REVIEW: Arccos Golf

Today's modern golfer is all about tracking shots, stats, and other analytics every time you step onto the course. Arccos Golf is a widely popular golf tracking system that attempts to make this process as non-invasive as possible so you can get down to what's important: playing the game.

Golfers familiar with a competing product, Game Golf, will be pleased to know that Arccos Golf is very similar in terms of setup and materials. You install a "tag" into the bottom of each club's grip and a smartphone app tracks your round through your mobile device's GPS feature. A wide range of data points are accumulated throughout the round -- such as number of putts, greens in regulation, fairways hit and others -- which you can dive deeper into during your post-round analysis session.

You know; that time you're drowning your sorrows in a few beers at the 19th hole because you think you're terrible. Now you have statistical proof!

A pleasant surprise about the Arccos Golf system that sets itself apart from competitors is its ease of use. Unlike Game Golf, there's no need to "tap" the butt of your club to a sensor on your belt. The Arccos Golf smartphone app will register whatever the club sensors are spitting out without requiring you to do a damn thing. That's pretty ingenious and a huge customer satisfier.

I found the Arccos Golf system to be more accurate than competing systems, as well. One of my biggest complaints about these tracking systems has always been erroneous GPS readings that lead to incorrect club distances. As awesome as I think I am, there's no way I can hit a driver 340 yards uphill. Arccos Golf knows that, recorded all of my drives within "normal" range, and all was right in the world.

Putting, however, was another story. The Arccos Golf user manual recommends carrying your putter handle-side down as to prevent misreadings. You can't imagine how difficult it is to remember to do that, especially when using Arccos for the first time. While the number of "miss-putts" in my round was low -- and I was able to go back and edit my round after playing -- the whole process was annoying.

Short putts was also an issue. Since Arccos Golf uses GPS to track your shots, I imagine shorter shots and tap-ins don't register as clearly in the system as longer shots. Again, you can go back and edit this post-round... but it sucks.

Why you should buy this product

If you're an experienced, low-to-mid handicap golfer who takes his or her game seriously, Arccos Golf is the perfect system for you. It will allow you to fine-tune areas of your game at a deeper level than ever before. Overall, we were impressed by its accuracy, ease-of-use and versatility during a round. The statistical read-outs that you can analyze post-round are useful... but only if you're of a certain skill caliber.

Why you should not buy this product

I just don't see this system as a necessity for high-handicap golfers. Do you really need a fancy system to tell you what areas of your game you need to improve? You probably know if you miss the fairway too much, or if you're not hitting greens as often as you'd like, or if you aren't hitting the ball far enough. However, you're also only playing a couple times a month...which would make Arccos Golf completely useless to you. Spend the money on lessons instead.

Oh, and you can't use Arccos Golf for Android just yet. I'm told they will be releasing an Android app soon...but buyer beware.

DUFF TEST: Bushnell Neo XS Rangefinder Watch

Golf GPS rangefinders come in all shapes and sizes these days, each equipped with features that would make Magellan blush. The fine folks at Bushnell have been a leader in this department for quite some time, so it should come as no surprise that their new Neo XS Rangefinder watch is very likely the best golf gadget on the market today. I had the opportunity to test out the Bushnell Neo XS Rangefinder watch this week and was incredibly impressed with its functionality, appearance and design. Before I go any further, however, I must admit that I have not yet tested the watch during a round of golf. But I will soon. So shut up.

BORING SPECIFICATION STUFF

If you're familiar with last year's Neo Rangefinder watch from Bushnell, you've got the basics down as to what this year's model can offer. However, the 2014 version raises the bar on what a rangefinder should be able to do. The Bushnell Neo XS Rangefinder comes pre-loaded with over 33,000 golf courses in more than 30 countries, can hold a battery charge for 3 rounds of golf (and TWO YEARS of normal use), and has a new rounded watch face and redesigned band. Its face is easy to read and the watch is available in black or white coloring.

Performance

Simply put, the Bushnell Neo XS Rangefinder is the best golf GPS unit I have ever used. While it does not feature hole fly-overs or pictures, the sheer convenience of having a detailed yardage "caddy" on your wrist cannot be overstated. As with last year's model, you will never need to check sprinkler heads or yardage markers again. The 2014 upgrade takes yardage details to a new level by providing info on bunkers and hazards throughout your round. The watch is fully hands-off and automatically detects which hole you are on. It is simply amazing.

Why You Should Buy This Watch

Because you play golf. That's it. There's absolutely no reason why you wouldn't benefit from having this device. Would you pay $200 to never have to worry about yardage again? Yes. The answer is yes.

You don't even have to worry about the legality of rangefinders anymore.

Why You Should Not Buy This Watch

All kidding aside, I suppose there are those people who want to keep it "old school" and rely on yardage markers or books. I would not hang out with those people, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Otherwise, stop being stubborn and pick one of these up.