110 replies to this topic

[emo]

After doing lots of research and looking at many reviews i have decided to preorder the new garmin approach g6. After returning my callaway mx that i loved, I have been on the quest for the perfect gps. I beeen looking for something waterproof, touch screen and able to record stats. last night i preorderd the garmin g6 never owned a garmin before tell me what you think?

[tucsondivots]

emo, on 22 January 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

After doing lots of research and looking at many reviews i have decided to preorder the new garmin approach g6. After returning my callaway mx that i loved, I have been on the quest for the perfect gps. I beeen looking for something waterproof, touch screen and able to record stats. last night i preorderd the garmin g6 never owned a garmin before tell me what you think?

Garmin.jpg

I am hoping it is a winner and considering a pre-order.  The write-ups seem to indicate Garmin listened to some of the ideas from users to improve this over the G3 and G5 (form improvements, better visibility in sunlight, improved stats).
I would like to see some reviews by actual users.  Was there any indication when pre-orders may ship?  I had read February 17.  Hopefully, they do a better job of launching than Callaway did on the uPro MX.

[emo]

i was told it shipped feb 3 by golf smith where i orderd

[Big Ben]

My G5 has been bullet proof so if they improved it I would say it's a can't loose...BB

[milfordj]

emo, on 22 January 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

i was told it shipped feb 3 by golf smith where i orderd

Any further info on when this item shipped?  I've read that it might not be til end of Feb, just because original write-up indicated an anticipated Feb 2012 availability.

[Funkey]

milfordj, on 15 February 2012 - 12:49 PM, said:

emo, on 22 January 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

i was told it shipped feb 3 by golf smith where i orderd

Any further info on when this item shipped?  I've read that it might not be til end of Feb, just because original write-up indicated an anticipated Feb 2012 availability.

I would like to know when as well.  I have read that it is 2/27 but not sure.  I'm going to get one of these.  I like the specs and programs it offers.  Guess I need to preorder one but not sure where to get it at.

[emo]

Funkey, on 16 February 2012 - 11:22 PM, said:

milfordj, on 15 February 2012 - 12:49 PM, said:

emo, on 22 January 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

i was told it shipped feb 3 by golf smith where i orderd

Any further info on when this item shipped?  I've read that it might not be til end of Feb, just because original write-up indicated an anticipated Feb 2012 availability.

I would like to know when as well.  I have read that it is 2/27 but not sure.  I'm going to get one of these.  I like the specs and programs it offers.  Guess I need to preorder one but not sure where to get it at.

[emo]

golf smith have 29 of them in there inventory ready to ship today

[tbowles411]

Nice.  I may have to pick one up!  A GPS really helped my game.  Marching off yardage and looking for markers are a pain!

[mikem5243]

tbowles411, on 17 February 2012 - 11:22 AM, said:

Nice.  I may have to pick one up!  A GPS really helped my game.  Marching off yardage and looking for markers are a pain!

Ordered one from TGW ON THE 17 th in stock. Should have it this week.  Hope it is all they say it is !

[Chromium]

I found out that the golfsmith near me has some G6's. They had a unit available to play with.

Bottom line is I think Garmin kinda dropped the ball on this one.

I say this from the perspective of somebody who already has a G5. The good part is the form factor is really quite a bit smaller. It is MUCH less bulky than the G5 and weighs about half as much. It is also nice that there are no "lips" to the edges of the screen if you need to press there. It is very fast and responsive, perhaps more so than the G5. That said, it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy, or tank-like as the G5. I can see opinions differing on whether this is good or bad, but it's much smaller.

I think the G6 is really a repurposed Garmin Edge unit, just like the G5 was a repurposed Oregon unit. You can read more about these on some cycling sites, theres a lot of debate as to what is actually the better unit.

In terms of functions, there are a few nice tweaks to what the G5 did, such as easier club distance tracking (slightly) and scoring with handicaps or stableford, but I don't think these things are really that useful. I get the feel that they made a couple of simple software tweaks and said "hey look! new feature." Not impressed. If you want stat tracking, use your iPhone/android and use an oobgolf application. Way better.

