Product Review: Shot Scope V5 Watch

There are three varieties of distance measuring devices used by golfers: laser rangefinders, GPS smartphone apps, and GPS watches.  I propose that a “GPS watch” offers one specific advantage over rangefinders and smartphone apps – it is less likely to be forgotten or lost during, or just after completing, a round. 

Most golfers know of someone who forgot one of these devices in the rear basket or front dashboard shelf of their riding cart and left the premises without ever getting it back from the course’s lost and found; or, due to a weak magnet had a rangefinder jostled from the windshield strut into an inaccessible location (creek, ravine, native grass, etc), never to be retrieved.

A GPS watch lessens to near zero the possibility of being forgotten or lost. One of the finest GPS golf watches for the money on the market today is the Shot Scope V5 model from Shot Scope Technologies, a Scottish company headquartered in Edinburgh Scotland, which sells a full line of distance devices, including hand-helds (laser rangefinders) and wearables (GPS watches).

An update to their best-selling V3 watch, is the new Shot Scope V5 GPS watch featuring all the latest advancements in golf technology, while maintaining an easy-to-use functionality that golfers have come to expect.

Preloaded with over 36,000 courses worldwide, the V5 GPS watch provides full hole maps – tee to green, with every hazard and dogleg carefully mapped; lay-up and carry distances for every hazard and dogleg; F/M/B distances; automatic shot tracking for every shot hit on the course; and multiple watch faces and choice of colors.

About the company.  

Shot Scope Technologies, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, offers a range of industry-leading products designed to improve the way golfers access distances on the golf course, through either GPS wearables or hand-held laser rangefinders. 

The founder and CEO of Shot Scope is David Hunter, who became obsessed with golf in his 20’s.  Initially, he manually gathered and recorded data about his golf swing for many years.  Implementing his background in electronics and a Master’s Degree in engineering, the Edinburgh, Scotland native applied his experience from the corporate world, teaching, and consultancy to his real passion — helping golfers everywhere benefit by analyzing data from all of their golf shots.

Inspired when he attended an entrepreneurship event in Edinburgh, Hunter then assembled a group of technology experts, golfers, and a former Walker Cup player who are all passionate about driving game improvement and formed his Shot Scope company.  The company’s whole idea was to have an automatic way of tracking stats without being a distraction to your golf game.

Incorporated into Shot Scope’s latest line of GPS watches, the package includes 16 lightweight RFID tags to track the golfer’s location and record every shot hit on the golf course.  One 2nd Gen RFID tracking tag is inserted into the butt end of every club’s grip (2 extras); the transmitters in the tags and an antenna in the watch band then send 35 pieces of data through 2.5 million lines of computer code, for every swing a golfer takes. Golfers ultimately only see the information pertinent to their swing.

Today, more than 300,000 golfers in 160 different countries use Shot Scope devices and the brand is the number two GPS device and rangefinder seller in the UK.  Taking an ambitious approach to marketing in the United States, Shot Scope now reports that half of its users reside in America.

Shot Scope V5

V5 GPS Watch particulars.

What’s included:

• 1 x Shot Scope V5 watch
• 16x 2nd generation shot tracking tags
• 1 x USB charger
• Free iOS / Android app
• Statistics Platform with Strokes Gained and Handicap Benchmarking

System Requirements:

• Smartphone
• Android 5.0 or later with BLE 4.0
• iOS 14 or later with BLE 4.0
• Internet Access

Sizing:

• Length: 43mm
• Width: 43mm
• Height: 12mm
• Weight: 50 grams

Physicals:

• Lens Material: Hardened Mineral Glass
• Strap Material: Silicone with UV dust resistant coating
• Watch Head / Housing Material: ABS
• Navigation: Buttons
• Weight: 50 grams
• Battery Life: GPS Mode: 2+ rounds of golf
• Display Resolution: 240 x 240 pixels 64 colors
• Display Type: 1.2” Daylight readable MIP (memory in pixel) with backlight
• Color Display: Yes
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5
• GNSS Tracking: GPS 1, Galileo E1, Glonass L1
• Connected Smartphone Apps: Android and iOS

Watch Features:

• Full-color daylight readable display with 5 color themes
• Full hole maps provides an overview of the hole you are about to play
• Dynamic Front, Middle, and Back GPS distances
• Green view and pin placement
• Front and carry distance for every hazard
• Layup points and doglegs on each hole
• Pause round function for practice swings
• GPS Distance Measurement: Yards or meters
• 36,000+ preloaded courses worldwide
• After securing a satellite connection, all courses within 1 km are listed
• No subscription fees
• Continuous free updates for software and course info
• Digital scorecard allows players to record their score – no need for a card
• Digital watch with a choice of clock faces to wear in everyday life
• Simple and easy navigation via the four buttons surrounding the watch case
• Superior dust resistant strap with metal buckle clip for a comfortable fit on the wrist
• Strap includes Power-Sense technology for seamless and accurate shot detection
• Built-in step counter to track steps on and off the golf course

Notes regarding my field test.

1. Out of the box, the initial charging (zero to 100%) took 2hr5min.
2. Download time using QR code to register and initiate took 14 minutes.
3. V5 watch is definitely waterproof / water resistant as my field test experienced unexpected drizzle during the first 3 holes.
4. Used both Shot Scope V5 and Bushnell iON Edge during my field test and both state that accuracy is +/- 1 yard; both watches agreed as to distance 70%, with 1 yard difference 25%, 2 yard difference 5%.
5. My first 18-hole round used up 36% of battery charge.
6. Learning curve to adjust from touchscreen (Bushnell iON Edge) to buttons (Shot Scope V5) was easy AFTER watching the V5 video tutorial.
7. When an approach shot goes over an irregularly-shaped green, even by just a few yards, the V5 automatically advanced the hole visual to the next hole, even before finishing the current hole.

Conclusion.

Golfers may opt for a less expensive GPS watch or they may go the more expensive route to a high-end GPS watch, but the value is greatest with the Shot Scope V5. A great device with the most bang for the buck.    Photos / Video: Courtesy of ShotScope.