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On course GPS or your own GPS?

jdtox

jdtox

Lord Tox
Albatross 2024 Club
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More and more courses are starting to have GPS built into the carts. If you use a watch like ShotScope X5 or a handheld device or even your phone typically do you use the course GPS or still use your device? Have you found any differences or generally pretty accurate?
 
I find the cart GPS to be just accurate and it’s nice with the touchscreen to see how far it is the certain points, but I usually still wear my voice caddie watch and will use my rangefinder if I’m away from the cart
 
I walk a majority of my rounds so I’m using my phone gps 100% of the time. Every now and then I’ll laser a distance to confirm but it’s usually my own gps I’m using
 
If there is one in the cart I typically use that and will shoot things with my laser if I want more info.
 
I like the cart GPS but pin distances are rarely accurate. Nice to see hole layout approach shot troubles.

I still have Garmin watch fired up for front middle back when at my ball.


The things I hate about the cart gps's are the beeps/chimes. Mute that stuff!
And the adds 'return to golf' button, come on we are here to play golf not watch commercials.
 
I use the cart GPS, but usually the first hole I'll shoot with a laser to see how accurate it is, and then adjust from there. So, if the cart is saying 140 to pin, and the laser says 145, I just kind of remember, the cart is a bit off.
 
My home course doesn't have in cart GPS and I use my Motocaddy M5 with GPS most times so I use that in combination with a range finder.
 
I’ll use the cart GPS as it’s more convenient. I think it’s generally pretty accurate. I can’t imagine it being off enough that would make a significant difference in my score
 
I'll use the courses GPS, mainly because I prefer a rangefinder over a GPS device.
 
I use my Shot Scope every round for front, middle, back distances at a quick glance. I do use the cart gps to get an idea of the layout, distance to trouble, etc
 
Is it bad that I have had some poor experiences with cart GPS so I don’t trust them anymore?
 
I don't disagree with @Canadan from this week's pod - but I don't do it.

It would be great to see where your number is, but I already have that, most of the time, from just my watch.
 
War Eagle said:
I'll use the courses GPS, mainly because I prefer a rangefinder over a GPS device.
Click to expand...
Do you use the rangefinder for everything or inside a certain yardage?
 
Sometimes the cart GPS is off i have seen a 20 yard difference. I will always check for the first few holes then use the cart most of the time.
 
I like using the GPS on my watch. Even if there is cart GPS, I'm still going to rely on my own.
 
My club's cart GPS is never updated to the current pin location so now I never trust any in cart GPS at any course.
 
Doubleb21 said:
Sometimes the cart GPS is off i have seen a 20 yard difference. I will always check for the first few holes then use the cart most of the time.
Click to expand...
I played an entire round once with the cart GPS off. It was so annoying I went in and complained after the round. The guy in the pro shop said the greenskeeper forgot to change the pin location. I mean come on.
 
Most of the time I use the X5. Get distance. Tag club. Swing away. If the cart has GPS/hole maps I'll check for hazards (if needed) since the cart screen is bigger than the watch face.

I have only found the X5 to be off from cart GPS if the X5 map hasn't been updated and obviously if temp greens are used for construction/repair (*both would be off).
 
jdtox said:
I played an entire round once with the cart GPS off. It was so annoying I went in and complained after the round. The guy in the pro shop said the greenskeeper forgot to change the pin location. I mean come on.
Click to expand...
That is not cool.
 
Yeah the course GPS is nice but I can't trust it. Sometimes the pins are off. I have seen the tee boxes be marked wrong as well so the ones that give you shot distance from tee are misleading. Oh I hit that 320 yds but the tee box was set up 1 up. I use Shotscope H4 for good enough distances on the greens and the rangefinder for precise. I will use the cart GPS for distances to bunkers and hazards.
 
If the cart has GPS I don't typically start the one on my phone, I get my laser out for sure.
 
I typically walk and rely on Garmin S62 watch and laser but our home course cart GPS are responsible for way too many good shot penalties. Both of our back 9 P5s have creeks crossing the fairway that often cause a layup/carry decision on the 2nd shot. Cart GPS tells golfers they have at least 15-25 yards more available to them on these layups than they actually have. Frustrating to hit a decently safe layup and find the water. It had happened to me so many times that one of the first things I did when I got my S62 was mark some safe layup and safe carry waypoints along the banks of those creeks.
 
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jdtox said:
Do you use the rangefinder for everything or inside a certain yardage?
Click to expand...
Use it for everything. Just never got along with carrying my own GPS. I'll use a phone app every once in a while if there is no in cart GPS (which is rare down here), to see a distance for a forced carry or trouble down the fairway.
 
Cart gps with my range finder to back me up if needed
 
I haven't noticed much difference between cart & app gps. So if the GPS is available in the cart I will usually use that instead of using an app on my phone. Even though my H4 has the gps, I never use it
 
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