Sonocaddie V500 Touch Preloaded Color Golf GPS

by Sonocaddie

Product Features

• Intuitive touch-screen, multi-function golf GPS--preloaded with thousands of USA golf courses
• Use out of the box with n annual fees and no downloading needed; upgraded membership offers high-resolution satellite images and fly-over videos
• Three-inch, sunlight viewable touch screen
• Digital scorecard and game analysis capabilities; measures shot distance; automatic game tracking
• Requires XP/ Vista/ Windows 7 (Apple Macintosh is not supported) and 12 MB or more hard disk space

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Sonocaddie V500 Golf GPS comes preloaded and ready to play with thousands of USA golf courses--showing course hazards, targets and their relative position on the hole. Featuring a three-inch, full-color touch screen, the V500 is designed for intuitive use and maximum targeting capabilities, even in direct sunlight. In addition to its free basic plan that provides precise distance information from any point on the course as well as your relative position, the V500 also provides a digital scorecard, game analysis capabilities, shot measurement, and automatic game tracking. With the addition of an optional membership, you can upgrade the data plan to a full color layout and acquire satellite imagery. This provides you with the "full picture" on each hole with a high resolution satellite images and fly over videos.

Key Features:

• Preloaded Color Course Layouts and Yardage Guide: Sonocaddie V500 eliminates the downloading process by preloading all available mapped courses in your country, providing golfers with precise distance information from any point on the course. Sonocaddie's user interface shows your position on the selected course. As you move to the next stroke location, your position is shown and the distances to each critical target are continually updated and shown in real time.
• Three-Inch Sunlight Viewable Touch Screen: The Sonocaddie V500's high-resolution, backlight screen is viewable even in bright sunlight. Touch screen technology allows you to touch any point on the color layout/satellite image of the hole and immediately see your distance from that point--and--from that point to the green.
• Digital Scorecard and Game Analysis: The Sonocaddie V500 eliminates the need for a paper scorecard by automatically calculating the total score with the touch of a button. At the end of eighteen, the Sonocaddie will present a summary of your round complete with statistics and the score.
• Personalized Course Information: Make changes or corrections to the reference points on the Sonocaddie V500 on the spot. You may change the given course information, and add or delete some of the reference points as the course may change over time.
• Track Your Game: Sonocaddie V500 can record locations for each shot right on the screen, and can automatically trace waypoints during the round. The information can be stored to the Sonocaddie V500 enabling you to review the round, shot by shot, at a later date.
• Satellite Imagery (Optional): The Sonocaddie V500 allows you to see the actual image with yardage information while you are playing using optional satellite imagery. The image will be adjusted to fit on one screen, so you will not need to scroll the screen to see the entire hole, for example if it is a long Par 5. Offered in the V500 membership plan.
• Video Flyover (Optional): The optional V500 Video Flyover provides you with a five-second overview of the entire hole from tee to green. This shows you the direction and description of the fairway in advance so that you can plan your strategy. Offered in the V500 membership plan.

Membership Plans:

• Free Basic Plan: In the Basic Plan, full color course layouts for one country are preloaded into your Sonocaddie V500 at no additional charge. If your course is not already preloaded, Sonocaddie can provide a mapping service for the courses not already mapped at no charge.
• Advanced Plans: In the Advanced Plan, worldwide full color course layouts, color satellite imagery and video flyovers are all available. V500 also provides optional plans if you would like to download the satellite imagery or video flyovers for the courses you play. If satellite images are not currently available for your course, you can request them.

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 4.6 by 2.3 by 0.8 inches
• Weight: 4.57 ounces / 129 grams
• Storage capacity: up to 30,000 golf courses, 100 scorecard
• Power: Rechargeable battery/ Up to 12 hours
• Display: Three-inch (240 x 400 pixel) High-Resolution Color LCD with Backlight
• Language Support: English, traditional and simplified Chinese, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese
• Distance Units: Yards, Meters, Miles, Kilometers
• Waterproof Rating: IPX3
• Regulation: CE, FCC, WEEE, RoHS Compliance, PSE
• Antenna: Built-in
• Internet: Required
• Membership: Required

System Requirements:

• XP/ Vista/ Windows 7 (Apple Macintosh is not supported at this time.)
• CD-ROM
• 512 MB RAM (XP) 1 GB RAM (Vista) or higher
• 12 MB or more hard disk space

Product Description

With the standard “Touch Point” feature, the golfer simply touches any point on the hole layout or the satellite photo, and immediately sees the yardage from their location to that point, and the yardage remaining from that point to the green, great for playing an unfamiliar hole or plotting a lay-up area. And the video flyover will prove very useful on long or unfamiliar holes.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 4 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• 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: B003MWUMRE
• Item model number: N080-1
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,580 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #45 in Sports & Outdoors > Golf > Accessories > Golf Course GPS Units

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of standard features - works great, May 26, 2010

By 

Jack McCormack "Sport" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sonocaddie V500 Touch Preloaded Color Golf GPS (Sports)

Length:: 0:30 Mins

This video is from their website. It sounds cliche to say "a unit that does it all" - but in this case it may be true. This V500 took all the best features from every GPS and rolled them into one unit. Touch screen, pre-loaded layouts, no annual fees, accuracy, huge database of course, like almost all US courses are already in here. So it does it all.

