Shot Scope G5 Watch Review: "A simple but effective tool for lower scoring"
Featuring a simple display, versatile functions and a new changeable strap, the Shot Scope G5 is an excellent tool for navigating the course.
Shot Scope G5 Key Features
- Quick and easy setup: no need to link to the app before play
- Front middle and back yardages: displayed on a bright and clear screen
- 36,000 preloaded courses: the mapping team can update any course in 48 hours
- Digital Scorecard: your score can be displayed on the home screen
- Customisable watch straps: 12 different colours to choose from
- Yardages to doglegs and hazards: avoids any nasty surprises on blind shots
The Shot Scope G5 is a simple yet very effective GPS watch that offers a wide range of features at a remarkably affordable price point.
Sometimes, the simplest tools are the best, and that's certainly the case with the new Shot Scope G5 watch. Unlike the X5, it doesn't offer shot tracking and performance analysis, but what it does do is provide you with a broad array of yardages and organisational tools to make each round that bit easier.
When our watch arrived, we immediately got it out of the package before we headed out for a round to see just how easy it was to set up. The first thing we noticed was that connecting the interchangeable strap is quite a fiddly process.
Clipping in the strap took a little longer than expected, but once connected, it felt firm and secure, and we were ready to turn it on.
I would be amazed if there is a GPS watch that can go from the box to giving you a yardage on the first tee as quickly as the G5. With no need to connect it to an app, the GPS quickly linked to the course we were playing, and we were ready to go. The whole process honestly can't have taken more than a minute.
So, how did the watch perform on the course? Let's find out.
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Shot Scope G5 Performance:
We really can't fault the performance of this watch. Featuring a simple front/middle/back yardage display that can be customised to show as little or as much info as possible, the watch also allows you to seamlessly transition the display to show you lay up yardages and hazards at the simple click of a button.
As soon as you get near to the green, the watch will prompt you to input your score, and thanks to the well-labelled four buttons that span the outside of the face, altering and confirming it couldn't be easier.
If you need to change hole or alter your scorecard, it's very easy to navigate back to a menu that lets you select from a variety of options, from which you can make any necessary adjustments.
As far as user experiences go, the G5 couldn't be easier to use. While I doubt many three-year-olds have the need for a GPS watch, if they did, they could operate this one with ease.
So, how accurate are the yardages? We took out our rangefinder during the round to test the GPS tech, and we're happy to report that everything was matching up nicely. Measurements to hazards and greens were all spot on, and thanks to the additional layup yardages you can click to, we found ourselves managing to navigate holes much more accurately, leaving ourselves with good yardages to attack greens.
This particular layup function is not always featured on GPS watches, but it was an excellent tool and one that could likely save you a couple of shots per round.
Shot Scope G5 Looks
The G5 is by no means the sleekest and most modern-looking GPS watch on the market, but what it does offer you is a no-thrills display housed in an incredibly lightweight body.
Weighing in at just 42 grams, you barely notice you're wearing this watch, which we really loved. Typically, we don't like wearing a watch while we play, but we honestly forgot we had the G5 on when we weren't looking down at it for a yardage.
The face of the watch features a square central display within a slightly darker space that's home to the button labels and branding.
This design may divide opinion a little as it does look slightly odd with the screen within a screen. The empty space could have perhaps been used to make the display slightly larger, or alternatively, they could have removed the space to create a lighter and more compact body entirely.
This is only a slight criticism, though, as, on the whole, the watch has a very simple and robust design that will likely appeal to a broad audience.
The actual display itself is also very bright and easy to read, even when held in direct sunlight.
The wide variety of coloured watch straps available also means you can change the look of the G5 entirely to match your outfit. The watch initially comes with two straps, but many more are available to purchase, with colours ranging from a simple black to a more exciting racing red.
Should you buy the Shot Scope G5?
The G5 offers a huge amount of bang for your buck. Costing almost half of some of its direct competitors, it's not only great value but also a fantastic all-around GPS device.
The display could be a touch more modern, and the strap could be slightly easier to attach, but other than that, we really can't fault this watch.
The easy-to-use interface will become second nature after only a few holes, and thanks to the super lightweight construction, you won't have any issues with discomfort or interference in your swing.
So, if you're looking for a tool to help you navigate the course and shave some shots off your score, but don't want to break the bank in doing so, then this watch is absolutely the right one for you.
Simple, robust and at a great price, the G5 is, for us, the best value GPS watch on the market right now.
Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
