39 replies to this topic

[mr_wolf]

I picked up a Garmin S1 on sale this weekend and couldn't wait to try it out.  I played 18 holes with it today and was blown away at how simple and useful it was.  I have golfshot on my iPhone but with that I have to keep the phone in my pocket or cart, am routinely "waking the app up", etc.  With the Garmin S1 it was always there (on my wrist) and constantly providing me with the updated distance to center, rear and front of the green.  I found it to be pretty darn accurate when comparing it to the markers at the T's, the 150 yard markers, etc.  As a wearable device it was unobtrusive.    I found myself wondering, why didn't I get one of these sooner?

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[justodd]

I have been thinking about one of those for a while now, I think it may be time.

[Jamboy72]

what is the difference with the new s3?

[The Big Pinch]

S3 has a touch screen and an outline of the green on the screen.

[sheldonjhacker]

Been thinking of a laser-rangefinder to go with my Golfshot GPS on my iPhone which I love...and just yesterday I played with a guy using the Garmin S-1 GPS watch.  He had distance to front, middle and back of green on his S-1 watch...but asked me for intermediate distances the whole round.  My Golfshot GPS on my iphone does everything I need...phone not too heavy in my back pocket at all...I get distances immediately...I don't like playing with a watch on...rangefinders take too much time and effort trying to locate the pin in my opinion (my club does not have the prism on the flags to help pick up the laser).  and it's another gadget to keep track of...my Golfshot is on my phone.    

lastly, the Garmin S-1 doesn't tell me distance to say the creek running down the middle of the fairway, etc....so in summary...my Golfshot GPS on my iPhone is all I need.comments?

Edited by sheldonjhacker, 07 May 2012 - 09:27 AM.

[sheppy335]

I think the G1 is awesome but if your on a new course or a rarely played course looks like you will not get yardages to hazards that are needed.

[Eternal]

thats pretty legit. Those watches are super convenient.

[Sean25rp]

Love my S1. It's all about the sheer convenience of front, middle and back. For other yardages I will just use a course planner.

[mr_wolf]

sheldonjhacker, on 07 May 2012 - 09:22 AM, said:

lastly, the Garmin S-1 doesn't tell me distance to say the creek running down the middle of the fairway, etc....so in summary...my Golfshot GPS on my iPhone is all I need.comments?

I have GolfShot on my iPhone.  You are correct - that provides the distance to the hazards while the Garmin S1 did not.

During my round there were two occasions where having to accommodate the hazards was an issue, so from that perspective the S1 showed a weakness.  However, given there were only two, it wasn't an ongoing issue.  I guess if I played different courses, I might have a different minset.


For now - I am a big fan of the S1 and I'll keep my iPhone with golfshot in the cart.

[KYMAR]

I played with a guy who had one of these on Sat. I really liked it. He took it off and let me hold it and it was very solid but also very lightweight. Very cool device.

[10of14]

The new version does give distances to hazards, which is why the former version is going much cheaper.  I am going to save for the new version...it's just too easy and convenient not too buy.

[Solutions Etcetera]

Totally agree with the OP. I have both the S1 and G5 (got the G5 first). On courses I know, I rarely touch the G5. On those I don't, the entire hole view is nice on occasion, but if I had to live with just one. it would be the S1.

[caller]

Does anyone have S3? How does that white color hold up?

[Mr. Biggles]

Solutions Etcetera, on 07 May 2012 - 06:41 PM, said:

Totally agree with the OP. I have both the S1 and G5 (got the G5 first). On courses I know, I rarely touch the G5. On those I don't, the entire hole view is nice on occasion, but if I had to live with just one. it would be the S1.

Your response echos my feelings exactly. Have the G5 also, which is collecting dust.

As a walker I find the S-1 perfect. I will admit to having a Leupold laser hanging from the bag when I need targeting info.

[10of14]

So I now need to patiently wait for the S3 to come down under $300 so I can purchase!

