OnPar Golf Touchscreen GPS

by OnPar

Product Features

• OnPar is the first GPS Touchscreen designed specifically for Golf.
• Stores up to 300 Golf Courses at one time.
• View the distance from you, to any target, and remaining yardage to the green with a simple touch of the 3.5" high resolution touchscreeen.
• Track your shots and receive club suggestions based on recent average distance for each club.

Product Description

Buying Guide

Amazon.com Golf GPS Guide
Staying Linked in on the Links
Having a golf GPS unit in your bag is a bit like playing with your very own PGA-quality caddie. These little electronic wonders have evolved a great deal since the USGA deemed them legal for tournament play in 2005. Most models these days can provide you with quick and accurate information regarding distance to the hole and other targets and hazards; length of prior shots (often storable for future reference); course layout; distance to the front, middle, and back of the green; and more.

With a wide range of golf GPS device, feature, and subscription choices available on the market today, finding one that's right for you can be like finding the middle of the fairway when the winds are swirling. Amazon.com has put together a list of the top GPS units and their key specifications, below, to help you select your ideal model.

Navigating Your Options
Unit	Available Courses/Capacity	Membership Fees	Screen	Battery Type/Life
Bushnell Golf GPS 368100 Yardage Pro	12,000 (download up to 100 annually)/ 10	$34.99 annually	Black and white backlit LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 16 hours
Bushnell Neo Golf GPS	12,000 (download up to 100 annually)/ 10	$34.99 annually	2.1-inch, black and white backlit LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 16 hours
Bushnell Yardage Pro Golf GPS	12,000 (download up to 100 annually)/ 10	$34.99 annually	Black and white backlit LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 16 hours
Bushnell Yardage Pro XG Golf GPS	12,000 (download up to 100 annually)/ 20	$34.99 annually	2.2-inch, high-contrast black and white LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 16 hours
Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC Golf GPS	12,000 (download up to 100 annually)	$34.99 annually	2.2-inch, high-resolution backlit color LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 16 hours
Callaway Golf uPro Golf GPS	18,000/ 50	None	320x240 high-resolution color LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 12 hours
Callaway Golf uPro Go GPS	18,000 pre-loaded	One-time $49.99 activation fee	240x320 high-resolution color LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 10-12 hours
Garmin Approach G3 GPS-Enabled Golf Handheld	12,000/ unlimited	None	160x240 transflective color TFT touchscreen	Two AA batteries/ up to 15 hours using NiMH or lithium
Garmin Approach G5 GPS-Enabled Golf Handheld	12,000/ unlimited	None	240x400 transflective color TFT touchscreen	Two AA batteries/ up to 15 hours using NiMH or lithium
GolfBuddy Plus GPS Rangefinder	Over 14,000/ 1,000	None	High-resolution black/white LCD	Rechargeable lithium-polymer
Golf Buddy Pro GPS Range Finder	All available courses in North America/ 20,000	None	High-resolution black/white LCD	Rechargeable lithium-polymer with AAA backup
Golf Buddy Tour GPS Range Finder	All available courses in North America/ 20,000	None	Backlit color LCD	Rechargeable lithium-polymer with AAA backup/ 14 hours
GolfLogix GPS by Garmin (2008 Model)	15,000/ 20	$39.95 annually	1.25-by-2.25-inch backlit black and white LCD	Two AA/ 22 hours
GolfLogix GPS Smart Phone Membership and Ultimate Retail Accessory Kit	24,000/ varies by smartphone	$39.95 annually	N/A	N/A
GPS Golf Guru 4 Precise GPS/PDA Golf Rangefinder with Multi-application capabilities	20,000/ 200	None	3.5-inch full color touchscreen	Rechargeable/ 14 hours
IZZO Swami 1500 Golf GPS Unit	12,000/ 10	$9.99 annually	Black and white LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 12 hours
OnPar Golf Touchscreen GPS	13,000/ 300	None	Full color backlit touchscreen	Rechargeable lithium ion
SkyCaddie SG2.5 Golf GPS (Black)	16,000/ varies based on membership plan	$29.95-129.95 annually, depending on plan	120x80 backlit black and white LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 14 hours
Sky Caddie SG3.5V GPS Unit	16,000/ 20	$29.95-129.95 annually, depending on plan	High-resolution 2.2-inch backlit color LCD	Three AAA
SkyCaddie SG5 Golf GPS (Black)	16,000/ 10	$29.95-129.95 annually, depending on plan	220x176 high-resolution backlit color LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 14 hours
SkyCaddie SGX Golf GPS	30,000 pre-loaded	$29.95-129.95 annually, depending on plan	Three-inch, high-resolution transflective TFT-LCD screen	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 14 hours
Sonocaddie Auto Play Golf GPS	Pre-loaded with 18,000/ 30,000	None	220x176 high-resolution backlit color LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 12 hours
Sonocaddie V300 Color GPS Unit	22,000/ 30	One-time $29.95 or $49.95 fee, depending on plan, or $5 per course after first five free downloads	2.2-inch high-resolution backlit color LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ 15 hours
Sonocaddie XV2 Personal Golf GPS	22,000/ 20	One-time $29.95 or $49.95 fee, depending on plan, or $5 per course after first five free downloads	Black and white LCD	Three AAA/ 10 hours
Sureshot GPS Golf System	14,000/ 10	$29.95-199.95 annually, depending on plan	Full color backlit LCD	Rechargeable lithium ion/ typically lasts for 36 holes

