Blackberry Golf GPS

All Hawaii Golf Courses are mapped!

2010-03-23T21:51:00.000-05:00

nRange Golf GPS reaches milestone on mission to delight golfers living and traveling to Hawaii by providing a convenient and low priced rangefinder app for smartphones.

Knoxville, TN (PRWEB) March 24, 2010 -- nRange Golf GPS now has all Hawaii golf courses ready for play on its nationally recognized smartphone application. Continues strong record of excellent ratings and customer excitement.

"We created nRange to give Golfers a sophisticated GPS rangefinder app on their phone at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated device" says Ken Lowery, ML Ventures head of technology. This announcement demonstrates that nRange users can count on us to get their favorite courses mapped quickly and reliably.

"nRange is fun, simple to use and incredibly handy - no more searching for sprinkler heads.....aloha....."Rick Dang “nRange not only does what it promises, but is also outstandingly supported by the people behind it!” Wes Yoshimura
What do Hawaiians think of nRange? In their own words:

"nRange is fun, simple to use and incredibly handy - no more searching for sprinkler heads.....aloha....."Rick Dang

“nRange not only does what it promises, but is also outstandingly supported by the people behind it!” Wes Yoshimura

The three most often played Hawaii courses by nRange users to date are:
Ala Wai Golf Course in Honolulu, HI
Navy Marine Golf Course in Honolulu, HI
Pearl Country Club in Aiea, HI

Active courses include The Prince Course at Princeville which is currently #67 on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses/2009-10 ranking.

nRange Golf GPS has over 19,000 courses in the directory and most states have between 52% and 70% of the courses already mapped. The most popular courses are already completed since mapping is done based on user requests. The nRange Golf GPS Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/nRange-Golf-GPS/65108584258)
and Blackberry AppWorld review section includes stories from many delighted customers who have had courses mapped in the normal one or two day turnaround.

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How to use nRange with just wi-fi

2010-01-13T21:47:00.000-06:00

From Charles (thanks for the great tip)

I figured out how to make nrange work with my data plan. I had to change my "Browser" to media net. It was set on "Hotspot". So, it does work with the data plan, thank you for your response!

However, if you don't have a data plan (a lot of people don't), it will work by downloading the course you are playing while accessing your "hotspot" and then going to the golf course. I did this and ATT said I did not occur data charges. ...you want to share with other users?

nRange ending Beta period and launching new version with change to paid subscription model

2009-05-29T19:50:00.000-05:00

Why the change

* When we started on the journey that became nRange Golf GPS about one year ago we hoped we could offer a pure ad-supported model
* We have generated only $14.71 in ad revenue over an entire year
* We've had many comments from users saying they are surprised we haven't started charging for use since nRange is much better than other apps that charge $35 or more a year
* The huge popularity of nRange has lead to a very high demand for new maps and our existing capacity is limited

If you have enjoyed nRange, we would really appreciate your paid subscription!

Introductory Pricing
Until June 5, we are offering new one year subscriptions for $25.
Subscribe now from your computer.
nrange.com/subscribe

After June 5, pricing will be $29 for a one year subscription. We are also offering lifetime subscriptions for $85 which we think is a real bargain!

Paying subscribers get higher mapping priority
While we are mapping more than a hundred courses a week, interest in new maps has continued to outpace our current capacity. Previously, we were giving highest priority to courses with the most user interest. Now, we will give highest priority to requests from paying subscribers.

Tell a Friend to get free months
New users will get one month free in order to try nRange. In addition, we will also give you extra free months for helping to spread the word about nRange. This is how it works: use the tell a friend feature (either in the app or on the website) to send a download link to your friend. Once your friend downloads the app and registers, you will get an extra month credited to your account.
PS - if you've already used the old Tell a Friend, we will retroactively credit your account.

External GPS Receivers for Verizon customers

2009-05-18T22:00:00.001-05:00

More info from Charlie (who has a 8830 on Verizon).

I use the Hollux M1000. I found it on Amazon.com for $39.95. It also works well with BBMaps for Navigation. I like it because it is small and fits in my pocket on the golf course. I hope this helps.

Easily switching to email and back

2009-05-17T20:32:00.001-05:00

Ken E. recently sent us a suggestion to make it easier to check email while using nRange. Thanks for the suggestion, Ken! We thought you played golf to get away from email, but realize it is a fact of life.

Here is how you can easily switch between email and nRange:
Use the red "hang-up" button to return to the home screen and click on your email client. When done, just click on the nRange icon again and you will go right back to where you were.

Advanced tip:
To switch applications, hold the Alt key and press the Escape button (looks like the back button). Continue holding the Alt key and select an application. Release the Alt key.
We have also heard you can map the side button on your blackberry to switch between applications.

