Bushnell NEO Ion Golf GPS Watch Reviews — UBERGOLF

UBERGOLF
UBERGOLF
Sep 9, 2018 · 5 min read

Bushnell Neo Ion golf GPS watch is the proven flagship of the Bushnell golf GPS watch line. This unit has the most important yardages and relevant convenience features. It avoids extra heft and complications by discouraging unnecessary functionalities that golfers are unlikely to use.

Instead, NEO Ion is a simple, comfortable and affordable device. It brings great value for money. It’s a great toy for leisure golfer, new GPS converts who want straightforward distances, or those who need a basic golf GPS to augment their pro laser rangefinders.

Features & Benefits

The Bushnell Neo Ion golf GPS watch is a distinctive package of design and features:

Design of Bushnell NEO Ion golf GPS Watch:

- Dimensions:

Compared to the Bushnell NEO XS Golf GPS Watch, the Neo weighs a measly 1.8 ounces and rests effortlessly on the wrist while swinging. The circular watch face has a total circumference of 45mm. But the square dial only occupies half the space. The rest has markings in contrast color.

- Screen:

This golf GPS watch has a square screen with black characters against a white background. The screen in backlit for low light. In bright light, you can easily make out the characters. The screen is flanked by 5 buttons, 3 on the right and 2 on the left.​

- Strap:

Bushnell Neo Ion has one of the most comfortable silicone bands that we’ve had the fortune to test. This dual-injected silicone strap is pocked with holes which allow us to adjust the fitment for all wrist sizes. It’s also super-breathable and makes soft contact with the skin.

- Accessories:

This unit comes with a charging clip. This clip goes at the back of the watch dial while charging. The clip is easy to attach or remove. The other end of the cable is a USB jack which can plug into a wall adapter or your laptop.

Customer reviews on Amazon

Features of Bushnell NEO Ion golf GPS Watch:

- Hole Information:

The Bushnell Neo Ion golf GPS watch displays distance in a hard-to-miss manner. The distance to the center of the greens is prominently placed in the middle of the screen. The distance to the front and back of the greens is below this figures. The hole number is displayed at the top left corner and par information is on the top right corner.

- Hazard Information:

This watch shows up to 4 hazards or layup distances per hole. It has an interesting way of presenting the information. The hazard is represented by acronyms which you will have to remember. The distances are displayed next to the acronym. These are fairly easy like LFB for Left Fairway Bunker. Since only the closest hazards are mapped, you might be at a loss at particularly “hazard-ous” courses.

- Tee Time function:

You can set your tee time and day many days in advance. The Neo Ion turns on the GPS exactly 7 minutes before the tee time. It starts locating the nearest courses. You simply have to select the right one from the list and you can start playing. We found this feature especially since we often forget to turn on the GPS on time. Then we have to wait around while the Golf Mode kick starts.

- Auto Off:

This is another great feature for forgetful golfers like us. Setting an auto-off period will automatically switch the GPS of Neo Ion off after the stipulated time. This way, the watch doesn’t run out of charge simply because you omitted this task. Between this feature and the Tee Time feature, this is pretty much a hands-free unit.

- Automatic functions:

This is further aided by the auto course recognition function. Once the GPS is switched on, it automatically finds the courses closest to you as a list. You can pick from the list if there are more than one. It also offers automatic hole advance. This way, it moves to the next hole as soon as you are done with the current. No need to manually change the hole number.

- Shot Tracking:

The Neo Ion offers shot distance measurement. You can find the shot distance instantly but there’s no way to record and track the distances for future reference.

- Course coverage/Updates:

This Bushnell golf GPS watch comes pre-loaded with 35,000 courses worldwide, the iGolf database that all Bushnell devices use. It might not have some small local courses. It locates your course and provides options of holes you might play in this ground: 1–9, 10–18 or 19–27. There’s no subscription fee for course updates, so the total ownership cost remains the price at which you bought it.

- Battery Life:

One important advantage of not stuffing features into the Neo Ion golf watch is that it increases battery life.

It can easily last 4 rounds of the game. We estimated 16 hours of normal golf use with GPS on. Of course, this figure varies with individual use.

- Miscellaneous:

This Bushnell GPS watch packs a pedometer to counts steps. It also has an odometer to calculate the distance travelled. Between these two activity tracking tasks, you can evaluate cycling, running and walking. It makes for a nice uncomplicated fitness tracker. This watch is water-resistant, so it can take a few drops of rain until you find cover. Bushnell offers a 1-year warranty on this unit.

- ​Speed and Accuracy:

We loved how fast the Neo Ion golf GPS watch works. It’s clear of the other functions that clutter the startup time. The GPS locked in on the satellites and located the closest courses within 30 seconds which are slightly faster than average. The Tee Time feature takes this delay out of the equation as well.

This watch is extremely and consistently accurate. It displays readings within 1–3 yards of the actual distance. Most importantly, we got similar results every time we counter-checked the distance with our Bushnell Neo XS Golf GPS Watch.

- Scorecards:

There are NO scoring functions in this watch.​

If you are not satisfied with the Neo Ion, check out our reviews on Bushnell Golf GPS Watches and Handhelds.

Conclusion

The Bushnell Neo Ion Golf GPS watch is a simplistic and reasonably priced unit that you can rely on for fast, accurate distances. It serves low-handicap to high-handicap golfers who want just the relevant features and ease of use. For more advanced doodads, you can check out other products on our best gps golf watch for the money or Callaway GPSy Golf GPS Watch Reviews. We hope our review helped you make the decision whether to take the plunge with Ion or not. Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.ubergolf.net/bushnell-neo-ion-golf-gps-watch-review/

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