Skycaddie, I relented

I've just bought skycaddie 2.5, used it for the first time yesterday at my local course and just say it was great. I've been playing this course for the best part of 15 years with mixed results on wedges to the greens, yesterday the gps took the guess game away and allowed myself just to hit the shot. From the 4 par 3 holes I walked away with one bogie, one birdie, and 2 pars,
 
bobmac said:
I have always been a GPS fan since seeing Vig use his at Beau a few years ago.
Until the Woburn meet that is.
I tried the Laser rangefinders which were brilliant.
On one instance I was 130 to the middle according to the 150 markers but on RichardC's laser thing I was 145 to the flag.
:eek:

Sold
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I thought we were told that all the distance markers were to the front of the green.
 
bobmac said:
Lots of guessing
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That's the key thing I think.

If you use the yardage markers there is a lot of emphasis put on your judgement of distances.
If you use a GPS you have to judge where the flag is on the green.
Lasers tell you how far to the flag, but sometimes you'd like to know where the flag is on the green so you can make sure you carry a bunker or be short of an OOB at the back.

When I first got back into golf about 3 years ago I couldn't believe you could get a GPS for the golf course. I thought it was ridiculous.
Being a sucker for gadgets though I ended up with one, and after a while wouldn't want to be without it.

Then when GM held the Powerplay event at the Grove I had put my GPS on charge and forgot to take it with me in the morning.
Nikon were there allowing anyone who wanted one to trial their laser. If I'd have had my GPS I probably wouldn't have bothered, but I didn't so I took one round with me.

The result was 5 birdies in 9 holes and 4 of them were from inside 4' after wedge shots. I realise I was either lucky or just had a freak game, but that was it for me, I had to get one.

From 150 ish out the middle of the green will do me, but under that, and especially from 100 and closer, I do believe that I can control my distance well enough to want an exact yardage to the flag.
 
w1ndw1ll said:
It just speeds it up. I started playing golf a couple of years ago and my mate persuaded me to get a skycaddie. I worked out what all my club yardages were and away I went. I could suss out everything from the 150 yard marker but it would take ages, it just lets you get on with it.
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Speeds it up, thats not what I found playing with my son-in-law yesterday,he took ages everytime looking on his phone app,I was getting frustated near the end ,and kept thinking just" hit the bloody ball"
He is a 20 h/c and has not got a hope of hitting the correct yardages ,so I thought it was a waste of his time and money uesing it. I thought he would be far better spending money on lessons getting to a better standard then maybe use a gps.

I can see the advantages of useing a gps etc for the better players,but going on my experaince of playing with players who are not so good i find myself thinking "why are you wanting to know a exact yardage when there is no way you can hit it anyway "
 
bobmac said:
What did you get?
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The Nikon 350 that we'd been allowed to test. About £150 2nd hand from the auction site.

I tried a mate's Bushnell but I had trouble holding the unit still on the flag as I pushed the button. The Nikon you push the button then it reads continuously for about 8 seconds.
 
evahakool said:
Speeds it up, thats not what I found playing with my son-in-law yesterday,he took ages everytime looking on his phone app,I was getting frustated near the end ,and kept thinking just" hit the bloody ball"
"
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To be honest I think the phone apps are good but not as quick as a dedicated gps unit. I used to use one on my Iphone and i havd to get the phone out, unlock it then you would see the yardage figures changing so you never really knew when it settled unless you left it for a bit. A Skycaddie would change yardage as you walk - much quicker.

I agree with Region that 150 in the Laser is brilliant - I'm not gonna say I can 100% guarantee to hit a certain distance, but it takes any doubt about club selection away, even close up I might have 50 yards i know i can take a bit off a 60, or a half/punch shot with a 56. Can you get you close sometimes.
 
I love mine and only time I don't use it is when the winter greens are on, for obvious reasons. Think it was Gibbo who pointed out about playing different courses with inadequate markers and have to agree with him as I've recently played a course that had no markers.

It was a course with 3 sets of 9, the first two were mapped on my device but not the back 9 and it really slowed me up as I was guesstimating my shots from 150 in and often over/under clubbed. This was very annoying but it did make me realise why the lump of plastic is so important for a quick game and for me where I can fully commit to my shots.

So simply use it in the comps, everyone else does and it'll give you confidence on what club to hit.

Goodluck
 
Scottjd1 said:
I dont remember Chris, remind me......
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..... and I was on the other side of the fairway, hacking on for 3, you Scotty my lad were showing the ariel expert Oddsocks how to hit the frozen green, over a lake, with a soft landing, in semi darkness in 2 - must have been a misshit on reflection! :whistle:
 
chrisd said:
..... and I was on the other side of the fairway, hacking on for 3, you Scotty my lad were showing the ariel expert Oddsocks how to hit the frozen green, over a lake, with a soft landing, in semi darkness in 2 - must have been a misshit on reflection! :whistle:
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Ahhh I remember, the slight fade ... that shot was a thing of beauty, at least i think as we couldnt see it due to the darkness!! :cheers:
 
GreiginFife said:
Dunno Gibbo, I think it will help me progress my game but I still have an issue with them in comps. I feel comp play should be just you against the course and the rest of the field. Maybe just being silly but it's just a weird feeling that I get that it seems a bit of a cheat.
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I think the Skycaddie is great, and when you go onto the website with Club SG thats a lot of fun too.....I get a sense of panic now if i think I have left the Skycaddie at home! :mmm:

So where are you on preferred lies during a comp?
 
I was going to get one, but thought it might be pointless as i have played the course i play countless times and know it like the back of my hand. Although it would be handy for other courses, but the other courses are all hilly, like really hillly- blind tee shots, and a lot of elevated second shots- even with one of these things it can't help you there can it? or can it?
 
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