Garmin lead the way!
Garmin appear to be leading the way in the golf GPS market in 2011. Owners have been giving fantastic reviews of all the new Garmin models available in the last six months. The Garmin approach G5 has been given a score 93% buy people who actually own one.
What is the difference between the Garmin Approach G3 and the Garmin Approach G5?
The two differences between the Garmin G5 and the G3 is the size of the units, and the G5’s ability to keep stats. The Garmin Approach G5 is bigger than the G3, something you may want to consider when choosing between these two devices. With the G5 you can keep track of your game, this unit will work out the average distance you hit the ball for each club, and you can even copy your stats and transfer them into excel. If you are not concerned with keeping track of your stats then you would probably be better off buying a G3. You can read our review of the Garmin Approach G3 here.
What some owners don’t like about the Garmin Approach G5
- Some courses are not available
- Device is too big
- Hard to view screen in certain lighting
One of the biggest gripes owners have about the Garmin Approach G5 is the lack of courses available; I recommend that you check the Garmin website to see if your home course is available. It is worth pointing out that the Garmin course database is rapidly expanding, and it will soon be on a par with other golf GPS devices on the market.
Another opinion on the Garmin G5 is that it can be difficult to view the screen in certain lighting conditions. I feel it is worth pointing out that opinion is divided on this matter, with some reviewers stating they don’t know what other owners are talking about in regards to visibility. It could be that people complaining about this have not configured their device. To set your screen visibility you have to turn off the unit, then press and hold the lower right corner of screen while holding the “on” button for 30-40 seconds, follow the directions on the screen and you should be good to go.
What owners love about the Garmin Approach G5
- No download fees/membership fees
- Colour display
- Displays the entire hole from tee to green
- All courses stored on large 1gb memory
- Runs on AA batteries
- Touchscreen
- Keeps score for up to four players
- Keeps track of stats
- Very accurate yardages
When it comes to the plus points where do I begin? The obvious winner when it comes to the Garmin G5 is there are no download fees or subscription fees. That’s right, once you have purchased your new device, all you have to do is get the latest update and you’re off. All the courses are stored on the G5’s 1 GB memory; so far there are 1250 courses available.
Another feature popular with owners is the fact you can view a course before you play your round. You can see every hole from tee to green; so you can plan your game before you arrive.
Surprisingly the fact that the G5 runs on AA batteries is very popular amongst owners. One owner commented that they liked it because if they ran out of juice on the course they simply changed the batteries and the G5 would save all the details of their game so far and then pick up from where they left off. If you have a rechargeable device and it runs out of power, that’s it as far as using that device for the rest of your day.
The touchscreen is a real winner in terms of innovation and sets the Garmin G series apart from other golf GPS’s on the market today. To get the most out of your G5 you may want to use a golf tee or pencil to use the touchscreen as this gives greater accuracy. The touchscreen feature gives you the capability to move the pin around the green easily; so there is no problem if the flag isn’t where your G5 says it should be. You can also measure the distance to any point on the hole you are playing with one touch of the screen.
Finally, if you like you’re into keeping track of your game statistically then the G5 has everything you will need. The unit keeps score for up to four players, the unit will ask for your scores as you move off to next hole. The G5 will also calculate the average distance you hit a club and you can copy and paste your stats into excel when you get home.
All in all the G5 is fast becoming the leading golf GPS on the market today. No download fees, easy to use, great touchscreen and with Garmin you have a name you can trust.
