Equipment
Game Golf’s wearable device technology has the golf community buzzing
Active Mind Technology, the Silicon Valley start-up behind the much-talked about product called Game Golf, has a substantial problem on their hands. Orders for the device are coming in at a pace that exceeds the company’s ability to ship them out.
Game Golf ($249) was arguably the most intriguing product introduced at the recently concluded PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. It’s not an easy feat to trump equipment manufacturers showcasing the latest sticks and balls, but Game Golf managed to rise above the substantial clatter of noise echoing from one end of the pavilion to the other with the bold promise of revolutionizing how golfers play, compete, socialize and improve their game.
The technology itself is surprisingly simple. A lightweight device sensor clips onto a player’s belt and interacts with little red tags that attach to the butt end of the grip for every club in your bag. When you are ready to play your shot, you touch the tag to the sensor on the belt and make your swing. The device will accurately record the distance and direction that the ball flies, tracking your performance from tee to green.
Shot data is transmitted from the device to your computer and is accessible on Game Golf’s website when you log into your account. Your dashboard will list your previously posted rounds allowing you to adjust your score if necessary (as in the case of adding a penalty shot) and determine whether you wish to share your round with your friends within the Game Golf community.
Although the ability to electronically track your score is becoming increasingly commonplace, you’d be wrong to assume that Game Golf is just another in a long line of derivative applications that offer little more than basic stat-keeping.
Unlike existing GPS devices or software applications designed for smart phones that require substantial input from the user, either during a round of golf or afterwards, the Game Golf device is designed to stay out of your way as much as possible while you play so that your focus remains on the shot at hand, as opposed to fumbling around with your phone between holes or scribbling copious notes on your scorecard.
“It collects your round of golf seamlessly,” says John McGuire, CEO of Active Mind Technology. “When I tee off it starts collecting what clubs I’m using and the distances of my clubs. This is the first device that captures that type of data without the golfer having to take out his phone and enter data into an app.”
Active Mind Technology began developing the concept of Game Golf six years ago in Ireland, but it was McGuire’s decision to move the company to San Francisco two years ago to lead with a design-first approach that really propelled the project forward. The company partnered with Fuseproject and famed Swiss designer Yves Behar, who was behind iconic product designs such as the One Laptop per Child computer and Jawbone wireless device to come up with what McGuire affectionately describes as an Apple-like consumer experience.
McGuire’s company focused on engineering the technology while Fuseproject applied their award-winning skills to design the device, the packaging and the user experience. McGuire says working with a firm that didn’t have an inherent knowledge of the golfing industry was a conscious decision.
“They’re outside the box most people are in and came up with something that hasn’t been shown before,” he says. “That’s how breakthrough innovation happens.”
What the joint partnership came up with is a slick package, not just in terms of the actual device (which is substantially cool in it’s own right), but with the online media hub that displays your best round to date, your scoring average, your putts per hole as well as distance and accuracy stats. Drill into a round and Game Golf will overlay each shot against a map of the course you played, giving the player a unique and visually stunning way to view the clubs they’ve used and the flight paths those clubs recorded.
“There’s a plethora of stuff out there on the web for golf but it’s really poorly designed,” McGuire says. “Very little thinking has gone into how you visualize the actual data in terms of colors, in terms of bringing each shot by shot to life. That was one of the biggest challenges we had and I think we’ve done a really good job in making it very simple and very visual.”
At the heart of Game Golf is data. As you would expect, it records your fairway accuracy and greens in regulation. It also records your putts and calculates your scoring average, revealing trends for all the statistics mentioned above.
Things get really interesting because the platform is able to track club performance. The ability to measure the distance golfers hit each club accurately to within less than a yard allows them to have a much better understanding of far how they hit the ball. This is nothing short of revolutionary considering the majority of golfers consistently under-club on their approach shots to the green. Game Golf also has the potential to surface insights about how you use each club in your bag. Imagine being able to find out what your left rough tendency is specifically with your 3-wood, or a breakdown of your GIR percentage based on distance. While Game Golf is not up to par with ShotLink, it is easily the most advanced platform available for the recreational golfer. And McGuire says the company will collect enough data to dig as deep as the Game Golf community wishes them to.
