Golf GPS Device Reviews: OnPar Touchscreen GPS
The OnPar is one of the newest golf GPS devices, and with its iPhone-esque touch screen, probably qualifies as the shiniest and sparkliest unit on the market. The device has an unparalleled feature set, including overhead views of each hole, probably the most detailed green views of any device, the ability to determine distances to any point on the course, and easy tracking of a plethora of statistics. The user interface is also clean and intuitive.
At the same time, all that glitters is not gold. The device is buggy, and some of the features didn’t work properly. The “club recommendation” feature makes the device non-USGA compliant. [Editor's Note: OnPar's web site now states that they've received a decision from the USGA that the device is permitted under the Rules of Golf.] We aren’t sold on whether touchscreens really are the best way to accurately select targets, and OnPar doesn’t pre-mark any distances on the hole maps other than the front/middle/back of the green. In addition, the OnPar placed near the bottom of our test of golf course coverage.
So many pros, and yet so many cons. For now, the OnPar grades out with an 86, good for a “B”. If the company can debug the problems we experienced and fill out its course coverage, it could quickly shoot up in our rankings. Gadget freaks who absolutely must have the latest and greatest won’t be disappointed in the “wow” factor they get from their friends when they pull out the OnPar. We’re a bit more hesitant – it will take some work by OnPar to keep the device from going the way of the Apple Newton, the Sony MiniDisc, the Sega Dreamcast and other devices that were just a bit ahead of their time.
Pros:
- Easy tracking of scores and statistics
- Intuitive interface
- Overhead hole maps
- Can determine the distance to any point on a hole
Cons:
- Distance to hazards not marked
- Not USGA-compliant [Editor's Note: OnPar's web site now states that they've received a decision from the USGA that the device is permitted under the Rules of Golf.]
- Bugs still need to be worked out
- Not many courses available yet.
Retail price: $399.00
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Setup
The Good: The process is simple and the interface is intuitive. The Quick Start guide is descriptive, and we encountered no glitches in getting up and running.
The Bad: When the user launches the course synchronization software on the computer, the program only runs in the background until the device is plugged in with the USB cable. In other words, it’s confusing to the user as to whether the software has been launched or not. OnPar’s FAQs address the issue, but it would be nice if the Quick Start instructions provided guidance as well.
Details:
- Required Steps. Setting up the OnPar is similar to most other devices we tested, and involves:
- registering on their web site to create an account;
- installing course synchronization software on your computer;
- searching for and selecting the courses you want to load to the device; and
- connecting the OnPar to the computer via a USB cable and “syncing” the courses to the device.
- Time Required for Setup. OnPar’s Quick Start guide does a nice job of sketching out an orderly process that took a total of 16 minutes from start to finish, about 7 minutes of which was spent downloading and installing the course synchronization software on a PC. The course searching process is easy and straightforward. OnPar makes it simple to request mapping of a course that is currently available, and grants priority to mapping a course that a user identifies as his or her “home course.”
Suggestion Box: During the set-up process, OnPar presents the user with two different versions of the desktop synchronization software that can be downloaded, which are identified as 32-bit and 64-bit. Unfortunately, they don’t explain the difference between the two. Even if they assume that gadget-heads who are already using 64-bit operating systems will know what to use, it would be nice if they provided some indication of which version is relevant for the rest of us.
What’s in the Box: The OnPar comes with:
- USB cable
- Wall charger
- Protective rubber case
- Wrist strap
- Quick Start Guide.
Required Downloads:
- Desktop synchronization software
Course Availability
Critical Golf Test: OnPar scored a disappointing 57% coverage in our course coverage test, finishing second to last among its competitors. With such a low number, analysis of its performance in specific geographic areas and course type is a bit pointless, but suffice it to say that the lack of coverage was generally uniform. This isn’t too surprising, given the newness of the device, so we’ll check back later in the year and update this score.
Manufacturer’s Claims: OnPar claims to have approximately 4,000 courses in its database, which makes it the smallest among the devices tested.
Ease of Use
The Good: The OnPar stores up to 300 courses, so the user is unlikely to need to swap new courses in and out because of storage capacity constraints (we would note playing more than 300 courses on a regular basis is a high-class problem to have, and one we’d like to acquire). Finding distances to a general area (where precision is not critical) is as easy as touching the point on the screen.
The Bad: We’re not convinced that touch screens are the best interface when precision is important. Hazards and other points are not marked on the OnPar’s maps; rather, the device presents an overhead illustration of the hole. When the user touches a point on the hole, an icon of a golf ball is placed on the picture, and the distance to the golf ball icon is indicated, as well as the distance from the icon to the green. In our experience, pinpointing a particular spot, like the edge of a bunker, required zooming in on the hole as much as possible, followed by a painstaking and delicate process of fine-tuning the position of the icon on the screen by nudging it back and forth. Note that to move the icon, the user puts his finger on it…which then obscures his vision of the icon, making it difficult to determine exactly where the icon is on the map (this will be even more difficult for users with large fingers). We had similar problems in indicating our position with the “track shot” feature – the touch screen just doesn’t lend itself to precision. Perhaps this gets easier over time, but it didn’t exactly scream “easy to use” to our reviewers.
