Sonocaddie Golf GPS Review

My review of the Sonocaddie.

By coincidence, I received my Sonocaddie the exact same day as Charlie did :(

I've used mine 3 times now and I feel ready to give a small review. PM me if something is missing in my review.

The first day I turned it on, I would test it in the city, which I live in. I was very disappointed
It could only find 5 satellites - even if I waited for 8-10 minutes in the same spot. No buildings taller than 5.th floor in the neighbourhood - and I did try to imagine a small par 4 hole down the street and the gauging it gave me was pretty incorrect. The Sonocaddie needs at least 6 satellites or more to give precise distance recordings - the more satellites the merrier it is and the better and more precise GPS measurements will it provide :russian_roulette:

It can receive up to 12 satellites (some says 16, but I don't know if this correct) The more satellites a Golf GPS "communicates" with the more precise will it be and the faster will it be able to record and deliver distance information out on the course.

In theory rain and clouds should not reduce the GPS signal between a Golf GPS device, such as the Sonocaddie, and the satellites - but I must say that my experience with the Sonocaddie is that it will not work and find as many satellites in cloudy weather and when it rains, as it does when the sky is clear.

Because of my first test - I arrived at the golf course with less than high hopes.

I went to the range and had it sitting on my cart, while I was hitting balls for 15 minutes and hoped it would be able to catch more than 5 satellites this time.....
It did - the sun was shining and no clouds (but clouds should >NOT< interfere with the GPS signal anyway).
Within 15 minutes it had found 12 satellites and communicated with 11 of them - so my expectations were again positive as I went to the first tee.

I started mapping the course to learn how to do it. The course I was to play that day was available on the Sonocaddie website for download, but I wanted to learn it the hard way and I trust my own mapping better than one did on a computer by a guy sitting in asia using Google Earth and GPS.

I had mapped the different bunkers, water hazards, lay ups and stuff like as reference points before I arrived to the golf course. This way mapping the course will go a bit faster, because you simply have to enter each hole and edit each reference point for each hole (you can map up to 6 different reference point pr. hole, of which 2 is the front green and back green) and make sure to stand still for at least 5 seconds on each reference point to obtain a precise GPS recording for that particular reference point.

It took me about 1 hour extra playing 18 holes, because I had to jump around and find all the hazards and lay up points and record them into my Golf GPS - but when it's done, it's done - and you KNOW you've done it yourself - and this is a pretty satisfying thought.

The unit is pretty sturdy, although in white plastic. You have a nice black small thin rubber belt around the lower half of the unit, and this mankes it very easy to get a tight and firm grip on the the unit. The display is readable in direct sunligt, but of course it's only a monochrome display and therefore not fancy to look at like the Sureshot GPS with its TFT colorscreen. But the Sonocaddies screen works for its purpose and that's enough for me. The electronic scorecard also works very well. You can go directly from the GPS mode on each hole to the electronic scorecard and back again in the press of one button. Works really well.

The device is small and ligt weight (4 ounces with the 3 AAA batteries) - even smaller than a normal sized cellular phone, think of Samsung clamshell phone-size. A bit chubby though - but I kind of like that, because this means it's very comfortable holding the unit in your hand because of the round shape. You can have it in your pocket and still not notice it. Other GPS devices are considerable larger and more bulky. I like being able to always have it on me and not have it sitting on my Golfcart - because I also use the electronic scorecard built into the Sonocaddie.

You can use rechargeable batteries and they work very well. I use 3 GP 850 maH AAA - and after 3 rounds, I still have 2 out of 4 power beams on the display. The menu is fast and easy to learn. The keybaord and joystick is much better than expected - actually very easy to use and navigate with. One negative thing is that the unit has trouble saving the settings. Sometimes it will remember the settings you save, sometimes it will forget them. I had to set the settings for meter and not yards several times, but the unit kept forgetting it - although I saved it each and every time - a firm ware upgrade should correct this small but annoying error.

After mapping the course, I've tested the Sonocaddie two times on the same course - and so far I'm content. The distances seem to be spot on (within 2-3 yards/meters precision - NO GPS unit is more precie than that) , the unit have had 9-11 satellites to communicate with on each round, which is more than enough.