[mukster]

I got an S1 for my birthday. Its really nice. I carry  an older Bushnell laser yardage finder that I pull out a few times a round if I want distances to hazards , etc.  Overall, its is extremely easy to use and lightweight.
I have been more than happy with this unexpected gift. Certainly it does not have the frills of some of the other gizmos, but a great tool nonetheless.

[kitsoasis]

Garmin is absolutely spot on with distances, my G6 is at most 1 metre off when I stand next to a sprinkler head with a distance marked.

[Ugo DeRosa]

Golfshot on an iphone vs. S1 watch?  I used to think Golfshot was great.  Then I got the S-1.  Golfshot blows in comparison.  I will never use Golfshot again.  Too much useless info, too many locating satellite delays, don't like playing with a phone in my pocket, don't like being worried about losing the iphone.   Also, you can roughly figure the distances to hazards by quick deduction.  You know how far it is to the green, you look at the hazard in relation to where you are standing vs the green.  To me, the S1 is genius.  Just the info you need, none of the junk you don't.  Very light weight.  You totally forget you have it on.  Done.

[Minarets]

played last week with a guy who had a laser and i had my S1.  we were never more than 1 yard different every time we looked.  i love my S1

[10of14]

I think we all agree the S1 is accurate, beyond convenient and easy to use.  However, until the S3 came out, it was about 2 years behind its time.  Most golfers like to know the distance from tee or a specific spot to a trap, other hazard or the green.  The S1 doesn't do that, but now the S3 does.  Until this necessary improvement was made available, the S1 wasn't an option for those that used other GPS devices.  With the S3, it now has great merit....just waiting for the inevitable price drop!

[Solutions Etcetera]

10of14, on 09 May 2012 - 07:26 PM, said:

I think we all agree the S1 is accurate, beyond convenient and easy to use.  However, until the S3 came out, it was about 2 years behind its time.

I, for one, have no interest in the S3. I have a G5 I keep score and stats on, and it fills the missing features of the S1 far better than the S3. I wrote Approach Stats, which is an app that downloads and keeps aggregate stats from the G5. I can't really use the S3 for scoring as it only allows for one player.

For me the S1 is perfect. I never have to touch it… the numbers to the F, C, and B are just there all the time, and readable even without my reading prescription. And this is exactly what I wanted (I missed the convenience and readability of my old GolfLogix Garmin).

I suppose if you are to carry only one device the S3 might fill the bill for some, but not for me (at least not on unfamiliar courses).

[Ugo DeRosa]

Solutions Etcetera, on 09 May 2012 - 07:59 PM, said:

10of14, on 09 May 2012 - 07:26 PM, said:

I think we all agree the S1 is accurate, beyond convenient and easy to use.  However, until the S3 came out, it was about 2 years behind its time.

I, for one, have no interest in the S3. I have a G5 I keep score and stats on, and it fills the missing features of the S1 far better than the S3. I wrote Approach Stats, which is an app that downloads and keeps aggregate stats from the G5. I can't really use the S3 for scoring as it only allows for one player.

For me the S1 is perfect. I never have to touch it… the numbers to the F, C, and B are just there all the time, and readable even without my reading prescription. And this is exactly what I wanted (I missed the convenience and readability of my old GolfLogix Garmin).

I suppose if you are to carry only one device the S3 might fill the bill for some, but not for me (at least not on unfamiliar courses).

+1,000

S1 is perfect.  I have no interest at all in the S3, but different strokes......

[jdubbs]

Something like this will work for alot of people, but for me I just cannot golf with a watch on, so it renders it useless for me.

But if you can game with a watch, then it is a great product.

[Ugo DeRosa]

jdubbs:  You make a great point. I had the exact same thought before I bought the S1.

I would see Phil playing with his Rolex, or Bubba with his Richard Mille RM038 ($525,000) watch and think, "wow, that looks uncomfortable".  I still think that with respect to Phil and Bubba.