We also note that when zoomed in to precisely identify a target, the spot on the hole where the device places the distance may be beyond the edges of that screen – forcing the user to zoom out to see the distance, and then zoom back in if they want to adjust the target point. It’s like trying to set up a TV satellite dish on your own, shuttling back and forth between the dish on the roof and the TV in your living room to see if the dish is pointed in the right direction to pick up a signal.
Details:
- Buttons. As would befit a touch screen device, the OnPar only has a single button, which serves as both a power button and to take the device in and out of sleep mode. Accessing menus and zooming and panning around the screen are all done through the touch screen.
- Screen. The color screen is bright, and the largest among the devices tested. The screen will automatically increase brightness in sunny conditions.
- Touchscreen sensitivity. The color screen is bright, and the largest among the devices tested. The screen will automatically increase brightness in sunny conditions.
- Form Factor. The OnPar is similar in size to larger cell phones. For some perspective, the OnPar is to an iPhone as Rumer Willis is to Demi Moore – you can definitely see the resemblance, but it’s a bit shorter, wider, and thicker. The width is a bit more than ideal (we’re talking about the OnPar, not Rumer Willis) for sliding in an out of a pocket, particularly if the protective rubber case is used, but it’s not ungainly. The device comes in at a reasonable 4.5 ounces.
- Starting a Round. After powering up the device, the user needs to select the desired course. If the device has acquired satellites, the courses are listed in order of proximity to the current location; otherwise, the courses are listed alphabetically. An overhead drawing of the course is then presented, and the user can touch any of the holes to see the detail of that hole and begin play.
Suggestion Box: In order to more accurately place the golf ball icon on the screen, it might be useful to allow the icon to move even when the user’s finger is touching the screen in the approximate area of the icon, such as 1/2” below or to the side, allowing the user to better see the point where they are setting the target.
Uh Oh: The downside of a device that is essentially a small computer is that it will act like one. We encountered multiple “file not found” errors (when trying to nudge the flagstick on the green view) that forced us to shut down and restart the OnPar. We hope that OnPar will quickly provide a software upgrade to eliminate this problem.
Course Detail and Mapping
The Good: The ability to determine the distance to any point and to pinpoint the precise position of a target on the green provides tremendous flexibility. With the touch of a finger, users can stand on a point and save that point to the hole map, and the device will show the distance to that point in future rounds.
The Bad: We would have liked to have seen OnPar add pre-marked distances to targets and hazards to its ability to determine the distance to any point on the hole, similar to the approach taken by the Callaway uPro (albeit through a cursor, rather than a touch screen). Without pre-marked distances, the user is forced to spend time on each hole checking distances to various hazards or targets – a user experience more akin to the use of a laser rangefinder, but without the same level of precision. Thankfully, as indicated above in “The Good” and below in “Custom Mapping”, OnPar makes it easy for users to customize the map with hazards or layup points.
Details:
- Views. There are two views available – a “hole view” which shows an overhead illustration of the hole, and a “green view”.
- Hole view – The user can pan around on the illustration of the hole with the touch screen, and can zoom in and out using a sliding button on the touch screen. As indicated above under “Ease of Use”, touching a point on the hole will display the distance to that point, and the distance from that point to the green. The hole view always displays the distances to the front, middle and back of the green at the top of the screen. The OnPar can also provide an overlay on the hole view that shows radiating bands (with different color lines) at 250, 200, 150 and 100 yards from the center of the green.
- Green view – Shows the shape of the green, and allows the user to either touch any point on the green to indicate the flagstick position and determine the distance to that point, or use arrow buttons on the touchscreen to nudge the flagstick position in increments of one yard. This view also shows the distance from that point to the front or back edge of the green (whichever is closest to the flackstick position, and based on the angle of approach from the user’s current position) and the nearest lateral edge of the green (i.e. the user can find the point that is five yards from the front edge of the green and 10 yards from the right edge of the green). Unfortunately, the orientation of the green view is always fixed – it does not rotate based upon the user’s angle of approach, and sometimes the green view is zoomed in so far that it’s difficult for the user to determine their line of approach.
- Hole Information. The hole number and par are always visible on the “hole view” and “green view” screens. Hole handicap is not available.
- Custom Mapping. Users can easily add their own custom points to a hole map by standing on the point to be mapped and pressing a button – that point will remain mapped for future rounds, and the device will indicate the distance from the current position to that point. The availability of this feature overcomes much of our concern about the lack of marked hazards.
Suggestion Box: The hole view is an illustration of the hole, rather than a photograph, which raises some concern about how true to scale the drawings actually are, and whether all of the relevant trees, bunkers and other hazards are accurately depicted.
Features
The Good: The OnPar is chock full o’features, and is particularly good about tracking prior performance. Gadget lovers will enjoy exploring the capabilities of the device over time.
