Worth renewing a subscription for a GPS like a Skycaddie?

[Daddio]

What I don't understand is the logic behind people being upset having to pay for a subscription.  Now, if you were told there was no subscription and you could use the preloaded courses for free, I guess I can see where you are coming from.  However, I'm guessing there was probably some fine print in there saying terms and conditions are subject to change.  Either way the fee is nominal for what you are getting.  Their people actually walk and meause the course.  I have no idea where the other free GPS units are getting their data.  If they are using data from say google maps, is it really accurate?

With my regular Wed. foursome, we can all be standing on the green with three different readings.  The guy and I that have SGXW's are always the same.  The other two have two different "free" GPS.  Granted they are all within a few yards of one another usually, but sometimes they are 10 to 15 yards off, which is huge IMO, no matter what your skill level is.  When a big argument on a par three will insue due to different readings, which use to happen often when we all first got GPS's, we'lll find the official course marker on the tee box and walk it off to where the current tee box is and the SGX's are always the most accurate within a yard or two.  One day I say I have 164 to the center (I don't remember the exact reading), my buddy says weird, I have 165.  I look back at him and say, "That's because you're standing behind me!"  lol.

It's not that big a deal to me either, but after playing extensive golf in groups with SkyCaddies, Golf Buddies and Garmins where there was never more than a yard or two difference in measurements, why would you pay a subscription? It doesn't make sense to me and that's before they changed their policies. To each their own though, not my money.

[FVSU73]

I have a skycaddie and find it to be very helpful.  But it only useful on bright days. On a cloudy day it is useless.  It will not receive a signal at all.  I talked to sky caddie about this and got some lame excuse about how GPS signals are hindered by clouds, etc.  I say this is BS because my satellite radio work in all types of weather and so does my navigational GPS device. So, the sky caddie is wonderful and of good value on a clear day.  Otherwise, it is just a good paper weight.

[newtogolf]

I have a skycaddie and find it to be very helpful.  But it only useful on bright days. On a cloudy day it is useless.  It will not receive a signal at all.  I talked to sky caddie about this and got some lame excuse about how GPS signals are hindered by clouds, etc.  I say this is BS because my satellite radio work in all types of weather and so does my navigational GPS device. So, the sky caddie is wonderful and of good value on a clear day.  Otherwise, it is just a good paper weight.

I have a SkyCaddie SGX and the SkyCaddie watch and both work fine on cloudy days.  Maybe yours is defective or you're in an area where there are problems but I've never heard of a GPS having problems working due to clouds.

[grubby98]

Go with a rangefinder.  If its a blind shot, just walk until you can see where you want to go and shoot it and then shoot back to your ball.  I was very interested in a GPS unit but refuse to pay a subscription and then don't want to waste time downloading courses that I may or may not play.  Lasers are there and give you the yardage.  The only thing I GPS would be good for is the layout of a course you have never played.

[D-Man]

If you buy a SkyCaddie now, you should expect that the only way it will work is by paying a subscription each year. Stop the subscription and the devise will do nothing.

When I bought my first, and then second, SkyCaddie, that was not the case. The devise needs to be hooked up to a computer to upload and update courses. Mine could only store 10 courses. If the course had been updated by Skycaddie, o their website, you had to go through the computer connected update, it would not update via satellite. So, if you played different courses, or you regular courses changed (like added a bunker), you needed the subscription to change the data stored on the devise. If you drive across the country, you have to plan where you expect to play and download courses from a computer with internet connection. I do not know of another GPS devise that requires this odd planning and pre-loading of the course.

I paid my subscription for years and even upgraded to the an international version ahead of a Scotland trip. Then I found that I did not update or change my 10 courses for over a year so I let the subscription lapse. All worked fine for a while until SkyCaddie changed the policy and said you needed to keep a subscription all the time. Remember that you needed to hook the devise to a computer to change any courses of even pay your subscription because they claimed that they could not access your devise setting over satellite to load or change course data. That is why you could only store 10 courses and why the data was not current unless you updated the course with a computer and internet connection to their site. Then, one day, they did access all our devises and ripped out all the course data so that the old courses were all gone. Everything was gone and the devise did nothing without a subscription. Again, the devise I paid for, with the courses I downloaded with a paid subscription to their download service, had been wiped clean.

