Compact Skycaddie ready for demand surge
New SG2.5 now costs under £170
Posted: 21 February 2008
by Bob Warters
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Compact SkyCaddie SG2.5
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The controversial news that the Professional Golfers Association at The Belfry has sanctioned the use of GPS rangefinders in all its professional events this year, has prompted SkyCaddie to introduce a new SG.5 entry-level model.
Expecting a surge in demand for the SkyCaddie now that these innovative yardage measuring devices are accepted within the Rules of Golf at specified courses, the makers have made the new model lighter than its predecessor and increased the screen resolution and battery life.
The compact device (4.5in x 2.2in) is packed with features, including IntelliGreen technology, which enables golfers to measure the full depth and exact shape of the green from any angle and gives three precise precise measurements to the flagstick and to the frontand back of the green.
Costing £169.95, the SG2.5 gives instant and accurate information via satellite, including exact yardages to hazards and to clear them and a programme for each course’s layout with ‘fairway targets’ and safe zones to avoid trouble.
As well as 2,000 courses mapped in Europe available for download from www.skycaddiegps.co.uk – SkyCaddie also offers a membership scheme for travelling golfers to get immediate access to plans of over 17,000 courses around the world.
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Discuss this story
Is this what golf is really about, I don't think so. Whilst I believe that club and ball technology is acceptable, I can not believe there is a place for Sat Nav on the golf course this is one step to far it takes the thinking out of the game what the hell is going to happen next. Call me a ludite but I for one will not be using one of these and I will refuse to play a round with someone who chooses to have one, I just do not understand why the PGA have sanctiond such a device, WHAT NEXT
Posted: 22/02/2008 07:43
Entered the fray a bit late here Ken. This has been done to death on a number of threads, do a search for GPS and you should easily find dozens of arguments for and against, some are very entertaining. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I personally think they are great, makes my golf a lot more enjoyable, which is why I play golf. Whether the Pro's should be allowed to use them, I couldn't give a toss. They already have someone to tell them the yardage. The difference between replacing a caddy with a GPS, and replacing wooden woods with metal woods to me is semantics. Do you use metal wood?
Posted: 22/02/2008 10:00
Ludite ! Would you refuse to play with someone who uses a broom-handle putter ? Would you refuse to play with someone who uses a chipper? Would you refuse to play with someone who uses the latest golf ball ? Would you refuse to play with someone who uses a electric trolley ? Would you refuse to play with someone who uses yardage book ? I think probably not, so why refuse to play with someone using a GPS system - what has it got to do with you what anyone else uses on the course - as long as it's within the rules ?
Posted: 22/02/2008 16:53
sorry ken. as eugene says, your'e a bit behind the times here with several threads about gps systems already up and running. as regards the pros, they have been using gps in the form of skycaddie or caddieaid for several years now, hence the accuracy you see in every comp. ultimately the player has to hit the ball, no machine to do that. i also know a couple of younger players, thinking of turning pro, and they are investing in laser range finders, to use in the practice rounds before their comps. quite honestly, if at their level they can see the benefit then we should not close our eyes to progress. gps simply helps by confirming the yardage and there are so many game improvement options out there, from balls to clubs, that it seems a bit ridiculous to ban the one that can help all levels but probably, mostly, the higher h/capper. i am in favour of them but think the r&a bottled it by not accepting the responsibility of their position and making the decision. if they do not want them, then why allow them at all at any time. all they have achieved is different clubs playing to different rules and imo they will have to eventually decide for all, in order to stop the inevitable squabbling that is going to arise. this coming season will be very interesting
Posted: 22/02/2008 20:40
Ken, Your a Luddite. There you go, does that cover it. Probably not. The way I see it in 5 years time people will be wondering what all of the fuss was about. Remember the GPS / Laser is nothing new, it doesn't tell you anything you cannot find out from a course planner, it tells you it faster. I remember starting to play golf 4 years ago with some guys in work. They all took the pi55 when I got an electric trolley, not man enough to carry etc unfair advantage blah blah. 4 years later they all have trolley's, in fact I am now the only one who will carry my bag. And ironically they look at me stupidly and ask where my trolley is, when I explain I just felt like carrying today, they don't see the irony........ I think it will be the same with GPS/Laser systems in a few years, they will get cheaper, eveyone will get them, they will be the norm. As for Skycaddies new 2.5 £170. It looks great and I would be tempted BUT / golf Plus are doing a Caddie Lite for £129 and you don't have to pay a yearly subscription. I know which one I will be getting.