Game Golf went through a thorough beta testing period. One of the early adopters included PGA Tour professional Graeme McDowell, who was so convinced with the product’s potential he became an investor.
“I chased Graeme for a good year while I was in Ireland,” McGuire says. “I eventually got to him and showed him what I was thinking of building and he got it immediately. And he wanted in.”
McGuire credits McDowell’s use of the device as being pivotal in ironing out issues and furthering its capabilities.
“He’s been testing the product for two years,” McGuire says. “Not in it’s current beautiful form factor, but when it was an ugly grey box. We’re very thankful to Graeme. He was able to see around corners and he’s a got a pretty solid head screwed onto his shoulders in terms of what’s coming.”
Active Mind Technology has also brought Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk on board as investors. Westwood saw McDowell wearing it at last year’s U.S. Open practice round at Merion Golf Club and was signed that evening.
McGuire’s company has also partnered with the PGA of America and Golf Channel, two major organizations in golf that clearly see the product’s potential for increasing participation and enjoyment in the game.
The social-centric appeal of Game Golf is no less impressive than it’s data analysis capabilities. Active Mind Technology came up with the concept of the activity feed patterned after existing social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The activity feed not only allows you to share your round of golf with others as you might expect, but it also lets you notify others of your individual achievements such as hitting your longest drive. Your buddy halfway around the world can then receive that notification on their phone and try to best you the next time they hit the course.
“For the really good golfers who want to improve, it’s all about your statistics and understanding your club distances,” McGuire says. “Whereas if you’re a high handicap golfer it might be more about trying to outdrive your brother. So there’s different value props for different golfers.”
Game Golf and the PGA of America also envision a scenario where teaching professionals can be notified via the activity feed of any rounds posted by their students. This gives the PGA teaching pro another platform for engaging their students and, most importantly, a tool that can help golfers return for additional lessons and play better.
Will this new technology have the same transformative effect on golf as the titanium driver or the multi-layered ball? Considering that Active Mind Technology’s small San Francisco-based staff is feverishly working to fulfill product orders so that everyone’s first impressions of the device and the company is a positive one, the long-term answer might be yes.
“Game Golf will revolutionize the game by changing the way we socialize about golf and reveal how we are actually playing the game,” McGuire says. “Much like the introduction of plastic cleats changed the culture of the game, we are doing the same by making golf more social and bringing a golfer’s data to life.”
Updated 2/14/14
The makers of Game Golf were able to respond to some of the questions previously posted.
Is the device waterproof?
It’s not waterproof – but it is weatherproof.
Will there be an update that addresses skewed distances when a player chips with an iron or wood?
Today the club performance data is calculated using median shot distances, so chips of 15 yards have little effect on your averages. An upcoming update will automatically remove outliers to give you more precise data.
Will the device ever replace other GPS devices (such as SkyCaddie) in terms of providing accurate distances to various objects on the golf course (flags, bunkers, etc.)?
GAME GOLF’s focus is on capturing, scoring, visualizing, and sharing your round of golf. There are lots of great products out there for other on-course needs. However, we listen to our customers so if there’s demand we’ll consider it. Our community site (http://myexperience.gamegolf.com ) is the place to visit to contribute & vote on ideas
If a golfer buys the current iteration of the hardware device, do they have to worry about it being hopelessly outdated a year from now should a newer iteration come out?
There are two components to the GAME GOLF platform. The belt device & tags, and the software that provides the post-game analysis. We worked hard to make the hardware a solid foundation for future software improvements to leverage. For example, last night we released new software that improves the round editing experience. There are lots more software improvements & features in the queue. On the hardware side we will continue to look at new technologies to see if these should be incorporated into the product – but that’s a much longer cycle than software changes.
Will the device be able to transmit information to actual golf courses so that they can better understand the tendencies (i.e. player distances, scoring ability, slow play issues) of the golfers who play there?