The software you need to install on your Pc for the Sonocaddie to work on the computer was easy to install and the dowloading of courses was also very easy. You can have a total of 20 courses in the Sonocaddie - and it's free of charge. No annual fee, no price for dowloading the courses from the Sonocaddie website, which I think is a great feature.

Improvement for the next model could be: Built in clock, a slightly larger screen (without making the unit larger, because I really love the small size of this device) and an alarm clock (a discreet teetime alarm for use on the range).

Performance: 9/10
Design : 9/10
Bulk: 10/10
Features: 9/10
Screen: 7/10
Power consumption: 9/10
Price: 8/10

Claus,

Can you tell me if you've been able to play in less than sunny conditions? Just curious because it is almost always cloudy here on Terceira Island and I do not want to waste my time if performance is less than ideal in clouds. Thanks in advance for any info you may provide.

I did play 2-3 times in less than sunny condition with some clouds and this do have an affect on how the GPS device will behave and how many satellites it will be able to receive. But the Sonocaddie on all 3 occasions was able to "catch" 6-7 satellites and this is enough for it to work perfectly.

I have no regrets buying this product and can only recommend it highly to everyone in the market for a small golf GPS with built in scorecard.

The GPS signal you use is in the UHF band and can be affected by the weather as it passes throughout the layers of the atmosphere.

 

But... 3-4 will work and 12 is awesome for accuracy... it depends on the dilution of precision.

 

All in all GPS is very accurate for us.

Mapping instructions for the Sonocaddie GPS device

 

I've mapped 5 courses on my Sonocaddie myself. I like mapping it myself because that way I know the reference points are spot on.

BUT yout really have to be patient to map a course - if a normal rounf of 18 holes takes 2.5-3 hours, expect to use at æeast 1-2 hours extra if you're mapping the course while playing it. I did map one of the course without playing it - and it took me 2 hours to map 18 holes.

 

You map a new course by reading the manual :cheesy: :D .........kust kidding :beruo: :beruo:

 

You start by entering the menu called "map new" and enter the name of the course and press the "Save" button. Then it automatically takes you to Hole 1 - by using the [right joystick button] and [left joystick button] you can scroll thorugh the holes you want to record and enter in to. I guess the best thing is to start out at hole 1 ;)

 

You are on the first tee and you do nothing here - nothing !

From the first tee you try to locate the first point, that you will enter into the unit as a reference point/Mapping point. You have a total of 6 reference point spr. hole to map - the 2 of them being the front green and back green - so this gives you a total of 4 reference points befreo you reach the green.

A good ide would be to go through the course inside your head, BEFORE you arrive at the course and then you only have to map the reference points on the spot using the GPS satellites. I did it this way, and it saved me a lot of time on the course. I simply did the recordings of the all the reference points at home - of course with no GPS reception, but you can still record all the reference points for each hole at home, with no GPS signal avilable. What I then do when I arrive at the course ready for mapping the course is that I just stand in the positions I mapped at home (using my memory and imagination) and wait for 5-10 seconds (so the GPS coordinates will be as precise as possible) and then I press EDIT and record and Voilá - I recorded a mapping point.

 

Let me give you an example, if you don't follow what I'm trying to explain here :)

 

I visualize hole number 1 on a course I want to map the next day. I start by entering the menu called MAP NEW and then enters the name of the course, I want to map the next day - i.e. West lake golf course. Then I press the SAVE button and the device enters into hole number 1 automatically on the course that I want to map. I'm still sitting at home with a cold beer in my hand :) Hole number 1 on this course is a PAR 5 and has one bunker on the left 250 yards out, a small water hazard to the right 300 yards out, a small group of trees 400 yards out to the right and a green side bunker to the left. This is 4 reference points. Then there is always the front of the gren and the back of the green - a total of 6 reference mapping points, the maximum the Sonocaddie can map pr. hole. If a certain hole has more than 6 reference points, you have to choose the ones you find is most important to you. For instance if a hole has a dog leg, a reference point for laying up in the corner of this dogleg would be a very nice and usable reference point.

