Game Golf - How good is this golf game tracking device and does it work well?

The Game Golf - Digital Tracking System for Golf

Statistics are probably the best and most important indicator helping any professional golf player to see where he or she stands with their game.

Professionals as well as low handicap players keep constantly track of their game. Those statistics can range from 2 or 3 points to a very complex sheet which includes by far more references.

But it does take time, patience and effort to get this done and done correctly. This is where Game Golf comes into play. One of the most interesting devices you can get today.

I myself keep comprehensive stats at all times. The only way to find out the weaknesses and the strengths of your game is to take notes whenever you play and practice. If you do that enough, you eventually find patterns and then can work on specific things. Ultimately leading to better rounds and more fun.

When I heard about Game Golf and what it might do, I was immediately excited. Only took me a little research and I bought myself this brand new tracking system. The price at that time was 249 $ plus tax. However, I received a discount because I am a member of the GC Am Tour and we got a 50 $ of coupon. I saw that the device now is 199 $.

Set up:

It was very easy to set up the device and to attach the transmitters to the clubs. Most grips today have the proper hole in the back. You need to add your clubs to the software online. Identify each club and put the corresponding transmitter on the back. Does not take very long at all. Also I did not think it is invasive at all and does not bother me while playing.

1 hour after charging the device I was actually ready to go.

On the course :

When turning it on the first time, you need to be patient. At times it takes a little time to find a satellite. But most of the time it does not take longer than 2 minutes.

The LED lights will tell you when you are ready to go. There is nothing else to do. The device knows where you are and what course you play.

Once ready for your tee shot, tag the transmitter on the bag of your device to the bottom of the device itself. It will give you a little vibration. That means your device is ready to record the shot. Play your golf shot just as you always do and then continue to your ball.

There you do the same thing again and continue to do so before every shot. Do not worry about double tapping or anything.

I was not bothered or hindered by the Game Golf at all. As a matter of fact, it helped me to stay with my routine. When I was not sure if I tapped it right, I did it again and if I thought I forgot it, I made a note on my score card. ( you do not have to do that, but I like to be accurate and keep some stats anyhow).

Loading data to the website:

Really simple. You connect your Game Golf device and the computer will lead you through all further steps. Once you have an account on the Game Golf website, things go pretty much automatic. You will see the loading bar and it will tell you when your round is downloaded completely.

Final editing of the round:

This is one part I found not to exciting, in the beginning. When I opened my round and then the first hole I found that some of my tagging points where not consistent with my true location on the course at the time of play. Also I had some double tags as well as missed tags. Further I was not sure how to deal with hazard shots or OB balls which I had on other holes. Last , on the putting green many locations where not 100 % correct and at times I did not record putts.

So I had less strokes than I really had. I worked my way through my round. correcting locations as well as strokes and adding penalties etc. Took me a little while to get it right and to figure all things out. But once I was done, it looked great and I had my actual round right in front of me. Pretty exciting.

The second time around I did it in half the time and from there on the entire process only took me minutes. So you must be patient and see the big picture of the entire process and why you are doing it.

I suggest to do the download and edit as soon as possible after the round ( I do it immediately after every round I record). The computer screen picture shows you the holes and where you tagged the device. Your short term memory can help to make necessary corrections.

 I used the help section to guide me through the process and also found advice from other users. It was a little different than I though, but again. Once you made it through the first time it gets easier and you start having fun doing it.

Statistics:

Once you have a few rounds in the system, you start to see patterns of your game. It really does not matter how good you edit the round when putting it in. A few yards will not make a different. You will find out some very interesting things about your game. Where you miss when teeing off and how many putts from what distance. Most interesting to me was distance of the tee and on approach shots.

At times I was surprised on how short I was. But in the end, the device seemed accurate.  What I really liked what the visual. You see the hole, your shots and locations and you see stats at the bottom of the screen. This is much more helpful than just numbers.

What do I think about the Game Golf?

I love it. It is a great addition to my practice tools. It works well and is easy to work with. the quality of the product is good. The price seems high. But that is a matter of opinion. It all depends on what  you are working on and how serious you are interested on improving your game.

Game Golf will help you to learn about your distances and tendencies. After working with it for many months now I can say that the distances I get are mostly accurate. But you will need to pay attention to your round to make sure that you can make final corrections if necessary.

First I thought the 200 $ were to much. After my first few rounds I thought the price is OK.

