The brand new Shot Scope G5 golf GPS watch that comes out in the present day could already lead the sphere in being the easiest-to-use Golf GPS watch.

And that’s not even its most notable function.

In truth, it won’t even be within the high three.

In solely six years, Shot Scope has pressured its method into the golf expertise dialog, providing worth choices that stack up towards almost something Bushnell, Garmin or Arccos gives. And in the present day’s launch of the G5 golf GPS watch joins the Shot Scope Professional L2 laser rangefinder as possibly one of the best values in golf underneath $150.

Particularly if you happen to like a touch of shade.

Shot Scope G5 Golf GPS Watch: Colour My World

“We like being within the GPS market,” says Gavin Pricey, former European Tour professional and Shot Scope’s chief industrial officer. “We’ve all our personal course maps and we all know that we will hit sure worth factors which can be nice for a easy GPS watch.”

We’ll get to only how easy the G5 is to make use of in a second. And we’ll focus on performance and the value level, too. However, man, we gotta begin by speaking concerning the straps.

“Hey, we like shade,” says Pricey. “No person else in golf expertise actually likes shade however we like shade. So why not do just a few shade straps?”

To be exact, there are 12 completely different coloured straps plus your alternative between a grey or a black watch physique.

While you purchase a Shot Scope G5 golf GPS watch (it’s GPS solely – no shot monitoring), you get the watch itself and your alternative of two straps. You possibly can select from black, white, carbon grey, metal grey, navy blue, sky blue, military inexperienced, mint inexperienced, burgundy, racing purple, orange or pink.

“We discovered that if you happen to provide only one shade strap, individuals will play it secure and select black,” says Pricey. “We determined to package deal it with two straps to present the golfer some alternative. They will play it secure and get a little bit of shade.”

Shot Scope’s web site lets you construct your package deal. As soon as you choose a black or grey watch physique, you should use a pull-down menu to pick out your strap colours. The web site will really render the watch/strap combo for you so you may get an concept of what it’ll appear to be.

And if you happen to actually wish to decorate, you should purchase as many additional straps as you need at $19.99 a pop.

Type and Perform

The Shot Scope G5 golf GPS watch is a bit wider than an Apple Watch SE. And, at 42 grams, it’s in the identical weight ballpark because the SE and only a bit heavier than a Bushnell ION or Garmin Method S12.

Functionally, it has all of the fundamentals you’d count on. You get front-middle-back distances, distances to hazards, doglegs and layups, scorekeeping and 36,000 programs mapped and loaded. Moreover, you’ll be able to change the scale of the F-M-B show and you’ll even simply get the space to the center in order for you.

“There are a great deal of golfers who simply wish to know the space to the center,” says Pricey. “They’ll inform you their eyesight goes a bit so they simply wish to see massive numbers on the display screen.”

The show in GPS mode is massive, vivid and straightforward to learn. Center distance exhibits in a vivid blue with blue and yellow icons for bunkers and water hazards.

At $150 (with no month-to-month subscription required), you gained’t get gap or inexperienced views. It does provide three completely different clock faces if you wish to put on it as a watch. Whereas in watch mode, the display screen goes dim to save lots of the battery and also you’ll need to press one of many perform buttons to light up it. The battery lasts 10 days in watch mode and is nice for two-plus rounds in GPS mode.

Straightforward Does It

As an advancing Boomer, I’ve discovered it’s necessary to know your limitations relating to expertise. I’ve an Apple watch and use possibly 12 % of its capabilities and might by no means bear in mind passwords. However even a simpleton like me discovered the Shot Scope G5 golf GPS watch stupid-simple to make use of.

First off, you don’t must sync it to your cellular phone to make use of it. You don’t even want a cellular phone to make use of it. You possibly can sync it to your cellular phone (it’s beneficial for firmware updates, course updates and rating uploads) nevertheless it’s not obligatory.

While you first flip it on, it’ll ask if you wish to sync to a telephone nevertheless it additionally has a “skip” function, which is able to convey you proper to “Play Golf.” Inside seconds, it discovered I used to be on the brink of play Breakfast Hill in Greenland, N.H., and off we went. The G5 moved seamlessly from gap to gap and navigating from F-M-B to hazard and layup distances was kindergarten-level easy. And all of the scorekeeping perform wished from me was a quantity.

“We had been at a Roger Dunn’s (golf store) in Tucson speaking with one of many gross sales associates,” says Pricey. “He instructed us that with expertise, he solely sells stuff he is aware of gained’t come again. He mentioned guys would are available in on a regular basis returning stuff as a result of they couldn’t make the rattling factor work.

“With G5, you don’t have to hook up with an app. You don’t need to register it or do something. You possibly can simply go play golf.”

Shot Scope G5 Golf GPS Watch: Closing Ideas, Worth, Availability

The brand new Shot Scope G5 golf GPS watch is priced to go head-to-head with the Bushnell ION Edge and Elite and the Garmin Method S12. When in comparison with the ION Edge at $149.99, the Shot Scope does have better-looking graphics. In comparison with the ION Elite and S12, it lacks gap and inexperienced mapping and is a tad heavier. However it’s $50 cheaper.

And it has 12 straps’ value of shade.

“For a golfer, having a distance-measuring machine is as necessary as having a 3-wood within the bag now,” says Pricey. “We’re quickly changing into the third model within the U.S. with Bushnell and Garmin. We provide a breadth of merchandise and we provide pricing variations in comparison with these firms.”

Shot Scope’s Professional L2 laser rangefinder, which debuted this spring, has been an authorized monster. Greater than 3,000 models landed in North America two weeks in the past. Shot Scope has fewer than two dozen left.

“I’ve acquired one other 2,000 models coming in August they usually’re already gone,” says Pricey. “I believe the G5 will likely be actually comparable. It ought to fly.”

With one spherical underneath my belt with the G5, I can say it really works as marketed. And if there’s an easier-to-use golf GPS watch on the market, I haven’t seen it. Swapping straps generally is a minor problem for these cursed with less-than-nimble fingers nevertheless it’s nothing that may’t be overcome.

And it’s priced to maneuver.

The Shot Scope G5 golf GPS watch is out there beginning in the present day. The watch plus two straps promote for $149,99. Extra straps are $19.99 every. You possibly can “construct your personal” package deal along with your alternative of a black or grey watch and your alternative of straps at Shotscope.com.