 

When I've visualized the course in my head and decided which reference points/hazards/bunkers/water/trees I want to map, I now start the mapping by simply choosing the SELECT button. I now see the Hole 1, but it looks empty - I can only see the a green on the top of the screen and the rest is empty - this is because there haven't been entered any kind of reference point/mapping points yet. This is what I have to do now. I press the EDIT button to the right of the screen,

and I now enters the first reference point - the first point was the bunker to the left, you have 3 rows and 6 columns fpr entering the reference points on the sonocaddie. The 6 columns is of course because the unit only can handle 6 mapping points, as i just stated, the 3 rows for each of the 6 points are for left, middle and right position on the course, so you can see if the hazrd is to the left, to the right or in the middle on each hole you play.

The bunker was to the left, so I use the joystick to navigate the cursor to the left. You then press the SELECT button and a new screen on the sonocaddie pops up with small symbols for bunker, water hazards and other stuff. You can choose bunker front and bunker back, depending on if you would like to map the front of this bunker hazard or the back side of this bunker - depending on you think you can hit ovet he bunker or you want to know the lay up position in fornt of the bunker. This is why I like to map my own courses - we all hit different shots at different length. My driver average is 275-280 yards, and a guy who hits his driver 295 on average might want to know the distance to the backside of a bunker, while I want to know the distance to the front of the bunker - if the bunker is a BIG long bunker, these details are of quite some importance. I therefore use the joystick to find the Bunker Front Icon and then I press the [RECORD] menu button. Now I see the Hole 1 again, but now it has bunker to the left in the overview - the bunker I just made. Next point is the water hazrd to the right. I once again use the joystick to navigate the cursor one up and then to the right, so the cursor now is situated to the right row and in number 2 column. I hit the [sELECT] button and chooses the water hazard icon - you once again can choose between "water front" and "water back". I choose "water back" and press the [RECORD] menu button. I now see the bunker to the left anf the water to the right on the Hole 1, I'm mapping still sitting at home. I continue this precess until hole number 1 has been mapped.

 

When I'm done with the first hole, I press the [ECS] button until I see the screen with Hole 1 on. I then press the joystick to the right and en ters Hole 2 and maps that hole. When I'm done with all 18 holes, I press [ECS] button to get out of the menu and the Sonocaddie ask "Save changes to the course" - of course you press the YES button - otherwise all the mapping is a waste of time and have gone down the drain.

 

I don't have to wait for GPS signal at home, when I map a course, so the mapping takes 15 minutes for 18 holes. This way I won't have to spent the same amount of time mapping the course, when I'm actually there - and this will keep the pace up a bit, while mapping it LIVE on the golf course, if you di it like I do - mapping the course at home first, without the GPS coordinates, and then edit each mapping point on the actual course the next day.

 

When I arrive at the course the next day, I make sure to turn on the Sonocaddie on the range - it has to be turned on for at lest 15 miniutes before I start to play and map the course - just to be sure it will work. I hit my tee shot from tee number 1 on hole number 1 and then I enter into the menu called the name of the course I mapped on the Sonocaddie yesterday, West Lake Golf Course. I the press the [PLAY] button and see Hole 1 pop up on the sreen. I press [sELECT] and I an overview of the hole 1, I mapped yesterday. I make sure the Sonocaddies communicates with at least 6 satellites (you see the number of satellites on the top left corner of the screen) and walks up to the first reference point I mapped yesterday. Now I only have to edit the reference point and make sure I get the satellites to coordinate the point. I walk up to the first point and stand still for 5-10 seconds so the satellites catch my position. I press [EDIT] on the hole 1 screen and navigates with the joystick to the first bunker on the left (left row, first column), I press [sELECT] and finds the symbol for the bunker Front and hits the [RECORD] menu button - just like I did the evening before at home. The only difference is that now the GPS works and the satellites has caught my position and entered the co-ordinates for my position. I then walk on, while playing my next shot and runs over to next mapping point, the water hazard and do the same thing all over again. It is a lot of trouble, but once it's done, you never think about this process ever again and it simply just works and you know inside yourselæf, that you did your own mapping and it's precise and accurate :)

 

Remember that you shall NOT enter any co-ordinates for the tee box. Many people can't understand why they don't have to enter their position at the first tee. I try to explain that you have to think from the green to the tee box and from the tee box to the green. You have to think 180° reversed. Once you get the refe´rence points/mapping points for the green back and green front, it automaticlly makes the position for the middle of the green and no matter where you are on the course, it will know the distance to the green on that particular hole you currently have selected.

