GPS PDA Golf Software Suggestions

[golf-QXR]

I hope I got enough key words in the title! :)

I have a new Ipaq 6955 which has GPS on board and runs Windows Mobile 5.0. Ideally, I'd like to get some software which takes advantage of the GPS and has course databases so I can track shots and see distances.

After a few years of playing, it seems that after some recent lessons my game is coming together better. Obviously having accurate distances will help my score.

Does anyone have any experience with software like this that they can offer me suggestions?

Thanks!

[Golden Bear]

I don't know if it's available for your hardware, but I have iGolf for my Palm. I'm pretty happy with it, for the most part. The yardages seem to be accurate to within 3 or 4 yards when you compare it to yardage markers at tee boxes and sprinkler heads on the course ... and that may simply be a matter of a difference in where iGolf mapped the centre of the green.

The only complaint I have is that the GPS downloads don't include mapping of hazards ... you just get distances to the front of the green, centre of the green, and back of the green. I haven't found that too much of a problem, though it is certainly an imperfection.

You can, on the other hand, map courses yourself, and can include up to seven points to map, so you could map bunkers and water hazards. The one drawback with this is that you have to map the entire course at once. Once you've saved a course you've mapped, I'm not sure that you can edit it. If you can, I'm not sure how to do it. I've been meaning to e-mail iGolf to ask how to edit mapped courses, or to suggest they include an editing feature. I'd love it if I could just take the courses I've downloaded from their site and add my own mapping of hazards.

I should also mention that if the course you want is not already available from iGolf, you can request a course mapping. It costs $10 per mapping request, but they have the mapping done within two or three days, and the mapping is pretty accurate. (The 3 or 4 yard discrepency I mentioned above is from courses I've requested.)

I'm pretty happy with iGolf, though I can't compare it to other software. The editing problem is the one drawback. If there's a way to edit courses, or if one is introduced, the I'm absolutely enamoured.

I should add clarification to me initial post:

When I say that it costs $10 to have them map a course for you, that is only if the course you want is not already mapped. If they have a GPS map for your course, then you can download it for free. (You get 50 GPS download credits with your purchase.)

They seem to have less Canadian courses than US courses mapped. On the bright side, once one person has had the course mapped by iGolf, it's available to every other iGolf user. You'll be happy to know that four of Toronto's municipal courses are already mapped ... you have me to thank for that!



Edit: One more update to what I typed earlier -- I checked the iGolf website and apparently you can edit and add measurement points to existing course maps by using "Sync Mode". I can report back after I've tried it, but it looks as though this should give me what I'm looking for.

[pir2]

try www.intelligolf.com
maps are free for current version owners
you can map courses yourself or used ones done by other users.
you can also try to map courses at home using google earth.

however, you may want a laser rangefinder isntead of a gps.

I have both and a laser is much more accurate. The intelligolf is a nice piece of software for tracking stats though. that's all i use it for now.

[Golden Bear]

I've been meaning to download the trial version of Intelligolf so I can compare the two ... and find out what courses are available. I can report back with a comparison when I've got around to that. Intelligolf seems to offer a lot more ... though I find that it does more than I'd ever need. Still, having the option to do all that is better than not having the option at all.

How is Intelligolf when a course you're playing is unavailable? Are you able to request course-mapping, and if so, how long do you generally have to wait? Is there a cost for having unavailable courses mapped?

I don't believe iGolf has a trial version, so the original poster may just want to give Intelligolf a try.

[pir2]

How is Intelligolf when a course you're playing is unavailable?

It won't do anything..... well you can track your score/stats


Are you able to request course-mapping, and if so, how long do you generally have to wait?

Not that i know of. You can map them all yourself. It's more of a community program where users submit course mappings.


Is there a cost for having unavailable courses mapped?

Don't think that's an option