How Accurate are SkyCaddie and the rest of the golf GPS Systems ?

[SS2]

There's a review of SkyCaddie at http://thesandtrap.com/accessories/skycaddie_review

Of more interest is the comment by "Mike Mixer" after the review, here's the most relevant bit

According to Garmin and Magellan, GPS with WAAS enhancement (the very technology upon which the SkyCaddie is based) has an accuracy of 3 yards 95% of the time and can be off as much as 8 yards the other 5% of the time. GPS without WAAS has an accuracy of 15 yards 95% of the time and can be off as much as 40 yards the other 5% of the time. There are TWO GPS measurements necessary whenever you set up your own course, and whenever a Sky Player Course is used, one for the original marking of the targets during course setup, and another for marking the position of your ball during play from which you want the distance to the target computed. Under the BEST CASE SCENARIO, assuming WAAS for both locations, and assuming reception (a very big IF!) EACH of those measurements will have a 3 yard variance 95% of the time, creating a 6 yard variance 95% of the time!

You CANNOT use any GPS based device for accurate yardage under 100 yards because the variance of 6 yards on average and sometimes up to 10 or more yards guarantees inaccurate measurements that will cause you to select the wrong club based upon the yardage displayed. Even if you hit your selected club perfectly, you will never know it, because your target will be 18 feet away from where you thought it was on average. I don't know about you, but I don't make too many 18 foot putts! Also, using the device to determine how far you hit your clubs (another of its selling features) will always be off by 6 yards on average: 3 yards off for marking where you hit the ball from, PLUS another 3 more yards off for marking the ball where you hit it to.

I've just bought an SG5 but haven't used it yet; has anyone given up on their golf GPS system because of its inaccuracy ?

 

[USER1999]

No, not yet. I have found it really useful so far. Yardage alone is just a starting point anyway (especially in the conditions we had at the weekend).
To an extent, I am only looking to hit front, middle, back of the green, so an absolute measurement is irrelevant. If I wanted that, a range finder is a better option. If the pin is at the front, I want to hit about 5 yards more than the front edge, if it is at the back, about 5 yards less, and otherwise somewhere roughly in the middle will do. Playing off 12, I am not that accurate a golfer (as those who played with me can attest). It also helps if you have different coloured pins for front, middle, back, or some other indication. Again, other wise you need a range finder for the pin. However, this won't tell you how much green you have to work with.

So far, I like the SG5, and have not found any issues with it.

 

[KeefG]

Personally i'ne never used one, my brother however, has used a buggy when he played out in Portugal with GPS fitted to it and all of the days pin positions pre set in and he said it was damned accurate to within a yard or two.

 

[Twire]

I've given up on mine (CaddyAid) but the accuracy issue on mine was not down to the receiver, I bought a WAAS enabled GPS receiver with a 2.5 meter accuracy, it's the mapping thats awfull on my system amongst other things.

I will be buying a skycaddy SG5 as soon as funds permit. I did look at the video on their website which states accuracy to 1 yard, but I take that with a pinch of salt. I would agree that 3 yards is more like it, which is absolutely fine for al golfers including pro's.

 

[heronsghyll]

I love my SkyCaddie - an SG5. I have had it since October and use it all the time. The real benefit is when playing new courses, yes it is useful at my home club, but it comes into it's own when playing somewhere not played before.

I have found it to be accurate enough for me, at the end of the day it is a guide as you always need to make make slights adjustments to the yardages given for uphill, downhill, wind behind, wind against, very wet conditions or bone dry ie plenty of run; etc etc. It does not provide everything, but as a guide it is fantastic.

 

[Dodger]

As discussed in the Pub on Friday night SS2 is it the skycaddie reading/my eyes/the sprinkler head marking that are incorrect??!!

Who knows 100%...I think this will rumble and rumble on!

 

[Cernunnos]

Until some decent indipendant testing Has been done using allthe available systems we as golfers can buy, then I take as much salt with reviews as with the claims the manufacturers are making...

So come on GM & all the other mags, get on it...!

 

[Herbie]

What you need is a yardage wheel fixed to your trolley.

 

[SS2]

As discussed in the Pub on Friday night SS2 is it the skycaddie reading/my eyes/the sprinkler head marking that are incorrect??!!

Who knows 100%...I think this will rumble and rumble on!

I'm just curious to establish exactly how accurate the GPS is. Murph made a good point in this thread: 5 yards difference either way won't make much difference to a player like me because I can't hit it a precise distance. And, anyway, even if I knew the exact distance it would still miss the bloody green on the right...

Having said all that, I'm still looking forward to playing with the SG5 on the course.

 

[cm_qs]

What you need is a yardage wheel fixed to your trolley.

Or a Motocaddy s3 digital golf trolley which accuratly measures distances based on axle rotations. Turns out I don't hit it as far as I thought I did.

 

[Twire]

What you need is a yardage wheel fixed to your trolley.

Or a Motocaddy s3 digital golf trolley which accuratly measures distances based on axle rotations. Turns out I don't hit it as far as I thought I did.

So how does axle rotations take into account lumps and bumps in the fairway?

 

[Macster]

Ahh this old chestnut again, but with a new angle -'non accurate skycaddie's' ......... who would beleive it ??

