IZZO Swami 1500 Golf GPS Unit
Posted on
December 5th, 2009
by admin
- Golf GPS unit for beginner to intermediate golfers for calculating distance to the front, center, and back of the green
- Stores up to 10 courses at a time; compatible with more than 12,000 U.S. courses
- Fast Insta-Lok technology; large easy-to-read display and 4 intuitive buttons
- Easy-to-use PC connection for downloads and charging; rechargeable lithium battery
- Runs for at least 12 hours per charge; measures 3.75 by 1 by 2 inches (W x H x D)
Product Description
Golf Swami 1500 GPS
Simple, Fast & Accurate! SWAMI is everything a golfer needs in a GPS unit. Featuring Insta-Lok Technology & powered by the latest SIRFStar III chip, the SWAMI instantly calculates distance to the Front, Center and Back of the green of 12,000 downloadable US courses.
SWAMI stores up to 10 courses at a time and automatically recognizes the course you’re playing on power-up. Easy to use buttons and a large display allows… More >>
I bought the Swami because it appeared to be just what I was after – basic information and simple to use – and the price was right. The software download and the connection between the PC and the Swami went without a hitch, and most of the courses I wanted to load onto the Swami were in their system. I requested that they map one course and was amazed to receive an email the next day that they had already done it. I went into their website and loaded it onto the Swami very easily. I have only used it twice so far, both times on courses that have GPS in their carts. The Swami and the carts were invariably the same or only a yard different. One of the best things about it is that it is so small and light that I can conveniently keep it in my pocket during the round. One suggestion – turn it on before you get to the first tee. It takes a couple of minutes for it to gather the satellite data. Once it is up to speed, it immediately displays the correct yardage. And if you forget to advance it to the next hole, or even if you go a couple of holes without advancing it, no worries, just press the button to catch up to where you are and it reacts immediately. I consider this one of the best buys that I have ever made for my game and recommend it without reservation, based on my limited experience to date. The only downside for me is that it is not compatible with Apple.
Rating: 5 / 5
Easy to use. Accurate. Give confidence yourself by knowing the yardage. This is a entry level GPS for golf beginners. If you are a beginnger and imporve your game, you MUST have this in your pocket!!!
Rating: 5 / 5
Worked pretty good on a couple of courses but on one
would not recognize the course.
I do like the service peopleIZZO Swami 1500 Golf GPS Unit
Rating: 3 / 5
I bought the unit and received it in a very timely manner. The unit was easy to program by downloading courses onto it from the website. There is a $10 annual fee for access the website in order add course downloads and software updates (cd and instructions included with the unit). You are not required to renew every year. The unit holds up to 10 coarses, which you can change if you desire or you can just have the 10 and never have need to access the website again. There were two courses I wanted that were not listed. I requested and they were mapped with 4-5 days. I was notified they were available and I added them to the unit without any trouble. I used my unit on a course that had GPS in the cart and the Swami unit read within 5 yards of the yardage noted on the cart’s GPS system(for my game,that is close enough).I recommend this unit as an excellent value for the money.
Rating: 5 / 5
This device basically does one thing, and does it well: displays distance to the green. One of the four buttons, labeled FCB, cycles through the distance to Front, Center, and Back of the green, so it is possible to determine depth of the green as the difference between front and back. The other three buttons are on/off, next hole, and previous hole. There’s no touchscreen, scorekeeping, weather reporting, etc.
This is my evaluation, based on limited (several rounds) experience:
Pros
+ Simple and effective
+ Accurate (within a couple yards of on-course markers and center of green)
+ Good battery life (at least 4 rounds per charge)
+ Includes AC/USB adapter (computer not required to charge the device)
+ Large LCD display; numbers easily seen at a glace
+ No issues with software, setup, course selection, downloading
+ Good value, considering base price and $10 annual data fee
Neutral
o Plastic belt clip – I wonder how long until it breaks
o Overall size is not small, though effective use of front surface space with the LCD and buttons.
o Ten (10) course capacity is reasonable
Cons
- A bit thick: almost 1″ at widest point on the belt clip.
- USB/charging port is not protected. What will happen when it gets wet?
- It only goes in the belt clip in one direction. If worn on the belt, you look at the numbers and controls upside down. Or, if clipped upside down, there is the risk is falls off the belt or out of the clip.
[end of review 10/17/09]
Rating: 5 / 5