There are many potential uses of the data that we’re excited about. For now our focus is to delight our customers – so that one day we can expand the horizons of what’s possible.
Our customer care team can be reached at [email protected] if you have any questions you’d like answered one-on-one.
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Whats in the Bag
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3 Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
View this post on Instagram
The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Tman
Jul 14, 2014 at 2:58 pm
The game has stopped growing for one specific reason. The failure to promote Junior Golf to the masses. There are the elitest parents who drive their kids to every tournament they can find, they might be the 1%. What golf doesn’t realize there survival depends on allowing Junior golfers cheap access to golf. It is easier to learn when you are younger and once hooked you are a golfer for life. Instead courses market themselves for cooperate golf tournaments, creating a one shot golfer scenario. Teach a kid to golf young..10 to 13 and he will be lifetime golfer. More importantly he will be more willing to teach his/her children how to golf. I have inflicted my children with the golfing sickness, of which 3 play regularly ( once a week)and the other on Fathers day…
I still remember paying on 85 cents to have an all day pass at golf course that was over 40 years ago. A majority of courses don’t even have a Junior rate. Most juniors can play a course of 7200 yards…
Tman
Jul 14, 2014 at 3:31 pm
my bad wrong link I posted to
Steven
Apr 18, 2014 at 5:28 pm
I purchased this device two weeks ago and used it on two rounds and found it to be terrible. I have read through the other posts on this page and have to issue a very cautionary tale. I think the idea is fantastic and would love to see it work as promised. It falls short for so many reasons that should have been clear from the beginning and I think that the promise of the device bypassed my practical experience. Yes it uses a waist mounted GPS device and that should cause most of use to question the accuracy. If you have not used a GPS device before, or if you have and not noticed there are natural limitations to the consumer available technology. The terrain around a golf course with the trees and vegetation make it difficult for any GPS to provide accurate results. This can easily be overcome with typical handheld units the problem is much bigger with game golf. You do not know when it did not work until after the round and then it is your best guess as to where you were and then you have to go in and manually change the hole. With the current interface it is way more difficult than it should be to begin with, but the bigger question is that with it being so unreliable why am I spending $250 of my own money to purchase something that I am much better off tracking myself with the multiple free apps out there that do a much better job. This is where I will strongly urge you to not buy this product. I normally one that prefers to do my own assessment and let others do theirs. With this product and their distribution partner being Digital River it is almost impossible to return the product and get a refund. I have been at it almost two weeks and feel that I am not any closer to getting a refund at this point than I was the day I purchased the device. There is absolutely no upside to buying this product with your own money and then trying to get it back. IT IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS!! I have issued a warning to all members of my club that this company and its partners should be avoided. In todays day and age there should be nothing difficult about trying out a product with a money back guarantee and returning it. Gamegolf and its partner are terrible to deal with.
Steven
Apr 24, 2014 at 8:16 pm
I wanted to give an update on my return it has been another week and 3 emails and 5 phone calls to digital river and still no idea when they will allow me to return my device. I have been dealing with a supervisor named Erwin and he has promised each of the last 3 days that I would be provided an RMA # to facilitate the return and have not received it yet. I have also contacted GameGolf twice and have not heard anything from them. There is no chance I would ever recommend anyone buying this product.
Ryan
Sep 8, 2014 at 5:24 am
Steven you have summed it up perfectly!
Just starting my return – hope it’s easier over here in the UK.
