Sky Caddie must be kidding!

[Bob McClain]

new feature?

New Sky Caddie feature



I just saw a press release from Sky Golf claiming that their GPS units can now give exact (to the flagstick) yardages. I am thinking – now they really got something! Here is the catch – you got to get to the course early and get a “pinsheet” so you can input the hole locations.

News for Sky Golf -- courses do not provide daily pinsheets. I guess you could get there real early and walk the course checking hole locations!

Do any of these gadget company guys play golf??



SkyGolf Debuts SkyCaddie® PinPoint - First-Ever GPS Rangefinder to ...

[Vendetta]

I prefer lasers anyway.

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='Bob McClain' timestamp='1296441233' post='2938681']
[size="3"]New Sky Caddie feature[/size]



[size="3"]I just saw a press release from Sky Golf claiming that their GPS units can now give exact (to the flagstick) yardages. I am thinking – now they really got something! Here is the catch – you got to get to the course early and get a "pinsheet" so you can input the hole locations. [/size]

[size="3"]News for Sky Golf -- courses do not provide daily pinsheets. I guess you could get there real early and walk the course checking hole locations![/size]

[size="3"]Do any of these gadget company guys play golf??[/size]



[url="http://www.golfbusinesswire.com/story/230642"]SkyGolf Debuts [b]SkyCaddie[/b]® [b]PinPoint[/b] - First-Ever GPS Rangefinder to [b]...[/b][/url]






[/quote]

When I first thought about it, it was a WTF idea. But after further thought, this new feature is not for us, the average golfer. Who would want a feature like this? Golfers playing in a pro tour. What if Skycaddie was to become the name sponsor for a golf tour in 2012 (Nationwide ends its sponsorship after this year). Wouldn't they want the golfers to have the option to use a Skycaddie instead of a yardage book. What is the one thing they need that the Skycaddie could not provide? The EXACT yardage to the pin. Now they have the ability to provide it. How much would the publicity of seeing a top tour pro using a Skycaddie in a top tour event be worth?

[mike03a3]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1296498888' post='2940064']

How much would the publicity of seeing a top tour pro using a Skycaddie in a top tour event be worth?
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure if the PGA ever allows distance measuring equipment on tour you'd see a bunch of lasers, not Skycaddies.

[ronbo]

I would disagree, the pace of play is slow enough on Tour and Lasers would slow it down more. They would be shooting yardages through out the round slowing things down, that's why they use them in practice rounds. Using a paper yardage book that has all the markings is like using a GPS Pre-Mapped. Plus the maps they have in there books are so good now, that I can't remember the last time I saw a Tour caddie walking off yardages. Not that it matters but, Skycaddie is the official range finder for PGA of America, that's got to mean something?

[Disco]

Where is this update located? I've searched and ran Caddie Sync to no prevail....

[Turbs]

I have a Sky Caddie Unit and love all the fetures, this new one will come into effect for me during club championship when we do in fact use pin sheets. So I vote yes!! good... great feature. It may not be used by the majority of the Sky Caddie users but to have access when you could use it, sounds great!!

Cheers Turbs

[BlackDiamondPar5]

[quote name='ronbo' timestamp='1296766891' post='2949296']
I would disagree, the pace of play is slow enough on Tour and Lasers would slow it down more. They would be shooting yardages through out the round slowing things down, that's why they use them in practice rounds. Using a paper yardage book that has all the markings is like using a GPS Pre-Mapped. Plus the maps they have in there books are so good now, that I can't remember the last time I saw a Tour caddie walking off yardages.
[/quote]

Agreed. The yardage books their caddies use are outstanding.

[quote name='ronbo' timestamp='1296766891' post='2949296']
Not that it matters but, Skycaddie is the official range finder for PGA of America, that's got to mean something?
[/quote]

Yeah, that's what your annual fee helps pay for.

[Disco]

I did an online support call with Skycaddie and they were not aware of any such update. Can anyone else verify this update?

[umaynome]

I know this will come as a shock, but there are golf courses outside the US. Yes, it's true. Many of those funny foreign courses have pin sheets to give their customers every day. Gasp.

Even more remarkable (you may want to sit down for this one...) SkyCaddie is available in many countries other than the US.

[Bucken77]

Typical Bob McLain post guys. He is just a troll for laser

[TM_HOYER]

We already know that when PinPoint is released the laser guys are going to come up with 101 reasons why lasers are more accurate than PinPoint. Also we know the scientific and engineering laser guys are going to come up some elaborate tests to show why lasers are more accurate than PinPoint.

[78Staff]

[quote name='Chunkylover77' timestamp='1297253564' post='2962420']
Typical Bob McLain post guys. He is just a troll for laser
[/quote]

Ahh oh yeah, the Red Hot laser guy LOL... How quickly we (or I) forget.

[golfzlife]

I cannot find the update information....