Verizon works with External GPS puck

2009-04-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

See another note today from a user about a solution for Verizon to enable nRange Golf GPS to work. Thanks Charlie!

The nrange will work with the Verizon BB 8830 if used with an external GPS puck.

Charlie Ware, BSRT

Potential "unlock" for Verizon and Alltel subscribers

2009-04-23T20:20:00.001-05:00

An exciting message from one of our users is pasted below. Thanks Derrick!

Just some advise for Verizon users to try. I have an Alltel Curve 8330. I previously had the same issues with GPS not working. I actually did a few things to my phone and now it works. First I upgraded to v4.5.0.89 OS, it is not the latest but after reading several blogs, at the time it was the latest OS that supported GPS (I have no way of know if that is true, I just went with it). Updating the OS alone did not make a difference, I found another blog that explained how to do a diagnostic test on the phone. On my 8330, from the main menu, I select Options, scroll down and select Status. When viewing the Status screen I type the word “test” (without quotes, you can not see anything that is being typed). The phone goes into a diagnostic mode. I select the menu key (key just left of the trackball) and select Start. A menu is displayed with several options. The last option is GPS. I selected the GPS option, and click the run button. Instructions pop up indicating to use the track ball to select start fixing. The phone activates the GPS and gets a fix on the lat and long. After that the phone GPS chip works with all apps. I have had instances where the GPS would not get a lock, but I just redid the test and it cured my problems. Verizon users may want to try and do the same thing.

I appreciate your effort to create an app that is useful.

v 0.95 Live!

2009-04-21T20:55:00.000-05:00

New/Improved Features in v 0.95 beta
Download or Upgrade today to take advantage of these new features:

Smoother/faster performance
More robust server connections
Course mapping prioritization improvements
GPS connectivity now uses Assisted GPS on phones that support it for faster satellite locks.
Better GPS connectivity on certain carriers/networks

Mapping Progress

2009-04-19T19:47:00.000-05:00

nRange Golf GPS now has active courses in 39 states! We have active courses in states from Miami to Maui and everywhere in between! There is some concentration in the Southeast. It seems like our fans believe that we provide the best Blackberry golf rangefinder experience available!

Thanks to everyone's enthusiastic support for our Blackberry Golf GPS app we have seen a surge in requests for courses that are not yet mapped. We would like to make sure we are focused on making sure maps are ready when you are planning on playing. To help us do this, we have revamped the box that pops up when you select a course that has not yet been mapped that will help us prioritize better.

To help make sure the nRange experience is great for all of our users, we need your help.

If you made a request in the last couple of weeks, we are probably behind where we would like to be in fulfilling it. If you have specific plans to play a course, please search for it again so we can have an updated record of your interest and give us an updated idea of when you will be playing. We are going to be concentrating our mapping time on courses with multiple requests and requests from multiple users.

How many yards away is Augusta National?

2009-04-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

Get your yardage and see aerial images of August National on nRange Golf GPS.

nRange Golf GPS has recently made course information for Augusta National available on your Blackberry. While we watch some of the best pros in the game compete at one of golf's great venues, check out how many yards you are from some of those fantastic holes.

Verizon not as open as we thought

2009-04-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

We've been working through some issues with very patient users over the last couple of weeks, and it finally appears like we can conclude that Verizon has not really opened up the GPS chip on the Curve and 8830. We've included some horror stories from users below. Please let us know if anyone has been able to get a different answer.

"I just switched to the Curve 8330 from the Storm. I was not impressed with it at all. Anyway, I downloaded the nRange, but it keeps telling me that the GPS chip is missing or not on. My GPS is set to on, but still nothing. nRange worked great on the Storm. I just got the Curve yesterday, any ideas?"

"Spoke to verizon again. Looks like the only way to get it to work is to buy a storm per employer.They have unlocked third party gps for the storm only. He thinks it is a hardware issue. I think its software. Thanks for the reply earlier. "

Going on a Golf Trip? Make sure all of the courses are ready to play

2009-03-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

We recently got an email from a user who is going on a golf trip this week. Other than jealously thinking about how nice it would be to get away for a few days, we also wanted to make sure he was ready for his big trip.

If you have a special occasion or are going on a once in a lifetime trip, here are some tips to make sure nRange Golf GPS will help you create some special memories:
1. Search for all of the courses you will be playing and see if they are available
2. If any are not available, be sure to indicate when you will be leaving by checking the right radio button next to the days remaining till you leave.

