Sureshot.... Mapping requests.

[Cernunnos]

I got a Sureshot8800 not long ago. Now after some initial reservations I was actually quite satisfied with the units performance in general. Okay its not got the Intelligreen software, which is a pity, but only a small thing.

Thing is, I've tried requesting a local course to be mapped...(Lichfield G&CC (AKA Seedy Mill)) Now I had a days play there with some mates yesterday & have made acouple of requests for this course already. Now on the page where I made the request it does say sureshot will be in touch...

...Nothing..!

Has my course been mapped..?

...Has it as heck as like..!

I was assured when I got the unit that any course I wanted I could simply as for if it was not on the current list.

Even over the phone when I logged my 3 year subscription for downloading as many courses as I wanted, which also means I can store upto 40 course for the subs I chose I was assured any course I wanted I only needed go online & make the request & it would be mapped. Brilliant I thought...

Er no..! I'm getting a bit peed off. Now I don't mind going out & mapping courses myself I've actually started mapping out the 9 hole at branston for fun with it. The main course is covered, but the 9 hole isn't & thought I'd experiment with mapping out my own & a little course like that seemed like an easy venture to achieve & it is & I'm more than happy with my results.

But its not concivable or even convinient to go round mapping every course I want to go & play all over the country every time I want to play.

Okay, the online list isn't too bad.Infact its actuially quite good, but its by no means complete & consise...

Anyone else who might have a Sureshot had issues with them mapping courses in good time?

If requests continue to be ignored on courses I either need or would like, then I can see myself looking a lot closer at GolfBuddy when it comes out, or simply going for a skycaddie, even though you can't store that many on the unit.

Now I'd havethought seeing as I've chosen a top end subscription for downloads & over three years at that that any mapping request I make would be towards the top of the pile. Must say it does put a dampener on enjoying using it if I can't use it on courses I want or need to play.

 

[GB72]

A friend of mine had a similar problem with Caddylite, made a request to have Rutland Water mapped and it took about 8 months.

 

[Cernunnos]

And by then I bet the need to have that map available to him had passed.

Much as as much as I like Lichfield as a course I'm unlikely to be a member in eight months So my need for the course mapping will have passed.

 

[Dodger]

It could be that the Club is not allowing it to be mapped.I came across this in my time mapping for Skycaddie usually from old doddery club secretarys who don't even agree with 150 yardage markers let alone GPS!

 

[Cernunnos]

Must admit that thought did cross my mind, but as I'd left my e-mail & phone number on the request form I would have expected some feedback, especially as they do say they'd get back to me in the standard form.

I may ask at the club anyway what the viewpoint of officialmapping is.

If they don't allow official mapping then I'll make a point of mapping it myself & uploading it to the sureshot site.

Can't abide backward thinking at clubs. Though I doubt this is the case, as they've just spent a lot of money on new facilities & the club is part of a big concern & I can't see them being that stubborn & backwards thinking...

150 markers...? Never heard of them (Joking)

 

[haplesshacker]

This is the one thing that really concerns me about dedicated GPS units. Even the preloaded Ameriacn unit doesn't have my course on it, So what do I do then?

For those on here with GPS units, that already have their course mapped, great. But for those spending money on these things and then cannot get courses that they want, especially after paying a subscription, the whole thing comes across as some half baked scam!

 

[DCB]

That surely has to be the main criteria for chosing a particular make. Is my course mapped. I looked at two or three inclusing the one detailed in this thread and found that my home course was only available on the one I ended up with. I looked at the usual popular outing type courses in my area and saw that most were mapped, so that sealed the deal.

I didn't even consider writing to ask the question of the other manufacturers as I wasn't willing to end up in the situation Cernnunos has found himself in.

Poor show by the supplier I'm afraid.

 

[jeffc]

surely if it is your own course you should know the yardage and clubs required from experience.
Logically these things must be for courses you don't have experience of, assuming you have enough consistancy to benefit from gps data.

 

[Cernunnos]

It s a course I've only played a couple of times & I'm fairly good at eyeballing distance anyway. GPS for me is a belt a braces thing.