You get world course database. I'd use this maybe once a year. Others may feel differently.

The buttons that are on this unit really don't seem to add anything on first glance. The Score/measure and Green buttons correspond to the on screen button functions on the G5. They're just physical buttons. Not a big deal to me. There may be some other functional advantage, but I don't see it. It's like they knew the edge had two physical buttons on front and felt they had to use them.

But here's the real problem....

The screen.

On the plus side, I think it will be more visible in high sunlight, but it's also really glossy. Scratches and glare I think will be an issue without some protection there.

The screen is smaller. While the dimensions are not that different on paper, it is noticeable. I compared it side to side with a G5. What kills it is that the resolution of this unit is less than even the G5 and it shows. The diagrams of holes are much less sharp and smooth, and they are smaller. After being used to the G5 they almost feel "zoomed out" to some degree. The layup arcs now included on the G6 therefore are really small, and even when zoomed in, the quality of the display is NOT up to par with the G5 in my opinion. And that breaks the deal completely for me. I compared the same course witht he G5 display unit next to it, and I still prefer the G5. YMMV, but I STRONGLY suggest that if you are considering this unit that you look at it in person before buying.

There really isn't much different here from the G5, I don't see it as a substantial upgrade, and there are some areas like the screen which I think are worse.

If you are looking for a new GPS and don't have one, the G6 is a good choice. If you looking to upgrade from a G3/G5, my opinion is there is no way this is worth it. Take note, I did not use this unit in "real life" to play golf, but I can't see my opinion changing on this matter...there just aren't enough functional differences from the previous units. And I say that loving my G5.

[Golfwarrior]

I'm thinking of getting this to replace Golfshot. Looks like a good unit and the price isn't crazy.

[Funkey]

I'm always a bit skeptical when someone with 3 post is running down a product.  Could be a troll.

I have one of these on order that should ship on the 24th.  I will post a report as soon as I have a chance to use it.

Chromium, on 20 February 2012 - 04:13 PM, said:

I found out that the golfsmith near me has some G6's. They had a unit available to play with.

Bottom line is I think Garmin kinda dropped the ball on this one.

I say this from the perspective of somebody who already has a G5. The good part is the form factor is really quite a bit smaller. It is MUCH less bulky than the G5 and weighs about half as much. It is also nice that there are no "lips" to the edges of the screen if you need to press there. It is very fast and responsive, perhaps more so than the G5. That said, it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy, or tank-like as the G5. I can see opinions differing on whether this is good or bad, but it's much smaller.

I think the G6 is really a repurposed Garmin Edge unit, just like the G5 was a repurposed Oregon unit. You can read more about these on some cycling sites, theres a lot of debate as to what is actually the better unit.

In terms of functions, there are a few nice tweaks to what the G5 did, such as easier club distance tracking (slightly) and scoring with handicaps or stableford, but I don't think these things are really that useful. I get the feel that they made a couple of simple software tweaks and said "hey look! new feature." Not impressed. If you want stat tracking, use your iPhone/android and use an oobgolf application. Way better.

You get world course database. I'd use this maybe once a year. Others may feel differently.

The buttons that are on this unit really don't seem to add anything on first glance. The Score/measure and Green buttons correspond to the on screen button functions on the G5. They're just physical buttons. Not a big deal to me. There may be some other functional advantage, but I don't see it. It's like they knew the edge had two physical buttons on front and felt they had to use them.

But here's the real problem....

The screen.

On the plus side, I think it will be more visible in high sunlight, but it's also really glossy. Scratches and glare I think will be an issue without some protection there.

The screen is smaller. While the dimensions are not that different on paper, it is noticeable. I compared it side to side with a G5. What kills it is that the resolution of this unit is less than even the G5 and it shows. The diagrams of holes are much less sharp and smooth, and they are smaller. After being used to the G5 they almost feel "zoomed out" to some degree. The layup arcs now included on the G6 therefore are really small, and even when zoomed in, the quality of the display is NOT up to par with the G5 in my opinion. And that breaks the deal completely for me. I compared the same course witht he G5 display unit next to it, and I still prefer the G5. YMMV, but I STRONGLY suggest that if you are considering this unit that you look at it in person before buying.

