Garmin Approach G3 Waterproof Touchscreen Golf GPS

I finally broke down and purchased a gps device - the Garmin G3. Bit of a traditionalist but certainly would ask the buds what the yardage was when I was out there playing with them and they had a device.We play a fairly competitive family event each year and this year it was at a course I had never played and I was going in playing the least amount of golf I have (three little ones at home)in some time. And it was a course familiar to most of the gang. So I needed a caddie. And this little Garmin device was the trick. Ordered it through Amazon, who easily had the best price around and got it in time for a practice round.I have toyed with enough of the devices to have a pretty good sense as to what is out there. I went with the Garmin G3 for the following reasons:First, it has 17,500 courses preloaded! Many other devices require you to download a course ahead of time. That is bogus if you are going to be down in Myrtle Beach or whathave you. And some (perhaps the older devices?) only hold up to 10 courses -- and you pay for each course! Not with the Garmin.Second, I thought about going with the iphone app, but do you really want to be looking at your phone AT ALL on the course? Not me. Golf is how I get away from all of that these days. And the battery on my 4s is bunk, so it wouldn't last a round I am sure. This device does one thing and it does it well.Third, the Garmin's point and drag for distance is a great feature. I will concede that not as much information is provided at a glance as the Golfbuddie or Skycaddie, so that is a minus, but you can readily drag the cursor around for distances to water, bunker, tree, etc. The screen is a little small, so you end up using your pinkie finger to hit points, but readily manageable.Fourth, the cost. Straight away, at $200 or so from Amazon, this is a one-time investment. None of the annual fees for me...are you kidding me?Fifth, it has an excellent feature that I like but may not be for everyone -- you can preview a course.I played my first round with the unit at a course I know like the back of my hand. It was very interesting to note certain distances to front and back of greens and that type of thing. It WILL help you no matter how well you know the course.The second round was a few days later at the "tourney". It easily saved me 5 to 6 strokes that day. I kid you not. Shot 74 on a course I had never even seen before. The yardages were solid and it provided the confidence needed to play my game.To round out the review, I would add that the screen is a little small and certainly the next generation model will likely blow it away given what advances in screen technology have been of late. You'll see it and think its looks a little "dated". I wouldn't let that deter you. It reads distances and the holes are accurately portrayed. It eats batteries, but it stays on for 4+ hours straight and you pick it up and it isn't in sleep mode or anything, which is cool. I got through 2 rounds and some preview time on a set of regular alkaline batteries. I understand the lithiums will do better/are recommended.When I got it, I downloaded the course update through the garmin website and it populated trees on the course I was playing, so that was well-worth the time. And means Garmin is actively updating courses, which is cool. I'm sure there are fancier models that will do more (or in the case of the G5, a bigger better screen), but you'll pay for it...isn't that always the case?Hit 'em straight.

This is my first GPS and I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of the system. It was not as intuitive as other people who bought the item noted in their review but I am a novice to Garmin products.I had no problems playing with it for the first time. It provided excellent information of the course and the yardage was spot on so that I felt comfortable hitting my yardage. The maps of the courses were easy to read and detailed. The target function is great especially when you are laying up. The surprising thing about the item is how comfortable it was to operate with one hand. I can use all of the functionality of the unit with one hand. I thought that was great plus.The only shortcoming that I found was that the unit took about 10 minutes to pick up the satellite feed for the GPS to work. Since then, I turn on the unit after I park my car. The system is fully operational after I get all my golf equipment ready for the round.This is a great item and would recommend anyone to buy it. The price is great and the map updates are free. I will be using this GPS for years to come.

I have been using the Garmin Approach G3 since 2011. I moved to a new area and wanted something to use on all the new courses I was playing. I have been using it for a few years. Nothing is perfect, and I have no complaints with this unit. It does what its suppose to do.Accuracy: Reads within a few yards of the course markers. When checked with other units always within a few yards.Battery life: 2-3 rounds with alkaline batteries. I don't use the score keeping but I do measure shots often.Screen: Yea it's small. Fits in my pocket, I want it small. I have no problem reading the screen, you do have to tilt it when in direct sun.Ease of use: It does exactly what it's designed to do. If you can't figure out how to use this. Put your flip phone down...Here's how I use the unit. I generally don't use the score card feature. It works great, my partner like to write them down.I step up to the tee box. Look at the screen. It highlights the hazards and shows the shape of the fairway and green. I pick out where I want to put my drive and put the unit in my pocket. Total time 3-5 seconds. I hit my drive, if it's nice as I'm walking off the tee box. I hit the screen twice and tap measure shot. This is a great feature. everyone hits the ball 300yds, well now I can keep everyone honest. I'm a walker so as I walk up to my ball I pull the unit out and it will show the measure shot screen and I can see how far I hit it. Press the screen and I'm back to the hole view. I see the yardage to the green, front, middle, back, and to the bunkers around the green. Usually thats enough info and I get ready to hit my shot. On tricky greens I tap the green and it zooms in, I can move the flag to the actual location and now I have everything I need. I'm a decent golfer, I like to play at a good pace. Our group is never the slow group. This garmin helps me golf faster without wasting my time. It's simple to use. It has never failed me in the 4yrs I have owned it. I would buy it again. Ok time to go play a round.