump more than $250 on a golf club that might not work for us, ALL THE TIME! Every year! Those investment do not improve my scores! This is a “tool”, that actually has the potential to improve my score. If you think course management improve your score more than your new clubs, this tool manages your club selections and distance management, arguably a more effective next step in course management. (Does this sound better than their BS marketing?? LOL)
Investors/institutions dump money on ventures that fails all the time, statistically, only less than 6% of venture capital funded company survives, that is, including companies sold or merged prior IPO. This country thrives on start-up of every kind, garage based or not, big or small, no one say which model is the best. When crow funding just came out, everyone was laughing, but, they stop laughing when the first company was funded where no VC will ever invest and the company took off became part of the history.
Of those successfully funded technology companies, their technology, usually do not have the “best” technology , as they have often had to acquire patents and rights or steal others to be successful. Apple does it all the time with a superior legal staff. Other companies follow suit.
Good products doesn’t mean the product will be around forever, even if the company is still around, a la, MOTOACTV. I still use it, many people still use it, the product has been discontinued for years and the company, Motorola, has since change owner multiple times, a la, Google, and now Lenovo. I have yet to seen a similar product beating it straight out until recently few came close, and Apple watch is a joke!
Marketing is just that, marketing. You don’t have to believe it, but, someone, somehow, the consumer needs to be informed. It is what it is. But, most of the consumers, especially golfers, are not your average Joe. Ok, I will just say it, golfers are the smartest consumers around, they are not stupid or impulse buyers , and they are not like those gadgets or electronic products buyers. So there goes that!
If the existing GPS apps can do what it does, how come they have not done it? I will tell you this, these cheap GPS apps product are the ones that is not going to be around, with your logic, this will be ultimate conclusion, isn’t it? But, you still choose to use it, I take? So you want “free” or “cheap” no brainer product to use. Yet, you complained about a better throughout, company with vision and strategy with long term goals? What’s the logic behind that?
When and if these “free” and “cheap” app company decided to take on GG, they are late to the market, they will have to come up with better BS marketing, which you wouldn’t approve anyway, right??
I applause for GG’s efforts and willingness to take the risk to come to market with a good product, the qualities are there, you can see it, the design show well thought out process, I will not be shy to wear a nice designed product on my bell, I have seen far worst products click to the best, this one, is not bad at all.
The App is of course a constant improvement item. And it is easy to update since it is in all the app stores. There are no issues because the app can only get better. And features can only get richer. I would hope it will eventually show me my tempo, swing action, simulation, swing speed, additional sensors, etc.. who knows. I can see a “platform” product, not just a single one. I love the concept and after considering and monitoring for 6 months, I am now a proud owner.
Tyler
Aug 14, 2014 at 12:25 pm
I don’t understand the “it’s hard to use”, or “the software is difficult”. Those that think that, have you used it for more than a handful of rounds? I am not on their staff or trying to push the product, but I want people thinking about buying it to understand it is extremely easy to use from the time you take it out of the box up to submitting your “signed card”.
It takes me a whole 10 minutes after a round to plug in my device to charge, upload my round, edit my round (which is extremely easy), sign the round, and review each hole and the stats from the round to look for improvement and tendencies.
Bottom line this product is non-intrusive during play, a great way to develop a pre-shot routine (if you dont already have one), easy to upload stats post round, and a lot of fun to analyze after getting 5-10+ rounds uploaded.
In regards to accuracy:
If you want it to be accurate to the half yard you are out of luck, but since I use a gps during round for yardages I can easily adjust post round if game golf picked up an incorrect location. Once again, this is easy!
joesixpack
Aug 17, 2014 at 10:56 pm
Totally disagree. I forgot to tap multiple times every round, found myself going backwards to the spot where I last hit so I could make up for a tap, etc.
Using the software to recreate missed shots was buggy and tedious.
Plugging in the device after the round to download the data reminded me of my palm pilot from 1997. Why isn’t this thing wireless? It feels like totally antiquated technology to me.
tiger168
Jan 5, 2016 at 2:15 am
If you don’t remember where your shot landed, of course, you will have problem making edits after the round. If you know where to run back to re-tag, then you already know where your shot landed and can be easily edit it on the phone or computer after the round. Tee shots are even easier to edit. It is not recreating with buggy data. The stats are meant to be average to begin with, what did you expect? you can’t shoot on your intended/targeted distance and direction most of the time anyways. It just sounded like you don’t want to do a little bit more work to obtain the desired result. Just like people don’t practice shots and expect miracle results when they go on a course to play and complained why this game is so hard.
to Tag is a must, not because it cannot use wireless, as the GG live are using Bluetooth already, it is wireless when it is needed it. To tag is a must, because the club doesn’t know where you are, whether you are standing on top of your ball, or just looking out somewhere or staring at a poisonous snake or plants. To tag is absolutely logical.
AB
Aug 14, 2014 at 10:07 am
I have a question about the device that you put on the belt..
