As some of you are probably far too well aware by now, I’ve been talking up the handheld uPro™ Golf GPS unit from UPlay since February of this year.  Based on everything I saw prior to, and after its release, I was fairly certain it would prove to be the must have on-course accessory of the year.

Although the “Accessory of the Year” title hasn’t officially been handed out, with the holiday season right around the corner, there’s no arguing that the uPro™ wouldn’t make one heck of a stocking stuffer for the golf fanatic in your life.

Despite all of its amazing features (see my previous posts for more details), many of the early reviews for the uPro™ were mixed.  Although almost to a man, golfers really love its capabilities, there were more than a couple complaints about the occasional glitch, including slowness, and in some cases, freezing up altogether.

The good news for uPro™ of the device, or for those thinking about purchasing one, the company has just announced the availability of version 3.0 of the uPro™ software.  The list of feature additions, and improvements in version 3.0, which go well beyond the necessities, include:

• Download speed improvements of up to 50%, which means less time spent download courses, and more time playing golf.
• New and improved auto hole advance allows the uPro™ to automatically detect the user’s location anywhere on the hole the user is playing. Users have the option of being prompted to change holes or advance with no interaction.
• Improved shot marking feature. Once the user starts the mark shot feature, the distance will update in real time as the user advances towards the ball’s location. This allows users to check distances quickly and easily for everyone else in the group.
• For users who want to see definitive borders of the green, a new option outline the putting surface’s perimeter, providing a better visual of where the user really needs to be.
• One of the new enhancements on the uPro™ involves AnyPoint™. Once the user starts an AnyPoint™ measurement and change their location, the displayed distances will continually be updated and based on their current, not previous, location.

The brains behind the uPro are committed to continuously improving the features and functionality of the uPro™ unit:

“Our goal is to continually provide uPro™ owners with new features and improvements in overall performance. The uPro™ was designed from the beginning to allow these new features and improvements to be made in software without the need to purchase new hardware,” - Joey Balardeta, President of uPlay.

For uPro owners scrambling to find their wallets, relax.  The best part about the upgrade is that it’s completely free.

We’re still hoping for uPlay to send us one for review, but for those of you who’ve seen enough, the uPro™ GPS (which would make a great gift for any golfer) is available from Amazon.com for $399.94

Buy the uPro GPS now at Amazon.com

A full list of features and specifications can be found at the uPro website.