Product Description

OnPar is the first GPS touchscreen introduced to the gold market. We took a fresh look at the GPs rangefinders and how technoogy could intuitively create a more accurate and user-friendly device. The device needed to incorporate traditional golf information and unrivaled useful features that actually helped the golfer manage and improve their game. All of this information needed to be easily accessible with a single touch of the screen on an ideal sized display that was easy to read. OnPar, was built on these principles and created to help golfers with distance information and the ability to track and suggest personalized club strategies. The first OnPar Touchscreen GPS was launched to the golf community at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show with resounding success. In using the most advanced technology, this next generation GPS product has been described as "Your own Personal Caddie." It allows you to View each golf hole; Track every shot; and Know your game better. Hand Held GPS Products have evolved, so will your game. Savant GPS, LLC, is a Houston based Golf Technology Company. It designed, built, manufacturered, and distributes the "Next Generation" golf GPS, OnPar. OnPar is a registered trademark of Savant GPS, LLC.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001R62ALS
• Item model number: SVNTP1
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,739 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #95 in Sports & Outdoors > Golf > Accessories > Golf Course GPS Units

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OnPar GPS is exactly that, OnPar!, November 20, 2009

By 

W. Mueller (Aurora, IL.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: OnPar Golf Touchscreen GPS (Sports)

I have tried a total of 4 golf GPS this past season in the hopes of finding the "Right" one. Of the four units I put to the test, it came down to two. The Sonocaddie V300 and the OnPar. The other two units were the Callaway UPro and Skycaddie SG5. I will start off by stating why these two units did not make it into my final comparison. The UPro was very nice however in order to maximize its potential, you had to pay $5.00 for each course in the Pro Mode. This enabled the GPS to display the actual picture of the hole itself. It is very cool, very cool however I play approximately 20-35 different courses every season. I would have to pay an additional $100 to $175 for all my courses, assuming they were all available. I did not like the additional cost aspect. Same goes for the Skycaddie SG5. You had to pay an additional $50 per year to utilize this system. That's $50 a year, every year. If you do not pay the $50 annual fee, it renders your unit useless. None of the courses will be available for use. This is not very good at all if you plan on using this device for a couple or even a few years and then decide you no longer want to pay the $50 annual fee. All your courses you had downloaded currently and in prior years, puff gone. WTF is that??? Not my cup of tee. (Pun intended).