That change in policy (I'm sure it was legal) was a change in business plan and a violation of the promise and practice of the original agreement -- the agreement and practice in place when I paid over $200 for the devise. Again, I'm sure they had the legal right but, IMHO, they did not have an ethical leg to stand on. And for that reason, I sing my disapproval of them as a company and recommend people weak other options for GPS devises. And, BTW, how could they suddenly access and change the course information on or devises via satellite when that claimed that the reason for the computer hookup was technology based? Many other GPS devises load the course based on location and it is their most current data.

I can understand how you would be upset.  However, how many years did you have your device?  With my SGXW, I don't need to hook it to a computer, I just need Wifi. There are also over 30k courses on mine, which will give you the front, middle and back data.  If I want all the data, I just download it via wifi, it takes ten seconds.  Most hotels have wifi, so it's no big deal if I go on a trip.  Technology gets better over time, they do have a service to turn your old one in and get a discount on a new one.

They didn't delete the course from your device, you just don't have access to the courses because of your subscription status.  Is that messed up, yeah I think it is and I would be upset as well.

It's not that big a deal to me either, but after playing extensive golf in groups with SkyCaddies, Golf Buddies and Garmins where there was never more than a yard or two difference in measurements, why would you pay a subscription? It doesn't make sense to me and that's before they changed their policies. To each their own though, not my money.

I think it depends on where you are.  My buddies and I in NJ, our readings can differ by 10 to 15 yards at times.  However, as I said before, my buddy that also has an SGXW, his and mine are always the same.

I have a skycaddie and find it to be very helpful.  But it only useful on bright days. On a cloudy day it is useless.  It will not receive a signal at all.  I talked to sky caddie about this and got some lame excuse about how GPS signals are hindered by clouds, etc.  I say this is BS because my satellite radio work in all types of weather and so does my navigational GPS device. So, the sky caddie is wonderful and of good value on a clear day.  Otherwise, it is just a good paper weight.

I haven't got to use mine on a cloudy day.  I only used it four times before the season ended.  But golfing with my buddy that has the SGXW too, he's never had an issue when I've played with him on cloudy/ rainy days.  So like someone else said, maybe it's your unit or the area you live.

Go with a rangefinder.  If its a blind shot, just walk until you can see where you want to go and shoot it and then shoot back to your ball.  I was very interested in a GPS unit but refuse to pay a subscription and then don't want to waste time downloading courses that I may or may not play.  Lasers are there and give you the yardage.  The only thing I GPS would be good for is the layout of a course you have never played.

I just download my courses the night before or the day off, it really takes no time at all.  But to each their own, I guess.  I was going to buy a range finder first, but then though about the course I played the most and decided if I was going to have to walk up and shoot my distances and walk it off, I might as well just look for a marker and do the same, so that's why I decided on a GPS.  However, I do want something for the driving range to shoot those flags, so I might end up caving and getting a range finder too.

[Fourputt]

About 4 years ago, my wife bought me a Skycaddie SG5. The subscription ran out last year. Tonight I had some time and was playing with it, and discovered it is unusable. Even the courses I previously downloaded are not accessible on it. In order to continue using it, I need to pay for a new subscription, they start at around $50.00 and go to about $120.00.

There's so much free or cheaper GPS stuff available now, I'm wondering if it's worth it. On the other hand, it would be a shame to have a $300.00 paperweight.

Anyone here still using a subscription GPS like a Skycaddie?

Think it's worth it?

Thanks.