There really isn't much different here from the G5, I don't see it as a substantial upgrade, and there are some areas like the screen which I think are worse.

If you are looking for a new GPS and don't have one, the G6 is a good choice. If you looking to upgrade from a G3/G5, my opinion is there is no way this is worth it. Take note, I did not use this unit in "real life" to play golf, but I can't see my opinion changing on this matter...there just aren't enough functional differences from the previous units. And I say that loving my G5.

[emo]

I agree with the above post . I received my new garmin g6 on friday the 17th from golf smith and since then i have only gotten the chance of taking it to my local par three course to get a feel for it.  
This is only my second gps ever the first was the callaway upro mx , i have never had any of the problems that were being reported by so many other. When callaway recalled the mx i deciced to take the money and run.
i was impressed by the size of the garmin g6 its about the same size as the mx slightly thicker with a slight larger screen.
What i like about the garmin g6 is right out of the box you only have to turn it on and walk to the course there is no set up time .
It takes the garmin less than a minute to pare with the course and add players . The touch screen is very smooth and light years faster than the mx,  the two added bottons at the bottom of  the g6  makes it easy to measure the distance and add scores. There are so many other features that a like about the garmin, i can say that this has been one of my best investment in my golf life and i am a real club ho.

[milfordj]

Chromium, on 20 February 2012 - 04:13 PM, said:

I found out that the golfsmith near me has some G6's. They had a unit available to play with.

Bottom line is I think Garmin kinda dropped the ball on this one.

I say this from the perspective of somebody who already has a G5. The good part is the form factor is really quite a bit smaller. It is MUCH less bulky than the G5 and weighs about half as much. It is also nice that there are no "lips" to the edges of the screen if you need to press there. It is very fast and responsive, perhaps more so than the G5. That said, it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy, or tank-like as the G5. I can see opinions differing on whether this is good or bad, but it's much smaller.

I think the G6 is really a repurposed Garmin Edge unit, just like the G5 was a repurposed Oregon unit. You can read more about these on some cycling sites, theres a lot of debate as to what is actually the better unit.

In terms of functions, there are a few nice tweaks to what the G5 did, such as easier club distance tracking (slightly) and scoring with handicaps or stableford, but I don't think these things are really that useful. I get the feel that they made a couple of simple software tweaks and said "hey look! new feature." Not impressed. If you want stat tracking, use your iPhone/android and use an oobgolf application. Way better.

You get world course database. I'd use this maybe once a year. Others may feel differently.

The buttons that are on this unit really don't seem to add anything on first glance. The Score/measure and Green buttons correspond to the on screen button functions on the G5. They're just physical buttons. Not a big deal to me. There may be some other functional advantage, but I don't see it. It's like they knew the edge had two physical buttons on front and felt they had to use them.

But here's the real problem....

The screen.

On the plus side, I think it will be more visible in high sunlight, but it's also really glossy. Scratches and glare I think will be an issue without some protection there.

The screen is smaller. While the dimensions are not that different on paper, it is noticeable. I compared it side to side with a G5. What kills it is that the resolution of this unit is less than even the G5 and it shows. The diagrams of holes are much less sharp and smooth, and they are smaller. After being used to the G5 they almost feel "zoomed out" to some degree. The layup arcs now included on the G6 therefore are really small, and even when zoomed in, the quality of the display is NOT up to par with the G5 in my opinion. And that breaks the deal completely for me. I compared the same course witht he G5 display unit next to it, and I still prefer the G5. YMMV, but I STRONGLY suggest that if you are considering this unit that you look at it in person before buying.

There really isn't much different here from the G5, I don't see it as a substantial upgrade, and there are some areas like the screen which I think are worse.

If you are looking for a new GPS and don't have one, the G6 is a good choice. If you looking to upgrade from a G3/G5, my opinion is there is no way this is worth it. Take note, I did not use this unit in "real life" to play golf, but I can't see my opinion changing on this matter...there just aren't enough functional differences from the previous units. And I say that loving my G5.

