Bushnell iON Elite: GreenView with movable pin

Green and hole features

Bushnell lists dynamic green mapping, which adjusts the front, centre and back figures based on your angle of approach. GreenView lets you drag the pin to its actual position on the day. Hole view with shot planning helps plot layups, and up to six hazards per hole are shown.

Slope compensated distances account for elevation. As with any slope feature, switch it off for competitions.

Screen and battery

The watch uses a touchscreen with 240 x 240 resolution. Battery life is listed at 15 hours, enough for two rounds between charges. Bluetooth connects to a smartphone. Amazon gives the weight as 56.6 g.

A 15 hour figure is the same as the GPS rating Garmin gives the S44, and half the S12. If you play 36 holes in a day or go away on a golf break, pack the charger.

What the listing leaves out

The number of preloaded courses is not stated beyond worldwide coverage, and the listing does not mention whether any features need a subscription. Bushnell offers a two year warranty.

The product details also include some odd entries, such as a 3.0 screen size and an item type of clock, which look like catalogue errors rather than real specs. Treat the touchscreen and 240 x 240 resolution as the reliable figures, and if the screen size matters to you, confirm it with Bushnell before ordering.

Comparing it with the Voice Caddie A3 and SkyCaddie LX5

The Voice Caddie A3 offers similar slope and pin features plus green undulation and a fitness mode. The SkyCaddie LX5 includes three years of membership with ground verified maps and a larger, brighter screen. The iON Elite is a balanced pick for golfers who trust Bushnell's green mapping.

Setting it up for your home course

The movable pin is most useful if you take a few seconds on each green to drag the flag to the day's position. Once that habit is formed, approach yardages become far more realistic than a fixed centre figure, especially on long, two tier greens where the gap between front and back pins can be a club or more.

Hole view shot planning works best when you know your stock carry distances, so it pays to note how far each club flies before leaning on the planning screen during a medal round.