Game Golf Live is a top-of-the-line GPS tracking device, which tracks each shot live on the Game Golf app during your round of golf.
As I approach the driving range to practice, the first thought that goes through my head is, “I only have an hour, what do I need to work on the most today?” This question is common among amateur golfers as they approach the practice facilities at their respective golf course. Since there are so many aspects to golf and limited time to practice, it can be tough to decide what aspect of your game needs the most work. This is where Game Golf Live comes in.
Game Golf Live is a top-of-the-line GPS tracking device, which tracks each shot live on the Game Golf app during your round of golf. This will allow you to quickly identify where you are losing strokes so you can tackle your weakness and lower your handicap. The package comes with 18 small red end caps (pictured above) which are pressed into the hole end of each club’s grip. There are enough end caps for all your clubs, and the package even includes custom caps so you can program a club that may not be included. The larger red piece clips onto your waistline or belt (I suggest placing this on either the left or right side, depending on what is most comfortable).
An example of what the Game Golf Live app looks like mid-round
A screenshot from one of Matt’s post-round analysis. Here, it shows his driving distance, approach shot, and a chip in (you can see that scramble is checked)
Game Golf Live not only tracks your shots live throughout your round, but is also a reliable rangefinder, giving you pinpoint distances to ensure accuracy in club selection. The device will give you yardages off the tee box (especially useful when needing to know hazard distances) as well as front, middle and back distance when approaching the green. It will also track things like fairway accuracy, greens in regulation, number of putts, miss left/right, and scrambling. Game Golf Live is permitted under the USGA and R&A Rules of Golf for tournament play and establishing handicaps only if used without connecting to the App (can review your stats post-round).
When setting up the device, the app will prompt you to enter what distance you hit each club. This will allow the app to make club recommendations based on pin and hazard locations. Once you have fully charged the battery, go ahead and clip the GPS-enabled rangefinder on your desired location. It is important to fully charge the device prior to your round to ensure you will have enough battery to finish the round. Leave yourself plenty of time before you use this for the first time as it does take some time to set up and get the caps pressed into each club. Once you have the caps pressed in, download the game golf app from the app store, create your profile, enter your club distances (roughly) and you are all set to play!
To start your round, allow the app to use your location in order to determine which course you are playing and to track your location on the course. Once the course is selected, make sure to indicate which tees you are playing so the app can accurately determine distances off the tee box. You have a few options on how you want to use your phone. If you are someone who does not like to look at your phone during the round, you can put your phone in your bag and it will track your stats to review after the round. Just make sure you have done everything to set it up before putting it away! Of course you can also use your phone during the round to tap different areas around each hole to see how far it is to that spot (which I recommend).
The GPS-enabled rangefinder that is clipped onto your waistline has a sensor on the bottom that will detect each end cap and know which club you are hitting for that shot. The most important part of Game Golf Live is to remember to touch the cap on the end of your club to the bottom of the rangefinder on your waistline. If the reading is successful, you will feel the device vibrate, letting you know that you are ready to swing. The first time I used Game Golf Live, this was the hardest part to remember, since I was not used to that extra step. If you plan to use Game Golf Live often, you can build the tap into your pre-swing routine.
Matt’s Game Golf Rating (4 out of 5 stars)
I have used Game Golf Live a number of times and the accuracy of the device surprises me every time. I had the opportunity to review where I lost strokes and what I need to improve on. Over time, you will start to notice a trend of weaknesses in your rounds and where to focus more of your energy (of course you want to work on every aspect)! I noticed in my rounds, driving accuracy was a glaring weakness, costing me strokes by being out of bounds off the tee box and forcing a drop.
Matt rated Game Golf Live 4 Stars
Overall, I strongly recommend Game Golf Live to any golfer who is looking to get better and lower their handicap. Thinking about your weaknesses and bad shots through a round is not a great way to play. Game Golf Live allows you to put the thoughts behind you until after the round where you can analyze and critique where necessary. The device takes a bit of time to assemble, but once you have used it one time, you are all set to go for all your other rounds.
Rob’s Game Golf Rating (3 out of 5 stars)
Before shipping the Game Golf unit off to Matt, I spent several months testing the unit myself. I had high hopes for Game Golf right out of the gate, especially after meeting John McGuire, the CEO and creator of Game Golf. Having the chance to meet John and hear his backstory and the science behind Game Golf I was very impressed to say the least. One thing I learned after a few rounds with Game Golf was that I needed something to make my phone more accessible. To get the full on-course benefit of Game Golf you’ll need easy access to your phone. I reached out to Mike Buchner at caddiebuddy.com and he sent over a cart mount for my iPhone 6 plus. I highly recommend this mount to anyone who plans to use their phone during the round in order to get yardages and track progress from the Game Golf app.
Game Golf Live only garnered a 3 star rating from Rob
After combining Game Golf with the phone mount, the on course experience greatly improved. However, I still kept hearing that little voice in my head at impact saying did you tag your club? Talking to John McGuire at the PGA Show he explained how tagging your club was designed into the Game Golf system as a mental trigger for amateur golfers to visualize their shot just like the pros do before every swing. I took his advice to heart and tried to build the tagging and visualization into my pre-shot routine, nevertheless I still found myself with that swing thought from time to time. Another thing I noticed was that after a few rounds, the Game Golf sensors on the end my clubs got beat up and a few of them actually ended up with jagged edges. After a few more rounds, one of the sensors actually separated and became unusable. The good news is they provide extra club sensors but they don’t seem to hold up over time. In addition, they make your clubs look a little awkward. To Game Golf’s credit they have since partnered with Golf Pride to offer grips that integrate the sensor tags inside the end of the grip and provide protection and a traditional look. So in my opinion if you’re going to use Game Golf, go all in. For the best experience you’ll want to make sure you get the integrated golf grips from Golf Pride and a phone mount from caddiebuddy.com.