Kaleb
Mar 5, 2014 at 5:07 pm
I got mine about 3 weeks ago and have used it for three rounds. Yes, it is essentially just a GPS tracking device, but the simplicity of using the device is what I like most about it. As long as the course your playing has been mapped by the GPS service GG uses, all you have to do is turn on the belt clip and tag the club before/after you hit and go. Compared to an app like Golflogix, GG is the winner hands down. You don’t have to manually search for the course on the app each time you play. You don’t have to worry about an app like Golflogix draining your smartphone’s battery. Also, unlike an app where you have to manually type in shots, whether you hit the fairway or not, made a GIR, and number of putts, GG keeps up with all that information just by the GPS and the club tagging. The GPS is surprisingly accurate in terms of tracking Fairways Hit and GIRs; if you’re close to the edge you may have to do some tweaking post-round. That’s another cool feature about GG; the ability to edit/tweak shots post-round. Once you plug the device into your computer and upload your round(s), you can edit shots as needed (i.e. if you forgot to tag a club, add a penalty shot, incorrectly tagged a club, etc.). I also like the overview look and the ability to review shots on an actual view of the holes played. I still use my rangefinder for distances obviously since this is more of a reactive tracking system. Does it track swing speed, angle of attack, smash factor, RPM, spin rate, or any other buzz word people like to throw around? No. Does it matter? Not at all. GG is designed to track in game performance and clubs used during the round, which is much more valuable data to me. If you’re worried about tracking angle of attack, swing speed, spin rate, and everything else, grab a device that is made to track those data points. It also offers a cool interface through the PC/Smartphone dashboard to share and review rounds. I’ll be in Pinehurst next week for 5 rounds and you can bet I’ll be using my GG to track every shot so I can relieve every hole long after I’ve returned to the real world.
Tyler
Feb 20, 2014 at 1:27 pm
Is this something I have to wear on my waist or could I keep it in my pocket or clipped on my bag if walking?
Tim
Feb 15, 2014 at 10:08 am
There is a system out there that seems to be even more advanced: http://www.caddieon.com
JR|Ray
Feb 16, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Looks like they are still in Indeigogo phase. Looks like the exact same thing only worn on your wrist.
Reader
Mar 12, 2014 at 10:41 pm
If you already wear a GPS watch this may be a dealbreaker.
jay
Feb 13, 2014 at 12:43 pm
I placed an order on Jan 16th, I just got a shipping confirmation.
Wait a minute, I live in NY, I’m not golfing for another 2 months at least…
Roy striper
Feb 13, 2014 at 8:37 am
I’m waiting on mine to arrive. The issue about chipping say with an 8 iron can be edited after the round for now. As I was told by the developers. They are aware. My initial interest is in fitting which I’ll be doing in April. My fitter gave me a small booklet to record 4-5 rounds of club and shot data. I’m hoping GG will make the process easier. I will also compare distances with my Sktcaddie.
Rocky
Feb 13, 2014 at 3:43 am
This looks very cool and I like the lack of messing with an app…. Stoked so done us pushing the envelope a little here
But…. I suspect the window for this product will be short lived. There are too many parts with it..
If garmin, etc…. built a simple up/down button into a GPS watch you could tell your watch what club you pulled in 3 seconds. No need for extra apps, phones, etc… And you get the added bonus of having a gps watch on *if* you want it. Plus the course I go is easily downloaded if you use USB to charge the watch, etc…
If they’re smart, they are already in talks to either license the back end or just sell out. The club and belt interface is the Achilles heel that anyone could take advantage of..
I’ll be a buyer in its gen 2 firm. 🙂
Chris
Feb 17, 2014 at 10:47 am
not everyone plays with a watch, they’re bulky and uncomfortable. This is quick and simple. GPS is slowly ruining pace of play so something like this well surely be a welcome addition to the course tech family. IMO this should be used before any amateurs use a GPS because the majority of them have no clue how far they carry they’re irons or woods because nearly every amateur “hits it 300yds…when they catch it”.
Dave
Feb 17, 2014 at 6:52 pm
Before GPS, I walked off my yardage from sprinkler heads which sometimes took up to a minute to find a marker, pace it off, return to my bag and grab a club. Now, a quick look at the GPS and I’m grabbing my clubn within a few seconds. Not sure how this is ruining pace of play.
My Garmin watch is smaller than every one of my regular watches so I definitely would not consider it bulky nor uncomfortable.
