Once GPS systems came out with a voice feature that let you hear directions instead of staring at a small screen, it was only a matter of time before this technology carried over into other similar technology – namely the golf GPS.
And now it’s a reality – introducing the GolfBuddy Voice. It’s about the size of an iPod Nano and easily clips on to your belt or hat visor. Simply turn the Golf Buddy voice on and it automatically finds you on your course and the hole you’re on, The GolfBuddy Voice comes preloaded with courses across the country and around the world with no annual or download fees. It instantaneously gives you the distance to the middle of the green and with the press of a couple of buttons, gives you distance to the front and back as well. By simply pressing the “Position” button after teeing off, or hitting an iron, you can quickly find out the true distance of that monster drive you just hit.
When it comes to a GPS unit, golfers seem to either want something with all the bells and whistles such as stat tracking and club advisor, or they want the distance to the middle of the green. The GolfBuddy Voice fills the bill of the latter, only audibly. Everything is at the push of a button in a tiny package that can be clipped to your body. Press the button on the front of the unit and you are reminded of which hole you are on as well as the distance to the middle of the green. You can easily adjust the volume using the buttons on the side
In the handful of times I have used the GolfBuddy Voice, it was surprisingly accurate and offered no issues at all. Compared to other GPS units I have, it was always within a yard or two and when compared it to my laser rangefinder, it was very accurate and was better than I expected.
With any GPS unit, battery life is always concerned. After playing 18 holes in a little over 4 hours, the battery was about 50% drained meaning you should be able to get a couple of rounds in before needing to recharge but I would recommend recharging it after each round
The GolfBuddy Voice can be purchased online for under $120.00; significantly less than other GPS units. For more information on this and other Golf Buddy products, check out their website at www.golfbuddyglobal.com.
