Product Review

Garmin Approach G5 customer reviews

Global Rating: 5.00 from 2 reviews.

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rating	title	date	name	city state/province country
	Great Golf Aid (5/5)	Apr 16, 2009	Joe Donahue	Wesley Chapel Florida US
	The G5 Approach is very intuitive; there is no need to carry or memorize the instruction book. Only about three holes were needed for a learning curve. The screen is easy to read even in bright sunlight. Sunglasses are no problem unless you wear polarized lenses. Accuracy appears to be ~ +/- 2 yards and is much better than these old lyin' eyes. The pin placement feature is very handy as is the point-and-drag feature for intermediate hazards. Most local courses are available and there were even a few I didn't know existed. Unexpected pros are that time is saved by not having to hunt sprinkler heads and the "How Far Did I Hit It" feature helps confirm club selection. There has been no difficulty tracking satellites. Battery life is about two rounds using rechargeable batteries. I think I could stretch it with the 2500 mAh rechargeables but, why bother having to remember to take extra batteries when NiMH batteries and chargers are so inexpensive and ubiquitously available. I simply reload after every two rounds - the battery compartment is easily accessible without any tools needed. The downloaded scorecard feature is nice but there doesn't seem to be any way to draw statistics or trends from them. It would be nice if there were a way to delete rounds that may not be of lasting interest.
	Seagarz (5/5)	Apr 12, 2009	Jim Tarabocchia	Howell NJ US
	Picked up the Garmin Approach March 2009. I was a bit hesitant because it was such a new product on the market but found some reviews and YouTube videos from trade shows that featured the product. For me it was a toss up with the SkyCaddie and uPro but eventually I decided on the Garmin Approach. My playing partner has the SkyCaddie SG5 and it is a nice unit but I didn't like the annual fees and the mapping feature not available for all courses. I have now played the Garmin Approach 4 times and absolutely love it and recommend it to anyone in the market. This unit is a solid performer with all the features needed to help you in a round of golf. Make sure you check the course availability on Garmin's website but almost all of the courses I play in New Jersey including my Monmouth county courses are on it with full course layouts. Rumor on the internet is that Garmin is releasing more courses in the next few weeks for download. After using the unit several times I noticed accuracy was within 2 yards at the worst from USGA Markers on the course. The touch screen is very easy to use and designed for finger use but the top of a tee made it more accurate for selecting menu options or targeting points on the course. The screen is easy to read in sunlight and with shades on. Being able to move the flag on the green is a huge plus and the scorecard feature is awesome and really helps you track your round. Being able to save the rounds and download them is a great way to track your performance. I run Linux ( Ubuntu ) however and the unit mounts up fine but I have not been able to view the xml file correctly yet. I will figure it out soon though. On windows it works fine. I purchased NiMH rechargeable batteries and carry a few extra in my bag. The alkaline batteries died out quickly ( although they were used already and it was cold out ). So far I can get 2 rounds out of the rechargeable batteries and expect more once the weather warms up a bit. Changing the batteries was quick and I did not lose my scorecard or location on the course. Course acquisition was a snap and locating courses just as easy. Overall this is the best golf accessory purchase I have made. Definitely helps to lower scores and keep you focused on the game. My depth perception is not good and neither are my playing partners. It made me rethink club selection quite a few times and that alone led to positive results! Garmin has a real winner with this unit!

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