The Bad: We’re not really sure of the utility of a lot of the features. One that stands out is the club recommendation “feature”, which disqualifies the use of the device in rounds contributing to a USGA handicap or for USGA tournaments. Ouch! [Editor's Note: OnPar's web site now states that they've received a decision from the USGA that the device is permitted under the Rules of Golf.] Oh, and some of the features just plain didn’t work. Double ouch!
Details:
- Shot Tracking. The device has a simple interface for tracking shots and for indicating the club used on each shot. A unique feature of the OnPar is that if a user tracks shots through a round, the next time the user plays that course, the device can place on overlay on the hole view that shows all of the tracked shots from the prior round. Reviewing shots from past rounds during play isn’t particularly useful for us, but perhaps is for some.
- Scores and Statistics. The touch screen shines in how easy it is to track scores and statistics – score and putts are input by pressing either the “plus” button or “minus” button on the screen. During one of our test rounds, we noted an incorrect number for par on one hole – unfortunately, the OnPar does not allow users to modify the scorecards. Fairways hit and greens hit in regulation are logged by touching a check box on each hole. If the user is using the shot tracking function, the device will prompt the user on whether a fairway was hit or if the green was reached in regulation. But a couple of things didn’t work on the “Statistics” page. We had high hopes for this feature, as it purports to show the average putts per round, putts per hole, average score, the percentage of time a player makes a par, bogey, birdie, etc., percentage of greens in regulation, the longest drive, the average drive, and even whether fairways are missed left or right. But we had issues with the percentages of particular scores (the OnPar claimed we had eagles on 101% of the holes played), the percentage of greens in regulation, (greater than 108% throughout one round), and the OnPar did not calculate the fairway driving accuracy at all. Lots of work left to fix the errors here.
- Club recommendation. If the user saves shot distances and the clubs used on those shots, the OnPar will calculate the average shot distance with each club over the prior 18 rounds, and based upon that calculation, provide a recommendation for the club to be used at a given distance. This function can be turned on and off, but the USGA has indicated to us through an e-mail exchange that any device that provides club recommendations cannot be used in a USGA-sanctioned tournament, and the use of such a device during a round will invalidate use of that score for USGA handicap purposes. This rule applies even if the function is turned off during the round in question. Essentially, if you use the OnPar, you shouldn’t be posting your score. The spectrum of rules that golfers regularly break is wide, ranging from taking mulligans on the first tee, to utilizing the “foot wedge” if when the ball comes to rest in a divot on the fairway, to announcing “I’m just gonna drop one here and take a one stroke penalty” when the ball can’t be found in deep rough. Where does use of the OnPar fall in that spectrum? Who are we to judge? [Editor's Note: OnPar's web site now states that they've received a decision from the USGA that the device is permitted under the Rules of Golf.]
- Auto-Advance. The device does not automatically advance to the next hole, although it will prompt the user to manually advance.
- Preferences. Auto power off settings, time zone, and measurement unit (yards vs. meters) are the highlights among the limited set of adjustable preferences on the OnPar.
For more details, check out the Critical Golf comparison of golf GPS features across all devices tested.
Accuracy
Device Accuracy: We experienced no distance accuracy issues in our test of device accuracy, with all distances within the acceptable range of plus or minus 4 yards. The OnPar does take longer than other devices to acquire satellites to start the round and to provide distance readings during the round. It was only on the order of a few seconds, but we became accustomed to pausing to get the most accurate reading before putting the OnPar back in our pocket.
Mapping Accuracy: We tested the OnPar on a variety of courses and had a few course mapping issues. One egregious error was that on one course, the holes were mislabeled – holes 1-9 were labeled holes 10-18, and vice versa. On that same course, the middle of the green on one hole was off by about 6 yards – not the end of the world, given the built-in margin of error of GPS devices, but worth noting. The device will stop showing distance readings when the user is within 5 yards of the green, but a cutoff distance that close didn’t affect our general testing of accuracy (some devices cut off distance readings inside of 30 or 50 yards, which may give some indication that they are less confident in their accuracy).
Cost/Value
Retail Price: The OnPar’s retail price of $399 puts it on par with most of the full-featured golf GPS devices tested.
Fees for Access to Course Database: Balancing the high cost of the device itself is the fact that there are no fees for access to OnPar’s course database. That’s far better than just “on par” (oh come on, you knew we were going to use that sooner or later).
Three-Year Total Cost of Ownership: Since there is no cost for access to the course database, the three-year total cost of ownership of the OnPar is $399 (the cost of the device itself), puts it in the middle of the pack in our cost comparison.
Value: Analyzing the value of the OnPar was difficult for us. With its touch screen and other features, the OnPar definitely is among the tops in terms of “cool factor” – but we’re not convinced that all of the features are really useful and, as pointed out above under “Features”, the club recommendation feature is detrimental in our view. [Editor's Note: OnPar's web site now states that they've received a decision from the USGA that the device is permitted under the Rules of Golf.] The lack of fees for accessing the course database is great, and the price of the device is at the same level of other full-featured GPS devices. In the end, we liked the value of the OnPar, but didn’t love it.