Powercaddy or GPS???

[flandango]

Evening gents!

I got a little bit of cash I need to spend so thought I would treat myself to a new toy! (kids and wife getting enough at christmas) i'm not so daring, nor my wife so blind to realise that I have a Powercaddy and a new GPS / Rangefinder / pinseeker etc so I am wandering which would be most beneficial?

Anyone care to let me know what they would find most useful.

 

[TonyN]

Do you have a trolley? if not, do you need one? most places wont let you use them now anyway without hedhogs so I would say GPS!

Depends on your needs!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

SC5 all the way for me I'm afraid. I carry anyway but even if I didn't with the inclement weather over the winter and most course having trolley bans you will get more use and benefit from knowing what distance you have for your next shot.

 

[flandango]

What would you use? the Pinseeker rangefinders look good but so does the Sky caddies?


Which offers more benefits? and would you go SKY Caddy 2.5 or 5?

 

[billyg]

What would you use? the Pinseeker rangefinders look good but so does the Sky caddies?


Which offers more benefits? and would you go SKY Caddy 2.5 or 5?

Ive got a 2.5 and while not having all the bells and whistles of the SG5 it still tells me the most important bit -How far to the pin and to a lesser extent (if you can work out the abbreviations) major obstacles and features although the number and variety of those is largely dependant on the star rating of your chosen course. The SC website will tell you what that is without having to buy it.

Pretty robust bit of kit. Small and unobtrusive- a tad smaller than one of the Ericsson PF768 mobile phones which were popular in the late 90's(and much lighter) Comes with a free rotating belt clip if you're so inclined.

For me perhaps most importantly it works with a Mac. Not sure about the 8800.

bill

 

[USER1999]

I have recently bought an SG5 and also a hillbilly electric trolley.

For the trolley, I suffer from back problems, and feel that not carrying anymore will help it in the long term. It is also useful to be able to not think about how much junk I am cramming in the bag, rather than deciding whether I need an umbrella or a spare jumper. It is remarkably civilised wandering along without a care in the world. It is also nice to have an umbrella holder.

For the SG5, it is great to know the yardages, and makes me a lot more confident in club selection, and I commit to the shot more. Knowing the distance to the back of the green means I can be more agressive, and am short less often (although I have airmailed the green a few times). If you carry, it is also yet more weight, as I think it would be annoying hanging off your belt.

My course drains fairly well, and we rarely have trolley bans (in fact we rarely ban buggies either).

The down side to the trolley is the faffing about assembling it, and the remembering to put the battery on charge / put it in the boot.

The down side to the SG5 is worrying about loosing the thing, and also charging it up, Batteries last about 2 and 1/2 rounds.

You pays your money and takes your choice really.

 

[haplesshacker]

Both?

SC 2.5 is cheap at the moment, GoKArt is good value at £200. Total spend probably the same as some Powakaddy etc, or for the SC5.

Or if you have a windows mobile phone with GPS, some of the HTC models, then how about Freecaddie on that to see if you like the GPS facility (it's free for basic info, front middle and back of the green). Can always upgrade to Caddyaid for £99, if it takes your fancy.

The advantage of the phone route is that you could get one for free depending on contract. Only down side, it's not bomb proof like a purpose built GPS unit.

Not an easy decision I grant you. Good luck.

 

[USER1999]

As I see it the problem with using a phone based system is they are not as accurate (not necessarily gps wise, but course mapping), and they are not waterproof. Good way to wreck an expensive phone.

 

[SammmeBee]

SC 5 Christmas Bundle is £299 with a free game of golf at a Marriott Course, Case and something else....

Buy the Powakaddy for your birthday next year when the courses have dried out.....

 

[Sam]

As I see it the problem with using a phone based system is they are not as accurate (not necessarily gps wise, but course mapping), and they are not waterproof. Good way to wreck an expensive phone.

That (course mapping) may be true for some but not for the two apps I have used where, not only are they very accurate but can be fine-tuned for issues such as winter tees etc.

 

[USER1999]

I can't see any of the alternatives being as accurate as SkyCaddie, as they come to your course and do it themselves. Doing it from Google earth strikes me as a poor substitute.

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

Tough one this. I own a PowaKaddy and a Sky Caddie 2.5 and if I was told that I would have to get rid of one of them I would say..............the SkyCaddie.

 

[haplesshacker]

Guess it also depends on whether you play the same track regularly. If that's the case get the trolley.

I find my freecaddie accurate enough, in fact very accurate. Despite the data coming off google earth.

 

[vig]

SC 5 Christmas Bundle is £299 with a free game of golf at a Marriott Course, Case and something else..

This has got to be the answer for a cheap "meet".

If everyone that is considering getting a GPS gets the bundle we could take over a Marriot for nowt!!!!

 

[Cernunnos]

Motorcaddy are bringing out a new electric trolley with onboard GPS... looks good, though will depend upon price I suppose.

 

[vig]

Motorcaddy are bringing out a new electric trolley with onboard GPS... looks good, though will depend upon price I suppose.

Sureshot I believe

 

[Cernunnos]

Motorcaddy are bringing out a new electric trolley with onboard GPS... looks good, though will depend upon price I suppose.

Sureshot I believe

Think they are going to be calling it the S5 actually, but it'll (the GPS) probably be a derivetive of the sureshot I suppose as an onboard item.

 

[madandra]

I would go for the powacaddy as you can buy accurate strokesavers at any course and another thing I have a caddylite and it is not all that.

 

[OldWindy]

Splash out and get both, after all, you can't take it with you. Although, you might like to consider a laser range finder over a GPS model.

 

[Sam]

We (OK mostly me) all bat on about accuracy of differing gps devices but the reality must be that the most important data is front, mid and back of green. If anyone has really studied the greens at their local course there must be quite a few where the front, for example, is a very different measurement if a shot is taken from the left rough to that from the right rough; same for back of green and where the heck in heaven the centre of some greens is could be debated at some length. Following a bad shot I have found myself in a position where the centre of the green was nearer than the front and I had not gone through!