The Game Golf is a nice and good functioning GPS tracking device which might help you to improve your game. Certainly it will help you to see where on the course you actually play.  I am glad I bought and will use it a few times each months to see where I stand with my game.

Note: I dropped my device many times. But it works great even after that. So it is durable. But I did lose the spring which helps the clip to hold the device to your belt and I was not able to put it back on. I will keep working on it and also I wrote to Game Golf asking for advice. But if I can not replace it I am sure I will find a way to get it done so that I can use it again.

Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers with World Golf Amateur Tour - March 22nd 2015

The WGAT USA brought us to many courses before this one and I will try to catch up as soon as I can. But first things first.

A couple days ago we were scheduled to play Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers. This golf course is run by the city. Based on that my expectations where not exactly high. The fact remains, that city golf courses do not have the funds needed to get their tracks in top condition.

When you go through my reviews you will find that I actually did a short review about the range some time ago. The range did not change at all since then. Almost looked like they did not replace any of the range balls as well. But it was good enough to get warmed up.

The course is easy to find and driving in to the parking lot is actually pretty nice. Lots of trees. Lots of green. Drove straight to the bag drop. Nobody around there to greet nor to provide me with a cart.

I did not stop at the pro shop because I signed in with the tournament director. Nothing I can say about the shop at all. The restaurant was empty. Looked like they have a kiosk where you can buy drinks and snacks. But I did not look any further as well. Looked a little strange and not to inviting.

Because I did not meet any of the staff members at this point I can not even tell if they were friendly or helpful. So let's go to the course.

The tee boxes through our round were OK. Nothing special. But they had a level spot to tee off and were green for the most part. We played the second set of tees , which gave us about 6500 yards or so.

Fairways were in good condition. Not to many brown spots or grounds under repair. For the most part if you found the fairway with your drive, you found a decent lie.

The rough was not too high, but represented a good challenge. Not sure what kind of grass they have there, but it was not the toughest one you can run in to. I think it is save to say, that you have a good chance to get out of the rough and back in the fairway or on to the green ( depending on your location). Now that is from the first and second cut. There was some deeper rough where the ball was sitting down. Yet again , you would be able to get it out.

Fairway bunkers were plenty and in good position. They were not to big and not to deep. So they represented a good challenge, but were not scary or intimidating. The sand was fluffy in general and there was plenty of it in it ( much better compared to most municipal tracks I played before).

What I really liked about the traps was the cut. They were cut, but in a way which made them almost look like in Scotland. A little rough and wild.

The traps around the green were a little more challenging, but not overly deep. There were plenty of them though. The greens were protected nicely by those bunkers.

Once you where on the green a real challenge came right on to you. Slow greens with tons of grain. It was not easy to put on those greens. For the most part I struggled to get the ball to the hole although I was hitting my putts pretty hard. I just could not get adjusted from the fast greens I usually play. On top of that the grain was tremendous. It was difficult to get the break right. Sometimes I even had the feeling the grain was going two ways on one putt.

Chipping was even more difficult. I could not find a way to find a middle between stopping the ball or letting it roll out. The greens seemed to have their own mind.

On a good note: They were all cut and green with no bad spots.

There were plenty of hazard areas on this course. Most of them marked OK. However, some hazard areas were marked so bad, that we did not know where to drop. No lines and the sticks were at times so far apart, that it was hard to find a line.

My favorite feature was the landscape. There is a lot of trees and bushes. Put that together with the water and you have a really nice looking golf course. Almost reminded me on WA at times. The thing is, that all those trees also can give you some headaches. You have to be straight on this track.

Overall I would say that Eastwood Golf Course is a medium municipal golf course which looks nice because of the landscape and plays tough because of the same. The course is not easy to play because you need to be in the fairway and away from trees to get your ball to the green fast.

While not of country club quality, the course is in decent condition to play. I did not pay in the pro shop , so I have no idea about the green fees, but would not think that they are very high. The course was not exactly full and thinking about quality it should be a good price Check out the official website for that part. ( I posted the link at the bottom).

If you are in the area and look for a quick round or some practice Eastwood Golf Course might be an option. I personally would not play this course unless there is an event going on or I have a great deal to play.

Let me know your experience if you played the course.