Now on to the OnPar. Most of the bad reviews here and at other sites were very early reviews, soon after the product was released. They simply had very, very little golf courses available for download. Only a handful were mapped. OnPar has been hard at work adding approximately 1000 courses every month since its initial release. Now they have an unbelievable amount of courses available. The system itself has gone through a couple of firmware updates since its release. I must say that the time I have spent with this device has been nothing short of amazing. The system is incredibly stable and it has a ton of courses mapped. Every course I play with the exception of one is available. I requested this course to be added and per OnPar, once you register your product, you will have one request for your home course they will map within 1-2 weeks. That is pretty solid.

This GPS is just incredible. All the courses available are free, nothing, nada when you register. Thank God for that! Once you purchase this unit, that is it. No additional cost. The price of this GPS has come down considerably since its release as well. The early adopters payed $479 for this unit. You can now get this unit from $399 via OnPar website which includes a free belt clip, car charger and temporary cart mount. Very good deal. You can also get just the unit for anywhere between $350-370 on Amazon. I personally purchased mine on EBay for $277.00 brand new in its original packaging, never been used. Now that was too good a deal to pass up. Now you know why the two other devices I mentioned above were not even close economically speaking.

As far as the performance goes, it works just as advertised. It acquires the satellites very quickly and maintains its lock. The battery life is great lasting a full two rounds before it needs charging. The unit itself is very easy to see in all types of light especially direct sunlight. It has a light sensor built in that automatically adjusts to current light conditions. Very cool. The touchscreen is sensitive but not overly sensitive. You can use your finger, a tee or golf pencil to mark your points. You can use your hand even with a golf glove on. It is very easy to mark this device to see the yardages to bunkers, lakes, creeks, other various hazards so you can avoid them. You will always see your remaining distance no matter where you are. It continually updates your position and yardage. This device will hold up to 300 courses. Yes, 300!! That is way cool!! It will track your shots which is very easy to do and keep your critical statistics. After a few rounds with this device, it will even learn your distances you hit with every club and then recommend a club for every instance. How cool is that!! There are many more features to this unit, but I have covered the main points. Everything, and I mean everything has worked flawlessly. I bet if the early adopters would review this product now, they would have a totally different opinion and rate this product much, much higher. If Amazon would allow more stars, I would give it the max.

The only criticism I can give it is as follows. I wish this unit displayed predetermined way points on each of the courses. Trust me this is just a nitpick. All you have to do is just touch the front of a bunker for example to get that yardage. Touch the back of the bunker to get the carry yardage. It would just be nice to have some of these already listed on the map. Other than that very little nitpick, there is no doubt I have found the "Right" Golf GPS.

///Update 4/28/10///: I have now used this GPS for over 15 rounds of golf played so far this year. Four of these courses were the first time I played them. Thank goodness for the OnPar. I was able to see the entire hold when standing on the tee and plot my strategy. Not knowing where the various hazards were could have changed my entire round. With the OnPar, I was able to avoid any hidden dangers. As a result, I shot a 77 on a course I never played before. I guarantee I would not have shot this well without the OnPar. This course was very difficult with too much hidden danger. Not the case with the OnPar.

Also, this unit just works great. The auto hole feature is cool and so far has worked EVERY time. Keeping track of my shots works as advertised. No problems. The new Mojo Reporting section of the website is totally cool. If you keep track of your shots, you can view each hole and see how/where you played each shot. The picture is an actual satellite picture of the hole with your shots captured every step of the way. Very cool indeed.

