Bushnell Neo+ GPS Rangefinder Watch

As the years slip by, the tee boxes seem to move further back and the greens have shrunk in size. As a result, it was time to invest in a new GPS. 

My new toy, as my wife calls it, is the Bushnell Neo+ GPS Rangefinder Watch. It looks like a big, bulky digital watch.

When you are golfing, there is little time to fiddle with your GPS. The essential information needed is:

• How far was my drive off the tee?
• How far is it to the flag on the green?

Anything else in a GPS unit can be too complicated. The Neo+ is simple. Turn it on, push Menu and select Play Golf. The Neo+ will search out a satellite signal and lock on, as well as automatically set the date and time. Select your course from the preloaded 25,000 and the first hole will appear with the distance to the green. 

As you progress from hole to hole, the Neo+ automatically changes holes. There are no pictures of the entire hole, hazards, ball flights or messages from the gods of golf. The Neo+ provides only the essential distances. As you walk or drive a cart, distance changes with you.

The watch works on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts over twelve hours. To recharge the battery, simply plug into a USB computer port.

Some of the other features are an odometer, stopwatch and alarm. The alarm might help my brain from falling asleep on the back nine. The black box it comes in first caught my attention with “no membership fees” and especially “ready to play.” This is not a state-of-the-art GPS with aerial imagery of every hole, but it will give you accurate distances to the green. 

The Neo+ is durable, waterproof and has a one-year warranty. It is very comfortable on your wrist, comes in white or black and is easy on the pocketbook at $149 (plus taxes) from Golf Town.