Official Website of Eastwood Golf Course in Ft Myers

Bobby Jones Golf Complex in Sarasota , Florida - How good is it? Round played July 25th 2014

I play Bobby Jones Golf Complex often. As a matter of fact, over the past 4 years I played almost every week one round of golf there.

Bobby Jones Golf Complex is a course with history. It was opened in 1927 and from there on was a place where all kinds of golf greats competed. This history was one of the reasons I actually went there the first time.

It is always exciting to walk a course where you know some of the most accomplished golfers in history have walked.

But back to the course. Yesterday I was back on Bobby Jones yet again for a game which is played there for over 30 years.

The pro shop and sign in:

My first way was to the pro shop. This shop has not the biggest selection of products, but you will find the most needed things for a round of golf. Also some shirts, bags, clubs and shoes. There was no long line, so I was up right away. The staff is a little slow and certainly not cheerful. A smile here and there would be nice, but yesterday I did not find that.

Right now the summer rate after 12 pm is 17 $ with cart. I had my nephew with me and had to pay 10 $ for him riding the cart. A little much for a 13 old who was not playing. The reasoning was that they could rent the cart space otherwise. Nonsense I thought, I would walk if not for my guest. Also, there was about 20 people on the entire golf course and an empty parking lot.

We bought some balls for the range as well. 3 $ for a small bucket is reasonable. Do not expect great balls though.

The Range:

I picked up my cart. The carts are always in good shape and clean. The cart boys are great. Friendly, always a joke on their lips and always helpful.

We drove to the range. A short range ( about 200 yards), mats only, no woods unless you are a short hitter. There is a few target pins. This time I got lucky with the balls. Plenty of lost golf balls of the course. So my warm up was good.

The course:

We played the British Course. This is the longer track ( Blue tees are 6700 yards). I have not played in a few weeks there. The last time I was on the course I was not to thrilled about the upkeep. So My hopes were high. The chipping green was in OK shape and the putting green improved a lot. So there was a good start. Signed in with the starter. All starters are retired staff members. They are friendly. A little more cheerfulness would help though.

On the tee box I noticed that they did put some effort in getting them in better shape. Looking at all tee boxes the staff succeeded on some. Over all they are OK but could use some leveling and seed. You will be able to get a good stand after looking for it.

The fairways were in good shape I though. Grass well grown and for the most part you find good lies. However, there are many sandy spots in front of greens, along cart path and at times in the fairway. Those lies do not help to enjoy the round any more. For the most part you should move the ball to a better lie to actually have a chance for a good golf shot. Some of the areas should be ground under repair.

The greens were mixed. The front 9 greens seemed to be better and in much better shape than just a few weeks ago. Not very fast, but they had some roll. Still bumpy. The back 9 greens were green, but oh boy where they slow. When you walked up to the green you could actually see the grass height. Not sure if they cut them at all on that day. They were all green and looked healthy for the most part, but they were not cut. So we were putting more on a lawn than a putting green.

I was in some bunkers and I think they have partly improved. But the traps are not of great quality. When it is wet, they are not playable. Just not enough sand. The rakes they had need to be replaced. Some of them are broken and all of them are very old.

The landscape on the course was taken care of. There were many nice old trees and bushes which are for the most part seem to be original. Some ponds add to the over all look of the course and a couple of them actually come into play.

I would say the course is not the toughest challenge, but has some very nice holes. It is wide open so it accommodates all kinds of players.

The 19th hole:

After the round we stopped by the restaurant for a drink. They offer all kinds of draft beers, pops, wine and they have a full bar. If you want to snack something, You will find all kinds of things there from nuts to chocolate bars and so on. There was free popcorn as well.

If you get hungry you might consider looking at their menu. We were not very hungry, but I did order some fries. In the past I had some fries which were not exactly tasty and of different quality every time I ordered them. I asked if the current fries are good and was told they were. That is why I ordered them.

This time we got fries which were the same like at Checkers. Brown and crispy. Not very tasty. In short. We did not like them to much. Ok to eat, but not my favorite.

In the past I had chicken wings there and hot dogs. Both I did not order more than 1 time. Self explanatory I guess. Prices for drinks are good. Beer is cold, pop is mixed well and the drinks are good quality. They have a wonderful bartender/server who takes great care of everyone, is very cheerful and always smiles. Very positive.

What I liked most was that you have a nice view of the golf course and putting green. So it is a good place. The restaurant could be improved.

