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IZZO Swami 1500 Golf GPS Unit | 
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| Brand: Izzo
Category: Sports
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $74.38
as of 9/5/2010 01:05:25 PDT details
You Save: $25.61 (26%)
New (25) Used (2) from $65.00
Rating:  104 reviews
Sales Rank: 1328
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6 x 6 x 3
MPN: A43090
Model: Swami 1500 GPS
UPC: 689769430909
EAN: 0689769430909
ASIN: B001P829XC
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Golf GPS unit for beginner to intermediate golfers for calculating distance to the front, center, and back of the green | | • | Stores up to 10 courses at a time; compatible with more than 12,000 U.S. courses | | • | Fast Insta-Lok technology; large easy-to-read display and 4 intuitive buttons | | • | Easy-to-use PC connection for downloads and charging; rechargeable lithium battery | | • | Runs for at least 12 hours per charge; measures 3.75 by 1 by 2 inches (W x H x D) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Golf is a game of precision, so why depend on ballpark guesses when estimating the distance to the green? Enter the Izzo Swami 1500, a fully featured golf GPS unit that offers everything you need to approach the pin with confidence. Powered by the latest SIRFStar III chip and equipped with Insta-Lok technology, the Swami instantly calculates the distance to the front, center, and back of the green on more than 12,000 courses across the U.S., turning your golf game from piffling to precise. The Swami is easier to use and more accurate than a laser rangefinder. That's because the Swami measures distances without requiring a direct line of sight to the target, while a laser rangefinder can only measure to the flagstick or other defined objects within its sight. Plus, a rangefinder's accuracy is highly dependent on how far you are from the target, whereas the Swami's GPS technology is accurate to within a few feet. Most importantly, the Swami simply helps you play better golf. When you know the exact distance to the flag and the borders of the green, you can pick the right club for the distance and do it faster. No more wasting time searching for yardstick markers or sprinkler heads. Just upload the course from the online Swami Map Manager (subscription required) before your round, stand under an open sky, and the Swami's Insta-Lok technology does the rest, locking in the correct yardage to a target with minimal lag time. Even when riding in a cart, the yardage changes instantly. The Swami stores up to 10 courses at a time and automatically recognizes the course you're playing upon powering up. The Swami is also a breeze to use, with intuitive buttons and a large display that allows you to quickly cycle from hole to hole. And even though the Swami is precise and user-friendly, it costs about half as much as most other golf GPS systems. That's because Izzo streamlined the latest technology while maintaining only the most vital features in an effort to make the Swami more affordable. The navigator is built using the same state-of-the-art technology as the highest-end GPS units, but without the costly bells and whistles that most golfers don't really need or use. The Swami is perfectly legal to use in many handicaps and tournaments, as both the USGA and the R&A have allowed the use of distance measuring devices when the local governing committee permits it. Users should always check with the local golf pro if the event is a USGA-sanctioned tournament before using the Swami on the course. Other features include an easy-to-use PC connection for downloads and charging; a rechargeable lithium battery that runs for a minimum of 12 hours per charge; a water-resistant housing; and OS compatibility with Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. The Swami 1500, which measures 3.75 by 1 by 2 inches (W x H x D), carries a 90-day warranty. Key Details: - Insta-Lok technology provides accurate distance information to the front, center, and back of the green
- Large, easy-to-read display
- 4 simple-to-use buttons
- 12,000 courses available
- Stores up to 10 courses at a time
- Automatic course recognition on power up
- SIRFstar III technology
- Simple, easy PC connection for downloads and charging
- Rechargeable lithium battery included
- Runs for a minimum of 12 hours without recharging
- Measures 3.75 by 1 by 2 inches (W x H x D)
 | | The compact Swami 1500 includes a belt clip, USB cable, quick-start instructions |
What's in the Box?
Swami 1500, belt clip, USB cable, quick-start guide. Note: An initial $9.99 activation fee is required to download course maps. With this fee you will receive unlimited course downloads for one full year from the time of your activation. After one year, you are not required to reactivate. If you choose not to reactivate, courses loaded on your Swami will remain on the unit; however, you will not receive course updates or be able to download new courses to your unit unless the activation fee is renewed.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 104
 Simple and Effective October 17, 2009
BO (southwestern VA)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful
This device basically does one thing, and does it well: displays distance to the green. One of the four buttons, labeled FCB, cycles through the distance to Front, Center, and Back of the green, so it is possible to determine depth of the green as the difference between front and back. The other three buttons are on/off, next hole, and previous hole. There's no touchscreen, scorekeeping, weather reporting, etc.