Thank you for this "review"; I don't even have a GolfSmith near enough to go look at one.  I'm the person who posted the entry regarding my difficulty in being able to see the screens of various GPS units I've owned or tried, INCLUDING the Garmin G5 which I had to return due to difficulty seeing it anywhere outside.  I was interested in it because of the comment about the screen being much easier to see in bright sunlight, but you've saved me wasting my time and money on another bad golf GPS investment.  Thank you.

[Par Fore]

Ok, so OP do you recommend the G5?  I recently had my Upro stolen out of my cart while in the club house and I am looking for a replacement.  I had decided on the G6 mainly because of the problems with screen visibility.  From what you are saying it is better visibility in sunlight, but poorer overall quality.  Would you recommend a G5, or something else that you have tried.  I know I will get the use a range finder response, but I have used both and I prefer the GPS over the range finder, because I use it for layups as much as to the hole yardage.

IF you thinkg the G5 is the better unit maybe I will pick one up now.

[Chromium]

Funkey, on 22 February 2012 - 08:42 AM, said:

I'm always a bit skeptical when someone with 3 post is running down a product.  Could be a troll.

I have one of these on order that should ship on the 24th.  I will post a report as soon as I have a chance to use it.

Chromium, on 20 February 2012 - 04:13 PM, said:

I found out that the golfsmith near me has some G6's. They had a unit available to play with.

Bottom line is I think Garmin kinda dropped the ball on this one.

I say this from the perspective of somebody who already has a G5. The good part is the form factor is really quite a bit smaller. It is MUCH less bulky than the G5 and weighs about half as much. It is also nice that there are no "lips" to the edges of the screen if you need to press there. It is very fast and responsive, perhaps more so than the G5. That said, it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy, or tank-like as the G5. I can see opinions differing on whether this is good or bad, but it's much smaller.

I think the G6 is really a repurposed Garmin Edge unit, just like the G5 was a repurposed Oregon unit. You can read more about these on some cycling sites, theres a lot of debate as to what is actually the better unit.

In terms of functions, there are a few nice tweaks to what the G5 did, such as easier club distance tracking (slightly) and scoring with handicaps or stableford, but I don't think these things are really that useful. I get the feel that they made a couple of simple software tweaks and said "hey look! new feature." Not impressed. If you want stat tracking, use your iPhone/android and use an oobgolf application. Way better.

You get world course database. I'd use this maybe once a year. Others may feel differently.

The buttons that are on this unit really don't seem to add anything on first glance. The Score/measure and Green buttons correspond to the on screen button functions on the G5. They're just physical buttons. Not a big deal to me. There may be some other functional advantage, but I don't see it. It's like they knew the edge had two physical buttons on front and felt they had to use them.

But here's the real problem....

The screen.

On the plus side, I think it will be more visible in high sunlight, but it's also really glossy. Scratches and glare I think will be an issue without some protection there.

The screen is smaller. While the dimensions are not that different on paper, it is noticeable. I compared it side to side with a G5. What kills it is that the resolution of this unit is less than even the G5 and it shows. The diagrams of holes are much less sharp and smooth, and they are smaller. After being used to the G5 they almost feel "zoomed out" to some degree. The layup arcs now included on the G6 therefore are really small, and even when zoomed in, the quality of the display is NOT up to par with the G5 in my opinion. And that breaks the deal completely for me. I compared the same course witht he G5 display unit next to it, and I still prefer the G5. YMMV, but I STRONGLY suggest that if you are considering this unit that you look at it in person before buying.

There really isn't much different here from the G5, I don't see it as a substantial upgrade, and there are some areas like the screen which I think are worse.

If you are looking for a new GPS and don't have one, the G6 is a good choice. If you looking to upgrade from a G3/G5, my opinion is there is no way this is worth it. Take note, I did not use this unit in "real life" to play golf, but I can't see my opinion changing on this matter...there just aren't enough functional differences from the previous units. And I say that loving my G5.

