Playing golf confidently never feels so good. Being knowledgeable about every blade of a course provides players an immense feeling of accomplishment that resonates in your game. If you want to become more familiar when playing golf, using golf GPS can help you play on any course with total familiarity. With these devices, you can play with confidence even if you have never set foot on the fairway. They add a touch of augmented reality to give golfers a powerful experience.
If it’s your first-time hearing about golf GPS and you’re wondering what it is used for, we are here to help you. In this post, we are giving you the reason golf GPS units are used.
What is Golf GPS?
In the past ten years, GPS has come a long way. Back then, it was some kind of novelty for people who were into geocaching. Later on, it expanded to be a common part of every digital technology. Today, it is also being used in playing golf.
Like a typical GPS, a golf GPS utilizes satellite data and tracking software to triangulate or determine a location. These are mostly built into a watch, smartphones, or other handheld devices. It provides powerful and precise information about a course. There are services that may boast as many as 40,000 courses in the library, and those also continue to grow.
Each GPS device offers topical displays and features that are different from other devices. But generally, all of them serve the same purpose, which is to improve your golf game by adding vital information. This is many why many players are looking for the best golf GPS units.
What are the Reasons for Using Golf GPS Units?
After learning about what a golf GPS unit is, let us go back to the main question. Why do you think is it used when playing golf? Here are the main reasons for using golf GPS units:
1. A golf GPS unit works as a digital caddy.
If you have experienced playing golf with a caddy, you probably know how invaluable they are when it comes to explaining the features of a golf course. In addition to that, caddies are also knowledgeable when it comes to club recommendations, given the terrain, weather, and other conditions on the course. They are those who give valuable service to golfers that mostly only the pros and semi-pros get to experience.
However, if you have a golf GPS, it is also like having a caddy. You can use it to store information about your average swing distance with each club that you have. With this, the programs of the unit can recommend you clubs based on distance and situation on the course. Also, a golf GPS can also let you know where the water hazards are, how far you are from the hole and the curvature and grade of the fairway. This way, you will be able to make better decisions and provide you that professional golf experience. These devices also offer golfers a second perspective. Having that kind of objectivity can help you stay focused on your game.
2. A golf GPS unit can also improve your situational awareness while playing.
When a golfer is familiar with a course, it gives him a lot of advantages, not only for playing a good game but as well as for enjoying the gameplay. It can take a lot of plays on a course to get into the mindset of playing the strengths and avoiding traps. But a golf GPS will give that information to you up-front.
When you have a golf GPS, aside from knowing the distance to the hole, you will also learn about where the rough starts, where the water and sand hazards are, and the slope of a green. All of these things can contribute to a solid game of golf. If the ball lands outside of the fairway and you need to orient to the hole and push hard to recover a stroke, having a GPS will give you an advantage. It is the kind of advantage that most golfers only achieve with repeated experience.
3. Using a golf GPS can speed up the game.
Golfers have various objectives for a game. Some are practicing to improve their overall game, while others are there to enjoy. Either way, using a golf GPS can help improve the flow of your game, as well as the speed of play.
This does not mean it will rush you. It just means you no longer have to spend lots of time measuring, eyeballing, or considering distances. You don’t have to walk, pace, and stare at the clubs to figure out the situation as the information is all presented to you by the golf GPS. With this, you will be able to spend more of your time playing the game.
4. A golf GPS is also used for post-game analysis.
In addition to giving assistance in your game, a GPS will also help you after the game. Golf GPS units save information as you go. They feature scorecards and swing analyzers that enable you to see where you best lie fall and where you need to improve. Checking these data after the game will help you see where you went wrong or see what you did best. It serves as a digital record that you can use to recall the choices you made in your previous games.
Also, since it records your game, it will also allow you to playback the markers and show off a few of your skills and techniques to your friends. There are even golf GPS apps that allow players to list their scores online. It can be used to chart a player’s progress over time or join on leaderboards to show off your game to other golfers playing the course.
5. A golf GPS can provide more enjoyment.
Coming up with a strategy and finishing a challenging shot can give golfers a sense of accomplishment. But these achievements can be easier to reach when you have the important information you need on hand. One of the best things about a golf GPS is that you decide how it is used and how to enjoy it. Some people use it to improve their game, while others just like to spend more time playing the course. With a golf GPS, you can plot your whole game, moving from one hole to another before you get to the site. You can use it to measure and make your play against your ideal strategy. It is like tactical planning and execution, which can make the game more fun.
Conclusion
We can say that golfers use golf GPS mainly for convenience and familiarization with the course. Therefore, if you are looking into trying out various golf courses, having a GPS unit might be beneficial for you. This way, you can easily acquaint yourself with the course and create great plans for better gameplay. If you’ve been hesitating before about getting a golf GPS unit as you’re not sure how they work, maybe now is the time to invest in one. It is a great device that can help improve your game.