Optional: drop us a quick email to nrange@nrange.com to let us know about your big plans so we can make a special effort to get the courses mapped and ready to play. Besides, we like hearing about the great trips! After you get back, drop us a photo or at least an email telling us how it went!

Verizon unlocks GPS chip - Blackberry OS update needed for it to work

2009-03-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

This post explains how Verizon just unlocked the GPS chips on their Blackberry phones, but you will need the 4.5 version of the Blackberry software for it to work. The post explains how to get it.

http://www.blackberrycool.com/2008/12/gps-now-unlock-for-verizon-blackberry-8130-and-8330-blackberry-bytes/

"unlocking" the GPS chip on Alltel

2009-03-14T19:54:00.000-05:00

On Alltel and having an issue getting the GPS to connect? Read this thread on a Blackberry forum:
This may also be the case for Verizon.

http://www.blackberryforums.com/gps-mapping/110191-gps-not-working-8830-alltel.html

There was another post that included this info as well:
urious if anyone has tried downloading Telenav? I have an 8830 with Alltel and I had to download Telenav, purchase a trial subscription, and the first time I logged into Telenav on my BB, GPS started working on all other programs (Google Maps, Blackberry Maps, Berry411). I have since canceled Telenav, but GPS still works.

Telenav offers a 30day free trial. The software is downloaded from
VERIZON:
TeleNav
ALLTEL:
TeleNav

New version of Free Golf GPS nears official launch!

2009-03-13T23:26:00.000-05:00

New version nears official launch!

Please try the new version and tell us about any bugs. This will help as we wrap up final testing.

Try by pointing your Blackberry browser to nrange.com

What's new?

* Better error handling. If you've had trouble downloading the app, please give it another try!

* More streamlined and easier to use rangefinder screen (see below).

* New green outline feature so you can see the shape of the green without even opening the map

* Easy shot measurement - Exactly how far was that monster drive?

* Enhanced map functionality including a movable "target" to help you determine distance to any feature on the course

* More little changes to improve your experience including a GPS signal strength indicator and online help topics

Why change the name?

After a lot of discussion, we wanted a more distinctive name that would be easier to register the trademark. This marks an important milestone for us. We appreciate all of the feedback that helped us get to this point. Keep the feedback and suggestions coming!

Mailbag

2009-02-07T17:48:00.000-06:00

Several users have been very helpful in providing testing feedback on the new version. Through this process, we've been able to assemble info on ensuring that your Blackberry has its GPS chip unlocked and ready for nRange Golf GPS to use it.

We get excited to hear your feedback - the good and the bad. Here is a selection:

OMG this thing is AWESOME! - Knoxville, TN

It does not work with the blackberry pearl, so if that could happen, I would try to get it again.
Our Response: we found out that this user was on a carrier that currently restricts access to the phone's GPS chip. Many users use the Perl quite successfully. This particular carrier has hinted that they will soon open up the GPS.

Make the controls more accessible and easier to use. Too difficult to press.
Our response: Good feedback. Our usability testing has told us the same thing and we think you'll be excited to see the next version that should be released very soon!

More courses available

2009-01-24T16:49:00.000-06:00

Thank you for being part of the Free GPS Golf family of users.

The last few weeks have been very active so we wanted to give you an update with some highlights.

1. A new screen layout is under development thanks to your valuable feedback and suggestions.

2. New users are downloading every day - thanks for your referrals!

3. Please send us "mapping requests" for your favorite courses. Average turn around time on mapping requests have been about 2 days. In some cases we've been able to turn around special requests the same day.

4. We've made 63 new courses available for play in the following areas:

Baton Rouge, LA

Bay Saint Louis, MS

Belden, MS

Biloxi, MS

Birmingham, AL

Brandon, MS

Columbia, TN

Coral Springs, FL

Cordova, TN

Duluth, GA

Fairburn, GA

Flowery Branch, GA

Flowood, MS

Franklin, TN

Gautier, MS

Germantown, TN

Goodlettsville, TN

Gulfport, MS

Guntersville, AL

Hattiesburg, MS

Hendersonville, TN

Hernando, MS

Hoschton, GA

Jackson, MS

Knoxville, TN

Lakeland, TN

Lawrenceville, GA

Louin, MS

Lumberton, MS

Madison, MS

Mckinney, TX

Memphis, TN

Millington, TN

Nashville, TN

Ocean Springs, MS

Olive Branch, MS

Oxford, MS

Pascagoula, MS

Pass Christian, MS

Pebble Beach, CA

Philadelphia, MS

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Sardis, MS

Saucier, MS

Scottsdale, AZ

Smyrna, TN

Southaven, MS

Sumner, MS

Tunica Resorts, MS

Tupelo, MS

Vancleave, MS

West Point, MS

Top MS Courses now live

2008-12-30T14:41:00.000-06:00

We are always adding new courses. We recently made sure that all 25 of GolfLink's "Best Mississippi golf courses" are available for use in Free GPS Golf.