Josh
Feb 18, 2014 at 10:52 am
I agree. If anything GPS is speeding up the pace of play. I played golf with a guy who has a GPS watch last year. I asked him the distance and grabbed my club of choice. It sure beat looking for the markers and guessing. I’ll be purchasing one myself as the season starts here in Wisconsin. A GPS watch would actually benefit this device imo.
Reader
Mar 12, 2014 at 10:43 pm
I agree. I don’t wear a watch in my civilian life, only on the golf course.
Slim
Feb 12, 2014 at 7:55 pm
Is it legal? Can it be used tournament rounds?
ParHunter
Feb 13, 2014 at 7:10 am
From what I read yes, as it doesn’t give you any information during the round. I think that was a deliberate design choice as the target market will be ‘good’ amateurs and professionals who want to keep track of their stats. If it would act as a ‘GPS’ device it couldn’t be used during a competition (e.g. for prof events).
The device itself might not even know anything about the course, I think it is just recording a location all the logic to interpret that data is done on the server once you upload the data after the round.
Tim Friedman
Feb 12, 2014 at 2:33 pm
what about using this device to practice. I did not see anyone using this on a range where they are able to work with their clubs and actually perfect the different distances.
Rusty Cage
Feb 12, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Tim,
The device is designed to be used at the golf course, not driving range.
Tman
Jul 14, 2014 at 3:30 pm
unlike most people I practice on the course during slow times. It should be easy enough to track more than one ball at a time…As long as I go get the ball I can track the yardage I hit it. Sounds like only a minor tweak in future software change. Driving range guys obviously cant go to the ball after shot. Maybe website options to download different types of scorecard tracking for people in your foursome….Binga Banga Bonga, net skins, gross skins, quota points.
Can I upgrade the RF ID reader on-line to fix any bugs.
Looks promising product.
markb
Feb 16, 2014 at 1:46 am
It can only compute the length and direction of your shot when you move forward to the stopping point of that shot and tap the next club for the next shot. Can’t do that at the range.
oliversax
Feb 12, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Seems to me the Motoactv Watch from Motorola(from a few years ago) does the same thing but more, since the Motoactv gave you distance to the hole as well. Am I the only one who doesn’t see this as revolutionary?
“It collects your round of golf seamlessly,” says John McGuire, CEO of Active Mind Technology. “When I tee off it starts collecting what clubs I’m using and the distances of my clubs. This is the first device that captures that type of data without the golfer having to take out his phone and enter data into an app.”
David Smith
Feb 12, 2014 at 11:34 am
Does your shirt need to be tucked in and the device exposed for accurate readings? Or will it work if you wear your golf shirt over it?
JR|Ray
Feb 12, 2014 at 12:02 pm
I’ve used it with several pullovers covering the device. With nothing blocking the device it has about and inch of “range” where it will pick up the tags. When it was covered I had to make sure to press the tag against the device through my pullover. Once you get enough layers going it will prevent the device from reading the tag.
JR|Ray
Feb 12, 2014 at 9:40 am
I beta tested this product for several months. It is water resistant, I have played several rounds in the rain with it and had no issues, the GPS it uses is fantastic, the course maps are provided by Google maps so if your course has decent imagery on it then they have it mapped, it requires a subscription to their online service so there will be an ongoing cost associated with using it as there is no stand alone version of the software, It takes about 30 minutes to upload and edit a round, it is not a gps ranging device so you will still need to carry your laser or sky caddie, it has storage for several rounds on the unit itself in case you can’t get to a laptop to upload, firmware updates are provided through plugging the device into a computer via usb, you can charge it with any usb charger, the web interface has been vastly improved and can track club stats fairly accurately, the apps for android and ios are very good. I have some pictures I took showing the size of the device that I can post if anyone wants to see them.
pablo heitmeyer
Feb 12, 2014 at 11:53 am
Helpful comments thx.
MJ
Feb 12, 2014 at 12:21 pm
I am very interested in this product. I think it is a breakthrough, but will wait to buy it until the bugs are ironed out.
A couple of questions…
1.How much is the yearly subscription?
