This is a nice gadget that works well and I recommend it. I've used it on two different courses with numerous obstacles and these are well mapped. I found all distances to be very accurate when I compared them against the course's surveyed markers. The big plus though is that you don't have to look for those markers plus Sonocaddie provides information that the markers alone cannot provide, like "how far to that creek that runs in front of the green on a par 5 hole" which helps in my lay-up club selection.
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br /The display shows obstacles to the left, right, and in the fairway using easy to understand icons. A large button on the side lets you switch back and forth between an overview display, which shows all the obstacles and distances for that hole, and a close-up display of the distances to the front, center, and back of the green. The display is easier to see outdoors in daylight than indoors under artificial light. The yardage numbers on the overview display are a bit small which requires me to have my reading glasses with me to see them clearly but younger players will have no trouble.
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br /The menus are logical, well laid out, consistent, and easy to navigate. The left small button is used to back out of menus, although a few displays don't include the "ESC" (escape) annotation. The buttons themselves have a good feel to them and always work. They appear to be high-quality buttons that will last a long time.
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br /Sonocaddie comes with a belt clip that is spring-loaded to attach easily to your belt or waistband. It snaps onto the belt clip with a reassuring click and will not come loose. However, the clip itself has some tendency to work its way loose from the belt, but I suspect this is only a problem for those of us who are, uh, fat. A button on top of the clip releases it easily.
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br /It's easy to add a new obstacle or edit one that was downloaded. Just stand at the location you want to mark, select edit, use the arrow buttons to select a position on the screen, select an icon for your obstacle, and then press record. It's easier to do than to read about doing it. At some point it asks you if you want to save the change.
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br /There are numerous courses listed in their database and there is no subscription required, a big plus in my opinion And it holds 20 courses with 18 holes and 6 obstacles for each hole. A comment to another posting indicates that Sonocaddie will map a course for you on request. Course downloads work but are a little quirky. You might have to retry, back out of the download menu and reenter it, restart Sonocaddie, reboot your computer, etc. It's hard to know exactly what to do when a download fails except to keep at it. I was, however, able to download 18 courses without too much trouble.
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br /You can enter in your score for each hole and Sonocaddie will add them up for the arithmetic-challenged It has the par and handicap information for each hole and it would be nice if you could enter the player's handicap and let Sonocaddie calculate the net score but it doesn't do this.
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br /All in all Sonocaddie is a good device and I recommend it. I am not affiliated with Sonocaddie in any way except that I'm an owner/user.
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I just purchased a SONOCADDIE GPS Rangefinder and after going to their website to download my favorite courses, the only thing I was able to download were the holes with handicap and para ratings. So, that meant I was forced to go to a course and attempt to record signicant course landmarks as well as "record" front and back locations on each green. Turns out this process was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. After posting "records" for about 3 holes, I circled back and was really impressed with the system accuracy, speed, reliablity and readability of this cell phone sized unit. Some other key features include the ability to hold settings for 20 courses. You can find other GPS units that my be easier to read or include more data relative to scoring or just recording your round for your foursome, but I don't think you will find one that is any simpler to operate. Not having an annual subscription was another plus for me.

I wrote a review on this product when it first hit the market over a year ago. Not sure where that review went but I've got an update. The product initially impressed me because of its ease of use, capability - it stores 20 courses, and the no-membership/download costs. When I first got my Sonocaddie I had to input my own data, available local courses were lacking. Well, in 11 months hundreds of courses all over the US have become available for download. When I'm on the course with my playing partners everyone checks with me for distance to the pin/green. The accuracy is great, wish my ball striking ability were only half as good! After almost 11 months of near flawless performance my Sonocaddie went to a dark screen with the application features barely visible. Initially I assumed a battery issue; but switching to fresh batteries didn't fix my problem. After describing my problem to DENNCO, the US Distributor, they instructed me to ship my Sonocaddie to them, insured, for there evaluation. I was elated when I received a new replacement unit in less than 12 days. It is clear DENNCO understands customer service and stands by their product's 1 year warranty. I highly recommended this item almost a year ago and now I recommend both the product and its US Supplier. RonO

The Sonocaddie is a basic but very accurate GPS range device. It does not show the shape of the green or give your position in relation to the fairway or green. So if you are in the trees on the right it will only give you the straight line range to the icons shown in the three columns. It is very simple to map or edit your own course if it is not in the on-line database or you want to change one that is. The distances to the front, center and back of green, using the big green feature, are very accurate. If you need a meat and potatoes GPS range device with no frills or color then this is the device for you. No annual subscription fee is just gravy on top.