Overall:

If you want to play for a good price, Bobby Jones Golf Complex might the course you are looking for. They offer 2 different courses ( British and American ) and a par 3 course ( which I did not try out yet. The British course is for the most part wide open which allows players with all kinds of handicaps to enjoy the round.

Do not expect top quality. It is a city course and it shows. But it is not in super bad shape either. It is reasonable for the price. The staff and marshals are not the friendliest but do their job. Bobby Jones Golf Complex to me is a good place to pay with your family and kids and a track which I will continue playing as long as summer rates apply.

In season rates go up to app 40 $ to 50 $ and for that price I would not play.

If you are in Sarasota I think you should check it out. The American course is a nice challenge as well, but I have no knowledge about the shape at this point. Same accounts for the par 3 course.

Have you played Bobby Jones Golf Complex? Tell us about your experiences. Maybe you have some older fun stories as well. I will follow up on this round in a few months and see how the course developed.

Rolling Green Golf Club in Sarasota - Review of course and club house

Rolling Green Golf Club at 4501 N Tuttle Ave, Sarasota, FL 34234 10

When I moved to Bradenton, FL about 5 years ago, I was looking to play golf within a 10 I mile radius and possibly finding a club where I can play and practice. Back then I actually stopped by at Rolling Green Golf Club to check it out. I only played once, but used the range several times.

My memories from back then are not very detailed. However I do remember that the course was in OK shape. Last week I had the opportunity to play in a skins game over there and decided to join in and see how the course has developed and if it is worth to spend time there.

I got there at about 6 40 am in the morning as we had an 7 30 am tee time. When I checked out the website I found that they have some green fee specials which would include breakfast, lunch and 2 drinks. So I wanted to try it and learn about the kitchen while I was there.

Arriving at the parking lot I already saw about 15 cars parked. So there was some people out there. A good sign. The parking lot was clean and there was plenty of space. Right away I realized that the club house , cart area, range and chipping area have not changed a single bit from the outside.

All looked exactly the same and was , as it was back then, well taken care off. I entered the club house where I friend Jerry Hinton already was waiting for me. He told me to check in , mention our group rate and make sure I get the food with it.

The assistant professional was on the phone while I was getting there and pretty much did not offer any greeting. While not unfriendly, he was not exactly showing inviting behavior. But I was there for golf and not for making a new friend.

Told him I am with the group. The green fee for that is 22 $ plus tax including the cart. I told him yes and that I also would like the food deal with it. Breakfast, lunch and two drinks.

He told me that this would be 29.63 $ including tax. Right away I thought that this sounds like a good deal, but before making up my mind I wanted to wait for the food.

Sat down with my friend. I ordered 2 Italian sausages, 2 eggs , toast and a coffee. The food came in about 5 minutes and it was very good. I have to say, that the sausage was perfect. Eggs just as I liked them and all was served by a friendly server.

After enjoying the good breakfast I was told I get some free range balls to warm up. I practiced on that range before and was looking forward to find out how the balls were and so on.

The range balls were the same they had 5 years ago. Maybe the added some new balls on top of that. I did not expect brand new range balls but was kind of hoping they improved the quality of the balls. After all they offer extensive range plans. The balls were free and so I was satisfied.

The range is actually pretty nice. They have plenty of targets and you can go deep with your driver ( unless you hit over 270 with the range ball). There is a nice pitching and bunker play area. The green was redone some time ago but still looks good.

The putting green is huge and very well taken care of. It runs nicely, has plenty of pins and you can also use it for chipping. There is plenty of room around it which gives you the opportunity to chip from all kinds of lies.

Tee time came up and we were ready to go. The first hole had a good looking tee box, which I like. It is nice to stand level when hitting the tee shot. Put it in the fairway which gave me a first look. I must say I was impressed. The fairway was nicely grown, no weeds, no dry spots. I had a good lie without clean , lift and placing ( which they do there ). I hit my second shot into the par 5 and made my way up there.

What I found was a good looking green. Also nicely taken care off and when I putted I found it was rolling great. Not super fast, but very nice. No bumps and dents.

The first hole set my expectations high for the rest of the round and I have to say that I was very satisfied with what I found. Most of the tee boxes were in good shape and gave you a good stand for your tee shot. Despite the fact that some fairways were very wet ( because they were close to wet areas or hazards) the fairways were in good shape and you found good lies for your second shots.