However, unlike the watches Phil and Bubba play with, the S1 is uber-light.  You simply don't notice it because it is so light weight and even more importantly, the watch does not move around on your wrist during your swing, due to the super precise adjustments on the strap.  

Fortunately for me, my friend bought one and let me try his on.  Once I was able to determine I could play with it, I was sold.

Edited by Ugo DeRosa, 10 May 2012 - 12:59 PM.

[jdubbs]

Ugo DeRosa, on 10 May 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

jdubbs:  You make a great point. I had the exact same thought before I bought the S1.

I would see Phil playing with his Rolex, or Bubba with his Richard Mille RM038 ($525,000) watch and think, "wow, that looks uncomfortable".  I still think that with respect to Phil and Bubba.

However, unlike the watches Phil and Bubba play with, the S1 is uber-light.  You simply don't notice it because it is so light weight and even more importantly, the watch does not move around on your wrist during your swing, due to the super precise adjustments on the strap.  

Fortunately for me, my friend bought one and let me try his on.  Once I was able to determine I could play with it, I was sold.

Thanks for the reply, I might have to find one and try on one.  For me its not usually the weight of the watch, its just the fact that its on there.

[10of14]

Solutions Etcetera, on 09 May 2012 - 07:59 PM, said:

10of14, on 09 May 2012 - 07:26 PM, said:

I think we all agree the S1 is accurate, beyond convenient and easy to use.  However, until the S3 came out, it was about 2 years behind its time.

I, for one, have no interest in the S3. I have a G5 I keep score and stats on, and it fills the missing features of the S1 far better than the S3. I wrote Approach Stats, which is an app that downloads and keeps aggregate stats from the G5. I can't really use the S3 for scoring as it only allows for one player.

For me the S1 is perfect. I never have to touch it… the numbers to the F, C, and B are just there all the time, and readable even without my reading prescription. And this is exactly what I wanted (I missed the convenience and readability of my old GolfLogix Garmin).

I suppose if you are to carry only one device the S3 might fill the bill for some, but not for me (at least not on unfamiliar courses).

If the main feature of the watch is that you don't have to carry around a "unit" that needs to be tossed aside all the time, why would you use two separate units?  The S3 is exactly the same thing wrapped in one watch.  As for those that say they don't need the S3 be ause they don't want to punch more buttons...I suggest you test it...very easy and I for one just want to know how far that pond is.  Enjoy!

[Solutions Etcetera]

10of14, on 10 May 2012 - 08:37 PM, said:

If the main feature of the watch is that you don't have to carry around a "unit" that needs to be tossed aside all the time, why would you use two separate units?  The S3 is exactly the same thing wrapped in one watch.

No… it is not. The G5 will show me the distance to any spot on the course, and the distance from that spot to the pin. And, as I said before, I keep score/stats for our group on it.

I don't "carry around" two units as the G5 never leaves the cart mount; a RAM mount that fits to the steering column via a lighting rail clamp, positioned much like a mini dashboard.

[10of14]

I guess we are on different wave lengths or we don't understand each others comments...no problem.  I need One unit that gives me not just distances from the point of contact to various points on the green, but also to hazards and one that I don't have to put back away (whether that is my bag, cart or pocket) after getting yardage.  The only current unit is the S3.  My current set up is Golf Logix on my phone and it is awesome with all the bells and whistles.  However I hate waking it up, loading and then putting it back before hitting the ball.  I don't need score keeping, as my partners or myself keep that on a card with our bets...we play lot's of games within the game!

[MixedBag]

I LOVE my S1.  If you need more than what it gives you, your probably the guy wasting my time in front of me.

[Rickochet]

I have been using my S1 for over a year now with probably 100 rounds on it and I really like it.  My Golf Guru4 with all of it's bells and whistles is now only used for vehicle GPS use.  In all of the 100 or so rounds I missed having distances to hazards maybe twice.  The only negative I can say about the S1 is the battery life.  I have never been able to get two rounds out of it.  But, I have gotten into the habit of putting it on the charger immediately after I take it off at home after a round.