I have now become dependent on my OnPar. It is officially part of my regular gear. I can not imagine playing a round without it. It is THAT good.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 with potential for 5, August 16, 2010

By 

Ryan Mckanna (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: OnPar Golf Touchscreen GPS (Sports)

Pros:
When I bought OnPar over a year ago, I did so because it was the only model I found that kept detailed scoring (putts, GIR, FIR). Like other users have said, you have to read the entire manual to fully understand how to use the device. It is not complicated, just take the time to read the manual and you will get the hang of it quickly. I know at least on my home course, the yardages are accurate to within at least 5 yards. I am not Tiger Woods nor Arnold Palmer, so that is close enough for me. I love that the device allows you to zoom in, as well as move your target around. If you are on the tee box and want to be 100 yards out on your second shot, the touchscreen allows you to set your target distance in order to set up the 100 yard second shot. Another great feature is the ability to measure each shot and apply a club to each shot. This will give you an average/min/max distance for each club as well as make suggestions based on your averages. You also have the ability to mark the clubs you carry in your bag. The only con to this is that it still shows EVERY club when applying a club to a measured shot. The list should be narrowed to the clubs you have selected as being in your "golfbag". So far the battery life has been as advertised. I can go an entire round and not even use up half of the battery life. You do have to download courses, and if there is a course they don't have, you can request that course be added. I did this once and it took only about 2 weeks for them to add. Sounds like some users have had a much longer wait, but my experience with getting courses mapped has been positive. There is one negative to this and I have listed it below. At least there are no extra fees for downloading courses.

Cons:
The device firmware does have some freezing issues. This usually happens to me around the 14th hole. It still works but will not automatically update your position/distances to the green. I wasn't sure if it was a bad device or the software. I emailed customer service about this and they said they are working on an update for the freezing issue with the software. The only other main issue I have is that I have a Macbook Pro and the device is not compatible with Mac yet. I even have Windows on my Mac, but CS said you have to have a PC. The OnPar website states "(Mac version coming soon)" and has said this since I first bought my device over a year ago. When I first emailed CS about a release date for the Mac software, they told me by the end of 2010. I emailed them again on this issue and they now tell me that it will be the first half of 2011 before the Mac version of Synchro is released. I do not have regular access to a PC so this makes it difficult to update the device firmware, add/delete courses, and check my stats. I guess I do not understand how it can take so long to create the Mac version. I guess they have a few other issues to work out first. OnPar also maps their courses via satellite images. They do not "walk" the courses as Skycaddie claims. I live in TX and at my home course, there are a few holes where rivers/creeks/ponds were obviously dried up when they did the mapping because they do not show up when using the device there. I know where they are so it's not huge issue for me, but a golfer who has never played that course, may have no idea the hazards exist and that there may be water in them. You can also send a request to UPDATE a mapped course (which I need to do), but you are still relying on a possibly inaccurate interpretation of the hole. I question whether Skycaddie has really walked all the courses they have available for download, so I do not know how much more accurate it may be than OnPar.

I paid $400 for this thing and would not recommend paying that much for it. Knowing what I know now, I would probably pay about $200 for the device as it is right now. I know it's cheaper now, but with the Skycaddie SGX (I have read very mixed reviews on this as well) now available with many of the same features, do your research before buying either one. As I have yet to see a retailer who buys/sells used GPS units, so once you buy it you're stuck with it (short of selling it on ebay/craigslist). I love my OnPar when it does not freeze up. I rate this as 3 stars now, and will update to 5 stars if/when they fix the freezing issue and the Mac compatibility issue. With the kinks worked out, this could be one of if not the best, golf GPS units available. Well, that's my take on the OnPar GPS device, I hope it helps you one way or the other.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About time for new technology in range finders..., May 19, 2009

By 

Charles Sydney "redaggie" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: OnPar Golf Touchscreen GPS (Sports)

If you like to have state of the art toys, this range finder is it. not really fair to just call it a "range finder" though, b/c these gps untis are so much more these days. I like how it has the touch and drag function like my iPhone- to use for actual pin placements.
Easy to see in the sunlight b/c its bright. I really like the GIR tracking. I expected to have problems with the battery charging b/c the screen is bright, but I haven't had the problem. I have a laser range finder as well, but it doesn't come out of my bag anymore. It costs a few bucks, but it's taken more strokes off my round than my new R9 driver...