GolfBuddy VS4 GPS Review – In one sentence I can summarise this review by saying that the GolfBuddy VS4 is the same as the excellent white GolfBuddy Voice+ GPS but in new colours and with a better clip and strap.
GolfBuddy VS4 GPS Review
I could leave it there, but I like the VS4 because it’s fun, so I will run through the product again for those who are new to the world of speaking GPS devices.
The VS4 is light and small, measuring just over 4cm square, so the idea is that you can wear it or place it on your bag. Several options come to mind such the belt, but my preference would be the rim of your cap as then you can listen to it talking to you.
Last time I christened the voice Doris and what she does is tell you the distance to the centre of the green when you click the button on the bottom right of the front of the VS4. Push and hold the button and Doris tells you the front and back yardages too.
There is a volume control, or you can mute her, but hearing her whisper in your ear is part of the fun, although GolfBuddy has not taken up my suggestion of defaulting to the last option selected if you just wanted front and back all the time.
If you want to just gaze at the VS4 then the centre, front and back yardages are all shown on the LCD screen at the same time and that is pretty much all the information you get.
The VS4 starts up quickly and within 45 seconds Doris had greeted me with a welcome message and had found the course I was playing and I was ready to go.
The VS4 auto-advances from one hole to the next and this was very accurate and timely, but you can also advance the hole manually if it gets confused by pushing the front and + buttons at the same time.
There is a shot measuring function initiated by pushing the P button on the left hand side and then starting and stopping the measuring using the front button. Nice for measuring those big drives.
Apart from the new black/red and white/gold colour options, the other good thing about the VS4 is that they have improved the clip.
On the previous Voice+ the clip was built into the back of the device, but now it is detachable. This means that you can orientate it whichever way you want without having to delve into the settings to flip the screen display on the device.
In addition the VS4 the device can be removed from the clip and placed on a much sleeker watch strap fitting that at least could pass as a GPS watch without raising too many eyebrows.
The supplied watch strap is quite chunky and large so it may not suit smaller wrists, but is still light and comfortable and certainly better than the white rubber effort supplied with the Voice+. There is an option to just show the time, so if you can’t be without your VS4 then it can serve a purpose whilst on your wrist as you count down to your next tee time.
The VS4 is recharged through the supplied AC adaptor and micro-USB cable that also attaches to your computer to download software and course updates without needing a subscription.
GolfBuddy’s maps are generally pretty accurate and with a capacity of 37,000 courses, I have yet to find one home or abroad that it has failed to find.
Overall I think the unique aspect of the spoken yardages makes the VS4 really stand out from the crowd. The small size and light weight make it one of the best devices for wearing on your hat or belt, especially if you go for one of the optional extra belt clip accessories.
Being small and talking is its niche and it does it all very well, so if you want a little buddy on the golf course to tell you the yardages then the VS4 will be your perfect friend.
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Reviewed by Martin Hopley – Golfalot.com
