GolfBuddy Voice GPS Rangefinder Black/White Reviews — UBERGOLF

UBERGOLF
UBERGOLF
Sep 8, 2018 · 5 min read

GolfBuddy Voice GPS is one of the most inexpensive golf GPS in the market right now. And it has a funky feature. It speaks out the distances. There’s a literally a little voice calling out the yardages and hole numbers in your ears. It’s a cool feature that has remained intriguing since its debut in the Voice GPS. This is the most basic model in the Voice line-up and perfect for golfers who give in to the temptation of playing only occasionally.

Design & Features of GolfBuddy Voice GPS

1. Design of GolfBuddy Voice GPS:

- Body:

The Voice GPS has a small petite body. It’s a small square tablet of 1.68 inch sides and 0.43 inch depth. At 29g, you barely feel the weight of this device. The edges are beveled and somewhat immune to damage. Half of the front face is covered by a screen. There are buttons accessible around the body. There’s a clip at the back to latch this unit to the belt, visor or any other place you prefer. Most golfers go for the belt.

- Screen:

The GolfBuddy Voice GPS has a backup for the little voice. There’s a black-and-white screen on the top half which shows distance and other info. This is sunlight-readable in all lights. The screen is backlit and it flashes while it’s charging.

- Controls:

The Main button is on the front face below the screen. This is a multifunction button. On the left edge, you have the power and position mark buttons. The other side has the volume buttons. There’s a USB port on the right edge for charging.

MORE: Best Golf GPS Reviews: Top Rated Watches and Handhelds Devices 2018

- Accessories:

The Voice GPS comes with a micro-USB cable for charging it. Fortunately, they also supply an AC wall adapter, so you have a spare at hand. Another accessory that we really appreciated is the silicone protective case which offsets the abuse doled out by regular use at the course. You also transform it into a watch with the purchase of accessories such as a wristband. It has two basic colors: black/white.

2. Features of GolfBuddy Voice GPS:

- Yardages Voice:

The GolfBuddy Voice GPS has speaks out the distances. At every hole, it announces the Hole number and yardage to the center. For the distances to the front and back of the greens, you need to press the Menu button which cycles through these. This is not the most intuitive method of listening to the distances but it works smoothly. We limited our use to center yardages or distance in meters alone.

- Yardages Screen:

If you want to completely turn off the Voice feature, you can read the distances on the screen, a rare feature in an entry-level voice GPS rangefinder. The distances are provided up till points 10 yards within the border of the greens. Pressing the menu button will cycle through the distances to the front and rear edges.

- Hole View:

There are two major screens in GolfBuddy Voice GPS. In the Green View, you see the distance to the center of the greens. Next to it is a small generic representation of the green. This is to show the relative position of the pin on the green. On the top left corner, you see the hole number. On the far right, you have the battery status. Next, to it, you see an ‘M’ symbol if you have selected meters for distances.

- Green View:

The Green View gives a rough graphic of the greens based on the angle of approach. Though it’s more accurate than the graphic in the Hole View, we still didn’t find it very useful. There’s the hole number and Par Score to the left. The right side has the satellite signal strength.

- Shot Distance Measurement:

The Shot distance measurement starts with two button presses and can be ended manually as you finish walking to your target. Once the measurement ends, the distance is announced and displayed on the screen as well. You can go to different screen during shot distance measurement.

- Automatic functions:

Once you start the GolfBuddy Voice GPS, it will automatically lock satellites and recognize the course, but only if you are at the course. The startup is fast. The Voice gives an audio alert once the course is recognized. It also advances the hole automatically once the golfer reaches the Teebox. The hole number is announced.

- Course Coverage:

The Voice GPS comes preloaded with 40,000 courses. It’s pretty comprehensive with worldwide course coverage.

- Accuracy:

This voice GPS claims average accuracy within 2–3 yards of the actual distance. It’s not a tournament-ready unit in this sense.

MORE: GolfBuddy GPS Reviews and Comparison Charts 2018

GolfBuddy Voice GPS instructions

Although a simple device from the looks of it, the GolfBuddy Voice GPS required a small setup process. You can use it right out of the pack but we wanted to have the courses and firmware updated. Both these functions are possible via the PC-based update tool, GolfBuddy Course Manager Software. You have to download it from the GolfBuddy website. It takes a nominal amount of time. Once downloaded and install, you must register your device. It takes 10–15 minutes because GolfBuddy is very thorough and demands a lot of info. But once done, you can update the course database on your device. You can also update the device firmware. If you are not satisfied with the GolfBuddy Voice GPS, check out our reviews on Izzo Swami 5000 Golf GPS Units or GolfBuddy Voice 2 GPS

FAQ’s:

What’s the battery life of GolfBuddy Voice GPS?

GolfBuddy claims a battery life of 9 hours per charge. It made through two 18-hole rounds with us but just barely.

What’s the Total Ownership Cost of GolfBuddy Voice?

GolfBuddy does not charge a subscription fee for access to the course database. So the price of the device is your only expense.

Conclusion

The GolfBuddy Voice GPS is a simple voice-enabled rangefinding device. It clips on to the belt/visor and almost disappears from your peripheral vision while whispering yardages to you. The basic information is provided literally hands-free as your progress through the course. But we missed the hazard distances in Voice GPS much. The Voice 2 takes on this challenge. Still, the clean interface of the Voice is worth a look. Check more our reviews of Bushnell Golf GPS Brands if you want more choices.

Source: https://www.ubergolf.net/golfbuddy-voice-gps-reviews/

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At Ubergolf, Be it with our buying advice for the best golf GPS watches and handhelds devices, clip-on, voice GPS, laser golf rangefinder to best golf hybrid

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