PRODUCT REVIEW  GolftracPRO: Stats and
More in the Palm of Your Hand
By Kiel Christianson,
Senior Writer
LANSING, MI (Dec. 22, 2001) - Golfers love gadgetry. From Neanderthal gadgets like weighted clubs to space-aged GPS systems on our carts. From variable-thickness titanium alloy driver faces to mystery material barely legal golf balls. God help us, we just can't get enough golf toys. And now there's a nifty little software package from Handmark called GolftracPRO, which will help you do everything from keeping stats on your short game to keeping count of all the side-bets you and your buddies lay down during the course of a round. GolftracPRO ($19.99) runs on Palm OS devices (Mac and Windows compatible), and is intended to be used right on the course. The extremely user-friendly interface allows you to input the specs on dozens of courses (yardages, slopes, ratings, etc.), record scores for up to four players on each hole, keep stats such as fairways hit and number of putts, and calculate your handicap round by round. And, for all you closet golf hustlers, GolftracPRO also can keep running tabs on up to seven common wagering games simultaneously.
Now, I am as offended as the next serious golfer b y techno-dorks whose cell phones ring during your backswing. However, Palm Pilots don't make noise, and, if done correctly, the use of this program is no more distracting than making chicken scratches on your scorecard. This software is ideal for golfers who play the same course or courses repeatedly, because for each course it will take 10-15 minutes to enter all the specs. It is also perfect for those who play with the same foursome each week, because you can maintain running stats on everyone's performance from one round to the next. And, for all you Dave Pelz wannabes, it is in fact pretty cool to see how your greens in regulation, average drives, sand saves, etc. vary over the course of a season, This said, if you play a different course each round, or haven't yet become adept at using your Palm OS device, GolftracPRO might not be quite for you. I can imagine getting very frustrated trying to learn how to use a Palm Pilot, how to navigate the program, and how to hit a 3-wood stinger all at the same time. And added frustration is NOT what most golfers need. What we DO need, however - or at least what we want - is MORE GADGETS! For more information, go to www.handmark.com
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