Bushnell Excel Golf Watch Review

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'Bushnell Excel Golf Watch'

Bushnell Excel Golf Watch
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Our Bushnell Excel Golf Watch Review will be available soon!

We’re excited about Bushnell’s latest entry into the golf watch market because this is their first effort at adding a wider variety of features. However, we don’t think they will be retiring the highly-rated Bushnell Neo Ion anytime soon, because of it’s appeal to golfers who just want an easy-to-use watch which provides distances to their targets and not much more.

Bushnell Excel Golf Watch User Rating: 2.86 Stars 2.86 out of 5 (18 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

Although it’s clear Bushnell is still trying to ensure the new watch is simple to use, the Excel adds features that will appeal to golfers who want more.

Let’s start with the Bushnell Excel key features:
  • Weather Information
  • Bluetooth integration with iPhone or Android smartphone for course updates without needing to sync with a computer
  • E-mail, text, and other notifications from your iPhone or Android smartphone.
  • The Swing Pro feature allows the user to monitor swing speed and swing tempo.This will be interesting for those who spend time on the driving range.
  • Book tee times (also works through the App)
  • Easy-to-Read Front/Center/Back Distances
  • Up to 4 Hazard Distances Per Hole
  • Pre-loaded with 35,000+ courses from 30 countries
  • Shot distance calculator
  • Auto Course Recognition
  • Auto Hole Advance
  • Pedometer and Fitness Trackers
  • Full front optical mounted color display with auto brightness adjustment
  • Stopwatch/Alarm/Timer
  • Waterproof
  • No membership or download fees
Included Bushnell App features:
  • App included with purchase of Excel Watch
  • Full color aerial views of hole layouts with distances
  • 3D flyovers with distances
  • Scorekeeping
  • Book tee times (also can be done on the watch)
  • Swing analysis stats
  • Pedometer and Fitness Trackers

The main features that Bushnell left off of the watch and put solely onto the app are the scorecard, stat-tracking, and full hole views with touch targeting. The Swing Pro features and weather information can found on the watch, but Swing Pro data can be analyzed more fully within the app. The idea of having to use the app during your round would seem to make the notifications component unnecessary, however we can see some users only using the app for it’s Swing Pro metrics on the driving range and still wanting notifications during the round. It remains to be seen if users will like Bushnell’s implementation of these advanced features, but we’re optimistic.

Bushnell Excel Golf Watch Specifications
Bushnell Excel Golf Watch
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 14 hrs
Battery Rechargeable
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 2.12 in. x 1.77 in. x .54 in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size .98 x .98
Resolution N/A
Display Type color
Weight 1.6 oz.
Rainproof Yes
Touch Screen No
Touch Targeting No
Manual Pin Positioning No
Stat Tracker No*
Digital Scorecard No*
Computer Analysis Tools Y*
Ground Verified N/A
Alternate Targets Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Weather info. Bluetooth connectivity to iPhone or Android phone for notifications, course updates, and game analysis. Bushnell App is free to Excel owners and includes full hole views and distances as well as scorecard, stat-tracking & swing metric
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User Manual for Bushnell Excel Golf Watch

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Four Tips for Saving Shots with a Golf GPS App

golf GPS app screen shotUsing a golf GPS app can be helpful to your game, but it can also be a big distraction. Here are four tips that can help you save shots, rather than blowing them because you were so busy trying to figure out how to measure your shot distance or enter your score. Getting too wrapped up in a golf app can take time away from your enjoying a beautiful day or good company and it can definitely take you out of the rhythm you need to play your best.

  1. Download the app at home and spend some time learning how to navigate it. There may be a demo, or you can usually download a nearby course to check out the features. Read the instructions whether they are as a Help link within the app or on the manufacturer’s website. Make sure you know how to navigate between holes and how to get back and forth between any of the features you think you will want to use. Write down notes on how to do all these things and take them with you.
  2. Make sure your phone is charged fully – a golf GPS can drain battery in a hurry. You might want to turn off Wifi and Bluetooth to conserve power.
  3. Start slow. The first few times you use your new golf GPS app, arrive at the course early enough to get your course set up so you’re not doing it on the first tee. Then keep it simple – use the distances that it presents you and don’t mess with the scorecard or shot measuring features. Try to spend as little time as possible looking at your phone. Just let it do it’s most basic job and get good at utilizing that information.
  4. Save the advanced features for a day when you have time… either when you are playing alone or when you are waiting on every shot. Refer to those notes you took when studying the instructions. Try to practice it so you get really fast at accessing any information you want, but don’t use features just because they are there. Use only the ones that you feel will really benefit your game.

One of our favorite golf GPS app is Mobitee. Download it and give it a try.

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Mobitee GPS Golf App Review

Our Mobitee GPS Golf App Review is based upon its performance on the iPhone 5 with OS 6.01 as well as our observations from iPhone user reviews.

Mobitee GPA Golf App on iPhone 5
Mobitee for iPhone

The truth is that the overwhelming enthusiasm in the user reviews that I read made me a little suspicious. However after using the Mobitee Golf App myself, I can give it my personal thumbs up. It’s extremely robust in features and yet super simple to use.