I think all greens were nice. That is a huge factor for me when I play golf. I can live with some bad fairways and tee boxes. But I do want some good fairways.

We made it around in a good time, enjoying a well kept golf course.

After finishing with an eagle on 18 I was hungry and looking forward to lunch. When I asked the server the told me that they make fresh burgers there. So I ordered it to find out how good they are.
Only took a few minutes and I got my burger and it was very good. You can see and taste, that it was not out of  a freezer. It was nicely garnished. I had onion rings with it, which was only 1 $ more and they were OK as well.

2 free beers rounded up a good lunch.

So what do I think about Rolling Green Golf Club ?

I think it is a nice little golf course. Not the toughest lay out, but with some challenging holes along the way. The lands cape might not be stunning, but it is nice. There is some residence living around it, but it does not interfere at all with your game. There are two holes along the road, but the road is so far to the right, that you need to hit your worst shot ever to get on to it. The traffic does not bother at all.

They take well care of their course, which gives you good position on the tee, good lies in the fairway and the opportunity to make putts on greens which might be a little slow, but are actually green and in good shape.

The practice area is very nice. You can do all you need to do. The range balls might not be the best quality, but it works fine. I really like the putting green.

The club house is old. However, you find all  you need. Good food for a good value, a little bar with cold beer and a pro shop with the most important things for a round of golf.

Servers and cooks were fun and friendly. The pros shop assistant might have been a little tired still. Not unfriendly but not cheering either. Since you just going to pay there, it does not matter.

The price value is I think OK. That is mainly because of the quality of the greens and the over all condition of the course. In summer time you are able to play country clubs and other good golf courses for less. However, often you find bad greens, dry fairways and so on.

Considering that breakfast, lunch and two drinks were only 6 $ plus tax to add, this is a great deal. You will not get that anywhere else and not of this quality.

Rolling Green Golf Club offers some special deals for golfing and for practice on top of that. Please visit their official site to learn more about that.

Rolling Green Golf Club is a place where you can enjoy a nice round of golf for a good price. So when you are in Sarasota, why not check it out.

Have you played at Rolling Green Golf Club? Have eaten at their restaurant? Did you try the monthly deal they offer? I always like to get comments on that. Keep it positive :)

Video of Rolling Green Golf Club in Sarasota

The Cradlz Smartphone Holder - Is it a good product?

 

 

The Cradlz Smartphone Holder

 

 

Technology in golf is moving on and I now start moving with it. It took me a while to read up on all my options on how to help myself and my game in a professional matter.

There is a few things I integrated in to my practice routine. One of them is videotaping my practice as often as possible.

 

I began with a JVC video cam and was not unhappy with that even though it was complicated. At least I thought it was. Then I learned that there are several sports analysis software applications for Smartphones on the market. After some research I found and purchased one and was pretty excited and looking forward to get to the driving range. Once there and ready to start however, I discovered that I had a challenge.

 

I was alone!

 

This represented a problem. Since I usually used a tripod or had a partner with me. Both were not available. So when coming home I started looking for a solution right away.

On one of my favorite golf shopping websites I found exactly what I was looking for.

The Cradlz Universal Smartphone holder.

 

I purchased the item and within a few days I had it on my doorstep. I unpacked it right away and was on the spot surprised on how solid the item felt. Pretty solid. Instructions were simple. All you need is a practice stick and you are ready to go.
 

Took it out to the range for a first session a couple days later. First I tried it with was chipping. I put the stick in the ground, opened the application, placed the Smartphone in the holder and secured it.

At that point I noticed that the screen was showing towards the back of the holder (away from you). That made not many functions on the screen accessible, but the record button was easily to reach, which is the most important thing.
 

I taped several swings through my application which made the above mentioned challenge even more obvious. Then I taped a couple sequences with my Smartphone camera feature and without the application. For that I was able to turn my phone around and use the front cam which had the benefit that I could see myself. Interesting thing, which I thought will be very useful in the future.
 

I then took the stick and went over to the range. Worked on my driver. First I taped some swings from behind and then from head on. All worked well.
 

The Cradlz Smartphone holder was really easy to operate.
It took seconds to attach it to the practice stick. Clips on really easy. I was able to secure the phone easily and take it out just as easy.

At the end of the day I can say the following about the Cradlz Smartphone Holder.
 

It is light but durable.  You can attach it in any height which enables you to shoot videos even on just over ground level, which is great for putting and fitting.

