Customer Reviews

Callaway Golf uPro Go GPS

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A friend recommended this GPS so I gave it a try. I am a previous user of a sky caddie 4. I rarely used my sky caddie because I would forget to download the course ahead of time and I often had trouble getting a satelite fix. I had gone through lots of problems getting through the fire wall on my network router before I could ever get my sky caddie up and working.
My callaway UPro Go has become my constant companion on the golf course since I purchased it 2 weeks ago. There are no firewall issues in connecting this device to the internet. Finding the satelite is quick and easy. I decided to purchase it because all courses are already loaded so there are no issues with forgetting to upload a course or deciding what to include or exclue on an extended trip. This GPS also is quick in updating yardage to the hole. I also used it when setting up a golf course (deciding what tee box would be used on each hole) for an upcoming major amateur championship in trying to figure out where landing areas would be, etc and it was a great help. Again the speed of getting the yardage number versus my sky caddie experience was impressive. The device fits easily into my back pccket so I see no need for a cart mount or belt clip.
The only downside is that the joy stick is small and takes some getting used to. Those with big hands/fingers could easily get frustrated using it.
I live in Delaware and play golf in Delaware and New Jersey as well and have not idenfitied any courses that are NOT inlcuded in the course list.

This is my 2nd golf GPS. My first was the Golf Guru 002 which I thought was a pretty good unit. After using the uPro Go for one round, I'm very happy I've moved on. I am a 5-handicap so accurate, timely information is very important to me.

First off, I refuse to pay an annual subscription for a sky caddie and would never pay for individual courses (uPro Regular) -- I play too many different courses and I like to play in different states too. I also believe in having as much information as possible as long as it is easy to get to while playing. I do see the benefit of having full hole mappings (garmin G5, etc), especially on courses that are new to me. That being said, I'm not willing to pay double for that little extra bit of info. I also want a unit to be as small as possible (cell phone size is as big as I'm interested in) because I like to keep the unit in my back pocket.

The uPro Go has a great value proposition since it is pretty inexpensive (I paid $150 with Go-mode activated post rebate) and it's pretty feature rich for the $$$. I love Go-mode -- the right mix of important info and the flexibility to move the pin to the right spot. The graphics are great. The shape of the green and traps around the green make the info worthwhile. My previous golf GPS (Guru 002) had Intelligreen but the graphics were so weak that putting the pin in the proper spot was not possible. I also never trusted the accuracy of the Guru's reading to the pin since I would often measure the distance to the pin w/my Bushnell laser rangefinder and find the Guru off by 5-10 yards. Therefore, I had to carry my Rangefinder in addition to the GPS for pin-distance info. I cross referenced the uPro Go on most holes today and found it's yardages to be spot on w/my laser. It could just be that the course I played today was mapped better than the Guru's so I'll have to play a few others with the laser/GPS combo as well before I leave the laser in my trunk.

Here are my pros/cons so far:

Pros
- Size is awesome -- actually smaller than my HTC Hero Cell phone
- Screen is great -- very readable on the course (not sure why anyone is having issues)
- Go Mode -- fantastic. I think it's a very average GPS without Go Mode. Well worth the $50.
- Accuracy is great so far
- Course availability here in Colorado is great - I couldn't find any courses that I play that aren't already mapped.
- Cost is very reasonable
- Pretty intuitive interface -- easy to go from Hazard Mode to Go-mode.
- Was a little tricky the first time I wanted to load the course I played ...
- Auto hole advance works most of the time
- Unit build quality seems very solid
- Very easy to mark your shots for distance tracking
- I like the joystick -- not sure why others dislike
- Syncs easily with my Macbook Pro (Snow leopard)


Cons
- Would like to see scorekeeping on the unit
- Would like a hole view option
- Hazard info a little spotty (front/back of the trap/water is open to interpretation as to where they mapped it)
- Battery life may be iffy (not sure if I can get two full rounds -- had 40% left after one round)
- When you move the pin on the green in Go-mode, the other info around the green disappears (Why ??)

All-in-all, I'm happy with my purchase so far. Hopefully, Callaway will add some more useful features in the future. I'm not sure why Callaway doesn't just add $50 to the price tag and sell it with Go-Mode already activated (or just ditch the rebate). Without Go-Mode, the unit is similar in technology to devices that are 3+ years old. I'll try to update my review in a couple months after I've had more experience with the unit and played more courses.

I just used my uPro Go for the first time. It works great and updates yardages very quickly. I liked the MyGo option, but haven't bought it yet. I just used the free course provided. Am considering paying the one-time fee for it for all the courses. Originally had a Sonacaddie Autoplay, but it never worked and I returned it for the uPro Go and it was a good move. It is very easy to use; easy to read in the sun; small and light; and easily transitions from hole to hole. I almost did not buy it because of the review @ Amazon where the user hated the joystick. I think the joystick is easy to use as are all of the buttons.

The only thing missing is a "tee to green" view capability.

I definitely recommend the uGo Pro.

Before purchasing the uPro Go, I used a GPS app on my Android phone. It was a nice little app, but my phone got beat up pretty good so I wanted to have a dedicated device. I shopped around and quickly realized how expensive these devices were. I wasn't about to spend $400 on a GPS. You can get a new driver for that. So I took a chance on the GO. (I got mine new, off of ebay for $150.)

The first thing I noticed was that the device is pretty rugged. Rubber casing, rubber grommet to cover the USB port, thick plastic screen over the LCD, etc. Obviously, the pro is that you can throw it in your pocket along with ball markers, tees, etc, and it'll take it. However, the screen is not Gorilla Glass. There is a plastic screen that covers the LCD to protect it, so no scratches there, but the scratches on the plastic screen is pretty noticeable. I would definitely get some sort of screen protector for it. (I purchases a pack of cut-to-size cell phone screen covers and it worked perfect.) The navigation button is a little stiff at first, but the more you use it, the easier it becomes. So allow some break in time.