What I liked:

  • Acquires distances very quickly.
  • Has over 34,000 courses in the database.
  • Distance to the front, middle and back of every green stays on the screen even when zooming or touching the screen to change your layup point.
  • The satellite images are very clear.
  • To see a flyover of a hole, it’s a single tap on the screen and one tap to get back to the hole view and distances.
  • You can actually download a course when it’s not even nearby and view every hole.
  • The shot tracking feature is easily utilized with a single tap on the icon in the bottom left corner.
  • The shot tracking integrates with club tracking feature, so you can record how far you hit your shots and specify the club. We think this is a great tool to utilize in practice so that you can learn how far you really hit your clubs. In the bottom left corner of the screen, Mobitee will also suggest a club based on your history.
  • Changing holes is as easy as tapping the hole number (bottom center of screen) and then tapping whatever hole number you want.
  • Choosing your own personal layup points couldn’t be easier. You can tap the screen where you think looks like a good layup point and it displays the distance to that point and then the remaining distance to the center of the green. I really like how the target point easily snaps back to the center of the green if you drag it near the flag.
  • You can change the flag location by zooming in on the green and tapping the location. The only thing I found a little difficult was that after I set my pin position, I sometimes had to move the image to be able to see the distance. Once I figure this out, it was not problem.
  • It’s simple to add putts to the scorecard and the scorecard can be stroke play or Stableford.
  • I noticed quite a few comments about how this app sucked less battery life than other golf GPS apps. I can’t speak to this for sure, as I always run into trouble with my battery life. That’s why I’m an advocate of having the Anker battery backup with me.

If there is anything missing from the Mobitee Golf GPS App, it’s tracking fairways hit and greens in regulation (GIR). I personally think tracking stats during a round, is distracting to most people and don’t feel this is negative. The last thing most golfers need are more distractions.

There is a “rangefinder mode” that sort of simulates the view of a laser rangefinder with distances to various targets, but I didn’t really see any advantage to using it. However some golfers might prefer viewing the hole through that lens.

In summary, I love the Mobitee golf app. For me, any type of golf rangefinder, whether laser or GPS, must be super easy to use and this does a great job. The price is extremely reasonable and includes endless updates. I feel confident recommending the Mobitee Golf GPS App.

Note: Mobitee did provide the app free of charge for us to review. Please know that we will ALWAYS give our honest opinion about every product on this site.

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Golfshot App

Golfshot: Golf GPS – Shotzoom SoftwareGolfshot App

The Golfshot App basically turns your smartphone into a full-featured golf GPS device. Yes, it will drain your battery, but if you’re not ready to shop for a dedicated golf GPS device, Golfshot will provide everything you need. Here are a few of our favorite features:

  • A modest one-time purchase fee – no recurring annual fees.
  • A choice of aerial views or list views.
  • Shot measuring and club tracking. Learn how far you really hit your clubs!
  • Scorecard for up to 4 players
  • Stat tracking
  • The reviews are fantastic. 

If you’re not quite ready to step into a golf GPS device, try out the Golfshot GPS App for iPhone or Android!

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GolfLogix App for iPhone, Blackberry, Droid and More.

GolfLogix App for iPhone

Last weekend, I decided to take advantage of the 24-hour trial on the GolfLogix App for iPhone. For those interested, this App is also available for a number of other Smartphones, including Blackberry, Droid, and Nexus One. My playing partner was using a tried and true Bushnell laser rangefinder, so I knew I would be able to get a good idea about the accuracy of the GolfLogix App.

My Revew of the GolfLogix iPhone App

Summary: Overall the GolfLogix App did it’s job very well and it offers a robust feature set. The yardages were for the most part very accurate, there were several targets displayed in the quick view for each shot, plus you could tap anywhere on the hole view for yardage to a specific point. It can measure your shots and keep track of how far you are hitting your clubs. It can be your digital score card and stat tracker if you want to enable those features. It did drain a fair amount of battery, but I still made it through the day without charging my phone, so no complaints about that. The main reason I will not be spending money on the GolfLogix app or any other golf gps app, has nothing to do with the app, but everything to do with my iPhone. I frequently pulled my phone out of my back pocket while standing on a cart path and once almost dropped it when the bottom part of my slider case came off in that process. I feel like the odds of dropping my phone on a cart path would eventually catch up with me. Besides that, it was a very hot day and I was sweating with my iPhone in my back pocket – maybe not such a good idea. Since I still have 1 1/2 years on my AT&T contract and I play a fair amount of golf, I just don’t want to risk injury to the phone for this application. If I played only once in awhile, I might consider it. For now, I’m sticking to my Bushnell laser rangefinders that I’ve had for over 10 years. If I do decide to go GPS, it will be a stand-alone device. However my recommendation is that if you are looking for a golf GPS app for your phone, you will definitely want to consider GolfLogix.

Download the 24-Hour Trial – Download it to iTunes now and sync your iPhone so you can register and configure it before you arrive at the course.