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='golfzlife' timestamp='1297793636' post='2979441']
I cannot find the update information....
[/quote]

PinPoint has not been released yet. It is still in development and testing.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='Bob McClain' timestamp='1296441233' post='2938681']
[size="3"]New Sky Caddie feature[/size]



[size="3"]I just saw a press release from Sky Golf claiming that their GPS units can now give exact (to the flagstick) yardages. I am thinking – now they really got something! Here is the catch – you got to get to the course early and get a "pinsheet" so you can input the hole locations. [/size]

[size="3"]News for Sky Golf -- courses do not provide daily pinsheets. I guess you could get there real early and walk the course checking hole locations![/size]

[size="3"]Do any of these gadget company guys play golf??[/size]



[url="http://www.golfbusinesswire.com/story/230642"]SkyGolf Debuts [b]SkyCaddie[/b]® [b]PinPoint[/b] - First-Ever GPS Rangefinder to [b]...[/b][/url]

[/quote]

I play in TX, AZ and CA. Many courses offer pin sheets, you just have to ask for one, or have them located on carts. If, the course offers on-cart satellite yardage, or did so at one time, they have greens setup in quadrants, so might make pin positions available, just ask the starter if there's a pin location. You'd be suprised how many people do not ask, they assume pin sheets do not exist.

[King_Slender]

I like the functionality of the uProGo with the $50 upgrade - you can move the marker around on the green for more exact yardage. That being said, I'm thinking of switching to a laser.

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='King_Slender' timestamp='1297883674' post='2983619']
I like the functionality of the uProGo with the $50 upgrade - you can move the marker around on the green for more exact yardage. That being said, I'm thinking of switching to a laser.
[/quote]

What you described has been a standard feature on Skycaddie's for a long time at no additional charge. What PinPoint will do is allow you to input the exact pin location using the distances from a pin placement sheet. You will get four yardages. front, center, back, and pin. Plus it will adjust yardages based on the angle you are approaching the green using intelligreen. It may be 4 yards from the front from the center of the fairway but you will know it is 2 yards from the front because you are approaching the green from deep in the right rough. This will give you the exact yardage to the pin, just like a laser.

[10of14]

This is not germain to Skycaddy, almost all of the newer top-end GPS units provide this feature (move the pin around). BTW, I live in MI and a good share of the better course here also give a daily "pin location" sheet. However, with at least 5 of the better GPS units, they allow you to move the pin around...not just Skycaddy.

[TM_HOYER]

Actually intelligreen is something no other golf GPS has as Skygolf owns the patient for it. Only the Skycaddie will rotate the green to have the green layout appear as you would see the green from where you are at and give you front, back, and center based on where you are, not some designated spot. Others do allow the moving of a cursor on a layout of the green as that is not part of the intelligreen patient.

[10of14]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297907809' post='2985335']
Actually intelligreen is something no other golf GPS has as Skygolf owns the patient for it. Only the Skycaddie will rotate the green to have the green layout appear as you would see the green from where you are at and give you front, back, and center based on where you are, not some designated spot. Others do allow the moving of a cursor on a layout of the green as that is not part of the intelligreen patient.
[/quote]

Ok...brand name is different but function and end result are the same.

[King_Slender]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297907809' post='2985335']
Actually intelligreen is something no other golf GPS has as Skygolf owns the patient for it. Only the Skycaddie will rotate the green to have the green layout appear as you would see the green from where you are at and give you front, back, and center based on where you are, not some designated spot. Others do allow the moving of a cursor on a layout of the green as that is not part of the intelligreen patient.
[/quote]

The uPro Go, while it doesn't rotate the green, it does draw a line from your position to the green, which in effect shows you the line you are coming in on. It's a one time fee for GoMode, which beats the annual fees for SkyCaddie - that is the only thing that keeps me away from SkyCaddie.

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='King_Slender' timestamp='1297958974' post='2986736']
[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297907809' post='2985335']
Actually intelligreen is something no other golf GPS has as Skygolf owns the patient for it. Only the Skycaddie will rotate the green to have the green layout appear as you would see the green from where you are at and give you front, back, and center based on where you are, not some designated spot. Others do allow the moving of a cursor on a layout of the green as that is not part of the intelligreen patient.
[/quote]

The uPro Go, while it doesn't rotate the green, it does draw a line from your position to the green, which in effect shows you the line you are coming in on. It's a one time fee for GoMode, which beats the annual fees for SkyCaddie - that is the only thing that keeps me away from SkyCaddie.
[/quote]

For me Skycaddie was the better deal. I play 30 - 35 different courses a year and not the same ones year after year. To get the Pro mode courses for each on uPro (to match what I get with the Skycaddie), I would need to purchase at least $120 in credits for the first year alone. I can get a 3 year membership for $129 with Skycaddie. And then add $50 to move the cursor on uPro which is standard on Skycaddie. Over three years the uPro would be more expensive for me. If you play the same handful of courses all the time, I will admit the uPro is cheaper. You just have compare the after the purchase costs based on what and how many courses you play. Also during my three year membership I have gone from the SG3 to the SG5 to the SGX. It was just a matter of transferring my membership at no cost.

