Technology once again was a HUGE talking point in the game of golf during 2020 and we had our a part to play in testing all the latest gadgets and gizmo's doing the hard work for you.
Here's the highlights:
Released: 26/10/2020
RRP As Reviewed: £199
Quick Hit: Known primarily for their hugely successful GPS watches, Shot Scope enter the rapidly growing rangefinder market with the Pro L1.
The Tech: It's equipped with Target-Lock Vibration which sends a small vibration when you find the target, the Precision Clear Lens can be switched between either red or black optics by simply flicking a switch to suit your own preference, Adaptive Slope technology displays the angle of the slope adjustment and a recalculation of the yardage to 3.6 inches and 6X magnification gives a total range of up to 875 yards.
Golfalot Says: "The Pro L1 is an excellent entry into the rangefinder world from Shot Scope. It's performance is extremely accurate and for that price tag, you really can't go wrong here."
Read the FULL REVIEW here
Released: 02/03/2020
RRP As Reviewed: £899
Quick Hit: PowaKaddy's flagship model for 2020 with ALL the bells and whistles you could ask for in a newly improved chassis.
The Tech: Where do we start? A new 3.5” PCAP OCA full colour widescreen display houses the PowaKaddy GPS offering front, middle, back and hazard yardages as well as a tonne of other useful features to make life easier on the golf course.
Golfalot Says: "As you can probably tell, I think this is a great bit of golf kit. I managed to find a couple of little flaws and areas for improvement but on the whole, you'll do well to find a GPS electric golf trolley that performs as well, looks as good, and lasts as long as the PowaKaddy FX7 GPS."
Read the FULL REVIEW here
Released: 29/01/2020
RRP As Reviewed: £359
Quick Hit: We are now into the fifth generation of Bushnell's popular 'Tour V' range of lasers, which in my opinion are the equivalent in the rangefinder market, to what the Titleist ProV1 is to the golf ball market. The best.
The Tech: Bushnell has essentially added some of the most popular features from last year's premium Pro XE model into the Tour V5 Shift, giving golfers the chance to get more power and more speed from their device. Pin-seeker with Visual Jolt technology wins the headlines.
Golfalot Says: "If you want the latest bit of kit which will give you confidence in your yardages every time you play, and which is as fast and intuitive as anything on the market, then you really can't go wrong with the Tour V5 Shift. Now, if it could just hit the shots for me..."
Read the FULL REVIEW here
Released: 04/2020
RRP As Reviewed: £219
Quick Hit: If all you after looking for is a simple, easy and strong-performing option that doesn't break the bank then more and more of these are becoming available, and the Zoom Focus X is definitely one worth considering.
The Tech: The Focus X has 6x magnification, a 600m range and flagpole scanning so that you can pick up your desired target. A flagpole icon then appears and the device vibrates, giving you extra confidence of the yardage you're seeing.
Golfalot Says: "I think all golfers should use some sort of laser or GPS device on the course as it is proven to save you shots every round, and the Zoom Focus X is an excellent affordable option. There is new kid on the block and I can imagine it sticking around for a little while."
Read the FULL REVIEW here
Released: 06/07/2020
RRP As Reviewed: £209
Quick Hit: Shot Scope's performance tracking system essentially provides the practicality of a GPS watch for on-course yardages, with the detailed analysis of shot tracking post-round to highlight areas requiring improvement.
The Tech: The latest Power-Sense AI technology allows Shot Scope to produce GPS yardages which are accurate to 30cm, which is far more reliable than most standard GPS watches that tend to be accurate between 3-5 metres.
Golfalot Says: "This is an absolute no-brainer for me. I would happily pay the full RRP for the watch itself, as it does everything that you would really want or need from a GPS Watch, besides perhaps the live scoring function if I was to be very picky."
Read the FULL REVIEW here
Released: 01/02/2020
RRP As Reviewed: £249.95
Quick Hit: The key idea with this bag is that you should never be caught short on the golf course - as it has the space and features to allow golfers to prepare for all eventualities - with Callaway's site claiming that this is the ideal bag for those players who 'could survive for two weeks in the wilderness with the things that they bring for a round of golf'.
The Tech: The Alpha Convoy bags are made from a fabric called Cordura which is very durable and also eco-friendly. It's made from recycled plastic bottles so if you do buy one you can sleep easy knowing that you are doing your bit for the environment as well as getting a good quality product.
Golfalot Says: "I think an easy way to summarise the Alpha Convoy 514 is that it seemed to do the little things well - the sign of a good golf bag is that it makes your life easier and it felt like this one was dependable and high-quality without having to shout about it."
Read the FULL REVIEW here
So there we have it, Golfalot's picks for the best pieces of tech we've tested in 2020. We look forward to seeing what 2021 brings...
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