Following on from the DMD threads for those with DMDs

[IM01]

Had a sky caddie 2.5 but will be changing to a garmin approach 6 at the end of the month when subscription ends.

Skycaddie is fine for home course but Garmin gives more info when away from home and no subs

 

[mattdeeks]

I opted for the Skycaddie 2.5 just over 3 years, simple to use, subscription runs out in August, may look at updating then. Never thought about Laser, can't be as easy a GPS.

 

[Robobum]

I had the SG5 sky caddie previously, but changed to the Bushnell V2.

For day to day use, round familiar courses where I know the green shape and where bunkers cut into greens etc, the flag distance is much more important to me.

 

[G1BB0]

Garmin G3... it was cheap, no subs and after a few away days where I thought the yardage markers were crap I decided to go for it.

I seem to use it less and less but its great for lay ups and a couple of blind holes on my course.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Laser because it's simple and gives me the yardage to whatever I want. There have been occasions when it would have been nice to have GPS for the hazards but not often enough to want to change. Most of the time there's a tree or marker post I can point my laser at

 

[duncan mackie]

Bushnell V2 laser..
Had a gps originally but my home course don't have a system to inform you where the pin is on the green.We have some greens that are uphill approaches and some that have mounds in front , you can't see the bottom of the flag making it difficult to judge position.
If the flag is on the front of a 35 yard green but you judge it to be at the back - well you can see now why I changed to a laser.
As long as you can see a hazard you can "ping"it with the laser or you can target a nearby tree or mound.

No download fees, usable anywhere and the battery lasts a few months.

great summary of the benefits of a laser

when you play a course with pin sheets, blind pins, hidden hazards and trees.......the GPS comes into it's own!

with a lot of fairway bunkering, water and doglegs you can't beat a course planner as well...

 

[CMAC]

laser was just too difficult for me to focus on the flag 200 yds away (thats a rough distance as I cant hold it steady enough to get a reading) so I focus on a bunker and know what to take to get over it, not really very accurate then! the Skycaddie showed me to back/middle/front its pretty easy from there and takes as long as a glance at the screen.
Now moved to an S3 so its on me wrist....

 

[elliottlale]

laser was just too difficult for me to focus on the flag 200 yds away (thats a rough distance as I cant hold it steady enough to get a reading) so I focus on a bunker and know what to take to get over it, not really very accurate then! the Skycaddie showed me to back/middle/front its pretty easy from there and takes as long as a glance at the screen.
Now moved to an S3 so its on me wrist....

Liking the s3 darth? Was a toss up between s1 and s3 for me, the price at nearly double put me off the s3. Must be getting old as last year wouldn't have even blinked at the fact!

 

[elliottlale]

Ok ok, so I broke, I just knew a day after having the s1 I'd want the s3, so quick to call to DG and getting the s3 as soon as they take stock of the black one! Damn technology and my weak nature!!!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

laser was just too difficult for me to focus on the flag 200 yds away (thats a rough distance as I cant hold it steady enough to get a reading)....

How do you ever make a putt with your hands shaking like that

 

[CMAC]

How do you ever make a putt with your hands shaking like that

I don't have 200 yd putts :smirk:

 

[Region3]

Went for the laser for it's versatility, joint point , aim, measure, but it does let me down when the flag is limp. On return may look at getting gps if course i end up at has blind holes although do not like them.

Not all lasers would let you down in that situation. I managed to get a reading from mine at the weekend where the flag was missing from the pin!

 

[Region3]

Answering the original question....

I had a GPS to start with and was quite happy with it, then one day I forgot to take it with me but was able to borrow a laser.
I had 5 birdies in 9 holes, and from memory 4 of them were short putts after sticking it close from within 120yds.
I'd bought a laser within about a month of that game.

Outside 120 a GPS type would do me fine, but inside that and I think I ought to be trying to be a bit more specific than just aiming for the front, middle or back.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Went for the laser for it's versatility, joint point , aim, measure, but it does let me down when the flag is limp. On return may look at getting gps if course i end up at has blind holes although do not like them.

Which one do you have? My Bushnell picks out just about anything. I often point at yardage or hazard posts no trouble.

 

[GreiginFife]

Sky Caddie SG2.5. Would I change my decision? No. It gives front/middle/back at a glance and more detailed hazard distance if required. Dont need anything else as I still have to duff the shot

 

[upsidedown]

Which one do you have? My Bushnell picks out just about anything. I often point at yardage or hazard posts no trouble.

It's one I picked up from the States and half price of a Bushnell. Yeah like you if it's limp I try and find something close by to give a reference point.

 

[thecraw]

I changed because Skycaddie have the worst customer service in the world and they charge you through the nose for everything including yearly subs.

They would do well to look at Ping CS.

I now have a laser which is champion!

 

[elliottlale]

The annual fee massively put me off sky caddie. And I had a laser before, but getting it out the bad every time to use it started to annoy me, was never going to last long, so after a few months sold it on here, pretty much new

 

[HawkeyeMS]

It's one I picked up from the States and half price of a Bushnell. Yeah like you if it's limp I try and find something close by to give a reference point.

I tried a cheap one before going with the Bushnell. It was a longridge one from Memory, about £90 and it was hopeless, wouldn't pick anything up from outside 100yds and inside 100yds it was hit and miss. I decided then that you get what you pay for. The Bushnell Tour V2 will pick up limp flags\no flags, just about anything.

 

[Bratty]

I've got the Callaway uPro. Great piece of kit, with a basic mode, giving you front middle and back, hazard distances and green detail. It also has a pro-mode that gives you the satellite image of the hole, and allows you to measure to a point, and also from that point to a second point. You can also reecord round stats on it.
I paid £140, plus another £40 for unlimited pro downloads (the basic mode for a course is free to download). No subscription fees either.

The only issue with it is that not all courses are mapped and it's not quick to get Callaway to map them.

Reason I went for it ahead of others was the no subscription fees and free basic downloads (but when they offered the £40 for pro mode, I sanpped it up), and I struggle to use rangefinders (steady hands are not my thing it seems).