Skycaddie 2.5 membership expired...

[Leereed]

If I remember correctly if you have down loaded the course it works as normal. But if you playing a new course and you search for it, it comes up BUT you only get the yardage to the green. No hole lay out and you can't drag back it back to check lay ups etc

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've had a Sky Caddy for years. I don't like paying the fee but as I only by the UK only subscription every time and more importantly because I think it is the best GPS device and I don't feel the need for a range finder, I'll keep doing it. I have the SGX so it's still relatively modern, certainly compared to the 2.5 in the OP. Given the number of times per year I use it, the fee per annum breaks down to a pittance anyway

 

[Robster59]

It appears so.
My Bushnell Neo X is still ticking along nicely.

+1 (well Neo XS actually). 30,000+ courses with FMB of green and up to 4 hazards a hole and pretty accurate too.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I'm after a GPS,something with no subscription fee & at the cheaper end of the market.
Something like the Golfbuddy voice or Bushnell neo ghost.
Any recommendations?

 

[KenL]

It worked today BTW. I did get a message telling me to renew by 20/12.

Might wait to see what happens beyond then.

 

[Fish]

Not a lot you say but £40 per year is a lot over several years when other makes do not charge anything.

I am miffed that I have to pay a fee on a unit that cost more than current offerings with zero fee for front/middle/back. I would like that option for free...

That option is available as I've stated in my previous posts for free but still with the guarantee that it will be updated before any other branded device but you currently here a very out dated older device, I suggest you look at the Aire ll.

 

[GB72]

I'm after a GPS,something with no subscription fee & at the cheaper end of the market.
Something like the Golfbuddy voice or Bushnell neo ghost.
Any recommendations?

I have a neo ghost and have been very happy with it. Very small and light and the 4 hazards per hole give it that little bit more functionality than other entry level gps devices

 

[Val]

Not a lot you say but £40 per year is a lot over several years when other makes do not charge anything.

I am miffed that I have to pay a fee on a unit that cost more than current offerings with zero fee for front/middle/back. I would like that option for free...

You should have bought a different GPS then. No point in moaning now.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I have a neo ghost and have been very happy with it. Very small and light and the 4 hazards per hole give it that little bit more functionality than other entry level gps devices

Cheers,appreciate it.

 

[Fish]

You should have bought a different GPS then. No point in moaning now.

Exactly, just like owning anything that becomes outdated, it can't keep up with current technology and becomes inefficient, there were huge amounts of marketing regarding trading in and updating but like everything in life at times, it's always someone else's fault!

 

[GreiginFife]

Exactly, just like owning anything that becomes outdated, it can't keep up with current technology and becomes inefficient, there were huge amounts of marketing regarding trading in and updating but like everything in life at times, it's always someone else's fault!

Are the trade-ins still going Robin? I gave a 2.5 and personally dont mind the subs as its less that £2.50 per month and I know its accurate. The actual unit is showing its age now and wouldnt mind updating but subbed til July.
Have had a look (albeit cursory) but can't see any trade in info. Cheers

 

[Fish]

Are the trade-ins still going Robin? I gave a 2.5 and personally dont mind the subs as its less that £2.50 per month and I know its accurate. The actual unit is showing its age now and wouldnt mind updating but subbed til July.
Have had a look (albeit cursory) but can't see any trade in info. Cheers

I'll ask the question today for you.

 

[SteveJay]

Agree with a lot of what has been said here but as a non user (I too have a Neo XS which I rate highly), the one thing I was surprised at was the comment that renewal is backdated.

if you lose functionality upon expiry, then renew, that should be 12 months from when you pay. Backdating is just sharp practice in my eyes and can't think of many examples of where that sort of consumer treatment would be tolerated!

how does the company justify these terms?

 

[Smiffy]

+1 (well Neo XS actually). 30,000+ courses with FMB of green and up to 4 hazards a hole and pretty accurate too.

I did of course mean a Neo Xs.
I love mine.
My only regret is getting one with the dark screen readout which can be a tad difficult to see under certain conditions but nonetheless I wouldn't change it.

 

[chrisd]

Agree with a lot of what has been said here but as a non user (I too have a Neo XS which I rate highly), the one thing I was surprised at was the comment that renewal is backdated.

if you lose functionality upon expiry, then renew, that should be 12 months from when you pay. Backdating is just sharp practice in my eyes and can't think of many examples of where that sort of consumer treatment would be tolerated!

how does the company justify these terms?

I won't go the way of Skycaddie for the sane reason, that subscriptions make it too expensive. When I didn't renew for some months (a couple of years ago) they wanted me to do the backdating scam, in the end when I said that I didn't use it for a few months and no way would I pay for a period that they cut it off for, they said to de register and then re register and it would then accept payment from the rejoining date. I did this for one more year before dumping them

 

[Hobbit]

If its a choice between renewing or spending £40 on course planners, I'll pay the renewal. And I prefer a mapped(walked) course gps than one that's got its yardages off Google Earth.