 

I hope this will help you map your own course with your Sonocaddie - it sounds really complicated and I guess it also is at first :black eye: :clapping: , but once you get the hang of it, it's quite simple :cheesy: ;)

 

I'm a bit of a computer geek, so maybe it just seems easy to me, but if your used to menu's in cellulars and on computers, this really is no hazzle at all :tease:

Good luck with your Sonocaddie :hi:

Great review Claus. Thanks for putting this together for us. I really need to get one of these Sonocaddies.

Here are some pics of my Sonocaddie up against my Sony-ericsson K800 mobile phone - my K800 is approx 4" long, 1.8" wide and 0.75" thick.

 

 

 

 

Does this unit offer any way to analyze your game? I would really like a way to track fairways hit and GIR. I can't seem to find where I could enter this using this unit.

Does this unit offer any way to analyze your game? I would really like a way to track fairways hit and GIR. I can't seem to find where I could enter this using this unit.

 

The unit does not support this - I think the Sureshot GPS has a function bulit in, that will keep track of this, but I'm not sure.....but the Sureshot GPS is pretty bulky, that's the only reason why I didn't buy it......I like a small unit, and the Sonocaddie is one of the smallest units out there, that also has a bulit in Score keeper.

Does the Sonocaddie require an annual fee similar to the SkyCaddie and GolfLogix?

Does the Sonocaddie require an annual fee similar to the SkyCaddie and GolfLogix?

 

Short answer:

NO !

Nice review. Thanks Claus.

Claus et all,

 

I also recently purchased a Sonocaddie. My unit was purchased through Nieman Marcus (sp?)on-line based on other forum members recommendations ($228 vs $299 elsewhere).

 

The units at Nieman Marcus must be old stock however since the unit did not come with a serial to USB adapter cable (sent as standard in later packages) and has software version 2.2 loaded vs 2.3 or newer. However, after e-mailing Sonocaddie tech support they were very responsive in sending me a new cable at no charge (I bought a cable in the meantime from Fry's electronics for approx $15).

 

Personally, I wanted to be able to download course information from the Sonocaddie web site data base and just use the unit as is. I was dissapointed in that the database information I've downloaded although comprehensive, it shows the data points (e.g. front/back of green) off by 10-20 yards. I validated this information against three different golf courses in my area (North West Phoenix).

 

I did find the Sonocaddie to be very intuitive and simple to correct any of the datapoints while playing which is great.

 

Since I noticed this data point offset problem I thought the problem might have been with my particular unit. Therefore I turned the unit on at home and compared it with two other GPS units (handheld and auto) for Lat/Lon accuracy and found all three units to report within a few yards of each other.

 

I did notice a Lat/Lon readout problem with Sonocaddie that was confirmed by Sonocaddie tech support and prompted me to send the unit in for software upgrade to version 2.5. Again, this was handled very promptly by the Sonocaddie agents located in Irvine, Ca.

 

With the upgraded unit the problem with stored course database points still persists and is apparently due to the course datapoints being gathered via satellite photos versus actual course readings (per Sonocaddie tech support).

 

I have noticed that once I manually adjust the data points for a given course the unit is very accurate. Once I have the local courses I play mapped out to my satisfaction I intend to upload the corrected databases into the Sonocaddie web database (nice feature/service that Sonocaddie offers) which will help other folks in my area.

 

I suspect this mapping problem is common agains other vendors Golf GPS units as well and will be corrected over time as new customers update the respective databases with actual versus satellite photo collected info.

