February 26, 2014 – The arrival of the GPS to the sport of golf a few years ago meant a breakthrough. Playing with a device that tells you the yards to the green, and therefore helps you to choose the right club, is like having a caddy in the palm of your hand. Garmin, the global leader in satellite navigation, thus discovered a new territory in which to develop its outdoor products, and what was fantastic then, has now become even more sensational with Garmin.

This month the new Approach G7 and Approach G8 hit the stores. These represent the evolution of Garmin’s handheld golf GPS devices, technologically sophisticated and with the incorporation of significant features that provide the best tools to suit our requirements, in keeping with the brand’s mission, and help us to master the golf course and focus more on the game. What would we like to know about them?

DESIGN. At first sight, the new Approach G7 and G8 stand out for their light, compact, handy, sleek and durable design. The G7 has a 2.6″ colour touchscreen, and the slimmer and elegant G8 has a wide 3″ multi-touch colour display.

GOLF COURSES. Both maintain the best of their predecessors, the G3 and G6, coming preloaded with more than 30,000 golf courses of Spain, Europe and worldwide, with lifetime free updates and no subscriptions. You simply arrive at the course, the satellite detects it, and you start playing.

ACCURACY. We golfers are used to questioning the accuracy of any rangefinder. What will the margin of error be? Here, the G7 and G8 announce a more accurate calculation of distance and more functionality in terms of precision measurement to the front, back and centre of the green.

One of the main features is the PlaysLike Distance function, which adjusts distances to the target by taking into account the varying slopes of the hole. The uphill and downhill shots are no longer an impediment for the GPS to give you the true distance.

You can also use the Customised Distance to measure and store the yards of your strokes, registering your current GPS position up to where your golf ball has landed.

DISPLAY. These technological marvels allow you to see the golf course detailed hole by hole in colour, with the shape of the fairways, the limits, the hazards and the greens. The legibility of the large, bright graphics contrasted with the numbering is enhanced even in direct sunlight. The Big Numbers Mode increases the font size of the figures for improved readability.

The added option of Green View gives you the overall picture of the hole you’re playing, and lets you focus on the map of the green and adjust the place of the pin manually by dragging it to the current position of the day.

Another new feature is the mapping with colourful layup arcs at 100, 150, 200 and even 250 yards to the green, so you know at a glance exactly where you are in the fairway, and how far you need to hit in your approach shots.

And with the Touch Targeting feature you can measure the distance to a particular point. Giving a simple tap on the screen, the device shows you automatically the precise distance to that spot (bunker, stream, lake, forest or hazard) which tries to penalize your game.

The G8 also has the option of the PinPointer, which shows you an even more precise indication of the direction of the green when you are surrounded by the forest or in the rough, in the blind holes, or when you can’t see the flag.

CLUB ADVICE. The function of Clubs Advice is a truly innovative development that helps you clarify your doubts when on the course, recording how far your previous hits have gone with each club, and recommending the most appropriate choice of club according to the distance of your next shot.

DIGITAL SCORECARD. These devices will also serve as digital scorecards for your foursome or if you score individually, with scoring options for Stroke Play, Stableford, Skins and Match Play with adjustable handicaps.

COMPATIBILITY. The Approach G7 and G8 feature the Smart Notification function when these are combined with a compatible Apple smartphone. This feature lets you receive emails, text messages and call alerts on your GPS from your mobile phone without cables, even if you’re right in the middle of a fairway. So you can keep your phone in the golf bag as you play, and still stay ‘connected’.

In addition, they are adapted to introduce you to Garmin Connect, the online community in which you can analyze your scores and statistics (such as your Driving Accuracy, Greens in Regulation, Putts per Round and Average Distance), and share these with your buddies. You can also save your cards and compare them with your previous scores, download and print them from the computer, and see how you improve and progress in your game.

BATTERY. You need have no worries here. The rechargeable battery of these terminals lasts for 15 hours, allowing you to enjoy an entire weekend of golf on a single charge.

AND PRICE. New Approach G7 and Approach G8 handhelds devices sell at a price of 329 € and 429 € respectively.

So if you want to play with an advantage and enjoying intelligent golf: Don’t let them get away!

More information at buy.garmin.com.

Por REDACCIÓN