I wrote a review on this product when it first hit the market over a year ago. Not sure where that review went but I've got an update. The product initially impressed me because of its ease of use, capability - it stores 20 courses, and the no-membership/download costs. When I first got my Sonocaddie I had to input my own data, available local courses were lacking. Well, in 11 months hundreds of courses all over the US have become available for download. When I'm on the course with my playing partners everyone checks with me for distance to the pin/green. The accuracy is great, wish my ball striking ability were only half as good! After almost 11 months of near flawless performance my Sonocaddie went to a dark screen with the application features barely visible. Initially I assumed a battery issue; but switching to fresh batteries didn't fix my problem. After describing my problem to DENNCO, the US Distributor, they instructed me to ship my Sonocaddie to them, insured, for there evaluation. I was elated when I received a new replacement unit in less than 12 days. It is clear DENNCO understands customer service and stands by their product's 1 year warranty. I highly recommended this item almost a year ago and now I recommend both the product and its US Supplier. Ro

I just recently purchased the Sonocaddie and am very pleased with the size, battery life and accuracy of course data points manually entered. The availability of many thousands of courses from the web site with no yearly subscription is also a big plus. However, in the North West Phoenix area where I live the 4 courses downloaded from the Sonocaddie web site have all holes off by 10-20 yards which makes them unusable and frustrating. Technical support indicated that mapping must have been off when these courses were input.
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br /I validated this problem was not with the unit (checked lat/lon measurements against two other GPS') and discussed this issue on another forum with others indicating they do not have this problem - I'm guessing it must be local to where I live!

The Sonocaddie is a great product. Simple and easy to use, with no annual subscription fees. Setting up the download process can be a pain, but once you overcome this obstacle, downloading is quick and easy. I have found that all courses are not mapped correctly, but if you bring it to their attention, Sonocaddie is quick to respond and usually has the mapping corrected within 10-14 days. Also, a set of 3A batteries will last between 3-5 rounds, depending on features used.
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br /You can't imagine how nice it is to walk to your ball and instantly know the yardage to front, middle and back of green, plus knowing yardage to hazards helps with club selection. You can add your own hazards or delete/replace existing ones. The screen is not fancy but it gives you all the information you need. All you have to do is make the shot. What a joy! Finally, it is easy to mark the distance of any shot you make. No more guessing on how far you hit it. For all the Sonocaddie has to offer, you can't go wrong with this product.

My wife and I play golf at a local club that doesn't have the best yardage markers in place. We bought this little gem and now we can play the game with much more confidence. It works just as described and is really a must for any serious golfer. Why guess at which club to use when the Sonocaddie can give you accurate information to make the best choice possible? The website is fantastic and we have already downloaded courses for our future trip to Florida. As I said, this little tool has changed our game. Alas, if it only had an anti-slice button!

I purchased this item in early July 2007. The item was shipped before the estimated ship date which was a plus. Initially I thought that the GPS was a difficult product to use but this was not the case after reading the user manual.
br /Simply put, I have found it to be very accurate and more than appropriate for my needs and wants. It also speeds up the rounds as you no longer have to look for markers. I would recommend it to anyone. In fact, I recently visited my brother in Barbados and after showing him all the features he cancelled his order for the SG4 by Sky Golf.
br /Downloading courses are also very easy and quick. The only drawback is that I mapped my courses here in Trinidad and tried to upload it but found that I could not as my country was not listed. I sent off an e-mail to support and they have not responded.

Outside with it for an hour and never locked on to a satellite... maybe I am in a bad area (Augusta, GA, home of the Masters). Sending it back.

This is probably the easiest to use golf GPS on the market. It is very easy to read outdoors and is extremely accurate. Adding or deleting reference points is a snap. The only thing I had trouble with was downloading my home course. The reason I'm writing this review is to give you a few hints so you won't have the same trouble I did.
br /First.....You MUST use Internet Explorer as your browser when you sign on to the Sonocaddie web site. Neither Firefox nor Netscape nor any other browser will work. You can sign on with them, but nothing happens when you try to download a course.
br /Second....If you've installed the Sonocaddie drivers and still can't download a course (it will constantly tell you to load the drivers, even if you just did it!), then go directly to FAQ.
br /Third....After you've adjusted your security rating and the ActiveX controls (per the FAQ), you're probably home free.
br /It only took seconds to download my course after those adjustments. Don't give up. It seems cumbersome, but it's worth it.
br /The XV2 has all the features you'll need to take a couple of strokes off your score. It's not in color and doesn't show an overhead view of the holes, but it is packed with reference points that will help your club selection.
br /Everyone likes the free course downloads and I'm one of them, that's for sure. Put this little gem on your Christmas or birthday list, it's a winner.

