If you’re serious about improving your golf game it’s important that you know the exact yardage to different parts of the course. In this post, I’m going to be reviewing the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Golf GPS and sharing my honest thoughts after testing it out on the course. It’s made by one of my favorite companies (Bushnell), but that being said, how did it perform?
The Bushnell Neo Ion 2 is a fairly decent GPS watch, but in my opinion, there are better ones out there. Other models we’ve tested were a bit more accurate and also had some better features. It’s not a bad watch or anything like that, but I just found that other watches were slightly better in different areas. That being said, I do think it’ll do the job if you are set on a Bushnell product.
The things we look at when testing a golf GPS is how comfortable the watch was, how accurate and consistent it was, the price, and also any additional features it came with. If that’s all the info you needed then great, but continue reading if you want a more detailed review.
Bushnell Neo Ion 2 Review
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My First Impressions Of The Neo Ion
I’m not the biggest fan of wearing watches but I know a lot of people are so that’s why I went out and grabbed one to do some testing. The Neo Ion 2 wasn’t the most comfortable watch out there but it definitely wasn’t the worst either.
Bushnell is one of my favorite rangefinder companies and this watch comes with over 36,000 courses from different countries around the world programmed in. Pretty much all of the main courses in my area were on it and that should be the case for you as well.
It’ll give you the distance to the front, middle, and back of the green. It’ll also show you the distance to different hazards (bunkers, creeks, layup spots, doglegs, etc), your shot distance, and also steps. Here’s a demo on the watch:
Was It Easy To Use?
The watch itself is pretty simple to use since it’s pretty basic with only a few buttons. There aren’t a bunch of advanced functions like the Garmin S60 and that might actually be better for the general weekend golfer.
You can’t see an overhead view of the hole on the watch itself, but you can get a bird’s eye view from the app, which will give the 3D overview and hole layouts. There should be enough info on the watch for most people though.
I did find that it took a bit longer than most to locate the course you’re on and I also found the display to be a bit dim and hard to see in direct sunlight. A number of watches have that problem but it’s not really the biggest deal.
How Did It Perform?
The performance is the most important thing with a GPS because there’s really no point having one if it’s not accurate. Most of the watches on the market that are made by reputable companies are all quite accurate. The majority of them are always within about 5 yards of the course markers.
Overall, I found it to be fairly accurate, but definitely not as much as some of the others on the market (wasn’t bad but was slightly off in our experience). It was always within about 5 yards of my laser and the course markings (which is fairly good) but some of the others were even closer.
It did occasionally glitch or freeze but again, that’s a pretty common problem with golf watches. All you had to do was turn it off and on again. Other than that it was pretty decent and the battery life was actually really good.
Bushnell Ion2 Specs
| Product | Bushnell Neo Ion 2 |
|---|---|
| Size | 54 x 45 x 15 mm |
| Quick Release Bands | No |
| Touchscreen | No |
| Strap Material | Silicone |
| Screen Size | 0.9 x 0.9 Inch |
| Weight | 48 Grams |
| Battery Life | 12 Hours GPS Mode |
| Water Resistant | Yes (Not Waterproof) |
| Golf Courses | 36,000 |
| Preloaded | Yes |
| Distance To Front, Middle, Back | Yes |
| Distance To Hazards/Doglegs/Layup | Yes |
| Shot Distance | Yes |
| Scorecard | With App |
| Stat Tracking | No |
| AutoShot | No |
Pros
- The battery life was great.
- It has a lot of courses already programmed in.
- It’s rainproof.
- It charges in a few hours.
- The Bushnell app it comes with is pretty cool.
Cons
- I didn’t find it to be the most comfortable watch (just my opinion).
- Other watches seemed to be slightly more accurate (2-3 yards or so more).
- You can’t see the course layout or green shape on the watch.
The Breakdown
- Performance Score: 7
- Price Score: 8
- Ease Of Use Score: 8
- My Personal Score: 7.5
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How long does the battery last in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2?
A. About 3 rounds (12 hours or so).
Q. Can it be used as an everyday watch?
A. Yes.
Q. What’s new with the Ion 2?
A. The main difference between the original Ion and the Ion 2 is that you don’t have to connect it to the computer to get the updates.
Is It Worth It?
Overall, I’d say the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 is a decent GPS watch, but in my opinion, there are better ones out there. If you’re set on getting a Bushnell product then it should do a pretty good job for you. All I’m trying to say is that there are watches in the same price range that perform a bit better. Check the price on Amazon.
Other models we’ve tested were a bit more accurate and also had some better features. I’m not saying it’s not worth buying, because it is fairly solid, I’m just saying I preferred others slightly.
Which ones?
My 2 favorite GPS watches (at the time of writing this) are the Garmin Approach S10 or the Garmin Approach X40. The features on them are somewhat similar but the shape is different. The X40 is a bit thinner and more compact and is the one I like myself.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API