No More Rangefinders From Callaway?

UPDATE: In 2015, Callaway got back into the laser rangefinder market. The one that gets our attention is the Callaway Hybrid Laser/GPS rangefinder. Although Bushnell sold a lot of their hybrid rangefinder when it came out, there just hasn’t been much competition. We love the idea of a hybrid and are glad to see decent ratings on this new Callaway. Check our list of current rangefinders to see other Callaway offerings.

Closed for BusinessHmm… I was looking on Callaway’s website to see if there were any new rangefinders or GPS devices released at the PGA Show. Even though I’m pretty good at finding things on the web, I couldn’t find them anywhere, so I emailed them. A short email came in reply and included this relevant piece of information…

In response to your inquiry, Callaway Rangefinders, and GPS devices are not currently featured on our website.

What does that mean? Have they discontinued their laser and GPS rangefinders? I’ll let you know when I get to the bottom of this, but for now, my mind is wondering and wandering…

Okay, maybe discontinuing golf GPS wouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but the fact that Callaway would no longer be selling laser golf rangefinders, that would surprise me…

Although Callaway’s uPro MX+ finally turned out to be a decent golf GPS, the product’s launch destroyed the ratings and the sales very quickly. It picked up momentum after the unit’s price dropped about 75%, making it the best deal in golf GPS. Still, it’s easy to understand why Callaway might have decided to get out of the golf GPS business. They do so many other things so well and the competition in GPS is getting so tough.

Their rangefinders, on the other hand, seem to have some popularity. Especially the entry-level models (the LR550, Diablo Octane and the X-Hot). In thinking back now, it does seem like Callaway hasn’t really gone “all in” with their rangefinder development, or maybe they have left it completely to Nikon? The three aforementioned models were nearly identical – the colors were updated and the name changed, but not any significant features. Perhaps the problem had something to do with the Callaway and Nikon partnership on these products. It’s really hard to say, but surprisingly, Callaway hasn’t seemed to gain any ground on the well established Bushnell, in the rangefinder market.

So is it over? No more rangefinders from Callaway? Maybe it’s time to hurry up and buy one before they are all sold out! As of this writing, the Callaway X-Hot rangefinder is still one of the best values in golf rangefinders.

If Callaway disappears from the laser rangefinder market, that would leave only Leupold as a real competitor in the golf laser rangefinder arena with Bushnell. Thank goodness Bushnell has continued to add innovation and improvements in 2014.

Hmm… Maybe Bushnell knows something I don’t… Is Callaway only pulling back in preparation for a renewed commitment to distance measuring?

Guess we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out. I’ll keep you posted!

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The Callaway uPro MX+ is a Great Deal!

The Callaway uPro MX+ has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Callaway uPro MX+'

Callaway uPro MX+
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It all started with a disastrous product launch and many headaches for those who made an early purchase, but now, the Callaway uPro MX+ is a great deal for golfers.

The early ratings for the uPro MX+ were horrible mainly because the Callaway uExplore website wasn’t working properly for registrations and downloads. Unfortunately for Callaway, they didn’t recover quickly enough to overcome the poor start. For consumers who are looking to buy now, there is an excellent value to be had in the Callaway uPro MX+.

Callaway uPro MX+ User Rating: 3.28 Stars 3.28 out of 5 (35 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

Although we formerly recommended against buying the uPro MX+, the reviews have gotten much better over time and the price is so low on this unit that you really can’t go wrong. It comes preloaded with courses in Basic Mode and GoMode and now there are no fees for downloading courses in ProMode. The features rival those found in $300 devices.

A full-featured golf GPS under $75 is unbelievable, so despite the ratings scores, the uPro MX+ is definitely worth a look!

Noteworthy Features
  • Aerial photography and aerial flyovers (ProMode)
  • Anypoint Technology allows you to find distance to any point, plus how much distance remains to the hole (ProMode)
  • Over 25,000 golf courses preloaded (Basic Mode and GoMode).
  • In GoMode, distances to front, middle and back of green, plus greenside hazards.
  • In GoMode, touch targeting to any point on the green.
  • In GoMode, you get renderings of the green and greenside hazards.
  • In Basic Mode, distances to the front, middle and back are displayed in a large font.
  • All modes have a scorecard feature that can track score, putts, greens in regulation and fairways hit.

