Garmin Approach G5 Touchscreen Golf GPS (Old Version) by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin Approach G5 Touchscreen Golf GPS (Old Version)
Digital camera Review: A good equipment to have on golf course
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this Garmin G5 as a refurbished item. With a low price of $267, I am very happy with it. Previously, I was using iPhone 3GS, running GolfShot program, to read yardage. It was very slow to update the yardage. On some courses, it can't even get GPS. I blame it on the iPhone more than the GolfShot program. Garmin gets the yardage very quickly and is pretty accurate. When you can only play golf on weekend, pace of play and accuracy is important. So just for that, I'll stick to Garmin G5 for awhile.
Things I like about this Garmin G5 are:
- Power it on, wait, find the course, start playing. That's all I have to do. Very easy to use.
- All golf courses I usually play are there. Don't need to go to website to download.
- Hole by hole display as if you have a yardage book at hand. You see the hazards, the bunkers, and the yardage to hit.
- Automatically advance to next hole most of the time.
- Able to touch any place on the fairway to see how far to hit the ball.
- Able to move the pin on the green to get accurate yardage.
- No annual fee!!!
Things Garmin could improve are:
- Have better pictures on the hole, like aerial photo, not some hand drawn picture which doesn't even show the trees and waters outside the hole.
- Hard to get accurate when you touch the fairway or green with your finger. I have to use a tee to do it.
- Too heavy to carry around, because of the 2 AA batteries.
- Batteries don't last long. I use rechargeable batteries. Each pair lasts only 1 round 3 holes.
- G5 shuts off without warning when batteries die.
- Could have better score keeping feature. This is where I miss GolfShot program most.
- Unable to move to any hole. Must go from hole 1 to 2, to 3, to 4...
- Unable to track, sand shot, penalty (OB, water)
- Unable to see the whole score card. Must use up/down buttons.
- Unable to see the past score cards. Must connect to a PC to see them.
- The 3 statistics on the score card aren't helpful
- Unable to e-mail score card (Love iPhone + GolfShot)
My complaints are mostly for bells and whistles GolfShot spoiled me). This Garmin G5 is solid, quick, and accurate. Borrow it from your golf buddy, try a few rounds, I guarantee you'll fall in love with it.
Digital camera Review: Accurate and easy with no membership fees!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Garmin Approach is in my opinion the best GPS based golf rangefinder available. I have been using it for a month and find it accurate and easy to use. If you need an absolute yardage to the pin, this might not be for you. But for those golfers happy with yardages to the middle of the green there is nothing better. (It is possible to move the pin around in the detailed green view, but its a guesstimate as to where the actual pin is on the green. Useful for large greens or courses you know well.)
The score card, shot measure, and preview course are all great features that work well enough, but don't buy it for anything other than easy to read, accurate yardages from anywhere on the course to hazards and to the green. You don't need line of sight to the pin like you do with the laser range finders. And there are NO additional fees.
There is only one problem with this device; it is not rechargeable! This is the only reason I didn't give it five stars. Alkaline batteries last a round and a half. I purchased two sets of rechargeable batteries, an absolute must. One set will last around two and a half rounds. That this thing doesn't recharge as easy as a cell phone is a big let down. I guess you can't have everything.
Digital camera Review: Android app for 5 dollars
Summary: 3 Stars
Just for the record I do not own this GPS golf device. However I do own an Android phone. I can't see buying a $300 dollar unit to do something that an app on a Android, Iphone, or blackberry can do. There are so many apps to choose from with no annual fee. Heck, some are even free! They track drives, tell you how far traps and hazards are. So my suggestion is for the many of you that have a smartphone, save the money and go to the app market. I read that you have to pay a yearly fee for this and download each course before you go! Also for at least me, I would forget this GPS everytime I went golfing because its too expensive to just throw in my golf bag, whereas my cell phone I always have it on me. So again i apologize for not owning this piece but I did want to inform about an awesome alternative option.Digital camera Review: Another Source for a Thorough Review
Summary: 3 Stars
This unit is not nearly as highly-rated at Critical Golf . COM. They prefer the G3 as a better value. Check out the website for a THOROUGH review and comparison of all the latest versions. I have looked everywhere, and -- other than Amazon -- the Reviews that go into serious details are few and far-between.
This website even gives their Value Assessment over a 3 Year Period by way of Total Cost of Ownership, factoring in additional fees for Courses, Memberships, the Scoring Plus Option for the Callaway uPro, etc. And everything seems very up-to-date.
Great website!
And this unit ranks as one of the priciest. But not as bad as some.
Pros and Cons are given. Step-by-Step dissertations on Features, Ease of Use, Accuracy, etc. Note: I was shocked to see they rated the Garmin G5 as being less-accurate than the Callaway uPro. Who wouldathunk?? Every other Review that I read assumes the Garmin name equates to "best of breed" GPS accuracy on the Course. The above website did not find that to be the case. So check it out before you plop down this kind of money.
In my case, THOUSANDS of accessible golf courses seems certainly desirable. But if I ever play more than a 100 or so in my lifetime, I'll be surprised.
I do like the idea of the size of other units. Satellite photos of the course might seem exciting at first on other units, but be aware that they are not High Resolution. Mostly, they do NOT match what is shown on their respective websites.
I have no affiliation with any of these manufacturers, nor the above-referenced website. And nothing against Garmin, since I've used their fantastic car GPS units for years. I just thought many of us would like to find a source for thoughtful Reviews that also speak to overall costs. I could not find that anywhere else!
CHECK OUT THE REVIEW OF THE G3 before you decide. Also, the OnPar and Callaway uPro. OK... before you laugh me out of the room concerning the OnPar, keep in mind it's Club Analysis feature comes highly-rated.
Digital camera Review: Approach G5
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this as an upgrade to the GolfLogix G8, which itself is a very decent piece of equipment. I have been very impressed with it, although a friend has an SG5 and that it outstanding as well. The only minor things I would like to see improved (someday) would be that you have to go through too many screens to get from scoring to the course view and back (why don't they have an icon to go back and forth directly?), and the scoring system that Garmin/GolfLogix has for smartphones is much better. The Approach allows you to keep scores for up to 4 people. The smartphone version allows you to keep stats (fairways hit, greens hit, putts, penalties, sand, etc.), and I would love to see this on the Approach.
All things considered, though, this is a really good golf GPS, and the ability to get measurements to and from any point on the course using the touchscreen is a massive assistance as you plan strategy on how to attack each hole.