The cushions on the inside of the Cradlz protect your device. So you can use it with or without your Smartphone protection case ( I find it better without because it fits better and more tight ).
 

They write it fits most Smartphones. I carry an HTC and there was plenty of room for wider phones. I would check before you order it.

Overall I think that the Cradlz  Smartphone holder lives up to what they say it will do and look forward to work with it.

I paid 29.99 $. Not sure if that is the best price you can get it for. Surely you can shop around.
 

Great product. Somebody has the same item in use? Share your experience or opinion.

 

Couple more photos of the stick and the holder.

 

 Cradlz Holder on Practice Stick from front

 Cradlz from behind on Practice Stick

Backside of package with some professionals who used it. Front shows Bill Haas who said he likes it.



Florida State Golf Association - One day tournaments

I am playing tournaments for many years and just about 3 years ago I decided to start again on the amateur circuit and work my way towards other tournaments. There is all kinds of different golf tours I am playing, but today I just want to write a short overview about the FSGA ( Florida State Golf Association).
It was only last year when I first heard about this organization. I think the reason was that I played mainly skins game events in the area for which I never needed a handicap. So the first couple years I actually never signed up to get a GHIN number. Only when I joined the Golf Channel Amateur Golf Tour I got myself a handicap again.
Last year I was not to eager to actually play any tournaments in stroke play format. That changed towards the end of the year and so I decided to actually join the FSGA.
They have different levels of membership which you can find on their official website. I picked the 50 $ a year membership. This level gives you the opportunity to play tournaments and that is all I was interested in. The other membership levels give you other perks, but naturally they have their cost.

It was pretty simple to sign up. Just went to the website and used my credit card to get going. Got confirmed very fast and was ready to sign up.

That is exactly what I did. Signed up for my first tournament at the Longboat Key Country Club, Harbor Side. They had two one day events right after each other and since I only played one of the two courses (Island side) so far I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.

Entry fees for those tournaments are were 50 $ each. That included play, cart, range balls and prize fund. What a deal. If you sign up after the entry due date, you are charged an extra 10 $ if you still can get in.

Considering the golf courses they play, this is a great price to get into competition, considering that most of the tracks you play are private and pretty expensive. Most of them you can not play at all unless you are a member or a guest of such member. Most of the  time you can play a practice round for cart fee. That is another great bonus when playing on the FSGA. There is however some golf clubs who do not allow practice rounds. Although I think that is strange and there is really no good reason for it, we have to respect the club members wish.

I showed up for my first tournament at Long Boat Key Country Club about 1 hour before tee off. Sign up table was outside and easy to find. Jeff had all the info and I was checked in and ready to go within seconds. Paid money into the skins game fund ( it was and always is a reasonable 10 $ ) and started warming up with my free range balls.

I left my bag on the cart which was actually marked with my name and the name of my cart partner. We were told to be at the cart about 15 minutes before the shot gun start. But we did not have to watch the time since they actually made an announcement a few minutes before that time and again at exact 15 minutes before starting time.

The tournament director then welcomed everybody and shared information  about rules and course rules. It all went down very fast and all was easy to understand. You also get a little sheet with info on it.
Staff members of the golf course then lead all players in direction of their tee box. After we arrived at ours we started right away. There was no horn or shot gun shot.

We got 4 hours and 30 minutes to complete our round. There were times for each hole printed on the score cards.

Penalties were to be given when you were caught causing slow play. Actually the entire group would have gotten a penalty ( I think there is a warning before that, please refer to the FSGA website).

I loved this part. In my mind there is no reason in tournaments like that or any tournament for that matter to play 5 hours  or more. This particular course ( harbor side) we played in 3 hours and 58 minutes. We did not rush at all and took our time when looking for balls, getting ready or putting. It was fun.

Sometimes the FSGA representative checked groups and asked how things are going. I also liked that. They wanted to make sure that the tournament ran smooth and without incidents.

We came in , compared cards and brought it to the FSGA tournament director. The score was posted and even entered into the GHIN system right away. This is exciting. You do not have to do anything other than play golf. Because it was a shot gun start, groups came in pretty fast and all was done without long waiting times. The results were posted clearly on large boards and shortly after they announced the winners and gave out the pro shop certificates and paid out the skins.

