I think it is a given that most golf GPS units provide reasonably accurate distances from a given point on a golf course to the front/middle/back of a green. The better units allow you to position the pin on the green to match its position on a given round, providing distance to the pin, not just the front/middle/back of a green. The best available units also provide 1) graphical hole depictions that show bunkers, hazards, etc. and the related distances to them, and 2) provide a method for tracking shot distances so you can determine how far you hit various clubs during actual playing conditions.After spending weeks researching the myriad golf GPS units on the market, I followed the usually reliable Amazon user recommendations and purchased a Golf Guru 4. Boy was I disappointed! First it does not come with the desired graphical hole depictions. Rather they have to be purchased for approximately $8 per course. Second, even after you purchase one of their AerVu maps you find that their usefulness is restricted by the small screen size. Another serious flaw is that the shot tracking feature is minimalist at best. It is awkward to use, and worst of all, it does not provide a way to track or upload the data. Rather you have to record the information by hand after each round. UGH! Finally after using the unit for a dozen rounds I found that it repeatedly experienced freeze-ups (3 or 4 times per round). Needless to say I returned the unit.
I then purchased an OnPar unit. It turns out to be a much better unit in all regards.
It provides absolutely free, great graphical depictions for over 10,000 courses (with 1000 more being added each month). Furthermore, although the screen sizes are comparable, the OnPar unit provides the ability to easily "zoom-in" on each hole to get very accurate distances to any point on a hazard, bunker, etc.. The OnPar unit also has an easy to use feature for tracking shot distances. It then tracks the last 18 rounds worth of data and can even, if you want, based upon this data suggest the club to use for each shot. Finally, the OnPar unit provides a simple feature that allows you to create your own distance marks on any given hole. These marks can be used to identify locations like the end of a flat area on a fairway, or the carry distance for a water hazard, etc.. To be fair the Golf Guru 4 has a similar feature.
I found that both units are readable in full sunlight, although it helps to move them into the shade to read them. Each unit holds a charge that lasts several rounds. Each unit provides separate views of the green for each hole, and the ability to drag the pin around to its actual location on a given round in order to provide the distance to the pin, not just the front/middle/back of the green.
In summary, the OnPar golf GPS unit is as good or better than a Golf Guru 4 in every regard. It provides great graphical depictions for free. It has an easy-to-use zoom feature that allows the user to get very accurate distances to every point on each hole. Finally the OnPar unit has a nifty feature for tracking the distance of your shots.
The clear winner of this comparison is the OnPar.
GPS Golf Guru 4 Precise GPS/PDA Golf Rangefinder with Multi-application capabilities