[King_Slender]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297965243' post='2987033']

For me Skycaddie was the better deal. I play 30 - 35 different courses a year and not the same ones year after year. To get the Pro mode courses for each on uPro (to match what I get with the Skycaddie), I would need to purchase at least $120 in credits for the first year alone. I can get a 3 year membership for $129 with Skycaddie. And then add $50 to move the cursor on uPro which is standard on Skycaddie. Over three years the uPro would be more expensive for me. If you play the same handful of courses all the time, I will admit the uPro is cheaper. You just have compare the after the purchase costs based on what and how many courses you play. Also during my three year membership I have gone from the SG3 to the SG5 to the SGX. It was just a matter of transferring my membership at no cost.
[/quote]

I'm talking about the uPro GO, which is different than the uPro. It's a $50 one-time fee and that covers enabling the Go Mode for all 18,000+ courses. The standard uPro is the one with the per course fee.

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='King_Slender' timestamp='1297967488' post='2987139']
[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297965243' post='2987033']
For me Skycaddie was the better deal. I play 30 - 35 different courses a year and not the same ones year after year. To get the Pro mode courses for each on uPro (to match what I get with the Skycaddie), I would need to purchase at least $120 in credits for the first year alone. I can get a 3 year membership for $129 with Skycaddie. And then add $50 to move the cursor on uPro which is standard on Skycaddie. Over three years the uPro would be more expensive for me. If you play the same handful of courses all the time, I will admit the uPro is cheaper. You just have compare the after the purchase costs based on what and how many courses you play. Also during my three year membership I have gone from the SG3 to the SG5 to the SGX. It was just a matter of transferring my membership at no cost.
[/quote]

I'm talking about the uPro GO, which is different than the uPro. It's a $50 one-time fee and that covers enabling the Go Mode for all 18,000+ courses. The standard uPro is the one with the per course fee.
[/quote]

I took a look at the info the the web site and the GO mode info is better than just front, center, and back but less than what the Skycaddie provides. I do not just get yardages to hazards. I get target yardages which I have learned provides the best shot to the green. Playing in North Georgia, that target yardage is usually a flat spot on the fairway. But for some golfers, what the GO mode provides would be fine. I comes down to what level of information you are looking for.

[Solutions Etcetera]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297907809' post='2985335']
Actually intelligreen is something no other golf GPS has as Skygolf owns the patient for it. Only the Skycaddie will rotate the green to have the green layout appear as you would see the green from where you are at and give you front, back, and center based on where you are, not some designated spot.
[/quote]
This isn't true. The Garmin rotates the entire hole view, adjusts yardages, and automatically zooms in to show your position through the green.

So when you're at the green, the entire display is filled with the green. When you're out 100 yds, the display shows just that part of the hole that is 100 yds out and to the green. These views rotate to show your approach angle, and updates the yardages to the green (or any target for that matter).

[Dr. Bombay]

[quote name='ronbo' timestamp='1296766891' post='2949296']
I would disagree, the pace of play is slow enough on Tour and Lasers would slow it down more. They would be shooting yardages through out the round slowing things down, that's why they use them in practice rounds. Using a paper yardage book that has all the markings is like using a GPS Pre-Mapped. Plus the maps they have in there books are so good now, that I can't remember the last time I saw a Tour caddie walking off yardages. [u]Not that it matters but, Skycaddie is the official range finder for PGA of America, that's got to mean something?[/u]
[/quote]

It means Skycaddie paid the most for the endorsement!! If another rangefinder company had given the PGA of America a higher offer then they would be the official rangefinder of the PGA of America!!

[kchuckb]

[quote name='King_Slender' timestamp='1297958974' post='2986736']
[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1297907809' post='2985335']
Actually intelligreen is something no other golf GPS has as Skygolf owns the patient for it. Only the Skycaddie will rotate the green to have the green layout appear as you would see the green from where you are at and give you front, back, and center based on where you are, not some designated spot. Others do allow the moving of a cursor on a layout of the green as that is not part of the intelligreen patient.
[/quote]

The uPro Go, while it doesn't rotate the green, it does draw a line from your position to the green, which in effect shows you the line you are coming in on. It's a one time fee for GoMode, which beats the annual fees for SkyCaddie - that is the only thing that keeps me away from SkyCaddie.
[/quote]
I'm getting a little tired of the annual fee from skycaddie myself.

[10of14]

My Garmin allows me to take the pin placement sheet from my club (and most others that now offer this) and pinpoint the point on green. None of us, even those of us that have had a hole in one, eagle from the fairway or albatross need anything more, including a laser. Most of us need something reasonabley close to the pin placement to play a good round and the GPS, especially the one I own does just that. For reference, I owned a Laser and it did nothing more than my GPS.

[DNice26]

I had a Skycaddie and lost it on course (no one returned it....even after I shut it down). Decided to buy a laser. Bought a Bushnell and I like it alot. No additional fees is nice and knowing the specific distances is nice. Skycaddie is more convenient is you often find yourself off the fairway or in unique locations on the course. To each their own I suppose.