Believe me I'm no troll.  I posted the same thing over at GEA and I've been a member there for years.  I just don't see a lot of golf talk over there, and thought I'd get more opinions over here.  I am a happy owner of a G5 and was very curious if the G6 would be a worthy upgrade to that unit.  I do not believe it is.  For someone choosing a first Garmin unit, I still thing it is a good choice.  That said, I would still strongly encourage you to see this unit in person if possible and see what you thing about the screen, especially if you can compare it side to side with a G5 unit.  If you don't agree with that opinion so be it.  I understand that many on WRX are quick to jump on others, but believe me my opinion was meant to be helpful.  But then again, it's just my opinion.

[Chromium]

milfordj, on 22 February 2012 - 01:05 PM, said:

Chromium, on 20 February 2012 - 04:13 PM, said:

I found out that the golfsmith near me has some G6's. They had a unit available to play with.

Bottom line is I think Garmin kinda dropped the ball on this one.

I say this from the perspective of somebody who already has a G5. The good part is the form factor is really quite a bit smaller. It is MUCH less bulky than the G5 and weighs about half as much. It is also nice that there are no "lips" to the edges of the screen if you need to press there. It is very fast and responsive, perhaps more so than the G5. That said, it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy, or tank-like as the G5. I can see opinions differing on whether this is good or bad, but it's much smaller.

I think the G6 is really a repurposed Garmin Edge unit, just like the G5 was a repurposed Oregon unit. You can read more about these on some cycling sites, theres a lot of debate as to what is actually the better unit.

In terms of functions, there are a few nice tweaks to what the G5 did, such as easier club distance tracking (slightly) and scoring with handicaps or stableford, but I don't think these things are really that useful. I get the feel that they made a couple of simple software tweaks and said "hey look! new feature." Not impressed. If you want stat tracking, use your iPhone/android and use an oobgolf application. Way better.

You get world course database. I'd use this maybe once a year. Others may feel differently.

The buttons that are on this unit really don't seem to add anything on first glance. The Score/measure and Green buttons correspond to the on screen button functions on the G5. They're just physical buttons. Not a big deal to me. There may be some other functional advantage, but I don't see it. It's like they knew the edge had two physical buttons on front and felt they had to use them.

But here's the real problem....

The screen.

On the plus side, I think it will be more visible in high sunlight, but it's also really glossy. Scratches and glare I think will be an issue without some protection there.

The screen is smaller. While the dimensions are not that different on paper, it is noticeable. I compared it side to side with a G5. What kills it is that the resolution of this unit is less than even the G5 and it shows. The diagrams of holes are much less sharp and smooth, and they are smaller. After being used to the G5 they almost feel "zoomed out" to some degree. The layup arcs now included on the G6 therefore are really small, and even when zoomed in, the quality of the display is NOT up to par with the G5 in my opinion. And that breaks the deal completely for me. I compared the same course witht he G5 display unit next to it, and I still prefer the G5. YMMV, but I STRONGLY suggest that if you are considering this unit that you look at it in person before buying.

There really isn't much different here from the G5, I don't see it as a substantial upgrade, and there are some areas like the screen which I think are worse.

If you are looking for a new GPS and don't have one, the G6 is a good choice. If you looking to upgrade from a G3/G5, my opinion is there is no way this is worth it. Take note, I did not use this unit in "real life" to play golf, but I can't see my opinion changing on this matter...there just aren't enough functional differences from the previous units. And I say that loving my G5.

Thank you for this "review"; I don't even have a GolfSmith near enough to go look at one.  I'm the person who posted the entry regarding my difficulty in being able to see the screens of various GPS units I've owned or tried, INCLUDING the Garmin G5 which I had to return due to difficulty seeing it anywhere outside.  I was interested in it because of the comment about the screen being much easier to see in bright sunlight, but you've saved me wasting my time and money on another bad golf GPS investment.  Thank you.

That's the one question I cannot answer for you...I didn't get a chance to look at the G6 outside in sunlight, only inside.  On the surface it looks like it might be better visibility, but I cannot tell.  The screen is glossy compared to the G5, and I understand the issues with the G5 in bright sun.  It would make me reconsider the G6 if there was a BIG difference in viewability, but I'll have to wait for some real world opinions on that.