1. Its cheaper than buying course planners.
2. Its more accurate than a planner and many other gps devices.

At the end of the day its down to personal choice. Personally, I'll continue with Skycaddie.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I had the SC 2.5, but got fed up paying yearly subscriptions. I swapped to a Shotmiser which was really good, easy to read and add your own targets and was subscription free. After they went down, I swapped to a Golfbuddy PT4 which is excellent in nearly all aspects.
I have run the SC and Shotmiser, and Shotmiser and PT4 side by side and accuracy and readings were nigh on identical.
To me, just the SC arguement "they walk each course to be the most accurate" doesn't justify the subscription fee as from where I am looking the accuracy of the 3 I have used has been the same. Also the making useless the device just because you don't renew is pretty bullying considering you have paid a good sum for the device. At least if you cancel Sky the box can be used for Freesat...

 

[Fish]

I had the SC 2.5, but got fed up paying yearly subscriptions. I swapped to a Shotmiser which was really good, easy to read and add your own targets and was subscription free. After they went down, I swapped to a Golfbuddy PT4 which is excellent in nearly all aspects.
I have run the SC and Shotmiser, and Shotmiser and PT4 side by side and accuracy and readings were nigh on identical.
To me, just the SC arguement "they walk each course to be the most accurate" doesn't justify the subscription fee as from where I am looking the accuracy of the 3 I have used has been the same. Also the making useless the device just because you don't renew is pretty bullying considering you have paid a good sum for the device. At least if you cancel Sky the box can be used for Freesat...

This is only true in part, yes general yardages that are taken from aerial imagery can be very close or similar to that of a mapper (like me) walking a course to a solid hazard or outline, however, aerial imagery cannot detect the run off into a ditch or water hazard or it's accurate carry distance, it will only give the actual hazard and as such your ball could roll in before or after the said hazard, also, if your course should never make any annual changes then yes, your device will be as accurate as you may like and accept, however, if like the hundreds of courses up & down the country which are updated yearly where significant changes are made by adding new additional hazards such as ditches across fairways, water (pond) hazards introduced, fairway & greenside bunkers added or considerably altered & greens being actually moved and even complete new holes like 3 courses in my area this winter, these changes once walked will be updated immediately to SkyCaddie members at any time of the year once we are informed and quarterly to non-subscription devices for free! However, the devices you have mentioned along with others in this thread cannot update them until the third party imagery company decides to do that, which could be months or even years as they have absolutely no control on that process, contrary to misleading marketing, that is the biggest part of what your membership goes towards, mappers across the UK updating information about not only your golf course but many of the ones you may be visiting and paying good money to play and without upto date current accurate information which anyone who owns a GPS obviously wants, could spoil the day and experience, so, for less than a £1 a week the decision is totally with the golfer but the "argument" for is that SkyCaddie can offer you far more accurate and up to date current information of any course you could be playing than any other device on the market, fact!

 

[Foxholer]

This is only true in part, yes general yardages that are taken from aerial imagery can be very close or similar to that of a mapper (like me) walking a course to a solid hazard or outline, however, aerial imagery cannot detect the run off into a ditch or water hazard or it's accurate carry distance, it will only give the actual hazard and as such your ball could roll in before or after the said hazard, also, if your course should never make any annual changes then yes, your device will be as accurate as you may like and accept, however, if like the hundreds of courses up & down the country which are updated yearly where significant changes are made by adding new additional hazards such as ditches across fairways, water (pond) hazards introduced, fairway & greenside bunkers added or considerably altered & greens being actually moved and even complete new holes like 3 courses in my area this winter, these changes once walked will be updated immediately to SkyCaddie members at any time of the year once we are informed and quarterly to non-subscription devices for free! However, the devices you have mentioned along with others in this thread cannot update them until the third party imagery company decides to do that, which could be months or even years as they have absolutely no control on that process, contrary to misleading marketing, that is the biggest part of what your membership goes towards, mappers across the UK updating information about not only your golf course but many of the ones you may be visiting and paying good money to play and without upto date current accurate information which anyone who owns a GPS obviously wants, could spoil the day and experience, so, for less than a £1 a week the decision is totally with the golfer but the "argument" for is that SkyCaddie can offer you far more accurate and up to date current information of any course you could be playing than any other device on the market, fact!

I agree with most of this.

However, certain changes such as removal of bunkers don't need a course to be walked (though there's likely to be a replacement or other changes that would). And an amended green (something I reported to both SkyCaddie and my non-walked supplier) often require the green to be taken out of play for a considerable time (4 months in this case), so the 'benefit' of walking the amended course happening prior to it being digitally mapped is also marginal - and can even mean that SkyCaddie is not as up to date as the digitally mapped one!

The Shire, which made a number of minor changes to bunkers at the beginning of the year, is an example of where timely walking of the course beats the digital mapping - for the period until the digital map are available.

 

[Lanark_Golfer]

I have a Garmin G5 and my mate has a Skycaddie SGX, we play all over the place and often compare yardages especially on new courses. They are usually the same and never seen more than 2 yds of a difference. That's not worth the £200+ extra in fees I'd have paid with the SGX over my G5. In saying that I normally only use it for front and back of green as use my Bushnell for the pin.