Accessory Review: MioELITE Golf XE Sports Watch, by Jeffrey Reed

A few hours of late-night Golf Channel viewing will make you an expert in golf gadgets. Let’s face it: those of us hopelessly addicted to golf will try almost anything if it promises to take strokes off our game. And, there is certainly no shortage of paraphernalia for those who have sold their souls to the golf gods.

Thankfully, the MioELITE Golf XE sports watch providers avid golfers with a solid performing accessory. A product from parent company Physi-Cal Enterprises in Blaine, Washington, the MioELITE Golf XE watch boasts more useful functions than a Swiss army knife, and it’s manufactured to sharpen your game no matter what your handicap index.

The MioELITE Golf XE watch is the first sports watch to measure heart rate along with scorekeeping and other statistical golf functions. It’s fun and easy to use, and looks to be a durable timepiece. Following each shot, the watch asks a series of questions, for example: Did you hit the green?

Up to 20 rounds can be tracked with this high-tech watch. Statistical analyses include: strokes and putts per hole; greens in regulation; average number of putts per hole; fairway percentage; ups and downs; total sand saves; and penalty strokes. The heart rate monitor is a cool function: simply bring your finger to the Mio sensors on the face of the watch, and you will receive a heart rate reading. According to some golf coaches, heart rate is a good indicator of your emotional and mental state. Makes sense. Wonder how high the rating would read on the wrist of Craig Stadler?

There’s even a stopwatch feature, so when you’re not calculating your handicap, or storing stats for three different courses and 20 recent rounds, you can time that slow foursome in front of you.

The MioELITE Golf XE retails for $179 US. Visit the website at www.miowatch.com.