GolfBuddy aim L10V, aim W10 and aim V10 - REVIEWS
"Compact, easy to use, reliable and accurate" - GolfMagic tests out GOLFBUDDY's latest GPS products...
We've all been there at some point in life. Hands on hips with ball in the middle of the first fairway. The sun is out, there's blue sky, the birds are chirping. The only issue that remains is whether or not the white stake in the rough represents 150 or 200 yards to the front of the green.
You forgot to bring your caddie, you don't have a golf GPS device and you bypassed a course yardage book in the pro shop, so those options are no good. Your mate playing alongside you can't help either, as he's currently searching for his ball in the reeds somewhere on the adjacent hole.
You step in to the shot with a 7-iron and pray it's 150 yards to the front. You make good contact. It's a crisp strike. In fact it's all over it. Your heart is pumping as you track the progress of the ball to the pin, contemplating the prospect of a hole-out eagle or tap-in birdie to start your round.
Sadly, the resulting 50-yard pitch into the green would lead to a bogey-five and it was all downhill from there. You even found out the white stake was an out-of-bounds post later in the round.
So what is the moral of this first-hole mishap? If you want to get the most out of your game, get yourself a golf GPS and avoid unnecessary guesswork as much as possible on the course.
When it comes to golf GPS devices, there are few more impressive brands out there than GOLFBUDDY - a company that specialises in easy-to-use, compact, light and reliable GPS devices that go a long way to helping you shoot lower scores.
To cater for personal tastes, GOLFBUDDY offers a range of different GPS devices comprising of handheld, wearable, voice and laser.
With GOLFBUDDY's tag line claiming "accuracy matters", we took three of the brand's latest products out onto the course and gave them six holes each to see how they performed...
GOLFBUDDY aim W10 - (RRP £249.99)
Straight out the box, the aim W10 charged up quickly and strapped beautifully onto the wrist. It had an almost Tommy Hilfiger look about its strap design, something that instantly added to its appeal.
It instantly delivered what it said it would by registering our chosen golf course on its full-colour touch screen display.
We really enjoyed using its clever 'Full Course View Feature' as it helped read putts a little better, and its slope-adjusted distance reading aided greater control of shots all over the course.
While we didn't use the digital scorecard as we prefer using a scorecard, that feature is very much available to the user and looks great.
We also played around with the manual pin placement feature and that ensured we were completely locked into our yardages.
Other nifty features on this watch include the classic front, middle and back yardages of the green - no doubt something that will appeal to many amateur golfers given we can't all hit to the exact yard!
Yes, golf has a bad rep for slow play in 2019 but there is no way using this product - or any of the other GPS devices in this feature - slows the game down. Everything is ready for you at the glance of your hand, in this instance.
We also noted a very strong battery life of 13 hours, so it won't let you down out there for a couple of rounds, but we would recommend you always charge it up fully before heading out to the course for added security.
Quite possibly the most advanced golf watch we've ever tested.
GOLFBUDDY aim V10 - (RRP £119.99)
The aim V10 is the most advanced and simple talking golf GPS that GOLFBUDDY has ever brought to market.
Like the aim W10, it proved very quick to charge and pleasingly, it has an ever longer battery life of 16 hours, meaning you could probably go the best part of four rounds with this one.
The product might be tiny, but it will make a big impact on your game.
It found our chosen track within seconds - thanks to its preloaded 40,000 courses worldwide with free updates - and it followed our every move around the course.
Sadly it couldn't tell us how to play the shot each time, but it did give us a precise yardage each time when pressing the lead button. We also liked the fact it presented hazard and target distances, as well, to prevent us getting into too much trouble.
The aim V10 proved very easy to use, despite initial reservations of a talking GPS device, and it offered great visuals as well as audio for front, middle and back distances.
Its detachable unit is versatile and can be worn just about anywhere you like.
Well worth a look if you're in the market for a compact, easy-to-use, light and reliable talking golf GPS.
GOLFBUDDY aim L10V - (RRP £269.99)
Straight out the box, it just looked as good as any laser we've ever seen. It's light and compact, too, giving it a instant huge tick.
The aim L10V's unique audio option gives spoken confirmation of distances, providing extra confidence and ease of use to the golfer.
You simply pick up the laser and look through it to find your target, like a set of binoculars, and once locked in to the pin, the device will vibrate to let you know you have found it... and NOT the tree in the background!
We also enjoyed using its slope on/off option for increased accuracy when faced with elevation changes on the course.
Very accurate, extremely reliable, compact and lightweight and arguably the best looking golf laser the game has ever seen.
Perhaps a little pricey, but can you really put a price on saving yourself looking for yardage stakes?!
