GPS questions...?

[egehoski]

Everyone....
I'm going to buy one of the many models of Golf GPS' out there. I've resisted it for a long time now, but I've decided that I want one. Problem is, I don't know which is the best / most reliable?? I'm leaning towards a Skygolf, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews. Anybody got any good info / help? I appreciate whatever advice you've got.......

[Quinn07]

I recently purchased the uPro by Callaway golf. I haven't been able to use it yet as it's winter here and quite frankly it's bloody cold out (-31 degrees Celsius with the wind chill today). However they have a preview mode where you can pretty much see all the yardages from the back tee on every hole without having to be at the course. The features are really cool, fly by's of the hole (will be particularly helpful when I am playing courses I don't normally play), you can measure to and from any spot on the hole, and you can also measure the distance of any particular shot by marking the start and stop points....oh yeah and you get all the measurements you need to hazards and bunkers, etc.

As I haven't used it out on the course yet, I can't comment on the actual satellite system, but I am going to assume they all use the same ones. I will be able to provide you with a better review when I get back from Florida on the 10th of March.

If you have any other questions about the unit itself, just PM me, I will be more than happy to answer.

[PiustheDrGolf]

If you have iPhone, I recommend Golfshot application. Once I had SkyCaddie but Golfshot does exactly what it does and more (Stat.) for 1/10th of the price. Check it out.

[Clubchucker]

I've had a SkyCaddie for a couple of years and can't imagine being without it. I did all my due diligence and comparison when I was in the market for one and have not regretted my decision one bit. Granted, since the time I purchased mine there could be a few newer models out there (that weren't being made when I researched GPS units) but if I were in the market for one today, I'd immediately go out and get another Skycaddie without even looking at others....that's how satisfied I've been with mine.

[egehoski]

Thanks guys. Good info so far. Unsure of the exact model number...but the one I've been leaning towards is whatever the top model of the Skygolf is?? 4.5 maybe?
Anyway, thanks for the info.

[msd3075]

  Quinn07 said:

As I haven't used it out on the course yet, I can't comment on the actual satellite system, but I am going to assume they all use the same ones. I will be able to provide you with a better review when I get back from Florida on the 10th of March.

One of the difference between SkyCaddie and the other major brands out there is how they map the course. SkyCaddie maps all the courses they offer by sending a trained caddie out to the course with a "GPS backpack"; the caddie will then mark the yardages just the same as any tour caddie would for a pro. With the uPro and others, they use satellite images (like what's on Google Earth) to mark the GPS coordinates of all the spots.

That being said, I have no clue if one method is more accurate than the other. I have a SkyCaddie SG5, but it's mainly because I got it for free from my dad as a hand-me-down when he bought a uPro.

[B Keller]

I have a uPro and have used it many times. I find it to be very accurate as I compared it to the GPS in the golf carts. It is easy to use and has helped with a great deal.

[Farm_kid]

I hardly ever hear anyone talk about how they disliked any of the GPS that are out there. As popular as they are, I bet you could buy one, test it out a couple times. If you don't like it, sell it to anyone at your local club for 80% what you paid. Buy another and try that one out. My hunch is that you will be happy with whichever one you pick. I have my choices down to the Sonocaddie V100 or the Bushnell Neo, both without any bells and whistles, probably leaning towards the V100.

[lcfd42]

  egehoski said:

Thanks guys. Good info so far. Unsure of the exact model number...but the one I've been leaning towards is whatever the top model of the Skygolf is?? 4.5 maybe?

Right now the SG5 is the top line product, but a new model is supposed to be released in March. It is supposed to function similarly to the Upro with the photo-like screens, of course with all of Skycaddie's other features.

[Hitman]

I purchased my Sky Caddie SG 3.5 this fall, and for the life of me I don't know how I lived with out it. I mounted a bracket on my push cart, walk up to the ball and there it is, distance to green , bunkers water everything. no more looking for sprinkler heads etc. Can't speak for any other brand but the SG 3.5 has the same face, color screen as the SG 5, but it uses 3 AAA battieries, I bought rechargables and a charger and it is by far the best thing I have purchased.

[Lefty-Golfer]

I hate playing without my sky-caddie...i don't know if it is better or worse then others on the market but i love my "gizzmo"

[montru]

I used to have a SkyCaddie SG2 and it worked very well but I noticed that on quite a few courses the front nine was mapped very well with all hazards and even yardages to mounds etc, it seemed that as the caddie was walking the course he started to get less and less info on the back nine.
Not only that, the cost of the yearly subscription for international downloads was $59 per year, I sold my unit to a buddy of mine and bought a Golf Logix unit, the info is fairly basic,distances to doglegs,end of fairways, hazards, front, middle and back etc, so thats all I need and the anual cost was half that of SkyCaddie at $29 per year.

[montru]

I would also like to add that the Golf Logix APP for the iPhone is very very good and for $30 you can't go wrong, asuming you have an iPhone that is lol

[Dub]

  montru said:

I would also like to add that the Golf Logix APP for the iPhone is very very good and for $30 you can't go wrong, asuming you have an iPhone that is lol

I couldn't agree more. This app is outstanding. Highly accurate!!!!!! Extremely easy to use as well. They have many versions for many smartphone brands/types. Excellent product.

[Lou]

I bought a skycaddie SG 2.5 with money I won in a competition and I have to say it was the best golf purchase i have ever made. Its so easy to use and the information provided is invaluable especially on new or unfamiliar courses. Although you pay a subscription its still well worth the money and I've yet to play a course that hasn't been fully mapped. If you do find a course that isn't mapped just inform skycaddie on their site and they will map it as soon as possible. I can't compare to other gps although I'm so happy with my skycaddie that i have no need to, but from what I've read they all have pretty much the same features so find one that suits you and is the right price. I've owned mine for about 6 months now and really would not want to live without it.

[Big_M]

Garmin Approach or iGolf... niether require maintaining yearly fees. Skycaddies are nice, but the fees are a bit high. Upro would be my third choice. Just look at the units and decide what features are impoartant to you, and whether or not you care about subscription fees. Check what courses are availible for the model you want. iGolf, Skycaddie, Upro and Garmin are all pretty accurate, it just depends what your preferences are.

[mrt10x]

I used a skycaddie for two years, in conjunction with a Bushnell yardage pro 1500. I used the lazer on any shot I could see the pin, it was just more accurate. That being said it was useless for measurements around doglegs, to bunkers, etc. I started to really question it when other units started showing up in my foursome. I had the skycaddie, by buddy had the callaway, another the golf buddy, etc. There was often up to 10 yard difference in what the different GPS's were reading. This further convinced me that the lazer is the way to go. However, because I like to have gadgets, when my skycaddie gave up the ghost I replaced it with a GolfBuddy. 90% of the functionality, the only thing it doesnt do is rotate the green like a skycaddie does, and no annual service fee. It has thousands of courses preloaded. I have played in HI, CA, AZ, MT, and NC over the last year, and only once has a course been srewed up, and when I went online I found they had updated that course since I had done my last upgrade.
Bottom line, cool toys, if you really want to know your distance to a flag, get a lazer.

[TinCupTampa]

I have an OnPar... no complaints yet. Ive used a couple others but this one is my favorite.