Product Description

Sonocaddie is the perfect, lightweight handheld GPS device that clips right onto your waist or golf bag to help you better manage your golf game. Download and store up to 20 golf courses at one time from your laptop or PC, free unlimited downloads and ability to share course info amongst other Sonocaddie users. The units calculates the distance from any point on the course to virtually any reference point including front, center and back of each green. Choose from over 13,000 courses currently mapped worldwide or map your own and upload to the website. Edit exisiting course information to suit your game. Operates on 3 Alkaline batteries that are included, simple downloads from your PC or laptop using USB cable provided, Vista compatible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20711 in Sports & Outdoors
• Size: Each
• Color: White
• Brand: Sonocaddie
• Model: N030-1
• Released on: 2007-05-01
• Dimensions: 2.50" h x 6.00" w x 8.50" l, 3.00 pounds

Features

• Personal golf GPS navigator that reads the distance between any two points on the course
• Helps you hit better approach shots while avoiding sand traps and water hazards
• Intuitive interface lets you generate new course coordinates or edit existing ones
• Includes digital scorecard, driving distance calculator, and data cable
• Runs for up to 10 hours on 3 AAA batteries; measures 2.2 by 4.05 by 1.08 inches (W x H x D)

Amazon.com Product Description
Are you serious about improving your game and having more fun on the course? Turn to the Sonocaddie XV2, a personal golf GPS navigator that accurately reads the distance between any two points on a course. Not only does this help you hit better approach shots while avoiding sand traps and water hazards, but it also lets you spend more time concentrating on your swing and less time worrying about the accuracy of your guesses. It's the perfect accessory for the ultimate game of inches.

The palm-sized device fits easily in a shirt pocket or golf bag.

The Sonocaddie XV2 employs an advanced, high-tech GPS satellite system to measure the yardage between your lie and various hazards, so you always know what you're up against. As an alternative, you can determine the distance from your lie to the green, even without a clear line of sight. And golf fanatics will love the driving distance function, which tells you how far you cranked the ball off the tee. Not only is this fun for bragging rights, but it's also a valuable stat that reveals whether different course terrain and weather conditions are affecting your play.

The XV2 calculates the distance from your lie to the green.

The Sonocaddie XV2 is intuitive and user-friendly, with a straightforward interface that allows you to generate new course coordinates or edit existing coordinates in a matter of seconds. It's also easy to access information about other courses by visiting Sonocaddie's website, which offers the capacity to upload or download course data for free. Once you're on the course, the Sonocaddie's digital scorecard takes over, automatically calculating your total score with the simple touch of a button. The Sonocaddie even lets you share information about your favorite courses with other players via the included data cable. It may even help you win a few friends before you step onto the first tee.

The benefits of the Sonocaddie XV2 are legion: It eliminates the hassle and cost of hiring a caddie; it provides accurate, unimpeachable info; it saves time on the course by calculating the distance for you, so you don't have to locate yardage markers; and its small enough to fit easily in your pocket or golf bag. The XV2, which runs for up to 10 hours on three AAA batteries, measures 2.2 by 4.05 by 1.08 inches (W x H x D).

What's in the Box
Sonocaddie XV2, Sonocaddie-to-PC serial adapter, serial-to-USB adapter, Sonocaddie-to-Sonocaddie adapter, belt clip, user's manual.

Customer Reviews

Good GPS Golf Gadget
This is a nice gadget that works well and I recommend it. I've used it on two different courses with numerous obstacles and these are well mapped. I found all distances to be very accurate when I compared them against the course's surveyed markers. The big plus though is that you don't have to look for those markers plus Sonocaddie provides information that the markers alone cannot provide, like "how far to that creek that runs in front of the green on a par 5 hole" which helps in my lay-up club selection.

The display shows obstacles to the left, right, and in the fairway using easy to understand icons. A large button on the side lets you switch back and forth between an overview display, which shows all the obstacles and distances for that hole, and a close-up display of the distances to the front, center, and back of the green. The display is easier to see outdoors in daylight than indoors under artificial light. The yardage numbers on the overview display are a bit small which requires me to have my reading glasses with me to see them clearly but younger players will have no trouble.

The menus are logical, well laid out, consistent, and easy to navigate. The left small button is used to back out of menus, although a few displays don't include the "ESC" (escape) annotation. The buttons themselves have a good feel to them and always work. They appear to be high-quality buttons that will last a long time.

Sonocaddie comes with a belt clip that is spring-loaded to attach easily to your belt or waistband. It snaps onto the belt clip with a reassuring click and will not come loose. However, the clip itself has some tendency to work its way loose from the belt, but I suspect this is only a problem for those of us who are, uh, fat. A button on top of the clip releases it easily.

It's easy to add a new obstacle or edit one that was downloaded. Just stand at the location you want to mark, select edit, use the arrow buttons to select a position on the screen, select an icon for your obstacle, and then press record. It's easier to do than to read about doing it. At some point it asks you if you want to save the change.

There are numerous courses listed in their database and there is no subscription required, a big plus in my opinion And it holds 20 courses with 18 holes and 6 obstacles for each hole. A comment to another posting indicates that Sonocaddie will map a course for you on request. Course downloads work but are a little quirky. You might have to retry, back out of the download menu and reenter it, restart Sonocaddie, reboot your computer, etc. It's hard to know exactly what to do when a download fails except to keep at it. I was, however, able to download 18 courses without too much trouble.

You can enter in your score for each hole and Sonocaddie will add them up for the arithmetic-challenged It has the par and handicap information for each hole and it would be nice if you could enter the player's handicap and let Sonocaddie calculate the net score but it doesn't do this.

All in all Sonocaddie is a good device and I recommend it. I am not affiliated with Sonocaddie in any way except that I'm an owner/user.

Sonocaddie - Great Product - Outstanding Customer Support
I wrote a review on this product when it first hit the market over a year ago. Not sure where that review went but I've got an update. The product initially impressed me because of its ease of use, capability - it stores 20 courses, and the no-membership/download costs. When I first got my Sonocaddie I had to input my own data, available local courses were lacking. Well, in 11 months hundreds of courses all over the US have become available for download. When I'm on the course with my playing partners everyone checks with me for distance to the pin/green. The accuracy is great, wish my ball striking ability were only half as good! After almost 11 months of near flawless performance my Sonocaddie went to a dark screen with the application features barely visible. Initially I assumed a battery issue; but switching to fresh batteries didn't fix my problem. After describing my problem to DENNCO, the US Distributor, they instructed me to ship my Sonocaddie to them, insured, for there evaluation. I was elated when I received a new replacement unit in less than 12 days. It is clear DENNCO understands customer service and stands by their product's 1 year warranty. I highly recommended this item almost a year ago and now I recommend both the product and its US Supplier. RonO

Easy to use Golf GPS Rangefinder - No Subscription Needed
I just purchased a SONOCADDIE GPS Rangefinder and after going to their website to download my favorite courses, the only thing I was able to download were the holes with handicap and para ratings. So, that meant I was forced to go to a course and attempt to record signicant course landmarks as well as "record" front and back locations on each green. Turns out this process was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. After posting "records" for about 3 holes, I circled back and was really impressed with the system accuracy, speed, reliablity and readability of this cell phone sized unit. Some other key features include the ability to hold settings for 20 courses. You can find other GPS units that my be easier to read or include more data relative to scoring or just recording your round for your foursome, but I don't think you will find one that is any simpler to operate. Not having an annual subscription was another plus for me.