Garmin's golf GPS adds another trick to the golfer's bag

For many amateur hackers, just managing a clean swing is challenge enough. But for those wanting to take their game to the next level, the lure of technical gizmos is never far away.

Now Garmin has unveiled two new GPS devices specifically for golfers, the Approach G3 and Approach G1. Unlike many other GPS devices, these are relatively small (the G1 is actually a watch) and come preloaded with maps for more than 600 Australian golf courses.

By dialing up the hole before you tee off, you'll get distance readings to fairways or the green. The G3 is the larger of the two devices and has a rated battery life of 16 hours, 2.6in touch screen, and is water resistant. The G1 is based on Garmin's Forerunner GPS devices, and is also water resistant. It doesn’t look particularly bulky, so you won't have to worry about it being a fashion liability.

While the idea of using GPS to plan your golf game makes sense, how your golfing buddies will react when you whip out this device is another matter.

Garmin has also unveiled its new nüvi 2000 series of affordable in-car GPS devices. We'll be posting more about this soon.

Calling all golfers. What gadgets, if any, do you use to improve your game?