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

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

Yes but GPS is likely to be out by a few yards anyway, so selecting a point on Google maps is likely to be as accurate as a guy on the ground.
 
I do have Golfshot on the iPhone, but don't use it too much out on the course (Bude anyway). What it is useful for, is you can put in your scores for yourself and up to 3 other players (not too useful in itself), but it will also ask you if you hit the fairway, if not which side you missed to, if you hit the green and how many putts you took.

I normally fill this in when I get home, and then it gives you stats on percentage fairways hit, GIR etc, and logs it on a website, so you can keep track of all you rounds.

Quite handy, but admittedly, I only use it for getting yardages very infrequently, and mainly because it does take a while to get a good GPS signal when you start it up, but it is fairly accurate when measured from the yellows and reds markers.
 
I have the G1 google phone, i use an App called teedroid which is also available on the iphone and blackberrys.

It cost 20dollars or if you can map the courses yourself using google earth you can earn reward points to pay for your subscription, it takes about 30min to map a course once you know what you are doing. the good thing about mapping courses you self is that you can set the yardage to account for local knowledge such as false fronts on greens. It is very accurate and useful for 70-120yards

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

Yes, they make a play on that with their advertising but it doesn't make much difference in reality. I did a yardage chart using Google Earth a couple of years ago now when it first came out. When checked with with SC and/or Freecaddie the degree of correlation is very good. For example, I've just measured the 100m at Crystal Palace track at 99.71m on google earth......it's still a 52 wedge for me.
 
Wait till you guys see the irons that have a GPS CDR (compatible distance readout). One with the distance to the green the other is the standard distance you hit that specific club in normal conditions...you dial that in. A micro transponder sends the info from the small GPS handset to the small LED on the butt of each club. Obviously you can take more or less club if you’re into or down wind.

Oh this will be reviewed in the April edition of GM……out on the first.
 
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
I look forward to this Mike as I am thinking of a lazer device and am looking for more opinions. ;)
 
It seems to be a straight argument between mobiles and SC. Are there any other GPS devices other than phone apps that are worth a look if you are in the market for a GPS system for your game.

I've mentioned before that I don't see the point in buying a golf specific device. I have a hand held Garmin etrex legend which I bought to use walking, skiing and cycling. However, I also use Google earth, plot the middle of the greens on any course I am going to and upload them as a route on my unit. I can also easily put in any obvious hazards and carries. Did it last week for Royal North Devon. Took half an hour, cost me nothing and worked a treat.
 
I use a Bushnell Laser V2 Pinseeker....superb bit of kit which I also find useful on the range working out the distances I hit my clubs.
 
IMO you cant beat the sky caddie, clip it on the bag or in your pocket or if you want to look really cool you can even attach it to your belt buckle (you have to be cool to do that though :D :D) then it just takes one look when you are ready to play your shot and your yardages are there and saves wear and tare on your phone. Cant speak about phone apps cos i have never seen anybody with one.

I think the Bushnells will be really good for practising.
 
I think the Bushnells will be really good for practising.

Are you telling us that you can use the Bushnell to get the distance on each ball you hit ? That's got to be some focusing system.
 
Skycaddie is mapped on the ground, not using google maps. It isn't a question of 'when someone clicked the button'.

Yes, they make a play on that with their advertising but it doesn't make much difference in reality. I did a yardage chart using Google Earth a couple of years ago now when it first came out. When checked with with SC and/or Freecaddie the degree of correlation is very good. For example, I've just measured the 100m at Crystal Palace track at 99.71m on google earth......it's still a 52 wedge for me.

There's no reason why measuring between two points on google earth or whatever, should not be accurate - measuring the 100m on an athletics track should be accurate. Two point on a map should be the same distance apart as the same two points on the ground. But "mapped" GPS golf devices are measuring the distance between one point "on a map" and another on the ground - which is a different principle altogether.

Think of two copies of a map on tracing paper - if they don't sit perfectly on top of each other then the measured distance between a point on one map and another point on the second map will be inaccurate. Thats the problem with google maps - they don't necessarily sit accurately on the real earth.

Provided the carried device has sufficient accuracy in measuring distance to satellites (and enough of them) measurements from "ground plotted" courses will always be more accurate than those from "map plotted" courses.
 
I think the Bushnells will be really good for practising.

Are you telling us that you can use the Bushnell to get the distance on each ball you hit ? That's got to be some focusing system.
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It depends on the golf range. The yardage markers at most tend not to be too accurate, and even if they are, it's only from the centre mats. Being able to take a reading off the 150, 200 yd etc markers allows you to get a much better feel for how far you are hitting your clubs.

Also at my club, we have a practice area where you use your own balls and after I hit 20 or so with the same club I go and pick them up and then use the Bushnell to get a reading back to the teeing area to see how far I have been hitting that particular club. I then take an average of these 20 balls, (excluding any really short or really long (thinned) shots)

It is accurate to pick up most reflective surfaces even as small as Tee box markers.
 
Also at my club, we have a practice area where you use your own balls and after I hit 20 or so with the same club I go and pick them up and then use the Bushnell to get a reading back to the teeing area to see how far I have been hitting that particular club. I then take an average of these 20 balls, (excluding any really short or really long (thinned) shots)

Ah. Lateral thinking. I like that.

I sit here corrected and humbled. :o :o :D :D
 
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