Hi-tech golf gear for the new-age golfer

1. X3R Remote Caddie www.stewartgolfusa.com

You will no longer have to cart your golf bag across the fairway from now. You can instead focus on your game with this remote-controlled caddie. Foldable (to fit into the car's boot) and easy to operate, it offers manoeuvrability and navigation up and down hills and across fairly rugged, uneven terrain.

2. uPro Golf GPS www.uplaytech.com

Golf and GPS devices have been hand-in-glove for quite some time. And now, after SkyCaddie, GolfLogix, GolfPS, StarCaddy, Suunto G9, etc. comes uPro, which debuted at the recent 2008 PGA Orlando show. It claims to provide high-resolution aerial captures, video flyovers and different views as well as GPS info to help you decide how to take a shot. An inbuilt laser rangefinder measures the distance between your location and the hole.

3. Photon Digital Scorecard www.photongolf.com/digicard.htm

Are you still keeping track of those birdies with golf pencils? It's time to zoom into the cyber age with a compact, digital pager-style belt clip unit that keeps an 18-hole score for up to four players. The Photon Digital Scorecard comes with a long-life battery, carabiner bag attachment and a shock-resistant case. It also features an integrated clock and an LED light to help you find your car keys in the dark!

4. Bushnell Range Finders www.bushnellgolf.com

These laser range-finding devices are perfectly legal even for pro tournaments. The Bushnell Pinseeker 1500, a top-of-the-line, 11.9 ounce (337gm), waterproof gadget, offers a range of 5-1,500 yards with a plus-minus yard accuracy and 7X magnification. Since it deploys a digital inclinometer, it can compensate for changes in elevation and determine distance based on the degree of change in the ground slope.

5. Soldius solarcharger golf bags www.mysoldius.com

Many a putt can be ruined by the dying bleeps of a cellphone battery just when you are expecting some important calls out on the green. But with the comfort of a solar charging golf bag alongside, you can chip and chatter away for hours out in the open. The bags include charging tips compatible with more than 250 phones.

6. Suunto G6 Pro www.suunto.com

You know the swing is all that matters in golf! So what if your wristwatch told you all about your swing ”right from measuring the rhythm, tempo, backswing length and the speed? Well, the G6 does just that. You can even hook it to your PC and use the accompanying software to download your swing analysis and game stats onto the computer to identify areas of your game that need some tweaking.

7. Golf Butler www.paramountzone.com/golf-ball-retriever-gadget.htm

Okay, there is nothing really high-tech about this one. This is a simple grip-end ball retriever. But it can save you all the bending. The handy accessory fits onto the end of your putter grip. So you just hold a club by its head and push the gripper over your ball to pick it up from even out of the bunkers and bushes.

8. Dixx Putter www.dixxgolf.com

This unique instructional putter deploys an onboard PDA-like computer to give you specific performance feedback on your shots (stroke patterns, path, impact points, tempo, speed). Along with an inbuilt level finder, it boasts an inertial Navigation System that tracks impact location and a Micro Electro Mechanical System to sense and monitor the motion of the putter. Also check out the Mark Digital Slope Inclinometer and Ball Marker.

9. Victorinox Swiss Army GolfTool www.swissarmy.com

Swiss knives are not all about bivouacking. This golfing special is a one-handed divot repair tool, removable ball marker, and tee punch with groove cleaner. Not to mention some of its more mundane accompanying facets: Bottle opener, nail file, blade, scissors, toothpick and tweezers. Like everything else Victorinox, this one too comes with a lifetime warranty.

10. Ballfinder Scout www.scoutgolf.com

It is touted as one of the most expensive and accurate ball-finding gadgets on the circuit. An innovative hand-held gizmo, it locates golf balls using a 3.2 megapixel digital imager. Ballfinder can find any standard white golf ball from a distance of 35ft just as long as three dimples (or 1% of the ball) are visible.

Ashish Bhatia