If you’re buying the uPro MX+, consider picking up an extra battery so you can get in an extra round!

Callaway uPro MX+ Features and Specifications
Callaway uPro MX+
Course Download Fees No*
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes*
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation N/A
Battery Life N/A
Battery N/A
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 4.09 in. x 1.97 in. x .65 in.
Measure Shot Distance N/A
Screen Size N/A
Resolution N/A
Display Type Color
Weight 3 oz.
Rainproof N/A
Touch Screen N/A
Touch Targeting N/A
Manual Pin Positioning N/A
Stat Tracker Yes
Digital Scorecard Yes
Computer Analysis Tools Yes
Ground Verified No
Alternate Targets Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes ProMode provides actual aerial views (not renderings) of each hole with flyovers and Anypoint technology for shot planning.
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Callaway uPro MX Review

Update 08-06-2011…
Callaway has issued a voluntary recall of the recently released uPro MX. Our Callaway uPro MX Review advice is as follows: If you own it and love it, keep on using it. if you own it and are unhappy with it, go to the uPro MX website and click the UPRO MX REFUND OFFER button.

If you don’t own it, consider taking a look at the Garmin Approach G6 for a full-featured GPS with great reviews. If you just want to read the saga of expectation, disappointment and more letdown, keep reading…

Update 07-11-2011…
Honestly, you can see by what we have written previously, that we had high hopes that our Callaway uPro MX Review would reveal a game changer in the GPS golf industry. But as of today, we are not ready to recommend this product. The problems with the Callaway launch of the product are explained below and in another post on this website, but there continue to be customer complaints about numerous issues. We’re hoping Callaway will soon turn this device into the unit we all expected, but for now, you may want to look at our Golf Buddy World Review for a full-featured golf GPS that scores well with users.

Update 6/30/2011…
Finally…. we should be able to put together our Callaway uPro MX Review in the very near future. We’ve been waiting, along with all of the early purchasers of the uPro MX, for six weeks for the Callaway uPro MX website to be operational. At last, it is. If you don’t know what’s been happening, keep reading.

The Callaway uPro MX is very likely the best value in GPS golf rangefinders… or at least it will be very soon. Our complete Callaway uPro MX Review Summary will be available after this product launch debacle is over and customers are able to give reviews about the product itself, instead of the launch. If you haven’t heard, Callaway first delayed shipping the uPro MX for about 10 days and as it turns out, they should have delayed even longer. The device works fine out of the box in Basic Mode and Go Mode and realistically, if that’s all it had to offer, it would still be at a competitive price point. But what makes the Callaway uPro MX so attractive is that for a one-time fee of about $60, you get Pro Mode on an unlimited number of courses. With Pro Mode, this is one of, if not the most, full featured golf GPS device on the market and there are no recurring subscriptions. You can also purchase one Pro Mode course at a time or smaller bundles. It’s pretty exciting for those who’ve been paying annual fees to use their rangefinders. The only problem… the Callaway website for downloading Pro Mode courses isn’t working yet. They are working like crazy to get it up and running, but some users have been waiting for two weeks and many are understandably frustrated. Callaway is trying to make it up to customers by offering five free Pro Mode courses to all new upro mx users who register within two weeks after the site goes live. For golfers who don’t need the unlimited plan, this is a great time to order. If, on the other hand, you’re ready to order a full-featured GPS golf rangefinder that’s user tested and ready to go, we suggest you take a look at our Golf Buddy World Review. It’s definitely more expensive, but there are no fees and the reviews are good.