I have purchased the Sonocaddie and used if through a dozen rounds and side by side with a competitor, "G---logix". I believe the Sonocaddie to be superior in features and accuracies. Unlike it's competitor 1)I pay no download fees or membership 2)I can remap or plot various hazards, lay up points or special notations(I determine the areas of note on the whole, not some limited satellite mapper)3)customer service is outstanding and with the one year warranty my first unit was defective and upon returning it I received by return shipping a brand new unit...email exchanges were pleasant and professional. 4)Sonocaddie has a price advantage as well.
br /If I had to offer some constructive recommendations I'd suggest an automatic advancement to the next hole since the unit is clearly aware of its location and could/should advance to the next hole. I's suggest they also consider a mounting bracket for a golf cart.....picking nits here as most universal mounts and clips could readily accomodate this unit.
br / Don't believe you can go wrong with the Sonocaddie as to quality, accuracy, price and customer service
br /Steve

I've used the Sonocaddie on two courses -- my home course and another public course nearby. I found the distances downloaded off their site were accurate. It is fun being able to measure how far your drives go on each hole as well.
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br /My only criticisms:
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br /1. you need a windows PC for downloading course info. I have two macs now, and thankfully I was able to resurrect my old PC specifically for this purpose.
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br /2. the characters on the main hole screen are a bit small.
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br /Other than that it's a great deal. and it has helped my game tremendously knowing exact distances. Shot under 80 three times since I got this device!

this thing rocks, very easy to use, i sent in a request to add a scorecard to a course download and they did it in 3 days! Screen is easy to read in all light conditions and Im getting about 7 rounds out of each set of batteries.

The Sonocaddie XV2 is a great little GPS. Does everything you want it to do, and the best part is no membership fees, etc. The only thing they could improve upon is the download process. It seems a bit more cumbersome than it could be. Other than that I love it and recommend highly.

The unit is a good well made product and easy to use and program. I ordered it instead of a Sky Caddie because of the free course downloads. The first day on my home course all yardages are 20 - 40 yards off. I tried it on another course and had the same results. The reason I purchased it was for using on new courses. I contacted the company and they said my course and 2 others in my are were shifted. I did not want to take a chance so I sent the unit back and pruchased a Sky Caddie. It is accurate but not as easy to use or program. If you use the Sonocaddie only for your home course I recommend it. If you travel and golf a Sky Caddie would be better.

I recently purchased the Sonocaddie XV2, and I love it. There are absolutly no membership fees, all of the courses I play were mapped and available for download except for one (which was a short par-3 9-hole course that I was able to map myself very easily), and their customer service was great the one time I had to use them. It's not in color, but definitely does its job.

I have had my Sonocaddie for about 3 days and can't get it to download any courses! I can log in to the website, but that's about as far as I got. The instructions are fuzzy and incomplete for those who aren't computer savvy. The frustration is that I ordered the unit to use over the 4th of July Holiday, and when I ran into problems, upon contacting Sonocadie I found they were closed for the week due to the holiday. Not much help here. I did however get to log in and when I found the course I play about 40% of my rounds at wasn't mapped, so I sent in a request to "get er done". Well, the response was that it isn't in their GPS base, and they can't plot the course, but that I could do it with my hand held unit (which I can't get to work). So, why would I pay to do it myself? So now what? Well, I am hoping to be able to return the unit for a refund. The lessons learned are that if I have to go through this kind of expense and frustration just to of get accurate distance, I'll stick with sprinkler heads and yardage markers and instead of GPS, use the money on lessons or equipment that you can really use without a computer!!!

The Sonocaddie was recommended because of its good battery life, which it has. It's easy enough to use and is very useful on the course. However, course availability is very poor. They do not have my home course mapped, and tell me it is not going to happen unless I map it myself. What's worse, many good Florida and Hawaii courses are not mapped. I have no use for it and plan to return it if it's not too late.

I got the Sonocaddie XV2 for my boyfriend for his 22 birthday, he has only been playing for a little less then two years and after he has started using his sonocaddie he is getting better and better after every swing. He absolutely loves it. He likes the fact that its easy to use and that he is not required to pay for any of the course downloads. He said it was a perfect gift.

Companies llike Sonocaddie need to realize that the Mac platform is here to stay. I was forced to return this product because of their "we only cater to the PC" attitude.