When I bought the Igolf caddie I really had some questions as to how good it would be. Especially since it is so much cheaper than its highly advertised competitor.

Before buying, I checked to be sure the courses I play the most were in the database, they were all there.

I did have a problem, when I first turned the unit on I received an error message when trying to install the software. I uninstalled the software and reinstalled it a couple of times but could not get the unit to work so I sent an email to technical support on Saturday morning. I expected to have a reply by Monday afternoon. Well I received a response within a couple of hours with an explanation and a link to download the latest version of the software. I did and everything worked great.

I used the igolf caddie for the first time the next day (Sunday). The course I played had recently swapped the front nine and the back nine and when I turned on the igolf caddie I noticed that it still had the old configuration. Since I could select the hole independently it was not much of a problem.

When I got home Sunday afternoon I emailed them to let them know about the front and back nines being swapped. This is on a Sunday afternoon, and they responded within hours saying the problem had been corrected. I downloaded the new setup and everything worked great.

Since then I have used the igolf caddie about 10 times and it has been perfect everytime. I use the 'hole marker' feature to note some 'layup' points and 'carry' points.

It has performed flawlessly and I believe pulled at least two strokes average off each game. By being able to see the distance to the 'front', 'back' and 'center' of the green I find myself making sure I carry at least to the front of the green. This has really helped.

I'm a pretty aggressive golfer by nature and this helps me make better course management decisions and remain fairly agressive.

Bottom line is that the product works great and my experience with their technical support has been nothing short of remarkable. They give the type of support I wish I could find in other companies.

I'm still in the process of marking different points on some of the holes, but overall I'm in the low 80's now and hoping for some high 70's here pretty soon.

A few tips, first get yourself some rechargeable batteries since the batteries go down to about 50% after one round. I bought NmH batteries and they work great, just don't forget to put the switch to 'rechargeable' on the igolf unit.

Second, since I tend to scratch the front screen on my cellphone I could see me doing the same thing here, so I put a piece of clear shipping tape over the screen and then used a razor knife to cut around it. That way I can replace the tape when it gets scratched without damaging the screen (I do the same thing on my cellphone).

Bottom line, the unit delivers as promised and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to improve their game.

This product is fantastic. The iGolf.com website has a database of all the already mapped courses. You must subscribe only once. They have an amazing amount of courses--in my area only two I play were not already mapped. You get one free mapping of your choice; they mapped the course I requested within 24 hours. You can buy additional mappings for $10.99. You can map courses on your own as well. Further, you can add up to 8 additional points per hole to already mapped courses (or your mapped course). This means you have front, back, middle, and whatever other 8 objects you care to measure. You push a button, wait around 4 seconds, and you're done. The transfer from a computer to the device takes 30 seconds or so per course. It's not like an iPod, but it's not obscene, either. Once a course is on the device, it is forever. You own it. Other GPS systems make you continuously subscribe to keep access. Not iGolf. Battery life is pretty good; I use rechargeable batteries (2 AA) and those are good for at least two rounds with the device left on continuously for around 5 hours each. The device is durable, sturdy, and even water resistant. It's quite accurate. I've compared it to both course markings and carts with GPS. The iGolf is probably +/- 1-2 yards at worse and often right on. More than accurate enough for anyone. Finally, it takes no more than a minute in my experience to synch with the GPS satellites. I've had no problem with signal strength on any course I've played. To summarize: this is a cost-effective tremendous product with outstanding customer support. It's a great product with a rapidly expanding course database. Even obscure courses can be mapped by the company. It's great. I think it will eventually beat SkyGolf and the others because of its price and customer service, for whatever that's worth.

Now legal for local tournament play if the USGA local rule allowing such devices (GPS & Laser Rangefinders) is in effect. You definitely should own one of these before your next `club championship' if allowed by your local club.

