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Before purchasing the uPro Go, I used a GPS app on my Android phone. It was a nice little app, but my phone got beat up pretty good so I wanted to have a dedicated device. I shopped around and quickly realized how expensive these devices were. I wasn’t about to spend $400 on a GPS. You can get a new driver for that. So I took a chance on the GO. (I got mine new, off of ebay for $150.)
The first thing I noticed was that the device is pretty rugged. Rubber casing, rubber grommet to cover the USB port, thick plastic screen over the LCD, etc. Obviously, the pro is that you can throw it in your pocket along with ball markers, tees, etc, and it’ll take it. However, the screen is not Gorilla Glass. There is a plastic screen that covers the LCD to protect it, so no scratches there, but the scratches on the plastic screen is pretty noticeable. I would definitely get some sort of screen protector for it. (I purchases a pack of cut-to-size cell phone screen covers and it worked perfect.) The navigation button is a little stiff at first, but the more you use it, the easier it becomes. So allow some break in time.
When I first purchased the GO it did not work on the first course I tried. I stood on the tee box of a local course and I got a ‘corrupted file’ error. So I didn’t get to use it the first time out. I was bummed. I called Callaway’s tech support and they had the issue fixed in a matter of minutes. (Device has to be connected to your PC for them to fix this error. So no fixing this on the course.) The hold time was minimal and I actually got to talk to an American, which was awesome. I didn’t get some guy across the pond with a thick accent who calls himself George. Their customer support is top notch. That experience alone was worth the price of the device.
I wasn’t a fan of spending the extra $50 to get the “Go Mode”. But knowing that there wasn’t a yearly subscription fee made this activation a little easier. The Go Mode is a nice little addition in that it shows you all of the green side hazards and their yardages. Don’t get on the first tee and boot the device and expect it to work right away. Like all GPS devices, it takes a little time to acquire the satellites. So power it on when you’re on the practice green. By the time you’re done, it’ll have acquired the satellites. The user interface is pretty straight forward. You click, “Play Golf’ and it tells you what course you’re on, as well as the courses within about a 10 mile radius. However, if you don’t give the device time to acquire the satellites, you’ve got to navigate to your course. Country>State>Course By Alphabet>Select Course. But you’re still not going to get a reading until it acquires the satellites. It took roughly 3-5 minutes to get the satellites it needed. This time, of course, is factored on weather, environment, etc.
That being said, I’ve had the unit for about three months. Every time I use it, its exceeded my expectations. The GO has had every course I’ve played so far. I took it on a golf trip to Santee, SC and it worked beautifully. I was able to use the device alongside the GPS units that were in the carts. The yardage was pretty spot on. I have found that with a GPS unit, I second guess the yardage markers on the course. To be honest, I’ve found some that have been short and some that have been long. But for the most part, they’ve been pretty accurate. However, the last time I used the device I was standing on a par three and the sprinkler head said 157 to the middle. My GPS said it was 135. So instead of grabbing an 8 iron, I grabbed a 9 iron. I’m glad I did. Had I went with the courses marker, I would have really flown the green. It’s a pretty feature packed device. Major plusses are that the screen is very easy to read on sunny days and at only 4”, the device fits nicely in your pant or shirt pocket.
I’ve been able to get 36 holes on a single charge. (This includes everyone else asking me what ‘their’ yardage is.) The power save mode is a nice feature. Once you get your yardage, you can put it in your pocket knowing that in 20 seconds the LCD will turn itself off.
I wasn’t able to stack the Upro Go against another GPS device except the app on my phone. But if you’re looking for a budget GPS, you might want to take a look at this one. If I had to do it over again, I’d still buy it.
The first thing I noticed was that the device is pretty rugged. Rubber casing, rubber grommet to cover the USB port, thick plastic screen over the LCD, etc. Obviously, the pro is that you can throw it in your pocket along with ball markers, tees, etc, and it’ll take it. However, the screen is not Gorilla Glass. There is a plastic screen that covers the LCD to protect it, so no scratches there, but the scratches on the plastic screen is pretty noticeable. I would definitely get some sort of screen protector for it. (I purchases a pack of cut-to-size cell phone screen covers and it worked perfect.) The navigation button is a little stiff at first, but the more you use it, the easier it becomes. So allow some break in time.
When I first purchased the GO it did not work on the first course I tried. I stood on the tee box of a local course and I got a ‘corrupted file’ error. So I didn’t get to use it the first time out. I was bummed. I called Callaway’s tech support and they had the issue fixed in a matter of minutes. (Device has to be connected to your PC for them to fix this error. So no fixing this on the course.) The hold time was minimal and I actually got to talk to an American, which was awesome. I didn’t get some guy across the pond with a thick accent who calls himself George. Their customer support is top notch. That experience alone was worth the price of the device.
I wasn’t a fan of spending the extra $50 to get the “Go Mode”. But knowing that there wasn’t a yearly subscription fee made this activation a little easier. The Go Mode is a nice little addition in that it shows you all of the green side hazards and their yardages. Don’t get on the first tee and boot the device and expect it to work right away. Like all GPS devices, it takes a little time to acquire the satellites. So power it on when you’re on the practice green. By the time you’re done, it’ll have acquired the satellites. The user interface is pretty straight forward. You click, “Play Golf’ and it tells you what course you’re on, as well as the courses within about a 10 mile radius. However, if you don’t give the device time to acquire the satellites, you’ve got to navigate to your course. Country>State>Course By Alphabet>Select Course. But you’re still not going to get a reading until it acquires the satellites. It took roughly 3-5 minutes to get the satellites it needed. This time, of course, is factored on weather, environment, etc.
That being said, I’ve had the unit for about three months. Every time I use it, its exceeded my expectations. The GO has had every course I’ve played so far. I took it on a golf trip to Santee, SC and it worked beautifully. I was able to use the device alongside the GPS units that were in the carts. The yardage was pretty spot on. I have found that with a GPS unit, I second guess the yardage markers on the course. To be honest, I’ve found some that have been short and some that have been long. But for the most part, they’ve been pretty accurate. However, the last time I used the device I was standing on a par three and the sprinkler head said 157 to the middle. My GPS said it was 135. So instead of grabbing an 8 iron, I grabbed a 9 iron. I’m glad I did. Had I went with the courses marker, I would have really flown the green. It’s a pretty feature packed device. Major plusses are that the screen is very easy to read on sunny days and at only 4”, the device fits nicely in your pant or shirt pocket.
I’ve been able to get 36 holes on a single charge. (This includes everyone else asking me what ‘their’ yardage is.) The power save mode is a nice feature. Once you get your yardage, you can put it in your pocket knowing that in 20 seconds the LCD will turn itself off.
I wasn’t able to stack the Upro Go against another GPS device except the app on my phone. But if you’re looking for a budget GPS, you might want to take a look at this one. If I had to do it over again, I’d still buy it.
