GPS pre-loaded courses

[LincolnShep]

I've been using a GPS DMD on my phone (Swing-by-Swing). It's great for the price but certainly compromised compared to purpose-built devices in terms of battery performance, weather resistance and probably accuracy. So I'm thinking of buying a Garmin / Golf Buddy / Bushnell / SkyCaddie / TomTom etc etc.

Anyway, they all come pre-loaded with 1000s of courses but how often do you turn up at a UK course and find it's not listed? Does that ever happen? More common with certain manufacturers or do they all share course data?

Thanks,
Shep

 

[Fish]

Everyone you mention other than SkyCaddie uses a third party arial company to download the courses whereas SkyCaddie ground map the courses.

This is why SkyCaddie on some devices charge a membership fee to guarantee immediate updates once informed of course changes and then go and rewalk those courses to keep them updated.

SkyCaddie do have some very good devices that do not require a small membership subscription but those updates will be quarterly, so it depends on whether you play a lot of away courses and want to be assured they are current and up to date as to whether a membership fee is viable.

All the others you mention that use third party arial downloads have no control on the time scale they get updated.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I have a Garmin S1 and have yet to come across a course it does not recognise. I'm not the most prolific traveller so I have not tested it to extremes but so far so good.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I've got a Callaway Eclipse GPS and again I've not found a course that it didn't have.

 

[Capella]

I had to update the courses on my Garmin watch after purchase, to get the most current changes and that added a few courses in the area (western part of Germany) that weren't on it before. It even has our obscure little 6 hole practice course on it. The UK courses I played in the Lytham area were all on it as well. So from my limited experience, once you update the database, it is pretty complete and up to date. The watch (Garmin S2) does not have enough storage capacity to store all courses worldwide at the same time, so when updating, you decide for one or two large areas/continents ... I think I have all of Europe and the US on mine at the moment, so if I decided to travel to Thailand or Australia or the like, I would have to update the data accordingly.

 

[selwood90]

Another shout for the s1. Nice and basic, also never turned up to a course and it not be recognised.

 

[PCWOX]

Skycaddie TOUCH user - cracking piece of kit.

 

[fundy]

I've got a Callaway Eclipse GPS and again I've not found a course that it didn't have.

you'll be fine until they decide to stop doing GPS again like they did with the Upro

 

[Doh]

I have used my sky caddie Aire in South Africa, USA and all over the UK and never had a problem.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Have had a Snooper S320 for 5 years and have played nearly 30 courses in that time including 3 each in Spain/Portugal. All have been there with no downloading etc. I think in that time I've seen a couple of individual holes where the information was way out and maybe half a dozen instances of courses changing, the odd water hazard gone or a new one come in that may have affected my round. I'll live with that. Sure many others do just as well but I'd never pay a subscription.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I have a golf buddy platinum, and haven't been to a course that wasn't on the preloaded ones and no ongoing fees.

Fairly okay, but sometimes(not often tho) I find the distance just cant be right. One that comes to mind was at wolburn on the duchess I think 2nd was a par 3 the yardage was just plain wrong(like 30-40 yards wrong!).

No fees and some of the best money I have spent on golf stuff, tend not now to fly the green or be way short.

Son has the garmin g6 approach and no issues again.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have a Garmin G8 and never had any issues with courses not being available. I haven't had any issues with yardages being as far out as DarrenWilliams on my travels and it's definitely a risk vs a Sky Caddie which is on the ground measured. However, as my SC has stopped working, I needed something and I had managed to "acquire" some AG vouchers and so it technically didn't cost anything so does a good enough job at the price

 

[Marshy77]

I have a basic sky caddie and you need to download the course plus pay the annual subscription which is one of the reasons why I may be getting rid of it early next year. Battery is very good though, probably does 36 holes.

 

[Fish]

I have a basic sky caddie and you need to download the course plus pay the annual subscription which is one of the reasons why I may be getting rid of it early next year. Battery is very good though, probably does 36 holes.

All SkyCaddues come preloaded, so which one do you have, plus, 'basic' ones don't carry a subscription unless you opt in to upgrade its features?

 

[Andy]

Golfbuddy also walk the courses.

I have the World Platinum and never found a course I wanted to play not being available. Australian and Spanish courses included too without any update or request being made.

 

[Backache]

I have Skycaddy Aire11 which is a great piece of kit and certainly has all the courses I have played. Battery life has done me 36 holes on many occasions.
Only downside for my useage is that the distances are all to greens and there is not a distance to hazards which is sometimes useful.

 

[Marshy77]

All SkyCaddues come preloaded, so which one do you have, plus, 'basic' ones don't carry a subscription unless you opt in to upgrade its features?

Its a SG2.5 I think and have to annually subscribe.

 

[Fish]

Golfbuddy also walk the courses.

No they don't, what makes you think that?

 

[Andy]

No they don't, what makes you think that?

Because they td me and my pro has had them at the course. It's so all over the Web and packaging.

 

[road2ruin]

I don't think GB do walk the courses, I think it's only SkyCaddie. That said I have found that the accuracy of GB and a lot of the others vs SkyCaddie is usually within 1-2yds.