Posted: 22/02/2008 20:59
pengwyn looked at caddie lite myself. problem appears to be a very limited no. of courses available, especially in scotland
Posted: 22/02/2008 21:07
I have the SG3, its great I am Sorry I will not be playing with you soon.
Posted: 24/02/2008 09:31
I have the new 2.5 It is very compact similar to a mobile phone in size, can easy sit in your pocket. I would warn you guys about caddy lite - I got one yet the software would not load into my two month old computer. After various discussions with their IT bloke it was decided that it should be sent back. Had to wait a time and make a number of calls to get my cash back. Sky caddie is a bit more to shelf out, however, it does look much better.
Posted: 26/02/2008 18:15
cheers willie-bear, this is the kind of info that helps. will be ordering my own skycaddie 2.5 completegolfer.com has the best price i can find
Posted: 26/02/2008 22:33
I've just cut down all the 2ft high yew tree markers on my course and used a marker pen to blot out all the yardages on my scorecard. I'm also go to play at 10pm tonight. Wouldn't want any advantage. 
Posted: 27/02/2008 17:15
Got an SG5 best piece of kit I ever bought, also seen how these guys map the course, pretty good, the guy I saw was updating Lambourn, other players had the Caddy Lite they were pretty fed up that their system wasnt being updated, next day the new download was on the website awsome I say. I wouldnt want to play with Ken anyway, he will be too slow ! but if I did , bet after a couple of holes he asks "How far have I got on that thing of yours then" EVERYONE ELSE DOES !
Posted: 28/02/2008 01:39
I keep leaning towards these, but more as I am a gadget freak it is more of the gimme gimme gimme reason. I looked on both web-sites and I can find my course (East Renfrewshire) on the Caddy Lite site but not on the SkyCaddie site which is what would swing it for me.
Posted: 28/02/2008 15:56
I would warn you guys about caddy lite - I got one yet the software would not load into my two month old computer.After various discussions with their IT bloke it was decided that it should be sent back.
I assume you mean it wouldn't load onto Windows Vista software?
Posted: 28/02/2008 19:41
If your club wont allow Skycaddie to map the course why dont you make a representation, if the members want to use a GPS system why shouldnt they, the officers of the Club are there for the members not the other way around, did your secretary ask the members before he told Skycaddie they couldnt map the course? or was it his own opinion, this happened at our club the Sec said no because HE didnt agree with it, well we made a fuss and got his decision over turned and now the committee have agree that there is no difference than having a yardage book so we have the local rule and we can play with the Skycaddie , and guess what......The Pro has actually woke up and started selling them !! Player/Members power!!!
Posted: 08/03/2008 17:32
ordered the skycddie 2.5 from completegolfer.com - best price i could find - on wed evening. phone call on thursday am. to confirm address and delivered by carrier on friday pm. easy to set up and download courses and easy to use. the 2.5 is black and white screen, but saw no point to the SG5 which is twice the price for colour. only want to confirm distances. works a dream with a couple of differences from ouyr own course measurements. think the gps is right and our distances wrong reckon by next year the r and a will come off the fence and allow without the clubs having to set up a local rule
Posted: 08/03/2008 23:52
I too now have the SG 2.5 and what a lovely piece of kit it is to use, takes all the time and guess work out of the shot,(excepting windy conditions of course) by having the results right there instead of wading through the yardage book 'if' you have one for the course your on, it's so easy to use with automatic hole updates etc you almost don't notice it. We'll see whether the R&A are quick off the mark, somehow I doubt it, but being PGA accepted its a good step in the right direction. Hopefully in the short term, demand and falling prices for these gadgets will force many more courses to be mapped creating more widespread usage which will make the R&A take notice. This is the first gadget of this kind I've bought and I don't see any overall difference to this and a yardage book excepting convenience and speed of use, the gadget is almost ready to use from the moment you switch on. First class product.
