Don't waste your money on a SkyCaddie...

[Oggie41]

I've just bought some golf GPS software called GolfCard for my Smartphone and I've got to say it's really impressive. It only cost £6, and doesn't charge an annual fee. It gives distances to front/back/centre of the green, distances to hazards etc., and even displays a map of the hole (using google maps) and lets you select any point on the map for lay-up's. My mate's got a similar app for his iPhone called GolfShot, which works equally as well. We've compared the accuracy to a mates SkyCaddie, and they pretty much show the same reading (give or take a few yards).

I don't know how SkyCaddie can get away with charging £150+, and then charge you an annual fee? Can't see them lasting many more years...

Would be interesting to see an article in the mag comparing a SkyCaddie with software run on a mobile phone, although I doubt that will happen due to advertising money they receive from SkyCaddie.

So my advice for anyone with a mobile phone capable of running such software (iPhone, Android, )... don't blow over £150 when you can get something superior for less than a tenner.

 

[net72]

I thought the same thing until I tried one of these aps on my smart phone. I found that it took far too long for the yardage reading to settle, up to 30 seconds, and found it a distraction to my game. I have since bought a skycaddie and it is great. it gives me the yardage almost instantly. I think that the hardware on the skycaddie is much more sensitive than on a smart phone and is updating your position much more frequently. The yearly fee was a bit hard to swallow but the performance of the unit and course availability makes it more than worth it.

 

[Oggie41]

Can't say I've had the same problem with mine - it updates as quick as my mates SkyCaddie. It obviously depends on which phone you're using, but the newer Smartphones, such as iPhones, are easily as powerful/accurate as a SkyCaddie.

 

[net72]

I use a Nokia N95, perhaps that is the problem. I like the convenience of skycaddie, clip it to my bag and forget about it until I need a yardage. Maybe my phone was losing the signal in my pocket but either way I found it distracting but if it works for you then its all good.

 

[USER1999]

I take it your phone is waterproof? And impact resistant? Personally I wouldn't take an iphone anywhere near a golf course.

I play with a few guys who have used their mobiles, and the GPS has been so inaccurate compared to an SC it beggars belief. Now yours may be ok, but all the ones I have seen have been pants.

The amount of space available in a phone for the gps hardware must be minute. I can't see how it is going to be as good as a dedicated unit, and as stated above, I would worry abosut damaging it.

Also, if a playing partner was doing this, and it rang, it would be in very small pieces, very quickly.

 

[SammmeBee]

and they pretty much show the same reading (give or take a few yards).

And the point of using something that is only partly accurate is....

 

[CliveW]

How much does one of these iPhone things cost and what other use would I have for one? My mobile is used for phone calls, nothing more. I don't need a camera, internet access or the like, so why would I have a phone with sat nav in it?
One other point. Mobile phones are banned on my course.

 

[MikeH]

Would be interesting to see an article in the mag comparing a SkyCaddie with software run on a mobile phone, although I doubt that will happen due to advertising money they receive from SkyCaddie.

You'll have to wonder no more becuase in November we are doing a full 18 hole on course test of 12 different devices GPS (SC golf buddy etc), DMDs (Nikon, Bushnell lasers) and software for the iphone and the freecaddie app - we will look at everything from how easy it is to download the app/courses, costs, battery life, ease of use, accuracy etc
The feature will appear in either the February or March issue of GM

 

[ColinR]

Would be interesting to see an article in the mag comparing a SkyCaddie with software run on a mobile phone, although I doubt that will happen due to advertising money they receive from SkyCaddie.

You'll have to wonder no more becuase in November we are doing a full 18 hole on course test of 12 different devices GPS (SC golf buddy etc), DMDs (Nikon, Bushnell lasers) and software for the iphone and the freecaddie app - we will look at everything from how easy it is to download the app/courses, costs, battery life, ease of use, accuracy etc
The feature will appear in either the February or March issue of GM

Will you say what is bad about them as well as what is good ?

...and make overall recommendations ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've seen guys with their mobiles trying to get a yardage and waiting ages to get the system to calm down enough to give an accurate number. I'm not sure how they stack up in terms of accuracy vs my SC5 but I turn mine on and get on with it. I know the battery is good for 36 holes too which is something I doubt any mobile will do without charging.

