Sky caddie vs. return and buy stuff I probably don't need

[masegolf1978]

Got one for christmas and need help deciding

So I got a Skycaddie-like device for Christmas (same price as sky caddy). I have a buddy who I often play with who has a sky caddie, and it is really very helpful. This is primarily because I play at a couple of local muni's and suffice it to say the yardage markers aren't always correct. In fact, according to the sky caddie, some were up to 20 yds off.
In any event, I really play only these two courses, and then maybe five or six others for vacations and such throughout the year.
The device was purchased at Edwin Watts, so I was thinking about adding a 58 degree wedge and a hybrid, and then other random items (balls, maybe a jacket).

Anyway, looking for some advice and trying to figure out which would be better. Like the sky caddie, but not sure how much I would actually use it. Moreover, not overly excited about paying the subscription fee for the sky caddie. I generally shoot in the mid to low 80s and play 3-5 times a week.

Thanks for any input.

[mitchleary]

if you play all the time with your buddy, can you just use his? If you know the local courses well, do you realy need a skycaddie if that is all you play?

Do you really need/want the clubs more?

Sometimes it is fun hitting your ball into the unknown, but most of the time, it is not. Agood reason for the Skycaddie.

I would love to have one, but right now it would be a waste for me since I have less than one year under my belt. I need to learn how far I can hit each club first.

As far as the subscription goes, the cost is 1-2 rounds of golf for a year memeberships. Not bad, especially if you can play all year round.

Good luck with your decision and let us know how it goes.

[Spumoni]

Stick with the skycaddie. I doubt it makes me play better but it does help me play faster. Especially if you spray the ball from the fairway. It's great when you play a new course.

[AAL]

I have the Pinseeker 1500 and although different than a Skycaddie, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm not a feel player, instead relying on accurate distances when selecting my club. But, in addition to knowing what distance different features are from me (target as well as hazards) I find that no longer having to find a yardage marker and then pacing it off, makes for a faster game. Plus taking it with me to different course takes a lot of the guesswork out of the game. Keep the Skycaddie!!!!!

[fyrmng]

IMHO...if you want GPS keep the Skycaddie. If you want exact yardages get the Pinseeker 1500 TE. If you don't really want a rangefinder at all...get a store credit and wait to get what you really want.

[Rhod]

IMHO Keep the GPS it is about the coolest golf toy I have ever picked up and if you want the wedge and the utility club just go buy them good luck and enjoy.

[MCCA]

My buddy i play with has a Pinseeker 1500 & i have a Igolf GPS, we usually have both when we play when he's behind trees or some other obstruction and can't see the flag he relies on me. But to answer your question i guess i get something i really needed simply because i thought i was going to get a ton of use out of it but now that I've kind of dialed in most yardages and my course i don't really need it as much. When i play other public courses most of them have GPS units in the carts so mine is really not needed. If you need wedges get them that's going to help your game more than a GPS.

mcca

[atlanta golfer]

I've got the skycaddie and the nikon rangefinder. I play lots of different courses and like using them both. If I could only have one, I would keep the rangefinder - having the exact distances to the pin itself from 200 yards and in is tremendously helpful. So one option is to return the skycaddie and get a rangefinder with the store credit. otoh if you really only play the same one or two courses all the time, you may know everything by heart and not need either device.

[uncle rico]

[quote name='atlanta golfer' post='847765' date='Jan 3 2008, 07:26 PM']I've got the skycaddie and the nikon rangefinder. I play lots of different courses and like using them both. If I could only have one, I would keep the rangefinder - having the exact distances to the pin itself from 200 yards and in is tremendously helpful. So one option is to return the skycaddie and get a rangefinder with the store credit. otoh if you really only play the same one or two courses all the time, you may know everything by heart and not need either device.[/quote]


I would agree. Some of the guys I play with at my club have SkyCaddies. I have a Bushnell yardage pro. I find the yardage pro more helpful, because I play different courses a lot. I don't have to worry about charging a rangefinder. I just keep a spare battery in my bag. Also another advantage I have found to a range finder is that it is easier to get yardage to a layup area. I just point at a landmark and shoot, Bam the yardage I want is right there. I also use the rangefinder at the driving range. My clubs hitting is 75 yards deep, so I use it a lot to get distance to the pins on the range. IMO I would get a rangefinder and use the extra money for the wedge.