This is my evaluation, based on limited (several rounds) experience:
Pros
+ Simple and effective
+ Accurate (within a couple yards of on-course markers and center of green)
+ Good battery life (at least 4 rounds per charge)
+ Includes AC/USB adapter (computer not required to charge the device)
+ Large LCD display; numbers easily seen at a glace
+ No issues with software, setup, course selection, downloading
+ Good value, considering base price and $10 annual data fee
Neutral
o Plastic belt clip - I wonder how long until it breaks
o Overall size is not small, though effective use of front surface space with the LCD and buttons.
o Ten (10) course capacity is reasonable
Cons
- A bit thick: almost 1" at widest point on the belt clip.
- USB/charging port is not protected. What will happen when it gets wet?
- It only goes in the belt clip in one direction. If worn on the belt, you look at the numbers and controls upside down. Or, if clipped upside down, there is the risk is falls off the belt or out of the clip.
[end of review 10/17/09]
Best bang for the buck September 16, 2009
M. Thomas Diklich (Norfolk, Va USA)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
Simply put, this is the best deal on an entry level golf gps out there. All it does is lock onto the satelites fast, recognize the course you are playing without any input from you, and tell you how far you are from the center, back or front of the green. It updates constantly as you move, and all you have to do is hit the ^ button after each hole, advancing it to the next one. The readout is large enough to see from quite a distance, so you can clip it to the cart when carts are allowed on the grass, but it's more than small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket. If you are good enough to need distances to all the hazzards on each hole, and are willing to pay at least twice as much, look elsewhere. Otherwise, this unit this close to $100 is the bomb. Be sure the wall charger is included, 'cause some vendors are lowballing this unit without telling you it isn't in the box. (Charging it with the computer cable included requires that your computer and their software is running, and this can be a bit of a bother sometimes.) Their annual course download fee is only 10$, not the 35$ everyone else wants. It only holds 10 courses at a time, but downloading others is a snap and they will map any course for you that they don't already have. (they had all the ones I wanted already mapped) The charge lasts 12 hours, but you do have to be responsible enough to turn it off when you are done, something Izzo might consider correcting in the future with an auto off feature.
Best GPS value for the money on the market! July 27, 2009
A. Janco (Pittsburgh, PA)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
So I just got done using the Swami for a quick 9 hole run, because I was anxious to see how it would perform.
Upon completion of the round I am happy to say that I am VERY pleased. Not only did the Swami do as advertised,
I was able to shoot one of my lowest scores of the season so far with it. The yardages it gives are very accurate
and the best part in my opinion is that it doesn't take a huge amount of time to "settle" down when you get to your
ball to acquire a yardage, which helps with your pace of play. (Unlike the skycaddie which takes a fair amount of time to "settle" on a yardage.)
The $35 activation fee is definitely reasonable in my opinion as well, because it's really only a one-time fee if you choose. You
can download 10 courses that you play on a regular basis and then that's really all you need, unless you travel a lot.
All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this GPS to both amateurs and scratch golfers alike. It's probably the BEST GPS for the money on the market right now.
Glad I switched July 29, 2009
J. Ward
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
I had skycaddie and it was constantly having problems with the yardages. It was painful to have to pay for a subscription again for a product that worked about 50% of the time. So when I saw the SWAMI I went for it figuring it would cost about the same as a couple of years subscription to skycaddie. I play the same courses most of the time so I doubt I will need to do an update beyond the 10 I download. The device works great. Easy to read and front, center, back of the green is really all I need. I found the install easy once I had read others reviews and realized I needed to follow directions carefully. I think this is a great value.
Izzo Swami 1500 Golf GPS September 22, 2009
D. J. Gross (Central NY)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I bought the unit and received it in a very timely manner. The unit was easy to program by downloading courses onto it from the website. There is a $10 annual fee for access the website in order add course downloads and software updates (cd and instructions included with the unit). You are not required to renew every year. The unit holds up to 10 coarses, which you can change if you desire or you can just have the 10 and never have need to access the website again. There were two courses I wanted that were not listed. I requested and they were mapped with 4-5 days. I was notified they were available and I added them to the unit without any trouble. I used my unit on a course that had GPS in the cart and the Swami unit read within 5 yards of the yardage noted on the cart's GPS system(for my game,that is close enough).I recommend this unit as an excellent value for the money.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 104
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