REVIEW: Callaway AllSport GPS Watch
So Much More than Just a Golf GPS Watch
The days of being an exclusive golf product are done. Almost everything used for golf has cross-over uses. Shoes are now spikeless to be worn on and off the course, apparel is just a comfortable for an afternoon on the links or an evening at the bar, and GPS watches track you shots as well as your distances in the pool. (who knows maybe one day they’ll come up with an alternate use for drivers and irons) If you invest in a GPS watch, it sure is nice that you can use it beyond the golf course. The Callaway AllSport GPS watch does just that; it’s a GPS watch that functions for golf, running, swimming, biking and step counting, as well as connecting to your phone for texts, tweets and notifications. It’s possible you could use this watch more for other things than golf over the lifetime of ownership.
The Callaway AllSport GPS watch is made by Izzo. They have a long history of making golf accessories in the background. Their dual strap design is still copied by almost every stand bag company and they have since moved into GPS accessories. Callaway has been using Izzo to make their accessories now for a couple seasons and have really put out some great products. The AllSport GPS watch is their newest collaboration. It combines all the typical functions of a golf GPS watch and adds in fitness features. It will also sync via Bluetooth to an app on your phone to save data so you can track your progress.
The Callaway AllSport GPS watch is a solid performer as a stand alone GPS watch. It tracks front, center and middle distances with accuracy. The pre-loaded courses seemed to cover every course I play in southern AZ. You can also keep score, putts and GIR all on the watch. It can also track you shot distance and with the push of a button you can see hazard yardages. As you move from hole to hole it will automatically advance. Sometimes if you hit an errant shot or the tee is very close to the green you might need to manually advance or change back to the hole you are actually playing, which is typical of all GPS units. It doesn’t have the fastest initial load time while looking for a course, so I always turn it on to golf in the parking lot so that by the first tee it is ready to go. If you wait until the 1st tee, it might not find you until the 1st green. While some things are pretty intuitive for use and automatic, somethings were not. There are 3 main buttons on the side for up/down and select. But to switch from score to putts, you need to hold the down button for 2 seconds. Not hard once you figure it out, but it seems like it would be easier to just select or even the back button on the other side would be easier.
The running feature of the Callaway AllSport GPS watch is the one I used the next most often. While I’m not a runner, I do realize the health benefits that should have me running more regularly. My schedule only allows for morning runs so after getting my running clothes on I grabbed the watch and was ready to go. Except the GPS won’t find you indoors. So I went outside and waited and waited for the GPS in running mode to get ready. I takes at least 3 full minutes. If I was smart I would stretch during that time, instead I just got frustrated that I could be a ways into my run already. Once it is up and running it offers a nice display of distance, time and pace. Once you are done you can sync it with your phone to keep a record of your runs and watch for an improved pace.
I didn’t use the Callaway AllSport GPS watch to swim or bike yet, it has been a little too cold, even in AZ for swimming and I haven’t had my bike out yet, but based on the running use, I’m sure it works great except for the GPS lag during start up. Another feature if you wear the watch all the time is that it works like other GPS trackers as a pedometer. So you can see if you hit your goal of 10,000 steps a day. Once feature that shouldn’t be overlooked is the clock which is set via GPS too. You can’t initialize your watch from indoors, but once you get it outside, you know that you will always have accurate time.
The Callaway AllSport GPS watch offers many nice features beyond the golf course. While it might be slow at connecting to the satellites, it is accurate and useful. One of the best features of this watch is the battery life. Many GPS units i’ve used for golf barely make 36 holes, this one worked for 54+. Even wearing all day long, it didn’t run out of battery. The simply magnetic charging cord works great to charge it back up at night which you can do every other day if you don’t sync it to Bluetooth all the time. I also wouldn’t suggest using it synced to Bluetooth during a round, the notification most likely will come the wrong time, like your downswing on a drive, or just about at impact on a putt. I had it lock up with so many notifications during a round.
If you prefer GPS or if you want a fitness tracker that you can also use for golf, the Callaway AllSport GPS watch is a really good option because of its long battery life and multi-sport uses. It was accurate for Golf and offered nice training information. The silicone/rubber band is comfortable and charging is easy and fairly quick. Be patient acquiring GPS signals, but once it is locked, you’ll always have the correct time and ready for golf or training. It really offers a whole lot more than just a golf GPS.
For more information: www.callawaydmd.com/gps-watches/allsport-watch
Quick Hits:
+Long battery life
+Accurate GPS
+Good fitness tracker
+Waterproof
+App sync via Bluetooth
–Slow to acquire GPS signal
–Notifications via Bluetooth can annoy during round