[saintsfan]

I say keep the Skycaddie. i had a busnell laser for a while and found that as the batteries ran down the accurancy of the laser dropped as much as 15 yards. I like having more yardage information to the front and center and back to help frame the approach shot. All of the layup yardages are there as well. The sg 5 has a complete outline of the green. but its your call

[justhackin]

Keep it ........ I have a Sonocaddie and a rangefinder. The rangefinder is coming out less and less. Once I figured out the Sonocaddie is normally within 2-5 yards that is all I need. I do still use the rangefinder on some courses that I haven't checked for accuracy as the Sonocaddie isn't mapped by walking like the SkyCaddie courses are. If you need more accuracy than that your tour caddie can give it to you.

hackin

[Wookieedog]

keep it....it is harder to scrape together the money for the cost of a gps system than it is to scrape together the money for a new wedge.

[siennaslammer]

my 2-cent.
i go with the other route.
if you are playing the same 2-3 courses; you should be able to get to know the course & it's layouts inside-out.
and the distances on each hole would become 2nd nature to you (like my home course - i know pretty where to hit and with what club)...

looking at your WITB sig - you might want to invest in wedge(s) since you only got 53*
and as we all know the scoring line is 120yds and less...

enjoy

[MCDavis]

You said a "Skycaddie-like device for Christmas (same price as sky caddy)"...what exactly did you get?

[duck hook]

Get a rangefinder, I've been playing golf for 25 years and my handicap finally dropped last year. The only difference I can attribute that to is knowing my exact distance on every shot, saved me a couple of shots a round.

[imsocrabby]

i'm a feel player so at the moment i don't use any device. but if i were to choose....i would pick up a rangefinder. a few reasons why...the first being that a rangefinder is much more precise...i like that. secondly, with a GPS, you are at the mercy of the person who marked the course.....and that's not always a good thing. on the SkyCaddie network...my course is wrong.

as far as any of those devices speeding up play.....the book is still out IMO. If you're a slow golfer by nature, standing behind your ball reading a little screen isn't speeding you up. I play with a few gentlemen who have the SkyCaddie. At any given time throughout our round...they are all standing on the tee box....holding those little black boxes....debating the accuracy. Standing there....waving them in the sky as if to get better reception. The yardage plate is right there....next to the tee markers...and the pin sheet is in their other hand...but yet...they are still searching and wondering which club to take.



forget that they've played this course every day for the past 20 years......just pick a club already....and knock it short right....again.

[tyrone3434]

Whatever happened to yardage books? When I am president of the universe all golf courses will be required to sell yardage books for $2. Oh and Ferraris will be similar in price to a Kia.

Sorry a bit off topic. If you play a lot of different courses go range finder, if you play a set # then go with the GPS. I agree with the above post that it is easier to justify buying a club with your own dollars than it is to buy a GPS/range finder.

[masegolf1978]

Thanks for all the replies.
First, I got a "Golfbuddy GPS". I assume it's the same sort of concept as skycaddie, but I figure skycaddie is a lot more well known, has more courses already mapped etc. According to edwin watts .com, it's the same price as the skycaddie sg4, so if I return it, I'll probably get the sg4 as opposed to the sg5, which, as far as i can tell, is the same except a color screen and possibly slightly easier to charge.
I play atlanta munis, like north fulton and bobby jones. They aren't great, but I live literally right across the street from north fulton, so I get to play all the time. I also get out to ansley/settindown a decent amount. Other than that, it's the rare invite to capital city/crabapple, east lake or vacations. I guess the point is, I play north fulton and/or bobby jones 3-5 times a week. and not much else. I felt like I knew all the yardages at these places, but having played with my buddy who had the skycaddie, it looks like I was wrong, by as much as 20 yds on some holes. When I think about it, it makes sense, as I've gotten to the point where I hit the same club on every hole, but have a habit of coming up short or long. My buddy always jokes that he could lower my score 5-7 strokes around if I would pay attention to yardages and hit what he tells me to.
Anyway, I hadn't considered a range finder. How does it work on hilly courses? What if you can't see the pin? Does it still work? Sorry for the naivete but I've never used one before.
As of now, I'm going to keep the receipt, borrow my buddy's skycaddie and see how it goes.

[atlanta golfer]

The skycaddie actually works better on hilly courses, in terms of adding value. When the approach shot to the green is blind, this is when you can consult the skycaddie, versus having to walk up the hill to see what is going on. Also, consider the sg3 vs the sg4. The batteries are double aa which can be simpler.

The rangefinder can measure only whatever it can see. A flag, a bunker edge, a layup area, a tree at the end of the fairway, etc.