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First off, I think a little background may be in order. I have been playing about 12 years now and while I don't have an official USGA handicap (I am getting one started next year) I usually (average) shoot between 83-88 with the occasional 80 and 81 thrown in.
There were FOUR main reasons I settled on the uPro;
The Google Earth-type display for each hole I thought would help me with perspective on each hole.
The AnyPoint measuring feature.
The software management of the unit where it can get software downloads when they come out without having to buy the latest hardware (at least for a good while).
The "Cool" factor (I can admit it
.Got the unit last week and Sunday was my first time out with it at a course I have played maybe 4 or 5 times (Shiloh Springs G.C. in Platte City, MO).
Pluses:
Accuracy. Accuracy in relation to the GPS on the golf cart was within 1-2 yds, but most importantly, accuracy on distance for my shots (Gap wedge goes 95-100 yds) was spot-on throughout my set.
Software load 3.0. After registering the device it prompted me to download and install the 3.0 load, which I did. I therefore have no knowledge of the old software but the unit gave me no problems with locking up (a worry before buying).
The "walking" shot measurement worked well and I was able to give drive distances to my playing partners on the way to my ball.
The green outline was helpful, and I didn't have an issue with the screen in sunlight (another worry I had). Now, there were a couple of times that I did have to shade it with my hand or turn a bit to shield it from the sun in Pro mode but unless one is walking every course at noon (granted some people may do this, not bashing anyone or belittling the worry mind you), a hand to the side, cart roof, or a hat over it would be no big deal for me.
The biggest dilemma I had between this unit and the SG5 when buying was the "Intelligreen" feature the SG5 had. While the uPro doesn't have this feature (which is pretty cool) it does have something like it. On another thread I read a question regarding this but no clear-cut answer so I will try with an example from my round.
On one straight-away Par 4 I pushed my drive to the right in the rough leaving me 120 yds to the middle of the green. From the middle of the fairway to the middle of the green it was 107 yds. This green is kind of skinny and long so from the fairway it was 92 yds to the front. From where my ball was it was 106 yds to the front and the measurements changed orientation relative to where I was. From the fairway it was a "6 o'clock to 12 o'clock" orientation and from where I was it was a "4 o'clock to 10 o'clock" orientation and the yardage to Front, Middle, and Back all changed accordingly. This happened on all the holes that I played so if you wanted the green to change position you would have to rotate the unit a bit but as far as the yardages were concerned the line drawn by all three gave you a good indicator of your direction even without rotating the unit which was not something that I expected. These three yardages were in line with you and would be apparent if you zoomed out a little as you have a marker for your position. uPlay should definitely tout this feature as it was pretty cool and one that was pretty unexpected.
AnyPoint. This is one feature that worked better than I had hoped. It was super accurate and was directly responsible for 1 of the 2 birdies I had on the front nine. I was able to plan my second shot to leave me a 100-125 yd approach. I caught the shot kind of fat and it left me a 125 yd third shot coming in but I had a ton of confidence getting ready for that important 2nd shot. I have read in other threads where it was "touchy" but, again, I only have experience with the 3.0 software load and it worked very quickly and easily.
The Minuses:
Power Save. The power save feature was a little annoying as I had intentionally left it on "Normal" Power Save to see what would happen, and every time I took the unit out of my pocket I would have to hit the select button to "wake" it up. After my 3 hr and 45 minute round, I still had over 60% battery left. If you wanted to golf 36 holes it would be close if you constantly played with the unit on the course. No biggie, but I think I will be buying a car USB charger just in case.
Durability. The unit definitely feels fragile and I found myself handling it with great care. While not a huge deal for me, I will be getting a protective skin for it (didn't someone on this site say that there was a mobile phone skin for it?), it is something to think about if you like to be rough with your gadgets or like the ability to.
Summary:
I had played this course 4-5 times before today's round so I wasn't using the "flyby" much after the 3rd hole. I still got a huge amount of use in Pro Mode with the zoomed out view of the holes for my drives on blind tee shots as well as for using the Anypoint feature where the uPlay really shined. I shot my best round ever (a 77 on a Par 71
) and I would say that the unit saved me about 4-6 strokes. Ultimately you still have to hit the shots, drives and putts, but I felt so confident before each shot that I know it had an effect on me and this confidence was rewarded. 3 doubles, 2 Single Bogies and a bunch of Pars would reflect most of my rounds but I also had 2 Birdies. It met or (often) exceeded my expectations going into my first round with it and I would greatly recommend it to anyone wanting a GPS device. There are +/- to all the units and you have to decide for yourself what the most important features to you are.
I hope this helps anyone who had specific questions on the uPro.
Hit 'em straight!
Cruz
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