DOes this not interfere with your downswing. I try to keep my right forearm close to the right thigh to come from the inside I feel like I will \hit the device if I put in on my belt.
Rusty Cage
Aug 14, 2014 at 10:33 am
AB,
The device is pretty small and shouldn’t interfere with your downswing. However, as a right-handed player, I have decided to clip the sensor against my left hip so that I don’t even have to think about the possibility of brushing against it as I swing down.
Rob
Aug 25, 2014 at 2:02 pm
I knocked mine off the other day, I now wear it on the left side of my belt 🙂
marcel
Aug 14, 2014 at 12:09 am
just another excuse not to see your local Golf Pro to fix your swing!!!
Mike Connolly
Aug 14, 2014 at 7:37 am
You have missed one of the major selling points of this device. You can allow your local golf pro to view your stats at any time. Obviously over time they will help build a clearer picture of what aspects of your game needs work. Your local golf pro or whoever your instructor is (can be based anywhere in the world) can provide feedback and exercises/drills for you to work on to improve your game.
This device will provide added value for you and your coach not the other way around.
Again if its good enough for Obama its good enough for me : -)
Rob
Aug 25, 2014 at 2:04 pm
Completely the opposite!
I take this to my Golf Pro so that he can see where I’m going wrong. We have an hour on Bunker shots and 50 Yard pitches planned for Tuesday.
Mike Connolly
Aug 13, 2014 at 7:14 pm
http://www.golfwrx.com/238475/spotted-president-obama-uses-game-golf/
Obama in action
AOK
Aug 13, 2014 at 6:58 am
This is a great system – so easy to use on the golfcourse – just a matter of tapping the sensor to the little console, and then play your shot! The Shot Performance Analysis is unreal – the data that is obtained is very comprehensive and so much can be learned about the shots you take – not just distance!
They are releasing cool features every few weeks – from what I have read online, there are more to be released in the next few months. The fact that the system is constantly being improved is only a good thing.
I havent had any reason to contact their customer service in the 3 months that I have had it, but from other reviews I have read elsewhere there have been no issues in that regard.
All in all – a great system. For the price its a no brainer!! Would highly recommend.
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C Webb
Aug 12, 2014 at 10:37 pm
I’ve now logged 37 rounds on my GameGolf device and love it. Real useful data I share with my coach to work on the weaker parts of my game. You get charts with your progress over time to see how you are improving (or not improving). I got to compare data from my previous 910D3 driver against my new i25 to see differences. It gives me a great idea of how far I hit my irons in different wind conditions, or when I hit draws or fades. I also enjoy going over the pro’s practice rounds before their tournaments (Westwood, GMac, Furyk, Lydia Ko have all logged rounds @ Firestone, TPC Sawgrass, Bay Hill even the Par 3 Course at Augusta National). Another thing I value is being able to review my rounds at courses I don’t play that often… to understand where I got more room or less room on certain holes etc…. overall great product, I recommend it.
antonio
Aug 13, 2014 at 4:46 am
I agree it is a great and very useful product but have not been able to get as much info as you mention. How can you compare previous driver performance vs current one? How can you asses your club distances considering wind conditions?
Thanks
Philip
Aug 12, 2014 at 10:27 pm
I have been using the Game Golf system for a few months now and love it. It is basically Strava for Golf, and it makes tracking my game a piece of cake. There is a lot to be said for just tagging and going, and it’s super simple to use. Once I get back, it’s pretty straightforward to download the game and check out my scores. It has been scarily accurate on the GPS readings. Really useful to compare to my friend’s scores, and it always makes my buddies want to go out and buy one. Battery life is good enough for a few games, but I hear that they are making improvements and the next version will be a even better. I’m a fan.
Mike Connolly
Aug 12, 2014 at 6:55 pm
This looks even better than what I thought it was. I have a friend who has it and loves it. The only feedback he mentioned that they are doing software updates each month i.e. rolling out more and more features. He was delighted with the initial purchase but thinks it is an unreal piece of kit now. My wife Geraldine doesn’t know it yet but I might treat myself with a birthday present this month 🙂
ParHunter
Aug 12, 2014 at 4:29 pm
I had the GameGolf device and I thought it is a great concept but I had to return it as I got too many off-readings. Sometimes the location was off by up to 30 yards. Enough to make you question the data you get.
Has anyone else had similar problems? I am still hoping it was just a dodgy device. I would get one again if I am sure it is more accurate (inside 5 feet as claimed in the article).
joesixpack
Aug 21, 2014 at 8:10 am
Yep. I hit a par three in one. I was about 3 feet from the edge of the green. When I plugged in my device and downloaded my data, it showed me as about 25 yards off the back of the green. They must have used cheap, low quality GPS units.
And if I’m going to carry a GPS unit on my belt, why wouldn’t it show me distances to the green like a skycaddie? That couldn’t cost much more to incorporate. This thing costs $250 but they didn’t want to add a $5 LCD display?
tiger168
Jan 5, 2016 at 2:36 am
Because it will require more electronic circuitry, more battery or bigger battery. I don’t think they are using cheap GPS chips, as they are commodities now and there is no $$$ big enough differential for GG to choose a “cheap” GPS chip. And you don’t even know what chip they are using.
