Golf Course GPS Systems Can Make a World of Difference

Do you really need a golf course gps system to improve your game? If you've played any golf recently, there's a great chance that someone you played with was using one. These handy little gizmos have become incredibly popular, and it's getting difficult to find a group of four golfers who don't own at least one golf GPS between them.

If you don't have one yet, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, people played golf for hundreds of years before these systems were even a glimmer in their inventor's eye. And of course, you can still play a round of golf without the aid of a golf course GPS system. So what makes these things so popular? Why would so many golfers be willing to shell out $100 to $400 or more to buy these devices when they could use that money to play a few rounds or buy a new club or two?

Well, if you want the quick and dirty answer, it's because a golf course GPS system can help you lower your scores in several ways.

If you want more detail about why these devices are all the rage, keep reading.

The simplest way to explain their value is to think of it as your own personal caddy - except this caddy is battery-powered and doesn't carry your clubs. It is, however, small enough to clip onto your golf cart or slip inside your pocket, and it doesn't expect a tip after your round is over.

Like a caddy, a golf course GPS system can warn you about features on the golf course you might not be aware of ... things like a creek or pond lurking at the bottom of the next hill, or a pot bunker tucked in behind the green. Of course, that sort of information only helps if you're playing a course you're not familiar with. If you almost always play the same course, the ability to learn about unknown course features probably won't be enough to convince you to buy a golf course GPS because you'll already know about them.

So, what else can a golf course GPS system do for you?

It can give you a huge advantage over both the course and the people you're playing against. Well, "huge advantage" might be overstating things a bit - but a GPS will definitely even the playing field, at the least. It's like a secret weapon that's not-so-secret anymore. No matter where you are on a hole - on the tee, in the fairway, in a bunker, 50 yards wide right in the trees - you'll know exactly how many yards it is to the hole.

But that's not all. You'll also know exactly how far you need to hit it in order to get to the ideal spot in a dogleg, the length of the layup shot you should hit to leave yourself with your favorite approach shot, the distance you'll need to carry that fairway bunker that's been driving you crazy, and so on. There's no more guessing about your yardage, so you'll know which club to use no matter where you are. When I first got my GPS device, my handicap dropped four strokes in a month, all because I was now armed with this valuable information.

And there's more ... maybe. Some (although not all) golf course GPS systems can be used to measure exactly how many yards you hit each one of your clubs. Many people think they hit their clubs longer than they actually do. After they hit, they're surprised they came up short. Well, it's because their idea of how far they can hit their clubs just isn't accurate. Here's an example: I often play with a guy who says he hits his 9-iron 150 yards, day-in, day-out. Well, guess what? When I measured his shots with that club over the course of a round, he was really averaging just over 120 yards - a far cry from 150. No wonder his approach shots kept being short! If he owned one of these golf GPS devices, he'd know he should take a 7- or even a 6-iron from 150 out, not a 9-iron.

There's no question that a golf course GPS system can take strokes off almost anyone's game. Take a look at some of our golf GPS reviews - they can help you find the one that's right for you.

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