2.How does it track your scramble %? I see it does do this, but if you just touch a device, I wonder how it does this. Guessing it recognizes you are off the green by GPS?
3.Does it show your % of right and left of green or fairway? This helps to know for personal info, tendencies and improvement.
I am sure there is more I will come up with…
JR|Ray
Feb 12, 2014 at 1:07 pm
1. During the beta they were kicking around 5-10 dollars a month. I’m not sure what they finally decided on. When you buy the device it comes with a one year subscription.
2. It uses the GPS location and maps that against what it thinks your course looks like.
3. At the end of beta being able to show percentages was a big request. AFAIK it only tracks fairway percentage. Additional stats are being added to the interface all the time so it will eventually be able to show additional stats.
Dave
Feb 12, 2014 at 2:18 pm
This was posted to their FAQ yesterday:
Is there an annual subscription fee?
Last Updated: Feb 11, 2014 04:10PM PST
There are no subscription or service fees associated with any Game Golf services. Once you purchase the device, you will be able to use the out-of-the-box features that come with the device for free for the life of the unit.
JR|Ray
Feb 13, 2014 at 6:58 am
I’m glad they decided to do away with the yearly fee. We always thought it would be detrimental to the success of the product.
Tim
Feb 17, 2014 at 3:32 am
It appears they dropped the subscription fee.
Rusty Cage
Feb 11, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Dear Readers,
The guys at Active Mind Technology are genuinely swamped. That being said, I will be sending them a list of consolidated questions at the end of the day. I don’t expect them to answer everything, but I will repost their responses when I receive their reply. If you would like anything specific addressed, leave a comment – I will be scanning later on today.
I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and interest, as I’m sure they do as well.
Dave
Feb 11, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Thanks for your help and for giving us a great write up on Game Golf.
Dave
Feb 11, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Rusty, is the device waterproof?
I LOVE the idea but am leery of using another device on the course. After years of using a rangefinder then a handheld GPS, I made the switch to a Garmin S1 watch. I bought it because it was waterproof and gave me what I really wanted; simplicity and front/middle/back pin locations.
My Sunday playing partners and I have a rule, no phones out during our round. Therefore, any app-driven product is a no no.
The second Game Golf offers a waterproof watch with front/middle/back pin locations that I can also “tag” my clubs for recording shots, I’ll be the first in line to buy.
Rusty Cage
Feb 11, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Dave,
I’m still trying to hunt down some answers – to your question, as well as others that have been posted. Short answer – I don’t know if it’s waterproof. In general I can only suggest that you send them feedback directly via email at [email protected]
Jack
Feb 11, 2014 at 4:17 pm
yes..the Game Golf Unit is waterproof..
hank clanton
Feb 12, 2014 at 1:02 pm
You bring up some good points about combining technology. I have had mine for 2 months now, and although I would not dive in a pool with it, it appears to be very water resistant. There is a micro usb port to transfer data and charge through, that has a snug rubber cover, so I think they have done a good job of protecting it. It is a social media sharing and game improvement device. It is fun to collect statistic on distance by club, where your miss is, your scrambling and putting statistics. Although it allows you to share your round on face book, or by email, I found most of my rounds were ones I did not want to share! But every once in awhile, you get that great round captured.
I would not worry about a little rain, and since it fits on you belt, a simple vest or jacket usually covers it.
Neil
Feb 11, 2014 at 8:23 am
It isn’t that sophisticated. You’re fixing a start position when you touch the club, then the finish when you touch the next club.
You could do this with an app. Set a position on the tee, and set another when you get to your ball. A little high school geometry gets you the distance then overlay it on a map.
Sophisticated marketing, a gadget that will get bought by many. I suspect the novelty will wear off after a few weeks. It’s the natural cycle of gadgets. Nothing wrong with that, we’re just in the “age of the gadget.”