[Chromium]

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Ok, so OP do you recommend the G5?  I recently had my Upro stolen out of my cart while in the club house and I am looking for a replacement.  I had decided on the G6 mainly because of the problems with screen visibility.  From what you are saying it is better visibility in sunlight, but poorer overall quality.  Would you recommend a G5, or something else that you have tried.  I know I will get the use a range finder response, but I have used both and I prefer the GPS over the range finder, because I use it for layups as much as to the hole yardage.

IF you thinkg the G5 is the better unit maybe I will pick one up now.

You said "OP" but by your post I don't know if you were directing that comment to me.  If that is the case, I do recommend the G5.  I really like mine.  Take my comments with caution, as I did not have the opportunity to actually view the unit in direct sunlight, but it looks like it should be better than the G5 in that regard.  I just like the bigger screen and better resolution of the G5, and didn't feel that it offered much as an "upgrade" from a G5 unit.  If I were buying a 1st unit, I think you'd be happy with either, but I really recommend looking at them side by side before buying to see which you like better, that's all.

I'm saying that for the time being, I'm keeping my G5 and waiting for what the future holds on other new units.  I'm still wary of the Upro MX relaunch, and have gone away from SkyCaddie for various reasons, and I think Garmin is doing a pretty good job on their golf gps units.  I'm just taking a pass on the G6.

Edited by Chromium, 22 February 2012 - 03:55 PM.

[ToddGsell]

Chromium, on 22 February 2012 - 03:40 PM, said:

Believe me I'm no troll.  I posted the same thing over at GEA and I've been a member there for years.  I just don't see a lot of golf talk over there, and thought I'd get more opinions over here.  I am a happy owner of a G5 and was very curious if the G6 would be a worthy upgrade to that unit.  I do not believe it is.  For someone choosing a first Garmin unit, I still thing it is a good choice.  That said, I would still strongly encourage you to see this unit in person if possible and see what you thing about the screen, especially if you can compare it side to side with a G5 unit.  If you don't agree with that opinion so be it.  I understand that many on WRX are quick to jump on others, but believe me my opinion was meant to be helpful.  But then again, it's just my opinion.

Thank you for your review. I own a G5 as well. I was planning on buying the G6, and I'm glad I saw your comments. The improved display and smaller form factor were the reasons I wanted to upgrade.  Based on your description of the build quality and the resolution of the screen, I think I'll hold on to my G5 at least until I see a G6 in person.

Is there a reason Garmin uses cycling GPS units for its golf line rather than re-purposing other models?

[Par Fore]

Chromium, on 22 February 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Ok, so OP do you recommend the G5?  I recently had my Upro stolen out of my cart while in the club house and I am looking for a replacement.  I had decided on the G6 mainly because of the problems with screen visibility.  From what you are saying it is better visibility in sunlight, but poorer overall quality.  Would you recommend a G5, or something else that you have tried.  I know I will get the use a range finder response, but I have used both and I prefer the GPS over the range finder, because I use it for layups as much as to the hole yardage.

IF you thinkg the G5 is the better unit maybe I will pick one up now.

You said "OP" but by your post I don't know if you were directing that comment to me.  If that is the case, I do recommend the G5.  I really like mine.  Take my comments with caution, as I did not have the opportunity to actually view the unit in direct sunlight, but it looks like it should be better than the G5 in that regard.  I just like the bigger screen and better resolution of the G5, and didn't feel that it offered much as an "upgrade" from a G5 unit.  If I were buying a 1st unit, I think you'd be happy with either, but I really recommend looking at them side by side before buying to see which you like better, that's all.

I'm saying that for the time being, I'm keeping my G5 and waiting for what the future holds on other new units.  I'm still wary of the Upro MX relaunch, and have gone away from SkyCaddie for various reasons, and I think Garmin is doing a pretty good job on their golf gps units.  I'm just taking a pass on the G6.

Sorry Chromium I thought you were the original poster, so I was asking you.  Thanks for the info.  My upro was hard to see in sunlight but I got along OK with it. If you've had a chance to compare is the g5 better or worse than upro?