Rank	Golf Course	Location
1	The Grand Bear - Grand Bear Course	Saucier, MS
2	Tunica National Golf Course - Tunica Course	Tunica Resorts, MS
3	Annandale Golf Club - Annandale Course	Madison, MS
4	The Refuge - Refuge Course	Flowood, MS
5	Windance Country Club - Windance Course	Gulfport, MS
6	Shell Landing Golf Club - Shell Landing Course	Gautier, MS
7	Fallen Oak Golf Club - Fallen Oak Course	Saucier, MS
8	The Club At North Creek - North Creek Course	Southaven, MS
9	The Preserve Golf Club - The Preserve Course	Vancleave, MS
10	The Bridges Golf Club At Hollywood Casino - Bridges Course	Bay Saint Louis, MS
11	Links At Cottonwoods - Cottonwoods Front Course	Tunica Resorts, MS
12	The Plantation Golf Club - Plantation Course	Olive Branch, MS
13	Cherokee Valley Golf Course - Cherokee Valley Course	Olive Branch, MS
14	The Dogwood's Golf Course At Hugh White State Park - Dogwood's Course	Grenada, MS
15	The Oaks Golf Club - Oaks Course	Pass Christian, MS
16	Bay Pointe Golf & Resort - Bay Pointe Course	Brandon, MS
17	Olive Branch Country Club - Olive Branch Course	Olive Branch, MS
18	Saint Andrews Golf Club - Saint Andrews Course	Ocean Springs, MS
19	Timberton Golf Club - McCumber Course	Hattiesburg, MS
20	The Kings Arrow Ranch - Hillsdale Resort Course	Lumberton, MS
21	Reunion Golf & Country Club - Reunion 1 Course	Madison, MS
22	Mississippi National Golf Course - Mississippi National Course	Gautier, MS
23	Dancing Rabbit Golf Club - Azaleas Course	Philadelphia, MS
24	Wedgewood Golfers' Club - Wedgewood Course	Olive Branch, MS
25	The Links of Madison County Golf and Country Club - Links of Madison 1 Course	Canton, MS

New Version Posted!

2008-12-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

We have posted a new version of the FreeGPSgolf rangefinder application for your Blackberry Smartphone. Some major improvements include:
1. Better layout for the screen that shows the yardage (especially for smaller screen sizes like the Pearl). See the screenshots on the non-handheld version of www.freegpsgolf.com
2. Enhanced GPS connectivity (the application should handle low signal situations like trees or clouds overhead better).
3. Significantly faster map load times. You may notice a slight delay when the course first loads since we start to pre-load the map images.
4. A better way to report any incorrect yardages. Occasionally courses will change the hole configuration. This will help us update the yardage mapping faster.

To quickly get this new version, point your Blackberry browser to http://www.freegpsgolf.com

This version should let you just download the new version without un-installing the existing application. During the download process, it will ask you if you want to "overwrite version 0.0 with version 0.0." This is because we are still in the beta release phase.

You can also go to the website from your desktop computer and have a download link emailed to your Blackberry email address.

As always, we are eager to get your feedback to help continue refining the app! We may not be able to help you hit your 9 iron 300 yards (you'll have to see Carl Spackler for that), but we can give you a precise distance to the green!

The Free GPS Golf Team

PS If you have problems replacing your current version, you will need to un-install the old application before installing the new one. Go to Options (looks like a folder with gears), then Advanced then Applications. Scroll down till you see FreeGPSGolf and then click the Blackberry button and select "Delete."

Course Mapping

2008-08-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

FreeGolfGPS has a unique way of handling course maps. Every time you open the application on your smart phone, it detects your current location and then finds the courses closest to your current location.

We are constantly adding new courses, so just drop us a quick email to mapping@freegolfgps.us if you want to be sure your favorite course is mapped in a few days.

Some recent courses added include:

Memphis Country Club
Colonial Country Club South Course

Colonial Country Club North Course

Hoover Country Club

TPC Southwind
The Links at Galloway

Tell us what you think

2008-08-25T19:07:00.000-05:00

The alpha version of Free Golf GPS is within days of being released. If you are interested in being included in the test group, send an email to info@freegolfgps.us or post your email below in a comment.

Once the alpha test begins, we will be collecting feedback on this blog. We believe that you can best help us refine the product if you see what everyone else is experiencing.

Our goal is to ultimately provide the best Free Golf GPS experience. Your feedback will be critical to making that happen!