James
Feb 11, 2014 at 5:20 pm
I think it’s an accuracy issue.
dumpus
Feb 12, 2014 at 8:17 pm
the idea is that you dont have to use an app. you dont have to take out your phone, unlock it, wait for the gps to sync, select the club, press a button to confirm, and put your phone back in your pocket. all you need to do is touch the end of your grip to the device.
the sophistication lies in taking 6 or 7 steps and reducing it to one or two, increasing accuracy of the measurement, and being much less intrusive.
i had a beta unit, played about 20 rounds on it side by side with some appa. works much better than any app i tried. more accurate. brainless to use on the course.
Jay
Feb 10, 2014 at 11:07 pm
This product is really intriguing, I ordered one a few weeks ago.
I was really hoping that GolfWRX would give us some feedback during the PGA show, but there wasn’t any mention of it.
Brandon Hughes
Feb 11, 2014 at 12:41 am
I had the opportunity to participate in the beta testing stages of this product several months back and it is an amazing product. When our coach told us they had moved forward in the process, it was great to see! Great training aid and golf gadget all the way around.
george
Feb 10, 2014 at 5:03 pm
A timer could be added to the device to address slow play 😉
paul
Feb 10, 2014 at 8:23 pm
Awesome idea!
Jason
Feb 10, 2014 at 8:28 pm
It would be cool if that info was sent to the golf course automatically to address slow areas, etc. Of course it would be blind data but it could help figure slow play trends, etc.
Andrew
Feb 13, 2014 at 8:12 am
Is teh 20 000 Volt prod that “encourages” you to get a move on an optional extra??
This does look interesting. Distances should be very accurate because the GPS error will be the same at the beginning of the shot and the end. Stats like fairways and greens hit will undoubtedly need manual updating when you upload but that is not such a hardship.
Let’s wait and see.
ca1879
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Richard,
I think you’ve made it appear a bit more sophisticated than it is. Based on the comments I’ve seen, it’s not clear to many that it is not a GPS ranging device, and that it just uses GPS to track the location of each tagging instance, and then calculates the distance and direction from the location of the previous tagging instance. The distance portion of this kind of tracking is available on many GPS ranging units, although in a less convenient fashion where you have to manually tell the unit which club is chosen. However, those units do offer the advantage of green and hazard ranging, which this does not. Next, it does not communicate with the web while you’re playing. You have to attach the device to your laptop or tablet after your round, and upload the data. You then have to edit it to remove any mistaken taggings and adjust for penalty shots if you want an accurate score. If club performance is your goal, you have to manually eliminate any short shots made with a club (e.g. a chip with a 9 iron) that would affect the full shot performance stats for that club. It’s a very good start and I really hope they overcome some of the clunky bits. A real time editing and viewing function for our ubiquitous mobiles would overcome most of my objections. Integration of the club tags with a full GPS ranging device, would be a dream scenario.
ca1879
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Sorry – wrote “Richard”, meant “Rusty”.
Rusty Cage
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Your assessment is pretty spot on. At this point in time, the device does not take the place of a range finder.
As far as skewing full shot performance with a club (as in the case of chipping with a 9-iron), Active Mind Technology is well aware of this issue and they are working on ironing out those bugs. Expect to see notable improvements in future iterations of the platform, but as far as being able to record your scoring and assess your club distances, it’s a pretty good concept.
ca1879
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Agreed. Even with the ver 1.0 issues, I’ve got one on order.
MJ
Feb 10, 2014 at 10:09 pm
So is it best to wait and get the next version, or is this the “long-term” device and they will add updates to the program as you hook up the device to your computer? Hope that was clear?
Rusty Cage
Feb 10, 2014 at 10:16 pm
MJ,
It’s a good question, one that I can’t answer. But ask yourself this: is your current approach to shot tracking as good or better than this platform? If not, consider this product a good investment.
paul
Feb 11, 2014 at 2:44 pm
To solve the chipping issue is simple, a quick software update to make a double tap on the device a chip shot.
Daniel
Feb 12, 2014 at 11:54 am
Solving the chipping issue seems very easy to me….just don’t tap the sensor when making a chip shot. It sounds like the only time data is recorded is when you tap the sensor right? You would do the same when hitting a recovery shot from the trees. No need to track a 30 yd punch out.