[Solutions Etcetera]

The G5 is actually based on a trail unit (the Oregon series). I love mine and have the following concern about the G6, and that is the proprietary battery. One of my favorite aspects of the G5/G3 units is plain old AA batteries. While I do use rechargeable AA's, I keep a spare pair in my bag at all times so if I forget to charge the night before, I am still good. Always! I have run into this issue more than once, and if I did not have spare AA's in my bag I would have had no GPS.

[Par Fore]

Solutions Etcetera, on 22 February 2012 - 05:55 PM, said:

The G5 is actually based on a trail unit (the Oregon series). I love mine and have the following concern about the G6, and that is the proprietary battery. One of my favorite aspects of the G5/G3 units is plain old AA batteries. While I do use rechargeable AA's, I keep a spare pair in my bag at all times so if I forget to charge the night before, I am still good. Always! I have run into this issue more than once, and if I did not have spare AA's in my bag I would have had no GPS.

So, how big of a deal is the sun light viability?  My old upro was kind of sucky in the light but I got along OK with it and it had a much smaller screen.

[motofrog]

Anyone know why the garmin site has the G6 listed as not conforming toi USGA rules but the G5 is

[Solutions Etcetera]

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 06:00 PM, said:

So, how big of a deal is the sun light viability?  My old upro was kind of sucky in the light but I got along OK with it and it had a much smaller screen.

For me it is not that big of an issue. In fact, since I wear polarized prescription lenses, the G5 was the most visible for me (less of the blank out affect most other graphic GPS have).

It is not as brightly back lit as some others, but there is always an angle you can hold it to get the transflective screen to kick in. Since I also wear an S1, the G5 stays mounted on the cart's steering column and I use it to keep score and get layup yardages. I have no problems viewing this way.

[Chromium]

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 05:55 PM, said:

Chromium, on 22 February 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Ok, so OP do you recommend the G5?  I recently had my Upro stolen out of my cart while in the club house and I am looking for a replacement.  I had decided on the G6 mainly because of the problems with screen visibility.  From what you are saying it is better visibility in sunlight, but poorer overall quality.  Would you recommend a G5, or something else that you have tried.  I know I will get the use a range finder response, but I have used both and I prefer the GPS over the range finder, because I use it for layups as much as to the hole yardage.

IF you thinkg the G5 is the better unit maybe I will pick one up now.

You said "OP" but by your post I don't know if you were directing that comment to me.  If that is the case, I do recommend the G5.  I really like mine.  Take my comments with caution, as I did not have the opportunity to actually view the unit in direct sunlight, but it looks like it should be better than the G5 in that regard.  I just like the bigger screen and better resolution of the G5, and didn't feel that it offered much as an "upgrade" from a G5 unit.  If I were buying a 1st unit, I think you'd be happy with either, but I really recommend looking at them side by side before buying to see which you like better, that's all.

I'm saying that for the time being, I'm keeping my G5 and waiting for what the future holds on other new units.  I'm still wary of the Upro MX relaunch, and have gone away from SkyCaddie for various reasons, and I think Garmin is doing a pretty good job on their golf gps units.  I'm just taking a pass on the G6.

Sorry Chromium I thought you were the original poster, so I was asking you.  Thanks for the info.  My upro was hard to see in sunlight but I got along OK with it. If you've had a chance to compare is the g5 better or worse than upro?

I do have a upro (the original) and that thing was really bad in the sun on pro mode.  The basic mode stuff wasn't too bad.  I haven't used the upro in a long time, but as I recall, I think the G5 is a bit better in terms of visibility.  That said, I can understand why people have some problems with the G5 in direct sunlight.  Again, it's been a while, and also I only speak in comparison to the original upro, not the Upro MX as I have never seen one in person.

[Chromium]

ToddGsell, on 22 February 2012 - 05:46 PM, said:

Chromium, on 22 February 2012 - 03:40 PM, said:

Believe me I'm no troll.  I posted the same thing over at GEA and I've been a member there for years.  I just don't see a lot of golf talk over there, and thought I'd get more opinions over here.  I am a happy owner of a G5 and was very curious if the G6 would be a worthy upgrade to that unit.  I do not believe it is.  For someone choosing a first Garmin unit, I still thing it is a good choice.  That said, I would still strongly encourage you to see this unit in person if possible and see what you thing about the screen, especially if you can compare it side to side with a G5 unit.  If you don't agree with that opinion so be it.  I understand that many on WRX are quick to jump on others, but believe me my opinion was meant to be helpful.  But then again, it's just my opinion.

