Could this new GPS device change your on-course golfing experience? Review

With a tablet-sized display offering advanced analytics and over 45,000 courses, does the Pinned Golf Caddie bring a new level of technology to the every day golfer?

Just because we see something ‘new’ in the golf gadget marketplace, doesn’t always guarantee that it will also be ‘innovative.’ It’s often what separates the run-of-the-mill in this category from being amongst the best golf GPS devices in the game. With the Pinned Golf Caddie GPS tablet, the company are looking to take their bold approach in a completely different direction from what we’ve seen before.

But is that boldness backed up by what they have to offer?

Looks and Design – 4/5

Truth be told, I had thought that, like the iPod that came and went before them, the era of tablets was behind us now, save for occasionally keeping noisy children quiet in public. The not-quite-as-powerful-as-a-laptop, not-quite-as-convenient-as-a-phone seemed to have lost its place with the latest generations of those technologies offering so much viability.

So opening up the hard case to explore the Pinned Golf Caddie has certainly been something of a curiosity for me as to whether there’s actually a use for the plate-sized screen in the modern day.

To that end, like with the brand’s Prism+ laser rangefinder, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised by The Caddie.

Connecting to wifi to begin downloading the courses local to me, I’ve had my initial concerns about the device being cumbersome quickly overturned. The model itself is only a little heavier than my phone, despite the heavy duty magnet fitted into the rear side. Although it is a thicker unit because of this, it’s not going to impact your ability to grasp it in any way.

The 8-inch screen isn’t overwhelming, being about 1.3-ish times wider than my iPhone Pro Max and only another inch (3cm) taller, but it’s impressively bright, beneficial in both high-light and low-light conditions and easier to navigate between menu options thanks to a clear User Interface.

Technology – 4/5

That brightness is no coincidence either, it’s a design choice from Pinned to make sure The Caddie is useable in every condition you could find yourself playing in. This includes a quick late evening nine holes, where you’re battling to finish in the last of the daylight, or in blindingly-bright Arizona summer sunshine, thanks to a powerful 700-nit display.

Beyond the clarity of the screen, the Pinned Golf Caddie offers one of the highest course counts on the market, with more than 45,000 maps available for truly worldwide usage and travel.

Coupled with the maps is a simple and easy-to-use scorecard tracking system that allows you to keep checks on everything you need to use the analytics functionality in the model, including putts per hole, fairways in regulation, and greens in regulations.

The main reason you’ll have taken note of this device, no doubt, is the interesting use of the 3D hole mapping that features in The Caddie. This is a largely unique choice in the world of golf consumer tech, generally being seen on Smart Driving Ranges or installed into ride-in carts at higher-end golf clubs.

Access to all of the above isn’t hindered by a subscription model either – once you’ve made your purchase, you’ll never be charged again to use any service on the unit as well as receiving regular updates from Pinned to ensure your Caddie is always optimized for your game.

Finally, as we’ve already noted, there’s a powerful magnet installed into the back of the tablet to provide sturdy attachment to any metal surface you need. If you’d prefer to be attached to your electric/push cart however, there’s also a mounting accessory available through the company (although it does come in at an additional cost of $49.99/£49.99 on top of what you’re already paying).

Performance – 3.5/5

Reading the descriptions of the tech I’ve just walked through has had me excited to see how The Caddie would play once I’d gotten it out on the golf course itself.

The reality has been something of a mixed bag, however.

Let me be clear that I don’t dislike the Pinned Golf product, I think this is a really innovative new take in what is becoming something of a stale or slow-moving category within the golf market. More often than not, new devices offer tweaks to their seasoning over a straight up new recipe, so I appreciate the bold decision chosen here.

I’d rather begin with what I like, so to that end, I genuinely love the game tracking and the analytical abilities of The Caddie. Understanding more about your game is a major key to actually improving your play, instead simply repeating the same issues, so being able to actively dictate my play to the tablet is great.

Additionally, the screen size makes it easy to select the option that I wanted, instead of pushing something else by accident as I have done with smaller models.

The 3D detailing is also a really cool detail, and gives a much stronger representation of target lines and blind challenges when attacking hidden green positions or targets that I couldn’t have seen from my position in the fairway. It’s been very clear to read as well, thanks to that impressively bright display, and I’ve enjoyed it almost acting like an internal torch for the cart as I’ve played my last few holes after losing my race with the evening sun.

On top of this, while it might only be a small detail, the magnetic back is exceptionally strong, despite the abuse I’ve thrown at it. I’ve taken the cart on some deliberately obtuse routes to test the reliability (as nobody wants to watch their expensive GPS unit go flying off when they bounce over a tree root) and there’s been zero incidents of The Caddie coming away from the pillar it was snapped on to.

Unfortunately, for everything that I do like, the negatives have had an impact for me that I can’t just put down as personal gripes.

I think the only fair way to describe my experience with the Pinned Golf Caddie is ‘janky.’

As I played the course and switched behind holes, the technology often found itself slow to load the next hole, jumping and jerking between the hole overview panning. It sounds like a minor thing, as you can always replay the hole preview if needed, but this also had an impact on me being able to get a consistent response from trying to skip through to the main screen.

Alongside this, there’s been multiple times where I’ve pushed an option on the tablet and the unit has been slow to activate or non-responsive without a firmer push, which has led to some frustration when clicking on things I didn’t want to because I’ve double-tapped my selection. I will note that this doesn’t happen when using the main, settings, or course selection menus, only when actively playing a hole.

I’m also not super keen on the front/rear adjustments not changing to the line that I’m on when hitting into a green. Telling me that I have 165 to the front is fine, but if the ‘front’ of the green from my fairway position is 10 yards further back from that when looking at the flag, that’s what I’d prefer to see displayed, as with my experience with the Garmin Approach Z30 Laser.

Overall – 3.5/5

Like I said, I do really think there’s something in Pinned Golf’s The Caddie GPS tablet, and it undoubtedly is going to be one to watch for the future of the game.

For now though, my difficulties with it have proven to just weigh down on the overall quality a little too much for me to justify putting this at the top of my recommended pile, however I do have some caveats to that.

I would definitely say I have a shorter fuse when it comes to responsiveness, so the speed of The Caddie may not be anywhere near as much as a problem for you, and Pinned Golf are also providing regular updates to download and make your device run as smoothly as possible, so this may only be a temporary problem – something I’d like to come back to in the future, for sure.

Beyond that there’s plenty here to make up for it if you don’t already use some kind of data analytics in your own game.

But, as with a lot of new technology, you’ll often get a better user experience if you just wait for the second generation’s refinements.

RRP: $449.99/£399.99

Finishes: One, gray

Display: 8-inch, 700-nit screen

Waterproof: IPX7 Waterproof

Battery: USB-C Rechargeable battery

Courses: 45,000

Charger: USB-C included

Connectivity: Yes, stat-tracking and analytic feedback