Love the idea behind this product and I’m excited to see what they come up with in the future.
ca1879
Feb 13, 2014 at 3:09 pm
If you did that, you’d lose the score tracking and the ability to do up and down stats. Double tapping is a better idea, or they could add an extra tag or two to hang off your bag and tap when it’s a chip or when you need to add a penalty stroke.
Larry Ridge
Feb 13, 2014 at 12:29 am
Maybe the device could include a “less-than-full-swing” button, or a double-tap with the club to tell the app that the shot is a chip, pitch or sand shot.
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Rich
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Looking to pick one of these up. Not usually an early adopter, but this looks fun, and WTH. I’m due for something new this golf season.
Lewis Ainsworth
Feb 10, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Will this work in the UK and on UK course…I am a bit of a tech nerd and love the sound of this could help with a lot in my game I am a 5 handicapper and will help getting me down lower…fingers crossed I can use in the UK thanks
Rusty Cage
Feb 10, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Lewis,
The company is working on making the product available outside the U.S. and Canada. I don’t have an ETA for you, but I’ll see if I can get an answer.
Lewis Ainsworth
Feb 10, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Cheers Rusty if you could even get a ball park that would be great thanks love the product and GolfWRX is amazin we need a UK version of this also haha
Martin
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Can you answer my question below, this has no functionality as an on-course GPS unit?
Scott
Feb 10, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Great concept, terrible name. Google “Game Golf” and you get everything but what you’re looking for.
Chris
Feb 10, 2014 at 4:45 pm
Actually, if you google “game golf”, the first result is for their website.
Chris
Feb 10, 2014 at 3:03 pm
I wonder if the GPS is affected by trees. I seem to play a lot of shots under and around trees.
Martin
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:56 pm
So I watched the video, tracking shot length is easy and afterwards it will show me where I was on the course and where my shots ended up…but
It doesn’t show me how far to the green or the next hazard, so I would now need two devices.
Correct?
Jordan
Dec 4, 2017 at 10:41 am
That was my take too. I’m all in favor of tracking metrics by any means, but not at the cost of distractions. And two devices will distract me.
David McCuiston
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:33 pm
So I assume it has a gps device and tracks your last shot length when you make your next shot?
Rusty Cage
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Yes, it uses GPS to map the course you’re playing on and tracks both length and direction from one shot to the next. It’s accurate to within 1 yard. Check out their website to see an example of how GMAC’s rounds are illustrated visually.
Andrew
Feb 13, 2014 at 8:17 am
It may be accurate to 1 yard in terms of shot distance but it certainly is not for where your ball landed. Using normal GPS (Without any WAAS) and Google maps as your coordinates will give you +/- 5-6 yards if you are lucky.
David McCuiston
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:30 pm
About to check the link. Hoping this video on their site will explain. How does it track shot direction and length and how accurate is it?
GolfingPro
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:18 pm
Great device going the right direction. But the real revolution for the game of golf would be adding a sensor to each flag on the top that would give you the exact distance to the pin. Lets say within +/- 2 yds. what then would be shown on something like a small Golfbuddy voice device on your golf bag.
No more use for gps units or lasers. And think about the speeding up effect on the game.
MIZZY
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Are you thinking about a sort of sensor on the top of each flagstick so the device can tell the yardage right to the pin whereever it is placed on the green? Sounds interesting.
LorenRobertsFan
Feb 10, 2014 at 1:58 pm
Gamechanger for sure
richard
Feb 10, 2014 at 1:54 pm
When and where can regular folks buy one of these?
Rusty Cage
Feb 10, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Richard,
The product is available for purchase online: http://www.gamegolf.com/products/en-us/gamegolf
Jeff
Feb 16, 2014 at 10:58 am
I ordered mine on February 9th and received it at my door in a week. Just too much snow to use it in Minneapolis but going to Texas for a guys trip soon…thank goodness.