 

Bottom line is that I like the unit very much, am dissapointed with the Satellite course mapping for many of the sites on the Sonocaddie web site. However, I am pleased that there are no recurring monthly/annual charges to access the web database and that I can upload corrected course information directly via the web interface.

 

Hope this info helps if any of you are thinking about buying a Sonocaddie GPS unit for Golf.

 

Regards,

Peter

 

*********************************************

 

Update 09/17/07

 

Just a quick note to let you know that Sonocaddie customer support offered to update the database mapping for three local courses that I had mentioned were 10-20 yards off in the NorthWest Phoenix area. After downloading the updated files and playing this morning I am very satisfied with the outcome. Customer support from this company is truly outstanding!!

I did e-mail customer support back with similar comments and recommending they should look at other golf courses in my area and correct/update as necessary as time permits.

 

Regards,

Peter

Claus et all,

 

I also recently purchased a Sonocaddie. My unit was purchased through Nieman Marcus on-line based on other forum members recommendations ($228 vs $299 elsewhere).

 

[ . . . ]

 

Regards,

Peter

 

Bummer Peter. I haven't seemed to have that problem with mine. At each hole, I always compare the yardage stated on the tee box with the Sonocaddie. So far, the majority are dead on, or maybe a couple of yards off at most (which could easily be the fault of the muni grounds crew as much as the Sonocaddie.)

 

Have you tried mapping the course (or a few holes) yourself and comparing it to the satellite mapped courses?

 

And yes, I think you must have gotten old stock. I bought my Sonocaddie several months ago and it came with the USB and the Sonocaddie to Sonocaddie adapters.

i've had probably a half dozen rounds with my sonocaddie and echo many of the positive sentiments in this thread.

 

the satellite based maps are sometimes a bit off, but so far nowhere near 10-20 yards for me. also, they're very easy to correct as stated already. the downloaded maps do only show the bare minimum in terms of hazards, plotted points....most of the course maps i downloaded only show bunkers (again, easy to add everything else into the map).

 

i wonder what changes were made between software versions 2.3 and 2.5 (i've got 2.3).

 

all in all i'm extremely pleased with this GPS unit and highly recommend it. i initially thought i wanted a laser based rangefinder, but now realize that GPS has a big advantage (no need for line of sight).

"Have you tried mapping the course (or a few holes) yourself and comparing it to the satellite mapped courses?"

 

Charlie,

 

I have tried mapping a few holes myself and from that point forward they are very accurate - validated during next rounds play!

 

How do you view the lat/lon's within a course database that has been downloaded from the Sonocaddie web site?

 

Regards.

Peter

Claus et all,

 

I also recently purchased a Sonocaddie. My unit was purchased through Nieman Marcus on-line based on other forum members recommendations ($228 vs $299 elsewhere).

 

[ . . . ]

 

Regards,

Peter

 

Bummer Peter. I haven't seemed to have that problem with mine. At each hole, I always compare the yardage stated on the tee box with the Sonocaddie. So far, the majority are dead on, or maybe a couple of yards off at most (which could easily be the fault of the muni grounds crew as much as the Sonocaddie.)

 

Have you tried mapping the course (or a few holes) yourself and comparing it to the satellite mapped courses?

 

And yes, I think you must have gotten old stock. I bought my Sonocaddie several months ago and it came with the USB and the Sonocaddie to Sonocaddie adapters.

 

I still haven't had any kind of problems with mine. I also owned a Bushnell laser range finder and I've checked the distances and they are spot on on the 4 courses I play mostly - maximum 2 yards off and normally ½ yard off. I find this more than acceptable. I also tried to emails Sonocaddie customers service, and they responded both locally in Denmark and in the US within 4-5 hours. Extremely good customers service. While the other product, I nearly bought, SureShot GPS have the most lousy customers service ever - it does not exist. I've tried emailing Sureshot 3 times and never got a reply from them. I've been in contact with Sonocaddie 4-5 times to ask basic questions and they reply very fast within hours. I also got both a serial cable and USB cable with my Sonocaddie.