Seeing as I got mine in March 08 I think I've had maximum useage from mine. I agree the annual fee is pain but I get to store all the courses I need. If I was in the market again I'd look at things like golfbuddy and sonocaddy and would consider getting the 2.5 or the newer 3.5 version of SC

 

[slugger]

I'm going to offer my tuppence here...

Been using Freecaddie for a few months now and it's been nothing short of brilliant.

I use it on my HTC windows mobile device and always have airline mode switched on so as i know that i won't be able to receive or make calls.

I have played rounds with people using skycaddie and the readings i get are always withing 1 or 2 yards of their readings. This slight difference can be put down to whoever is plotting the course clicking in a slightly different place than the person who made the freecaddie file. As far as i know, they all use either google maps or bing maps to plot the courses. Freecaddie also gives me the option of plotting a course file as i walk, so i can go out on the course and make sure it's accurate.

The only thing that freecaddie doesn't have is pretty little pictures of the green. It offers distances to hazards, bunkers, front, back and middle of green. What else could you want?

It's quick and it's simple and very fast (on my phone anyway) and it has cost me the grand sum of £12 for unlimited courses and that is it.

I can also download courses on it when i'm in the middle of no-where. So if i'm at a course that i don't know and have forgotten to download the course file, i can do this there and then and the file is in use straight away.

It's the biggest bargain in golf!

 

[net72]

I think the mobiles would be quite close in accuracy to skycaddie, or as accurate as you'd need it to be at least, if you are prepared to stare at it for a while until the number stops changing but while you are doing that, you are not thinking about your shot. In my view this makes it counter productive. Iv'e tried both and the dedicated device is king, by a long way

 

[Oggie41]

I know the battery is good for 36 holes too which is something I doubt any mobile will do without charging.

I've used my phone (HTC Hero) for 36 holes and it only used about 40% of the battery.

 

[Oggie41]

and they pretty much show the same reading (give or take a few yards).

And the point of using something that is only partly accurate is....

I never said the SkyCaddie was the more accurate of the two! The software running on my phone may well be the more accurate. More likely still, the GPS co-ordinates for the centres of the greens will differ slightly between devices which causes the difference in readings.

Either way, the pin position will never be exactly in the centre of the green, so you are going to have to estimate the exact yardage based on where the pin is on that given day.

Anyway, surely knowing that you need to hit 81 yards instead of 83 yards won't make a blind bit of difference to you at all, it's not like you are that accurate is it?

 

[Parmo]

I like my G300 shotmiser, not sure about mobiles been on whilst on the course

 

[Oggie41]

I like my G300 shotmiser, not sure about mobiles been on whilst on the course

Silent mode works a treat

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I didn't, I wasted my pro shop credit on a Sonnocaddie.

ps - How well does it work on a phone which is so old it won't do pictures/photos?

 

[Oggie41]

How much does one of these iPhone things cost and what other use would I have for one? My mobile is used for phone calls, nothing more. I don't need a camera, internet access or the like, so why would I have a phone with sat nav in it?
One other point. Mobile phones are banned on my course.

My post clearly wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at people that own/are looking to own a smartphone that are in the market for a golf GPS unit and don't want to spend 200 quid.

 

[USER1999]

Skycaddie is mapped on the ground, not using google maps. It isn't a question of 'when someone clicked the button'.

 

[Fyldewhite]

The whole accuracy debate is pretty pointless as GPS system itself will only be accurate to within a few yards. So, if it was 2 yards out when the course was plotted and it's 2 yards the other way when you play you could be a few yards out overall. Side by side SkyCaddies often disagree by a yard or two.

SkyCaddie got into this market early and exploited it very well with a very good product. I think overall a SC offers a robust dedicated solution and has clearly been the "best" and a market leader for several years. Mobile phone solutions are fast catching up though and can offer a perfectly reasonable alternative at much less cost.

I have a Nokia 5800 not for golf yardages but for the functionality it offers in many other areas. I have tried freecaddie and it is very good, I can't comment on the "time for the yardage to settle" as it is just the same as SC as far as I can see although this may well vary with device. For me it is a no brainer that it offers by far the best <u>value</u> solution.

As a general point though I feel that they are overvalued especially on your own course. Perhaps because it cost me nothing I am able to objectively say that I think using it on my own course is complete overkill and I just don't bother. Useful on away courses though no doubt about it.