My Mate with his skycaddie was not trusting what the unit was telling him...(silly boy) & I'd eyeballed my distance on a particular hole I took my shot which I misshit & came up slightly short. He asked what I was thinking, which initially confused me as to what he meant, but he was asking what I thought the distance was he was about 10 yards infront of me. I said "Three quarter wedge... why do you ask" And he explained he was questioning the 80 yards he was being given for centre of green... "Sounds about right to me" says I. As Isay for me its a case of belt & braces with GPS.

Plenty ofother localcourses are already covered. Lichfield seems to be the exception locally. Next month I'll be playing elseswhere anyway, but either way to offer a facility of mapping & it to not happen is no good. Especially as I've heard instances with other units that withing 48 hourse people have found their course mapped. Ironically I'm refering to another I'd considered. But after the accuracy experience someone else had had with a similar type of system to the alternative I wasn't going to risk it & went with an established system where at the end of three years I will be able to keep my 40 courses & not need pay additional subscriptions. Infact I could have done similar over just 12 months but to pay an aditional 2 years made no significant difference to the price.

 

[USER1999]

You would be surprised at how much you use it round your own track once you have one.

I thought the same, until I got one. Thought it would be a gimmick, that I would use once, and then file in a drawer. How wrong I was.

 

[Cernunnos]

I've only so far put in (Self mapping) Green distances & fairway bunkers on the 9th at Branston 9 hole & already even though I'm very familiar with the course & eyeballing distances. But its given me so much confidence in my own feel for distance, club selection etc.The confidence aids better scores, even with a quick glance at the unit like anyone would checking the time on their watch or mobile.

As for consistencey issues, well with or without GPS an inconsistency is still an inconsistency of play. But given GPS data, especially knowing front, middle, & back you know to take that extra club with confidence & not second guessing yourself with the shot. In other words youcan allow for inconsistency more readily, take more apreciation of things like wind speed & direction because you already know all the distances you need to.

Only used mine a few times, but itsimproved my game, with or without the unit, especially where my short game is concerned. I think I now actually have more belief than ever in my own estimation of distances..

Each time you check it for a distance you learn the look of a distance & not the reverse like someone else suggested.

 

[viscount17]

Lichfield isn't mapped for SkyCaddie either - just checked so it may be a 'permission' problem

 

[Cernunnos]

Funny my mate had it on his skycaddie yesterday.

Its probably on their lists as Seedy Mill still.

 

[viscount17]

it is, but since I never knew that . . .

 

[Cernunnos]

Its alright rofl... Its like when you go to Lingdale in Leicestershire it also goes under Longcliffe... Oddities like this apear all over the country.

Either way, I'm certainly not discounting a permission issue of one form or another.

 

[viscount17]

what would be nice would be a way to download SkyCaddie onto yours and vice-versa but since I'm still hoping for a way to download Tom-Tom onto Navman (since they don't do map updates just make the older models obsolete) and that's been around longer . . .

 

[Cernunnos]

Yeah I know where you are comming from. But I'd bet someones done a crack for both. That said I wouldn't want to invalidate a warentee doing that.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I was going to go with sonocaddy or caddylite when I first looked into these devices. Neither had my club listed and SC did. As I wanted something sooner rather than later that is one of the main reasons I went down the SC road. I have to say reading about the problems other users have had I can put up with the dodgy site and loading issues if I know the courses I want are there.

Every course I've needed (including Lydd etc) have all been there and never had any real problems getting them on and off my machine. To be honest if I had to map it myself I'd look at another provider or at least start rattling cages to find out what the issues were.

 

[Cernunnos]

I will admit that initially I'd been put off getting the sureshot as it didn't have my current course. But how many people stay with the same course for many years these days. Will readily admit I like to chop & change the courses I play on. Another reason why I chose the sureshot as the memory does hold 40 courses at a time (assuming platinum plus membership).

Well its another week gone by & LichfiedG&CC(seedy mill)is still not on the list. pity...! But by the end of March it won't matter anyway. Not totally decided what to do for 2009 playing wise.

For good measure I've requested another couple of local courses I might possibly play again at some point to see if they get put onto the sureshot webbysite for downloading.

Ironically two of them are courses I could possibly choose as places to be a member of... Ironic or what..!?!