 

I still think the screen is on the small side and lacks color, but I hope the next model will correct this (better & sharper screen in color while still maintaining the small size of this device, which I fancy very much) - and then I certainly will be buying the Sonocaddie version 2, because I have so far nothing but positive things to say about my Sonocaddie GPS device :drinks:

the size is one thing i absolutely love about the SonoCaddie - i can keep it in my pocket the whole round without bother.

 

i'm still wondering what they updated from software version 2.3 to 2.5. also wish they had Apple/Mac support.

 

battery life is great too - i've used it for at least 7 rounds now and haven't had to change batteries yet - should come soon though as i'm finally down to one bar on the meter.

the size is one thing i absolutely love about the SonoCaddie - i can keep it in my pocket the whole round without bother.

 

i'm still wondering what they updated from software version 2.3 to 2.5. also wish they had Apple/Mac support.

 

battery life is great too - i've used it for at least 7 rounds now and haven't had to change batteries yet - should come soon though as i'm finally down to one bar on the meter.

 

Mine has firmware 2.3 - and I have trouble getting it to memorize when I shift from yards to meters. I still forget to check it sometimes when I play. I usually remembers when the distances it gives me is wayyy off - then I remember "Oh crap, I forgot to check if it has remembered to use meters and not yards" :drinks:

I hope this has been corrected in the new firmware. Of course only us euro guys will see the benfits from this particular change :)

 

Don't know if I can download the firmware myself and update it through my pc - I'll email Sonocaddie about it :cheesy:

I too once owned a Sonnocaddie. The first two rounds it was spot on yardage wise. But in the middle of round three It would lock up. I would have to take the batteries out to get it to turn on and then it would turn it self off. (my natural luck in life if theres a lemon I always get it) Because of how much money it is I opted to return it for a refund instead of fixing it or replacing it. But if they do come out with a version 2. With a color screen and keep the great customer service I would give them a chance again. It's a good product.

Mine has firmware 2.3 - and I have trouble getting it to memorize when I shift from yards to meters. I still forget to check it sometimes when I play. I usually remembers when the distances it gives me is wayyy off - then I remember "Oh crap, I forgot to check if it has remembered to use meters and not yards" busted2.gif

I hope this has been corrected in the new firmware. Of course only us euro guys will see the benfits from this particular change smile.gif

 

Don't know if I can download the firmware myself and update it through my pc - I'll email Sonocaddie about it friends.gif

 

glad i don't have to worry about that :drinks: :)

 

keep us updated on whether you can flash the firmware yourself (and if they tell you exactly what the update is for)...i'd be willing to do it having flashed plenty of DVD burners, vid cards, mobo BIOSes, etc. :cheesy:

 

i'm amazed i found this thing for $135...one of the best bang for the buck golf purchases i've ever made.

drpino et. all,

 

From my earlier post I mentioned that my unit had been upgraded from V2.2 to 2.5. Sonocaddie techsupport indicated that the units are not customer upgradeable and hence I needed to send it in. If you find out differently, please let me know.

 

I have only used the upgraded unit a couple of times since the upgrade to v2.5 but have observed the following (note these are my observations from 2.2 to 2.5 - I've no idea how version 2.3 operates):

 

1) lat/lon read-out problem now reads correctly.

 

previously with three GPS units at same location:

 

Sonocaddie: recording 7/9 satellites DOP 1.1

Lon: 113 9.8817

 

Magellan 800 Car GPS

Lon: 112.16469 W

 

Magellan Handheld 4000XL

Lon : 112 09.89 W

 

2) Sonocaddie now "appears" to lock much more quickly and reliably (i.e. time it takes to provide lat/long coordinates after power up) than before. It seemed to me that the unit would not lock while driving (in motion) previously.

 

3) After selecting a course and hole to start, to progress onto the next hole on V2.2 one had to press "esc" move to next hole and press "select". With V2.5 I've noticed that while one hole is displayed I can "right click" the 5-way circular key directly to go directly to next hole.

 

4) When zooming in on the green with v2.5 the hole # is now displayed within the green I suspect this update was in 2.3 since my downloaded pdf instruction manual shows this).