When I first purchased the GO it did not work on the first course I tried. I stood on the tee box of a local course and I got a `corrupted file' error. So I didn't get to use it the first time out. I was bummed. I called Callaway's tech support and they had the issue fixed in a matter of minutes. (Device has to be connected to your PC for them to fix this error. So no fixing this on the course.) The hold time was minimal and I actually got to talk to an American, which was awesome. I didn't get some guy across the pond with a thick accent who calls himself George. Their customer support is top notch. That experience alone was worth the price of the device.

I wasn't a fan of spending the extra $50 to get the "Go Mode". But knowing that there wasn't a yearly subscription fee made this activation a little easier. The Go Mode is a nice little addition in that it shows you all of the green side hazards and their yardages. Don't get on the first tee and boot the device and expect it to work right away. Like all GPS devices, it takes a little time to acquire the satellites. So power it on when you're on the practice green. By the time you're done, it'll have acquired the satellites. The user interface is pretty straight forward. You click, "Play Golf' and it tells you what course you're on, as well as the courses within about a 10 mile radius. However, if you don't give the device time to acquire the satellites, you've got to navigate to your course. Country>State>Course By Alphabet>Select Course. But you're still not going to get a reading until it acquires the satellites. It took roughly 3-5 minutes to get the satellites it needed. This time, of course, is factored on weather, environment, etc.

That being said, I've had the unit for about three months. Every time I use it, its exceeded my expectations. The GO has had every course I've played so far. I took it on a golf trip to Santee, SC and it worked beautifully. I was able to use the device alongside the GPS units that were in the carts. The yardage was pretty spot on. I have found that with a GPS unit, I second guess the yardage markers on the course. To be honest, I've found some that have been short and some that have been long. But for the most part, they've been pretty accurate. However, the last time I used the device I was standing on a par three and the sprinkler head said 157 to the middle. My GPS said it was 135. So instead of grabbing an 8 iron, I grabbed a 9 iron. I'm glad I did. Had I went with the courses marker, I would have really flown the green. It's a pretty feature packed device. Major plusses are that the screen is very easy to read on sunny days and at only 4", the device fits nicely in your pant or shirt pocket.

I've been able to get 36 holes on a single charge. (This includes everyone else asking me what `their' yardage is.) The power save mode is a nice feature. Once you get your yardage, you can put it in your pocket knowing that in 20 seconds the LCD will turn itself off.

I wasn't able to stack the Upro Go against another GPS device except the app on my phone. But if you're looking for a budget GPS, you might want to take a look at this one. If I had to do it over again, I'd still buy it.

First I must admit: I have never used this device on the golf course. But I didn't need to to decide I was returning it for the standard Callaway uPro.

This device has a nice screen and good features, but the "joystick" used for navigation is absolutely awful. It's almost impossible to scroll through anything without accidentally selecting something. It was so frustrating during initial setup and browsing that I decided giving it to my dad (who is not tech savvy) would be a bad idea. Instead, I'll get the slightly more expensive standard unit that has easier to use buttons.

I received the uPro Go for Christmas 2009 and I'm still waiting for the only 2 courses I want to be mapped. Make sure it has the courses you play before buying this unit!

I had a Bushnell laser range finder which I liked. I saw the upro go online and bought it. It takes awhile to load up each time I turn it on. The only problem I have with it right now is the GPS doesn't lock on each time. The yardages fluctuates between 2 to 8 yds. You have to reset the GPS before each round. Tech support told me I only had to do that one time but not so with the one I have. If I get that problem resolved it's worth the money.

I recently purchased this GPS after reading reviews and descriptions about several GPS units. My first impression of the UPRO GO, having not use it yet, would be that it is a very solid unit. Others have been critical about the fact that it is made of plastic. I don't know what else they would expect it to be made of. It has a rubberized coating on the entire unit, except of course the screen. The screen does smudge easily so I find myself cleaning it often. The size of this unit is perfect for fitting into your pocket which I think will be very helpful when your round is "cart path only". Some others have been critical of the joystick used to scroll through the menu options. I am an average size guy and have not had any trouble using the joystick. If you are deliberate in your use of it then it is an easy thing to use and has a very rugged feel to it as does the rest of the unit. Like I said I have never used this GPS but have used my father in laws Sky Caddie. This unit seems to be a little easier to use than it. When you get this GPS, and you should, you will find that there is a video programmed onto the unit that will lead you through how to use it, very nice and easy to use. I got this unit because of the number of courses that it has already stored on it. All my courses are there. Check the web site to check your courses. Also no subscription fee. Start up time has been another issue with some users. I drove to a course and then turned it on. The unit turned on in about 45 seconds and was ready to use in a little over one minute. Not very long at all. I have not activated the "Go Mode" as of yet but, using the "Preview Mode", has allowed me to look at the courses I play and see the hazards. Most are very acurate. Others seem to be based more on what the course has listed on their score cards. (I.E. water where there is none.) Over all this appears to be a very good product and worthy of 4 stars even though I have not yet used it. Buy one and enjoy it. I am looking forward to seeing if it meets my expectaions when I use it this spring.

Slow to boot...
Joystick is a pain...
Have to turn off and on a second time for GPS to find course...
Requested two courses in my area 6 monthes ago and they are still unavailable...

Other than that it works OK...

I used it for the first time today. Registration and syncing were easy to do. It may not do as much as more expensive units, but it does what you need. It's accurate and tells you how far to hazards and any point on the greens. For the price (about $209 on Amazon or ebay) it is a solid buy.