All very simple, clear, easy. The second event at Longboat Key Country Club Island side was no different and as professional as the first one. As a matter of fact, the third event I played happened to be at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club and was consistent with the others. I even heard that they offered some breakfast.

The FSGA offers one day events, Championship events and team events for men and women. You play with your handicap and even have the choice to play in the gross division. So there is plenty of opportunity to compete against players of the same ability or better.

If you come to Florida and are interested in playing competitive golf for a good price in a fair and old fashioned matter, the FSGA is a great thing to be part of. FSGA tournaments are professionally organized, not expensive and you get to play on premier golf courses in the area.

I will play on this tour whenever I have a chance and when the events are close to my home or in reasonable travel distance.

Have you played on any FSGA golf tournament before? What was your experience?

If you have never heard of the Florida State Golf Association  and want to check it out visit the official site below.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE FLORIDA STATE GOLF ASSOCIAION

Garmin Approach S2 GPS Watch - a short and simple review by a first time user

Garmin Approach S2 - GPS Watch  ( more photos of features at bottom of article)

I play golf for over 25 years now. Some professional and some amateur golf and I did so using all the basic tools. Golf clubs, balls, clothes and whatever the course offered. That most likely was some distance markers, sprinkler heads with distances and yardage books. Later on I started using satellite imaging to prepare my rounds and then added google earth.

I must say I played well and made my way around the course  in a confident way . playing good scores without caddy.  It was not until 2011 that I decided I will give some technology a shot. So I got myself a range finder A great addition to my game and I  was able to improve my game and learn about my  true club distances. So with  45 I almost got back to where I was in terms of handicap and ability some 20 years ago.

Over the past 2 almost 3 years I was playing well with my gadget and never had any desire to add yet another one. What was interesting to me though, is that most players I was on the course with had a GPS or both  a rangefinder and a GPS . I am talking

about low handicappers mostly. While I was working with pin sheets provided  by tournament organizers most of them seem to use the two gadgets to find their way safely to and on the green. I observed that when in trouble , like trees or similar, those golfers were ready much faster than I was and  seemed to have better results with their shots.

So a couple weeks ago I tried a GPS app on my phone. Free trial. Amazing. Together with my rangefinder I actually played the second best round of the year and that without any practice for 2 months because of a back injury I had to cure.

From there on I checked out GPS products  in stores and online . Funny , but  from the day I had interest in it it seemed to me that on TV they showed nothing but rangefinders The one I saw most often by far, Garmin Approach S 2.  I did not think much about it  and never really got going. 1 week ago though I was sitting with my sponsor talking about how we proceed and what can help me to progress. I  told the story about the GPS golf round after my injury and explained that it seems like that having a GPS in addition to a rangefinder, the yardage book and the pin sheet,  feels like having your own caddie on hand and that not only my confidence goes up when I have better information , but also  I am learning more about my distances with my clubs on the course.

That same evening I looked online for the Garmin  Approach S 2. Found some good reviews and compared to other GPS watches, it came out way ahead.  Checking for prices I found a good offer at Dick’s Sporting Goods online. So we  actually went there right away since I had a tournament round the  next day anyway.

Entering the store, the store professional ,  an old friend of mine, already was at the entrance and he actually had a coupon in hand for exactly what I was looking for. On top of that  the price was reduced another 50 $ . So I ended up getting the  Garmin Approach S 2 for 149  $ plus tax after 50 $ mail in  rebate  and instance store rebate. What a deal . I would have paid 299 $ without even asking and now I paid half.

I was excited to get it ready  to use. The rest of the evening I spend preparing and learning.  It was really easy to go through the manual and learn how the  product works. I charged it  all the way , which took a couple hours or so and then started to check it out. I would say it took me about 15 minutes and I had my new gadget under control .

So, in terms of getting started I have to say, it is easy  and anybody can do it.  Next morning I was scheduled to play a skins game  tournament and  was pretty excited to give this GPS  watch a try. My biggest concern was if I can  handle something  on  my  arm/wrist while playing golf. After all I stopped wearing a watch about 7 years ago  and I  never considered  to wear one again especially while golfing.

So I put it on very early to give it some time. similar to shoes.  Amazingly  I hardly felt it on my wrist or arm. The Garmin Approach S 2 is so light and sits nicely on my  wrist. Felt good  even just wearing it as a watch, which I will do  more often now.