This is exactly why I never bought a Sky Caddie, and I have never understood why anyone would.  There are excellent GPS receivers available in the same price ranges which come with lifetime software and course updates.  Paying a subscription is totally unnecessary, yet too many fell into the myth that somehow Sky Caddie is more accurate.  The only difference is that they did a marketing blitz and got name recognition, and for too many that is all they look for.  Anyone who researches it and still buys one is falling for the hype.  Since your's was a gift, you are in a different group, and the subscription might be worth it in that case because you didn't buy the unit yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daddio

In summary, I don't know how in the world Sky Caddie continues to be successful charging subscriptions.

Probably because there are people like me that spent a lot more on their phone (and in my case - it is too big to fit in a drink holder)

The skycaddie can be dropped, rained on and still continue to work fine - if I treated my phone like that, I would probably lose it and have to deal with a ton of other issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Man

What I don't understand is the logic behind people being upset having to pay for a subscription.  Now, if you were told there was no subscription and you could use the preloaded courses for free, I guess I can see where you are coming from.  However, I'm guessing there was probably some fine print in there saying terms and conditions are subject to change.  Either way the fee is nominal for what you are getting.  Their people actually walk and meause the course.  I have no idea where the other free GPS units are getting their data.  If they are using data from say google maps, is it really accurate?

With my regular Wed. foursome, we can all be standing on the green with three different readings.  The guy and I that have SGXW's are always the same.  The other two have two different "free" GPS.  Granted they are all within a few yards of one another usually, but sometimes they are 10 to 15 yards off, which is huge IMO, no matter what your skill level is.  When a big argument on a par three will insue due to different readings, which use to happen often when we all first got GPS's, we'lll find the official course marker on the tee box and walk it off to where the current tee box is and the SGX's are always the most accurate within a yard or two.  One day I say I have 164 to the center (I don't remember the exact reading), my buddy says weird, I have 165.  I look back at him and say, "That's because you're standing behind me!"  lol.

Without knocking anyone on here - it is because there is a large contingent on this site that believes *cheaper* is *better*

Just ask what kind of clubs/balls/etc you should play and several will tell you to buy used or the cheapest option possible. Thanks for trying to save my cash, but my cash level is not an issue.

It does make me laugh when people cry about (what I perceive to be) a nominal subscription fee. $30-$50/year is nothing when people pay more than that for one 4 hour round.

But $30 or $50 per year is $30 or $50 more than I will ever have to pay for my Garmin Approach G5.   They update the course list 4 times a year, you can request courses to be added and they have so far always been in the next update.  I don't need to anticipate where I'm going and download new courses - database is currently at about 30,000 and counting, and they are always stored in the unit, not online where I have to be connected to the internet before I can add one.   This is my second GPS (first one was a GolfLogix handheld - not the phone app).  It's waterproof, shockproof, tough as nails like all of Garmin's GPS line.  The Garmin is the best distance measuring tool I' ve owned.

To the laser guys (they are all rangefinders, so just calling yours that doesn't distinguish it), I've had a couple of them too (Nikon and Bushnell), and my Garmin is more useful than a laser.   It can measure to anything a laser can, and to a lot that a laser can't.  If you think that you need to know +/- one yard you are just kidding yourself.

All, of course my opinion based on quite a few years of using, and playing with others using, all different types of rangefinders.

[3puttssuck]

I love my Sky Caddy SGX.  My subscription is $50/year, which I justify by saying it's one round of golf, and it is a national plan.

[dhiatt1939]

if you nolonger want your sg5 i would pay $20 for it as i need one for pats

dhiatt1939@aol.com

[RickK]

As much money as I spend on golf, renewing my subscription for my Skycaddie is no big deal.  I have a laser rangefinder and it is great for shooting the flag and knowing that yardage.  I like the SGX.  I have a very good picture of the hole (better than any phone app I have tried and I have tried most of them).  I know the yardages front, center, back of the green.  I find it to be an excellent device.  In a round on course I play very infrequently, I will look at the Skycaddie on almost every hole at least once.  During that same round, I may use the rangefinder on 4 or 5 shots in a round.