Sureshot GPS 8850 Review
I was lucky enought to get a Sureshot GPS 8850 for Christmas. This compact handheld golf GPS device can store up to 100 course layout details providing distance details to hazards and front, centre and back of greens. The device can also measure driving distance, and record stats during the round including score, putts, greens in regulation, fairways hit and sand saves. The Sureshot GPS 8850 comes packages with USB cable to download courses, charger, clip and protective cover.

Road Test
Course details are downloaded from the Sureshot website to the device. Coverage for Australian courses is excellent, I havent found a course Ive played yet that wasnt available. There are over 14,000 courses available worldwide. Of note, although the device can hold up to 100 courses, only 3 courses can be downloaded initially. A Sureshot Membership needs to be purchased to download more courses, this can cost between $30 to $100 annually. This is essential if you plan on playing more than 3 courses!

On course, the Sureshot GPS 8850 is easy to use, and very accurate*. On the tee, the display can show up to 15 hazards including bunkers, water, mounds etc noting distance to and carry for each hazard, the display also shows distance to front, middle and back of each green. The device can then be read from anywhere on the hole providing distances to hazards and green. Ive found that approach shot distances are extremely helpful, particularly on deceptive distances.

The statistics are a nice to have, but generally I have been just saving my score and not worrying about the additional stats. These details can all be downloaded as a spreadsheet after the round.

• A note on accuracy – The distances are only as good as the initial course measurement. Each distance to hazard and green is initially manually entered, Ive noted a number of holes where hazards havent been included at all. The Sureshot website clearly notes whether a course has been professionally measured or player mapped. In some cases, a player mapped course may be better as the player has spent more times adding hazards and reference points.

Competitions
The use of measuring devices has historically been illegal in golf competition, even though detailed yardage guides and manual distance notes could be used. Recent changes in the rules of golf by the R&A now allows the use of Golf GPS devices whilst playing in competitions, providing a Local Rule has been approved by individual Golf Clubs. The measuring device can measure distance only and must not be able to measure other conditions such as wind speed or direction, slope of the ground or temperature. This therefore allows GPS devices and mobile golf GPS applications.

So ensure you check with the local club rules before playing competition with a GPS. My local club, the Growling Frog Golf Club has a local rule allowing GPS devices in all competitions except for Monthly medal.

The word
The Sureshot GPS 8850 is a good golf GPS device, the battery life is more than enough for 36 holes of golf, distances are accurate and the GPS connectivity is very good. The device is also very robust, Ive dropped it a couple of times, and in an extreme road test, had it bounce out of a golf cart and then driven over by the cart, apart from a small scratch, the Sureshot kept working!!! There should be no problem finding the course you need to play, especially in Australia. The GPS unit is an allowable aide and any assistance to the game of golf is worth taking!

Golflink also offers an upgrade called Golflink Mates. For an annual fee of $29.95, a club golfer can upgrade their Golflink account to include: * Competition ranking as well as national, state and club ranking * Hole by hole stats to track your form * Message friends, form groups and view their handicaps * video tips and instruction

Ive upgraded my Golflink account to the Mates subscription, heres an initial road test review:

• Competition rank – Usually this will be provided by the club anyway, this provides a summary of club competitions showing all of the players and scores. Find out who burgled their way to 45pts and who had a shocker (Saturdays comp was won by a 16 handicapper who scored 45 points, he is now off 14!) It also ranks by handicap grade.

• Hole by hole stats – Quick and easy to fill out round stats. The stats include gross score, fairways hit, Greens in regulation, accuracy, putts, sand saves, up and downs etc. Fairways hit needs an option for hitting fairway bunker off the tee, as I hit a LOT of fairway bunkers yesterday and its deceptive to say I missed the fairway right/left, as most of my drives werent bad (its just that the sand at the Frog is usually 220m out right on my line!)

• Stats charts – Considerable number of charts recording progress over time, plus you can compare with any other golfers who you have as ‘Mates’

• Handicap – charts and details showing the handicap over time. Mine starts at 16.9 and is now down to 15.1, if only I had a short game!

• Rankings – According to Golflink, I am ranked 89,660th in Australia, 23,332nd in Victoria and 78th in my club. Need to practice more!

• Updates – Golflink will email a Monthly stats update providing year and quarter to date summary of your handicap and stats. In addition you can optin to receive an automated SMS of handicap changes.

Overall, the Mates subscription looks pretty good. Is it worth the $29.95? Probably too early to tell, the stats and mates features could be useful, will continue to road test and report back later.

Just as a worker shouldnt blame his tools, a golfer shouldnt blame his clubs! Well Im blaming my 3 wood. Mentally, my old Titleist 3 wood has lost me, we needed to go our seperate ways having grown apart. Its not me, its the club. So went down to see the Pro at Growling Frog golf club, Wayne Rogers and took a couple of 3 woods out to the driving range for a test drive.

• Callaway – 2007 Big Bertha
• Callaway – XHot
• Callaway – Big Bertha Diablo Draw

The Diablo draw is a nice looking club but at address, the closed face looked wrong and I was unable to hit it straight with everything hooking left.  The Xhot and Bigh Bertha were both easy to hit off the tee and fairway once I had stopped swinging wildly and slowed the tempo down (And they were older floor stock so 50% off!).  Both still had a tendancy to hook if i was lazy but thats my swing not the club!  The club head for the Xhot and Big Bertha are larger than my current 3 wood, and the Bertha was nicer on off centre shots.

In the end had a quick chat with Wayne and went with the Big Bertha, especially as the stiff shaft will suit my game. Only time will tell if this becomes the go-to club if the driver is misfiring or need accuracy off the tee.

Cycling has now caught on to this, with cashed up, overweight and unfit golfers, shelving the clubs and ploughing thousands into carbon fibre racing bikes and trundling along Beach Road in ill-fitting lycra representing Discovery Channel. I myself have been spending more time on the bike than on the course, as I try to get some bitumen under the bike (alas I only have carbon forks !) in training for Around the Bay in a Day, a 210km lap of Port Phillip Bay. (its been nice knowing you all!!!).

But my favourite piece of bike bling gone mad is the Campagnolo Record Carbon Fibre Bottle Holder, a steal at $229.95!!!!!!

I will be looking at a four driver strategy, one for hooks, one for slices, one for topped drives and one for skied drives!

Driver: Titleist 983E, 10.5 degree

The latest addition to the stable, loved the 975D but the lure of bigger and longer was too great. Picked this one up on ebay

3 Wood: Titleist 980F 13 degree

Low profile fairway wood, nice when hit clean off the fairway or light rough. Not much room for error off the tee. Also bought off ebay

Hybrid: Taylor Made Rescue, 15 degree

The evolution of the hybrid, a cross between a fairway wood and an iron is the best thing for mid handicappers since they put dimples on the balls. More forgiving than a long iron, clean off the tee. Tends to hook on me if Im not concentrating – ouch!

Irons: Callaway X-16 4 iron through to Pitching

Finally replaced my irons this year. The Callaways have a large profile with big cavity back, supposed to put more weight llow and behind the ball. Now I just need to hit them properly!

Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey 56 degree

One of the better parts of my game getting out of the sand. The classic lines of the Vokey help extracating me from the beach, yet another ebay purchase

Lob Wedge: Cobra Trusty Rusty 60 degree

Often refered to as the Untrusty Rusty, but on its day this is a life-saver. The sharp leading edge avoids those nasty chunck shots. Pitch to a short pin placements over a bunker is where this club earns its spot in the bag

Putter: Odyssey

Been in the bag for a while now, and all in all has served me well