Saturday I had a chance to play 9 holes with the V500. In the parking lot while getting my shoes etc. organized I turned it on and it picked up satellite fix in a minute or so. Rather than choose my course from the preloaded course list, used the Search function on the main screen. The course I was at came up in about 10 seconds or less.

I rode a golf cart and used a drink holder cart mount, which fit the drink holder very securely and kept the V500 in plain view at all times- a few times I took it out to the ball with me in my pocket and it was very unobtrusive. Even with the golf cart, and straying all over the fairway, the Automatic Hole Advance worked 100% of the time, by the time we got to the next tee it had advanced. Very reliable.

But- this required entering the score before leaving the greenside area- if the hole advanced before entering the score I simply had to hit the 'back' button once to back up one screen- and enter the score for the last hole, then hitting the next hole button. Something I easily adjusted to. After getting in the cart, bring up the scorecard and enter the score- a total of two touches on the touch screen. (I used the regular scorecard and not the 'pro' version where sand saves etc are entered for later analysis.) Entering the score before leaving the green takes all of two touches on the touch screen, (touch "Score" icon, then touch the number of strokes) taking only a couple of extra seconds before driving to the next tee box.

Because it was a new unit- I continually compared the yardages against known spots on the course (150 and 100 marks, marked sprinkler head, etc). The yardages were right on 100%. On one par three the whole group needed to use my yardage because there was absolutely no marker on the tee area. All 4 in the group chose the right club (not all hit the green though they all had the right distance!) based on the V500 yardage.

I used the "Touch Point" yardage feature a couple of times, once for a layup and once around a long dog leg right where I couldn't see the green and need to plan the next 2 shots. This feature is very powerful and helped me get to both of those greens in regulation.

Pros-
1) Preloaded - meaning I am done paying for this and don't have to pay fees for the next 3 years.- I needed to take a membership which was free and also gave me a free satellite package just for signing up.
2) Full color layout with lots of detail, the walking man icon shows you exactly where 'you' are on the fairway at any given point in time, accurate yardages, easy touch screen.
3) Fits nicely in my cart mount, and also in the pocket. Easily operated with one hand.

Cons-
The only 'con' is that I didn't have the time on the backlight set to last longer than 15 seconds (choose from 15-30-60 seconds, or "always on") so I had to hit the touch screen to turn the light back on. When I did this I activated the 'touch point' feature and had to wait 5 seconds for the screen to return to the regular view. I learned to tap the top of the screen to light it up without activating any of the features. When the backlight is off it isn't easy to see the screen in the bright sun, but it's perfectly viewable in bright sun when the backlight is on.

I haven't tried the satellite view yet or the flyover, but at this point I give it 5 stars.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Ready for Prime TIme, June 22, 2010

By 

N. Unsworth "Golferman" (Absecon, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I have been a happy owner / user of the Sonocaddie XV2 for some time so I didn't hesitate to purchase their new, touch screen color golf GPS as soon as I got their announcement. It has a ton of features but I was especially interested in the ability to get distances to a target by touching the screen. It does this very well and it's a snap to use. Unfortunately, the maps that come pre-loaded are, in many cases, terrible. Hazards are missing and known bunkers are shown as little blotches. This makes it impossible to use the touch screen feature accurately since hazards are not defined as they exist in reality (again, this was my main motivation in buying any new golf gps). Sure, they'll re-map the course once you request it but you don't want to be on a golf trip and then find out a course map is useless. I will say that one local course I play on rare occasions had a very nice, detailed course map. Why this one and not all of them?

I also downloaded two satellite images of the two local courses I play most. Absolutely horrible and useless. Washed out, hazy and generally lousy images, nothing like what you see on their website.

If you don't care about the course maps, but just use the basic yardage screens, I'm sure it's fine, but my XV2 does that now. At $400.00 a pop, Sonocaddie should have gotten this right before their release of teh V500. Perhaps sometime down the road I'll demo the V500 again and see what improvements they've made. Meantime, this one is being returned.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My last GPS?, October 25, 2010

By 

Minicent (Plaistow NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sonocaddie V500 Touch Preloaded Color Golf GPS (Sports)

I play a lot of golf. I have owned two different Laser Rangefinders and I am on my third GPS as the technology has evolved. Lasers are very accurate in theory - but unreliable in actual use because I can't get the hang of aiming at the tiny flagstick from over 100 yards out, which is where I really need it. Because of this I was an early adopter of GPS- loved the ease of use but I hated the annual fees, and after my first GPS I went with a no fee Sonocaddie, but still the downloading was a little awkward.

This time I looked for a pre-loaded unit, one with a big course list and no fees...this Sonocaddie comes preloaded with the actual layouts of most if not all US courses. The courses are in there already- you don't have to download and for me this is a BIG plus.

I took advantage of the free satellite images but I normally wouldn't pay for them. What I need is the full layouts and accurate distances, and the Sonocaddie yardages are always within 2-3 yards compared to the course markers. In fact I do not even look for the markers any more. I love it when they move the tee box but not the yardage plaque on Par 3's, the others in my group are suddenly my best friends!

This GPS is pricey, but I can't say enough good things about it, and as long as I have all my course layouts without downloading and the nice touch screen distances etc. it is worth every penny compared to the other $300-$400+ units. This Sonocaddie V500 is by far the best- my frustration level is down and so is my score.