Full Review:

GolfLogix App for iPhone screenshot
In all honesty, I didn’t think to download the app ahead of time, so somewhere between the putting green and the first tee, I started the download. After it was downloaded, I had to go through a registration process and configure the settings I wanted to use. Although it would have been a good idea to have done this before I arrived at the golf course, it really did not take very long before it was ready to find my golf course. The app searched for nearby golf courses and listed them in order of proximity, so the course I was playing came quickly to the top of the list. I selected it and we were off.

Let me say right off the bat, that even though I am an experienced golfer and former LPGA and Futures Tour caddy, it took awhile to get a handle on how to use it quickly and effectively. Even though I made every effort to just use the basics at the beginning, my playing partner complained that I was antisocial for the first nine holes. It was just enough of a distraction that I never really felt like I got into a good rhythm. I imagine with a little practice, I would get comfortable using it, just as I have my Bushnell laser rangefinders.

I am a geek and I love the technology. For $40 a year, the features on the GolfLogix app are a steal…

  • Yardages to front, middle and back of the green.
  • Layup yardages and intermediate targets
  • Ability to touch a point on the hole view and get the distance to that point and also the distance from that point to the hole.
  • Aerial hole views
  • Stat tracking is available, but each stat can be turned on or off.
  • Digital scorecard for your group is available.
  • Scores and stats can be uploaded to your online Garmin account
  • Ability to measure any shot you hit and track how far you are hitting each club.

Even though I love the features, the reality for me is that I don’t have time to take advantage of them while I”m playing golf. I have time for the basics: I check to see what the flag location is and then I can check yardage to the to points closest to that location. So if the pin is in the back, I check the yardage to the middle and back of the green and grab a club that if hit well, will get me somewhere in between those numbers. The GolfLogix iPhone App provides that information very quickly and with decent accuracy.  On the holes where I needed a layup yardage, it is very useful to be able to look at the hole view and touch a point where you want to lay up and be given yardage to that point and from that point to the middle of the green. It does however take extra time that I didn’t always feel I could take and sometimes I found myself rushing a shot because I had taken extra time preparing for it. I’m sure once you get proficient at using the app, this would be less of a problem. I did use the shot measuring feature on a few drives and it’s really cool. From what I could tell though, you have to leave the device on until you reach your ball, so this could be a battery drain if used frequently. It requires an extra couple of buttons to be pressed on both ends of the shot, which doesn’t take long… but these little moments add up and do affect the rhythm of your game, not to mention your time for socializing.

I know that if I used this app regularly, I would probably find little things that I would like to improve about it. However, the only two things that I would suggest to GolfLogix after my first round is to have it automatically go to the next hole without having to tap “Next”. I would also like to see the shot measurement feature work even when I turned off the device between making the shot and arriving at it. I’m not sure that it’s not supposed to work that way, but it didn’t seem to do that for me. The other suggestion I would have for GolfLogix is regarding the marketing of this app. It seems that many of the bad reviews are from people who thought they were getting the app for free, not just 24 hours for free. I looked at the iTunes Store sales page and can see how they might get that impression. Even though I didn’t pay for the GolfLogix App after my 24 hours, I am still a “Club” member, which gives me aerial views of the holes and the ability to keep score. I probably won’t ever use those features, but the sales page doesn’t exactly make it clear about what you get from the “Club” membership vs. the “Champion” (paid) membership.

As I said in my summary above, the reason I won’t be spending the money on this app has nothing to do with the quality of the app – it was great. It has everything to do with my iPhone. I frequently pulled my phone out of my back pocket while standing on a cart path and once almost dropped it when the bottom part of my slider case came off in that process. I feel like the odds of dropping my phone on a cart path would eventually catch up with me. Besides that, it was a very hot day and I was sweating with my iPhone in my back pocket – maybe not such a good idea. Since I still have 1 1/2 years on my AT&T contract and I play a fair amount of golf, I just don’t want to risk injury to the phone for this application. If I played only once in awhile, I might consider it. For now, I’m sticking to my Bushnell laser binoculars that I’ve had for over 10 years. If I do decide to go GPS, it will be a stand-alone device. The only reason I would ever consider GPS over laser golf rangefinders is that they offer yardage to places I might not be able to see with my laser binoculars. For all my love of tech, I still love the simplicity and complete accuracy of the laser rangefinder.

GolfLogix App ScorecardIf you are looking for a golf GPS app for your iPhone, I would definitely recommend downloading the GolfLogix app for the 24-hour free trial. Just download it to iTunes, sync your phone and then start the app so you can go through registration and configuration before you get to the course!

Update:

My 24 hours expired, but when I went to play a new golf course, I did find myself using the aerial view and digital scorecard and stat tracker that come included free with the “Club Membership”. There are no yardages, but on a new course where I couldn’t quite see where the green was or where the hazards were, the aerial view was useful. I decided to use the scorecard and stat tracker so I would have my score handy when I was ready to post it to the handicap computer. I only looked at my phone once per hole and was always sitting in the cart when I did it, so the worries about dropping it, sweating on it or running down the battery were gone.

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