Posted: 09/03/2008 12:29
Longdriver just admit you work for skycaddie. Your comments are boringly biased. If you all have a look at his history all he talks about is how good skycaddie is. Let me guess 'oh i don't work for them i am just a satisfied customer'. bored bored bored All GPS products provide the same quality yardages and all have there merits. It depends on how much you want to spend and whether your course has been mapped. Golf plus seem to have the most in the UK & Ireland, Skycaddie have most worldwide with the majority in the States and caddy aid map on request.
Posted: 10/03/2008 12:36
Either way, I agree with his comments about Skycaddie. I wrote andasked for Burnham & Berrow to be mapped....within 2 weeks it was, my unit had a problem, I got a fix by return!
So credit where it is due! And enough folk on here know what I do for a living!!
I read the earlier comment from the chap who said he'd refuse to play if someone had a GPS. I wonder what would happen if he actually did that.
Posted: 10/03/2008 12:44
Can the skycaddie be used off the course? if you were to turn it on in your back garden could you use the mark ball feature? Or does it only recognise areas where mapping has taken place? Just want to know if I could use it on the practice ground for measuring shots, to work out my average distances with each club. Thanks.
Posted: 10/03/2008 12:50
had sunday lunch with an R and A rules official last sunday week. he was dead against the gps systems but did acknowledge that he thought it would probably be given the ok for next season. his arguments against were purely based on the financial aspects. ie. those with deep pockets would have an unfair advantage. he had no answer to the the same arguments with regards to specialist wedges, hybrids and other game improvement gear time will tell
Posted: 10/03/2008 14:26
interesting point ian. just quoting . perhaps since it is an equipment change and not the laws of the game.? to be honest i don't know and it never occurred to me when we were chatting 
Posted: 10/03/2008 14:42
Just want to know if I could use it on the practice ground for measuring shots, to work out my average distances with each club.
Yes it can.
Posted: 10/03/2008 15:10
more of my group have bought the skycaddie 2.5. every one of them have commented on how it removes the doubt over yardages. has definitely speeded up our game and has made it more competitive and enjoyable. IMO this is the reason that the low men are against them. it reduces the judgement factor and levels the field again. national club golfer gave a favourable write up on them. reckon they will become a standard part of the game, just like specialist wedges, balls etc.
Posted: 14/03/2008 21:17
That is all well and good, unless your club refuses permission to map the course as mine did, apparently citing " nothing in it for them" Fortunately for me, my current course is pro mapped, and was content to allow Skycaddie to access to the course, however I asked Skycaddie to map a course local to myself which I play not regularly, but often enough during the year to make it a useful edition to the maps, and was only to be told the same thing, even though plenty of Skycaddie customers had asked for this course to be mapped, shame on the management of this course, surely a way of profit in selling these GPS systems and the potential to speed up play would be beneficial for all. But I expect they're planning to put a GPS system on the buggies and charge their members for that little lot EACH round, else no accurate GPS. This is where Skycaddie are at a disadvantage as they need to walk the course rather than use alternate less accurate means, this obviously entails gaining permission to map the course, where as other GPS providers have mapped these courses but have not been anywhere near them. I might add that it's possible with the Skycaddie system to map your own course, but this isn't as comprehensive as the Skycaddie 4 star pro mapping. I had at one point contemplated membership at this particular course, but as they seem put their wishes above those of the membership including the enjoyment of their game then sod em.
Posted: 15/03/2008 13:16
How about naming & shaming any clubs that haven't given permission ? Well I asked about a club recently and received an email the next day saying that "as it is a Crown Golf course then they have rejected the mapper from permission to walk the course" .... due to them already having buggies with GPS. However 1/2 hour later I got another email from the mapper himself saying that he had contacted the course and they had agreed to the mapping. A week later the course was available.
Posted: 16/03/2008 16:59
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