Of I was to the course to give it a shot.  First I thought I might not be able to handle  all the buttons, but I did not have anything to lose.  After all it was a test run.

Coming to the first tee I started my round. It took 30 seconds to  find the satellite and then my course showed up. I selected it and  I was ready to go.   I had absolutely no problem   wearing it. It does not hinder me in any way. Also I had no  trouble  using all the features.

I was able to get all  distances and even checked them with markers and  range finder and they were all very accurate. I used the lay up option  and it is super accurate  and a nice feature to have. It is nice to  know how far you have to move the ball forward to have a 100 yard shot into a par 5 green and it is also nice to know how far you need to move the ball to not overshoot any dogleg. Using the scorecard was easy and actually is kind of convenient. You can even save it on the watch and then print it at home.  I am always skeptical of those things because they mostly distract your game. But this one is so easy to operate, that it had no impact.

One thing which you have to pay attention to is that  the GPS sometimes jumps to a different hole. That is because some of the tee boxes are so close together with greens and other boxes, that the GPS needs to pick one. and at times picks a different one.   But, if you are paying attention  before  you start playing teach hole or each shot this is not a problem. Check the hole and if necessary scroll down or up to the hole you are on.  Not a big deal.

I have to say , it is so easy to use and so  practical, that even after the first round I was  very excited about my new GPS watch. There were several situations I was not able to use a rangefinder and was far away from any distance marker. The GPS told me how far to the front , middle and back and I was able to get the ball to or even on the green even out of trees. Nice.

I did not use the shot measure feature yet.  Just did not want to focus on that.  My focus was more on the game itself. But I will do so this coming  Friday  and I am sure it will work fine and give me some good idea about the true distances of my drives. Also I did not use the Odometer. Again, no doubt it works great and I will try to use it  this coming Friday or Sunday.

When I came home I checked the battery status and found that I used about 50 % of my power. So I think , I can play about 2 rounds with it. That is close to what I have read in reviews about that matter before. Some writers even said you might be able to play 3  rounds. Not sure about that, but I will try it in the  near future.  

So I have to say, the Garmin Approach S 2 lived up to  all my expectations and does exactly what the website tells you it will .You still need to play your ball, but the info you get  can help  you to make better decisions.

Meanwhile I played another round and  this time it was even  better.  Love  this  product.

The fact that I have it on my wrist is actually super positive. I can not lose it, I can  not leave it behind in the cart while going  to my ball and  it is very safe in that place.

In my mind, most amateur players should have a GPS. It would make their round more pleasant and would help regulate speed of play. No more  distance marker searching, yelling, guessing and so on.

A GPS can be bought for as low as 129 $. Prices vary and there is differences  between models. But one thing they all tell is front , middle and back of the green and that is  the most important.

The Garmin Approach S 2 comes in a nice box with manuals in many languages. It

also comes with a USB charging cable which is easy to operate and also  serves as connection to your computer to transfer data. I was a little disappointed that they  did not include a outlet adapter so I would not have to charge it on my computer. But I can live with that and just buy one along the way. It is extremely easy to get started with this GPS  and you are ready  to go  after you charged it all the way.

The numbers are easy to read and  it even has a light feature ( which I will not use much because of power usage). The buttons are easy to press and of good size. The watch sits light on your arm and after a little while I  did not even notice that it was there any more.

The wristband is soft and looks good.  The Garmin Approach S 2 has all the features you really need.

This GPS watch is easy to handle and will help you to  learn about your distances , make better decisions and ultimately play better scores. With over 30000 courses pre loaded and no monthly or annual fee or upgrade fee, the Garmin Approach S2 is simply an incredible machine.

The way it looks I even will wear it as a watch.

I love this GPS watch and think it makes a great gift for any golfer in any handicap bracket.

Hole view giving you hole number, front, middle, back and the little dots show you what is par.

Dogleg lay up view. Shows the end of fairway and a layup distance.

Par 5 lay up view. Gives you different options for laying up a ball to a distance you like. Goes down while you are moving forward.

Score card view. Gives you hole #, par and a box for your score which you can easily move up or down.

Time view. Nice big numbers. Indicator for GPS running and odometer running.

The Garmin Approach S 2 comes in some nice colors. I think there is a color for everyone and I think you can actually buy different wrist bands. But for that you need to go to the official website.

Let me know if you have a GPS watch or GPS and what you think. Always good to hear different stories and opinions.