Thank you for your review. I own a G5 as well. I was planning on buying the G6, and I'm glad I saw your comments. The improved display and smaller form factor were the reasons I wanted to upgrade.  Based on your description of the build quality and the resolution of the screen, I think I'll hold on to my G5 at least until I see a G6 in person.

Is there a reason Garmin uses cycling GPS units for its golf line rather than re-purposing other models?

Sure, no problem.  My main point was to make sure that people at least look at it for themselves before making a decision.  I'm sure there are people who have bought and will feel just fine with their purchase.  I'm just not so sure and $299 is not negligible.  I think that Garmin moved to the edge series as they are looking towards a more compact form factor and they are also pushing cyclists that way.  Incidentally the oregon, which is what became the G3/G5, was pretty popular with cyclists as well.  There is some pretty heated debate over whether the edge units are really an "upgrade" as well, but for them the cycling specific training features new to garmin are edge only...from what I hear.  I am not a cyclist.

Edited by Chromium, 22 February 2012 - 09:28 PM.

[Par Fore]

Chromium, on 22 February 2012 - 09:22 PM, said:

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 05:55 PM, said:

Chromium, on 22 February 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

Par Fore, on 22 February 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Ok, so OP do you recommend the G5?  I recently had my Upro stolen out of my cart while in the club house and I am looking for a replacement.  I had decided on the G6 mainly because of the problems with screen visibility.  From what you are saying it is better visibility in sunlight, but poorer overall quality.  Would you recommend a G5, or something else that you have tried.  I know I will get the use a range finder response, but I have used both and I prefer the GPS over the range finder, because I use it for layups as much as to the hole yardage.

IF you thinkg the G5 is the better unit maybe I will pick one up now.

You said "OP" but by your post I don't know if you were directing that comment to me.  If that is the case, I do recommend the G5.  I really like mine.  Take my comments with caution, as I did not have the opportunity to actually view the unit in direct sunlight, but it looks like it should be better than the G5 in that regard.  I just like the bigger screen and better resolution of the G5, and didn't feel that it offered much as an "upgrade" from a G5 unit.  If I were buying a 1st unit, I think you'd be happy with either, but I really recommend looking at them side by side before buying to see which you like better, that's all.

I'm saying that for the time being, I'm keeping my G5 and waiting for what the future holds on other new units.  I'm still wary of the Upro MX relaunch, and have gone away from SkyCaddie for various reasons, and I think Garmin is doing a pretty good job on their golf gps units.  I'm just taking a pass on the G6.

Sorry Chromium I thought you were the original poster, so I was asking you.  Thanks for the info.  My upro was hard to see in sunlight but I got along OK with it. If you've had a chance to compare is the g5 better or worse than upro?

I do have a upro (the original) and that thing was really bad in the sun on pro mode.  The basic mode stuff wasn't too bad.  I haven't used the upro in a long time, but as I recall, I think the G5 is a bit better in terms of visibility.  That said, I can understand why people have some problems with the G5 in direct sunlight.  Again, it's been a while, and also I only speak in comparison to the original upro, not the Upro MX as I have never seen one in person.

My Upro was the original also, I can'te beleive someone stole it, anyway, thanks for the info, if I could use the Upro it sounds like the G5 will work fine for me.  I'm a little concerned about teh G6 because it seems like a have heard a few different release dates, non from a reliable source though.  It seems like when that happens nothing good comes of it.

[motofrog]

I picked up a G6 at golfsmith monday so it is released. It's my first so no comparison.

[golffreaksimon]

motofrog, on 22 February 2012 - 06:40 PM, said:

Anyone know why the garmin site has the G6 listed as not conforming toi USGA rules but the G5 is

I am not sure where you saw that G6 is not conforming to USGA. I check on FAQ and it shows all Approach series are compliant with USGA.

https://support.garm...b-000000000000}