Me......I'll just stick to good old judgement by eye, and on my own course, the 150yd posts, seems to do me fine.
yes, I might go to a Course Planner at other courses, but how often is that ?

Personally, I hit more shots slightly left or slightly right, than I ever do short or long, so cant see how I would benefit
But I know I'm in a minority,

 

[Mike_j_golf]

HI,
How accurate are range finders and could someone recommend one are they a cheaper option and could u not use one to see how accurate your GPS is and are they legal to use if GPS are.
Mike

 

[CliveW]

I played St. Andrews Jubilee yesterday, where there are yardage markings on all sprinkler heads within 200 yards. My SG5 and that of my partner's never co-incided with these. In some case the sprinkler markers were up to 20 yards out! I do however believe the Sky Caddie was more accurate than the markers.

 

[CliveW]

HI,
How accurate are range finders and could someone recommend one are they a cheaper option and could u not use one to see how accurate your GPS is and are they legal to use if GPS are.
Mike

My driving range markers were all laid out using a laser measuring device and I have checked mt SG5 against them. There is less than 3 yards difference between them at 150 yds.

 

[USER1999]

If you are allowed to use 'distance measuring devices' by a local rule, then there is no difference in legality from a range finder to a gps. They perform a similar function, albeit with different advantages/weaknesses. The range finder will give you one piece of the picture (one bit of accurate information), the gps will provide a bigger picture, but with slightly less accuracy is how I would look at it.

To me, ±3 yards is nothing.

Unless I am putting from 3 yards. Then I don't expect to miss by 3 yards either way.

 

[Cernunnos]

I played St. Andrews Jubilee yesterday, where there are yardage markings on all sprinkler heads within 200 yards. My SG5 and that of my partner's never co-incided with these. In some case the sprinkler markers were up to 20 yards out! I do however believe the Sky Caddie was more accurate than the markers.

But how can you really know...

GPS recievers base their readings upon positions of overhead satalites, the more satalites overhead the more accurate. Now there is someting else which aids auracy & that not many peole know there are actually land bassed transmitters that were designed originally to fix the deliberate errors the US Military at one time built into the system. Of course now that the scrambling & the deliberate errors have been removed, this means GPS has been able to get down to a few yards or feet with professional recieving equipment, like that fitted to a Diver mates boat. (This is where I got the second hand info). He can roll the boat 6 ft in the boat shed at the farm & his GPS will show this up if it happens to be on.

Now getting back to the overhead satalites, sometimes there are not as many satalites passing over to give a decent reading as there normally are, then accuracy will start to drop. And like any other GPS reciever system it does take a little time after switching on for a proper signal & possition to be located. Anyone who has a GPS in the car & a heat reflective windscreen, especially one of the older GPS systems & this warm up & settle down time becomes very obvious.

This is why my Golf GPS actually recommends turning on the system at least 5 minutes before play & why when I'm walking the GPS does take a little while to catch up once I stop walking. Not long granted, but long enough.

I read through the Page the link was to & did notice that the GPS was actually an old model, the SG2 & technology has come on since then.

But the only way to really know if the Sat Nav's are actually correct is with high quality Professional Serveying equipment. Testing numerous models & re-testing to allow for satalite numbers in the sky.

So whether its one yard each way or five yards each way, its close enough for me. I mean how far out is the usual guestimation of the average golfer of yardage. I'd like to think I'm fairly good most of the time, but do know I can be fooled by optical illusions as much as the next person.

Though I really would like to know the real estimation of all Golf GPS's out there, so we can say oh its XYZ yards, give or take W, or whatever.

 

[Cernunnos]

If you are allowed to use 'distance measuring devices' by a local rule, then there is no difference in legality from a range finder to a gps. They perform a similar function, albeit with different advantages/weaknesses. The range finder will give you one piece of the picture (one bit of accurate information), the gps will provide a bigger picture, but with slightly less accuracy is how I would look at it.

To me, ±3 yards is nothing.

Unless I am putting from 3 yards. Then I don't expect to miss by 3 yards either way.

And 3 yards is an easily makable 2 putt any day of the week, with the offchance of getting the odd single too. So +/-3yards is plenty good enough. If we could get every iron or wood shot within a +/- 3 yard dispesion window most of us would be jubilant to say the least... Nay... Extatic I say.

 

[Canfordhacker]

I use a Garmin handheld designed for walking and cycling, not golf. It tells me the current accuracy depending on the number of satellites it has a good fix on at that moment in time. I've checked the markers I made (cetre of each green at my home club) on Google earth, so I know they are right. When I look, it gives me a distance to centre of green and a figure of "accurate to 8 feet". The accuracy varies between 8 and 20 feet usually.

 

[Earl]

This could have been you ChrisMc:
Played a round last week and said to one of my fellow players after they played a 4 iron to just in front of bunker left fairway (they did'nt have a sc2.5 i do)
Me: " How far do you think that is ? "
Him: " About 185 yards "
Me " The bunker is 167 yards your just short"
Him "Hmmmph "
He is a big hitter ! We get to the ball he turns to me and said:
" You were'nt far out its 172 yards "
He thinks he is more accurate pacing than 'those things'.
It did make me chuckle and no i did'nt give him any more yardages.