 

Regards,

Peter

 

[/size]

From my earlier post I mentioned that my unit had been upgraded from V2.2 to 2.5. Sonocaddie techsupport indicated that the units are not customer upgradeable and hence I needed to send it in. If you find out differently, please let me know.

thanks for providing your input. hopefully Claus can either solicit a way from tech support or find a "hack" that allows one to upgrade firmware without having to send the unit in.

1) lat/lon read-out problem now reads correctly.

 

previously with three GPS units at same location:

Sonocaddie: recording 7/9 satellites DOP 1.1

Lon: 113 9.8817Magellan 800 Car GPS

Lon: 112.16469 W

 

Magellan Handheld 4000XL

Lon : 112 09.89 W

no problems with 2.3 AFAIK but i don't have any other GPS unit with which I can compare readings.

2) Sonocaddie now "appears" to lock much more quickly and reliably (i.e. time it takes to provide lat/long coordinates after power up) than before. It seemed to me that the unit would not lock while driving (in motion) previously.

i just make sure to turn my unit on as soon as i arrive at the course. usually locks onto at least 8 satellites within 5-10 minutes.

3) After selecting a course and hole to start, to progress onto the next hole on V2.2 one had to press "esc" move to next hole and press "select". With V2.5 I've noticed that while one hole is displayed I can "right click" the 5-way circular key directly to go directly to next hole.

 

4) When zooming in on the green with v2.5 the hole # is now displayed within the green I suspect this update was in 2.3 since my downloaded pdf instruction manual shows this).

 

Regards,

Peter

 

2.3 is the same as 2.5 for #3...re: #4 i'm pretty sure it shows the hole # on the zoom in but not sure. not really a necessity though IMO.

 

thanks Peter! :drinks:

i've been using the sonnocaddie as well and it's been great so far.

i've never tried the skycaddie intelligreen feature but would like to try someday.

only if they've made accessories for this like the skycaddie.

it's really tough to be able to attach it anywhere on the bag without the fear of losing it.

i've already lost the belt cip because it wasn't secure enough on the bag, luckily I didn't lose the gps unit.

Hi guys, care to share where and how much you paid for your sonocaddie? Best deal on Ebay is $299 at the moment. Thanks.

Just got it off Ebay for $245 shipped NIB.

Just got it off Ebay for $245 shipped NIB.

 

That's a pretty good price for it ;)

 

Good luck with it.

I'm still loving mine, and will buy the second edition, if ever there comes one (hope it will feature a color screen and maybe some kind of intelli green)

$245 shipped on ebay.. Take advantage of the make offer auctions.

I got carried away on ebay and bought two.. If anyone is interested in a NIB sonocaddie, shoot me a PM.

 

Thanks.

I pickup up a sonocaddie for $240 shipped on the Bay. I am probably the laziest person on the planet when it comes to these types of devices, so I thought I would give my review from a slightly different perspective than Claus' comprehensive review.

 

I got the unit, downloaded my local coarse from the website (I have no desire to map them out myself), which has absolutely no cell coverage, so I was curious... I was concerned because when I got to the course I turned the unit on and it could only find 1-2 satelites and no GPS was available. I left it in my bag outside and when I got to the first tee bingo, 9 sats and readings on all bunkers and to the green. The carts on my course also have GPS, so I thought it would be interesting to compare.

 

I would say pretty consistantly, the reading on the sonocaddie were 5-12 yards longer on average than the FW markers and what the GPS in the cart told me. However, I think the Sonocaddie might be more accurate, still hard to tell. I've always felt the numbers were wrong and the holes played longer than stated. I did end up flying a number of greens, but I think that's more mental than anything else.

 

As far as usability, it is so small, clips on the bag easily or I could keep it in my pocket. Numbers are instant, I didn't have any problems while on the course. A couple of places I was getting some variances with the distances, it wouldn't settle on a number with a range of about 8 yards. Close enough for me anyway...

 

I am very anxious to try it again on my home course and a few others where I know the distances. So far VERY promising and I am happy with the unit. The maps provided by the website seem to be accurate enough, at least for me...