The iGolf system is a very high quality, low cost GPS solution for golfers. At $229 retail, . . . it is really worth the investment. I have a laser rangefinder, . . . but wanted a GPS system for the speed of getting yardages to set points (versus `shooting' the flag or point every time). I looked at a number of GPS options and choose the iGolf GPS Caddie for the following reasons (read as PROs);

- Cost
- Self Mapping of 8 addition points per hole
- Share files with other iGolf GPS Caddie users
- Speed of reading distance (compared to Laser)
- Not having to pay annual service fees if you don't want to

Ok - so how does it work? I received my unit after a 6 week backorder. Our home course was not pre mapped. No issue, I would map myself. The manual is a bit weak, . . . however, the unit's menus are very intuitive and not a lot of explanation is really needed. I entered our course's scorecard via the enclosed SW and then downloaded to the handheld. I then pre-selected all the points per hole that I wanted to map (in addition to the standard Front/Center/Back green points) and then entered the names into the unit manually.

Mapping points while on the course takes about 7 seconds for each (once you get there, select point, go to register, . . . and then the registration takes ~5 seconds). I mapped our whole course one early morning in a couple of hours. I averaged about 8 points per hole (including the 3 standard points).

Using the GPS Caddie during rounds, . . . the information is excellent. I mapped many points through the fairway and around the greens (added green left side, right side, bunker carries, etc. to every hole in addition to the standard frt/cent/back). I find the extra green data to be the most useful information. Knowing what it is to carry a bunker with a tight pin behind it is priceless. In the past, one would need to estimate based on the ball's angle to the green, and then the addition/subtraction from either the green front or center green markings on sprinkler heads and assuming you know the green depth. Huge improvement in my approach club selection the first couple of times around using this device.

There are a few things that I wish could be better. Some of these are minor, but you should know what you are getting in advance. Maybe iGolf will work on these for a future revision if they know about them:

- Battery Life is very short. Definitely get good rechargeable batteries and replace often. Carry an extra set with you on the course. When they go, . . . the unit just shuts off. I used standard alkaline first - was able to map and play two 4 hour rounds (about 10 hours). Switched to some old rechargeable - I only get a single 4 hour round with these.
- Stability of yardage is weak. The unit is most stable (and accurate) when you first arrive at your ball. However, after standing in one spot for a period of time, the yardage will start to vary after about 5 seconds, . . . and I've seen it vary a lot (15 yards in one case, 10 yards happens often). I've tried both the WAAS (shut off/on) and the stability settings (on/off), but it didn't really improve this. However, as a walker, I now look for my yardage as soon as I get to my ball and trust the yardage I see right away.
- I wish the SW would allow you to enter point names to map in advance and then download to the handheld. This would save set up time for a new course.
- I also wish the SW would allow you to edit a backed-up course database by displaying all mapped points to allow you to re-arrange them (order) and/or edit them as needed to be downloaded back to the handheld. All this needs to be done via the handheld and is very time consuming while on the course and requires you to get out of `play mode' to do so.
- I also wish the handheld would allow you to add a map point easily while in the `play mode'. Currently, you need to exit out, go to the map mode, map the point, then go back to play mode and scroll back to the current hole. Again, time consuming during a round.
- Belt clip is useless. A fast way to attach to a golf bag would be much more practical. I used the enclosed lanyard and attach with a small quick clip carabiner. I don't think the lanyard will last that long given the bouncing around this goes through during a round.
- A protective full unit leather cover as an accessory would be nice.

All in all, an excellent unit that is much more cost effective than the other GPS units out there, and much faster yardages than a laser. Without question, a great addition to a golfer's gear. So far, I really like this unit, and others at our course have started to order the same unit so the ability to share the files is huge.

I bought the iGolf after watching a friend in my foursome use one. The most remarkable thing about it is how easy it is to operate. Basically you just pick it up and look at the screen and all the information is there, updated to your position on the course. One flick of the control knob and you are set for the next hole. Likewise, measuring the distance you hit is also easy...you tell it start measuring "here" (a flick of a button when you hit) and walk to where your ball got to and flick another button and your hit distance is displayed.
Actually though, the most impressive thing of all is the quality and speed of customer service. You phone and immediately talk to the technician. It really is magic, the computer companies could learn a lot from L1.
Also has far more courses than the competition. I haven't found a local course that wasn't alreadiy mapped into the software. I love the unit and have no "cons"