When you compare price and features, there is nothing close to the Callaway uPro MX. It is a full-featured compact, sleek-looking GPS golf rangefinder with a price point low enough to entice even the budget-conscious golfer. For less than $200, it comes with 25,000 golf courses pre-loaded and NO ANNUAL FEES! It offers hole views, alternate targets, a multi-gesture touch screen and more. There are three modes for using this device: Basic Mode and Go Mode are included in the price and ready to go out of the box. There is a fee for downloading courses in Pro Mode, which offers just about every feature you can think of putting on a golf GPS. The good news is that the fees are not annual – you can buy an individual course, a bundle of 25 courses or an unlimited package for a one-time fee. We’ll be anxious to see how this approach goes over with users.

Callaway uPro MX Top Features:

  • 25,000 pre-loaded golf courses – ready to go out of the box
  • No annual fees
  • Full-color multi-gesture touch screen – 2.2″ LCD
  • Optical Finger Navigation system – easily navigate with the swipe of a finger
  • Only weighs 3 ounces
  • Virtual Green View can be downloaded to show the green and the surrounding area in vivid detail, including exact putting distances
  • SmartView can also be downloaded offering displays the ideal view for the upcoming shot based on the golfer’s position on the course. It also provides two other views which are available at the press of a button
  • ProMode is available for an extra fee and grants access to some of the device’s more advanced technology features, including hi-resolution aerial photography

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Callaway uPro MX Launch Debacle

Callaway uPro MX Review

Callaway uPro MX Review
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We’ll never really know how much the premature launch of the Callaway uPro MX will cost Callaway financially, but we can imagine how disappointed some of the product’s designers are. The uPro MX was one of the most anticipated GPS golf rangefinders ever announced, because it offers more features for a lot less money than any of its competition.

The Callaway uPro MX is slim, sleek, lightweight and has a multi-gesture touch screen. It comes with three different modes, Basic, Go and Pro Mode. Basic and Go Modes are ready to go right out of the box with no fees. Registration and downloads are only required for Pro Mode, which comes with complete detailed hole views and more. There are two options for purchasing Pro Mode golf courses and both options are one-time payments, NOT annual subscriptions like many other GPS rangefinders. You can purchase unlimited Pro Mode courses for $60 or 25 courses for $30. Considering the uPro MX cost about $100 less than its nearest competitor at the time of this writing, that makes this GPS device really attractive. Of course the uPro MX also has shot measuring, stat tracking and a scorecard and appears to be easy to navigate.

So what happened when the product was launched? Well first it was delayed about ten days, but maybe that only heightened the anticipation. Next, it shipped to excited customers who opened the box and followed instructions for registering on the Callaway uPro MX website, where they would also be able to download Pro Mode courses. This is where it gets ugly… the website didn’t work. Many users incorrectly thought that it deemed the product completely useless, while others, who expected to be showing it off at the golf course, didn’t have anything terribly exciting to show without Pro Mode. All were surely frustrated and many showed how they felt in online product reviews.

Callaway responded fairly quickly, explaining that there were technical difficulties transferring data from their existing database of uPro users to the new system. They also offered anyone who registers a uPro MX within two weeks of the site going live, five free Pro Mode golf. Customers who buy the Unlimited package will get no benefit from that, but maybe Callaway expects most users to buy the 25 course bundle.

Back to the designers of the Callaway uPro MX… yes, someone on the team missed something big and it’s likely going to cost Callaway a lot of money. Even though the major technical problems will hopefully be over soon, most of those one (1) star ratings will stay around as long as the uPro MX. Even if most reviews in the future are positive, the average will still be brought down by the flood of reviews from the early adopters. Yes, there is probably much disappointment within the Callaway design team, but they have still set a new standard for GPS golf rangefinders. In the end, the consumer will benefit and maybe (just maybe) Callaway will sell enough of these units to dilute those bad reviews.

 

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Golf Rangefinder Reviews

Below are links to our reviews of GPS, Laser and Hybrid Golf Rangefinders, sorted by brand. You may also want to check our GPS Reviews and Scores and our Laser Reviews and Scores for product comparisons.

gps Golf Rangefinders

  • Bushnell

  • Callaway

  • Garmin

  • GolfBuddy

  • Izzo

  • Voice Caddie

    • laser Golf Rangefinders

  • Bushnell

  • Gogogo

  • Precision Pro Golf

  • TecTecTec
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