GPS gadget like Skycaddie also make mistakes from time to time. Some yardage on course can different up to 10-30- yards when I use those Skycaddie like gadgets.
GPS software is also open source standard, GPS location are basically triangulating via multiple satellites. Except, tri meaning 3, GPS uses up to 12 satellites to calculate location data. But, it requires more time. If you are a fast player like John Daly, Brandt Sneadeker, Ricke Fowler, Jhonny Vegas, Brian Davis… you might want to slow down a bit since the best GPS calculation result in any gadget will take up to 30 seconds to sync. The longer you can wait the more accurate the GPS result will be. 30 second maximum, after that, the GPS stop calculating, that is in most of the open source GPS software. But, if you move around (take a step or 2) and not standing still, the GPS is constantly recalculating, calculation does not drain that much battery, but, waiting for GPS satellite does.
The fact that GG unit can last 10 hours, basically 2 rounds in one day, is well thought out and quite a nice piece of equipment for that size and weight ratio.
Yes, it will have issues from time to time and my points are it is no worst then your other GPS gadgets.
I would say, create a pre-shot routine and incorporate some of these points, you will receive better results.
Also, GPS satellite for commercial use are not perfect either, unless you are using the military GPS specs and military grade chips. You can’t get/buy them on any consumer gadgets.
Richard Youden
Aug 12, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Does anyone have one of these? Do you have to wear that ‘tag’ on your belt or can you attach it to your golf bag? Thats the only thing I don’t like the look of with this system…
Mike Connolly
Aug 12, 2014 at 6:55 pm
My friend attaches it to his golf bag although most use it (and is recommended I think) on their belt.
ForgedIron
Aug 13, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Tagging the club is what tells the device where you are hitting the shot from. If your bag is on a golf cart during 25yds from where the ball is actually being played from, the data is useless. I thought it would be disruptive, made it a part of my pre-shot routing by tagging as I step in.
joesixpack
Aug 14, 2014 at 8:26 am
How would you tag putts? You would have to do it after you finish putting and get back to your bag (if you remember to do so). If this thing does any putting analysis (and I dont think it does — as I recall it just assumes that the pin is in the center of the green if you 1-putt), the data would be meaningless because it would think you putted from wherever your bag is.
tiger168
Jan 5, 2016 at 3:23 am
I wear the “device” not the “tag” on my belt. Some of my friend just leave it in their pocket, because their outfit color does not go with “red”. What doesn’t go with red? LOL.
Few of my friend wear at the back of the belt above their pocket, so they don’t even see it or worry about it. They got so used to it for tagging, as I thought it might be a challenge, but they did it with ease. I guess, I was thinking too much.
Tagging give you data such as where your shot landed and where your next shot is starting from. It has to be near the ball for tagging so the whole system works accurately. It trains discipline, commitment and focus. Because when I lack anyone of those, I will forget to tag.
It is interesting that shot I tag, tents to be better shots then those I rush and forget to tag. Maybe GG should have a statistical report on shots recorded automatically, versus edited. LOL…
MJ
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:01 pm
Seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these for a try. This looks like very valuable information.
dot dot
Aug 12, 2014 at 12:43 pm
another 4+ star review. The GWRX review streak remains intact.
Jeremy
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:34 pm
Yup, and despite every other review I’ve seen, WRX considers it 2/10 from utter perfection. What a joke.
smokeandmirrors
Aug 12, 2014 at 8:45 pm
Seriously, There are pages and pages of reviews on Game Golf talking about how difficult the back end software is to use. Many, Many people were disappointed and sent their product back.
How does this get a 96% approval rating.
Caveat Emptor….
Mike Connolly
Aug 13, 2014 at 5:33 pm
There are pages and pages of people also commenting on how good it is. Barack Obama just used it on vacation so it can’t be half bad :-)!
SBoss
Aug 13, 2014 at 11:45 pm
Obama using something is not a good reason to consider it. In fact, many golfers don’t exactly care for Mr. Obama and would likely shy away from products that he uses….
And hacks aren’t the people driving engagement in golf equipment.
RJ
Sep 16, 2014 at 8:42 pm
If Obama uses this, it must be really easy to use.. Foolproof!
bradford
Dec 1, 2014 at 9:29 am
Pages and pages? Sounds like someone is making up stories, I’ll need actual information here…
Back End software? Again, this is pucky. You have no idea what that even means do you? Are you seriously saying the developers of this product have been on the web complaining about how difficult the HMI integration is?
Please feel free to post your experience, but to simply make shit up is just stupid.
ParHunter
Aug 13, 2014 at 4:54 am
Yes giving it 5 stars for accuracy is a joke.
I think the scale here doesn’t go from 0 to 5 but only from 4.5 to 5