This device works great. Load in the software, put in your batteries; turn on the unit; escape out to main menu, go to settings, go to battery type and tell it you're using rechargeable, and you're good to go. The software uses "send" instead of download, to send a course from your computer to the unit. Connect computer to unit, software says connected. Go to "sync handheld" on unit, enter, and unit says "waiting". "Send" on your computer, and unit shows the download, as does computer. About 90 seconds and you have a course. If a course isn't on the igolf website, download the scorecard and use it to map your own. If no scorecard, get one from the course or the internet, and type it in using igolf software at your computer (about 3-5 minutes), then send it to the unit, and map the next time you play that course. Doing that at the course using unit is time consuming. I bought a simple Duracell charger with 4AA NiMH batteries at Staples. As for your golf, well knowing the distance is only part of the puzzle isn't it...

I would have rated the iGolf GPS Caddie 5 stars, except that (1) the manual is weak in a few important areas; (2) the software installation wizard does not "self-start" when you run the CD (as almost all other software CD's do); and (3) the terminology on your PC screen, in the manual, and on the Caddie's display all differ in minor but confusing ways. It took me a fair amount of playing around with various functions in Windows (which I hate), but by using my head plus getting clues from the manual, I was able to get the software installed succcessfully.

Badly written software instructions are a pet peeve of mine, so I downrated the product. Interestingly, the manual's instructions on how to use the unit are clear and accurate. My guess is that techies wrote the parts about installing the software, and golfers wrote the parts about how to use the unit. (I can say this, because I used to be a techie.)

Once you're on the golf course, the unit is a pleasure to own, a 5-star product.

Here are some of the things I like most:

--Its price. It's simply cheaper than competing units offering the same functionality.

--It works. It does exactly what it says it will do: gives you the distance to the front, center, and back of the green you are going for. That's all I need to have confidence in club selection. I particularly like the precision inside 100 yards, where course markers are rare. I use 4 wedges with about 15 yards difference between them, so knowing I'm, say, 80 yards away rather than 90 is important to me. No more mid-swing "is this the right club?" doubts, guaranteed to screw you up.

--No more hunting for sprinkler heads or other course markers. No more pacing forward or backward from such markers. No more guessing at how your distance varies from the nearest sprinkler head because you are 20 yards to the right of it. No more trying to envision concentric circles around the green to adjust for the fact that you're off to the side ("I wonder what that sprinkler head would say if it were on my line instead of over there?")

--It lets you play faster and with more confidence. It's fun helping out your golfing buddies by giving them their distances when they can't find a sprinkler head.

--Operation of the unit is simple and intuitive. The manual does a good job of describing operation. It's a quick, clear read, and everything works as described. You'll only need to read it once for each function, the operation is intuitive once you have that background. The handheld unit itself is very well designed, with just three buttons: one to turn it on and off; one to navigate between menus and advance from one hole to the next; and an "escape" button that takes you to the previous screen...so you can't get trapped inside layers of menus.

--The Web site is clear, simple, and very fairly priced. For $30, you get a one-year membership. A huge advantage over the Sky Caddy subscription model, iGolf allows you to keep the courses in your computer. For the $30, you get 50 download credits (one course per credit). You also get one "mapping" credit, so you can have them map a golf course for you if it doesn't happen to be in their database. The handheld unit itself holds 10 courses, but you can download 50 to your PC and then just transfer them into and out of the handheld as needed. Once you download a course, you own that data. You don't have to maintain a subscription to keep using it. The 50-course limit more than covers my forseeable needs. We have separate winter and summer homes, so I'll have a "southern" set and a "northern" set. Within a year, I'll have downloaded all the courses I need. (So far I've downloaded 4 courses from iGolf.)

--The download includes not only the GPS data, but the course's scorecard. So as you push the button to advance to the next hole, up pops the hole number, yardage, par, and handicap for that hole. When you are downloading a course, the Web site displays the scorecard, so you can check and be sure it matches the actual printed scorecard before you download it. (Then when you are playing, you select on the handheld which tees you are playing from...that's how the unit knows what yardage to display for each hole.)

Bottom line, I think this is a fine product and service at a fair price. I have not yet mapped out my own course, nor marked hazards on particular holes, nor used the other functions that are available. I may do some of this over time. I will probably use it to measure how far I hit my drives and other clubs. But that's all gravy...the main function of the unit is to give you your distance, and it does that well. The display could not be clearer. It's simple black-and-white, with very clear letters and numbers.

A couple of notes:

One reviewer complained that the displayed distance keeps changing or drifting. I've noticed that a couple of times on an occasional hole. If that happens, just flick the button to the previous hole, then flick it back to your hole. The unit will give you a fresh, stable reading.

The manual is weak in its description of how to download a course from your PC to the handheld. Do this: (1) On your PC desktop, click the iGolf "transfer" icon. (2) This brings up a "Caddie Sync Software" box with several tabs. Click the "Send Golf Course" tab. (3) There are then three steps shown in a box that appears on your PC screen. Step 1 is accurate. Step 2 is accurate. Step 3 is misdescribed. Ignore the two things it tells you to select on the handheld...they don't exist. Instead, select "Sync Handheld" from the main menu on the handheld. On your PC, just press the "Send" button. The handheld's display will switch from "Waiting" to "Active" (this is not mentioned in the manual). The download will take place (it takes maybe 30 seconds for one course). When it's done, the top box on your PC will say "TRANSFER SUCCESSFUL" and the handheld will say "Closed." The course data is now in your handheld unit.

If I could, I would give this 4.5 stars. I've downrated it only for the incomplete/incorrect manual instructions. Now that it's up and running, I'm very glad I bought it.

The weather broke and I was finally able to take my new iGolf II to the course. My partner and I checked its measurements against the course's in-ground markers and found the iGolf to be very accurate. I was surprised, quite frankly, how helpful the iGolf was in strategy and club selection. What I especially liked about the iGolf II was the shot measurement feature which allowed me to see exactly how far (or short!) I was hitting clubs. What we found too often was we "didn't have a club for that distance in our bags." We also had fun by calling out the distance we thought a shot was, as we always do, and then comparing our estimation against the iGolf. We weren't always very accurate! Although my score for this first round using my iGolf II was no better than usual, I am sure that as the golfing season comes, my game can't help but improve. I'd recommend the iGolf II to any golfer. While fun to use, it's more than a toy.

Igolf says that when you get their gps you can add one course which they don't offer, and they will map it for you. My home course was not in their database and I've requested they map it. A couple months now and they haven't done it. When I ask for a date they give me vague answers and I have little confidence that it will ever be done.

In general, there are things to like about the unit. It does what it advertises. I easily found my courses and got them on the unit quickly. The readout is easy to read, it does wander at times but will stabilize after a couple of seconds. The unit is light and I bought an IGolf case that makes it easier to carry around. I have not tried to add any distinct course features nor have I experienced any that were un-mapped.

On the negative side: the belt clip is fragile. I broke it off after the second round. The IGolf site has replacements in quantities of 1, 3 and 5 which tells me I am not the first person to break them. Second, the unit uses a great deal of power. The first batteries lasted just over two rounds. I used others that lasted less than a round (might have been low quality). The web site claims batteries will last ~2.5 rounds. In the summer I will play 2-4 rounds a week will go through a lot AAs. I guess I need to stock up at Costco and carry them in my car.

Pretty good unit but not without its weaknesses.

The product itself seems straight forward enough. However, The HUGE write-ups about the customer service need another point of view. I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my brother. He just purchased a membership at a club that was not mapped or available to GPS by I-Golf. After requesting the course on Dec. 22nd, I heard back from the company at the end of Jan. They couldn't do it and asked if I might map it myself- great idea if I were a member and this wasn't a gift. My father-in-law has another brand of GPs- Golf Caddy. I asked the CS person if he had the course mapped, his caddy had it, could I somehow add it to the I-Golf--haven't heard back from them to this day.

I-Golf: "Any chance you'd like to map the Colorado Golf Club by the time the snow melts here in Denver?" Muchas gracias.

Unit is easy to use but is not accurate. iGolf data for courses is as much as 20 yards off. They know it, won't do anyhting about it, and asked me to do the mapping and then send the true data to them. Unit also doesn't give stable reading on the course (wanders 10+ yards). Spend a few more dollars and buy a SkyCaddie.