All three SkyCaddie GPS devices offer something that no other brand does and that is ground-verified course maps. What that means that is beyond using satellite images, SkyGolf has people walk every golf course with special equipment to verify the yardages. This may give them a slight edge in accuracy, but it does come at a price. Most of that price is found in the required annual membership fees which start at $30 a year. If you’re looking for something without an annual fee, check out the Golf Buddy World or the Garmin Approach G5

With each new device comes additional features, but that’s not always a good thing. The SkyCaddie SG5 doesn’t have the bells, whistles found on the SkyCaddie SGX and SGXw… but it does have the highest user ratings of the three devices.

SkyCaddie SG5 vs SGX

• The SGX has a 3″ high-resolution color TFT-LCD screen, while the SG5′s screen is a 2.2-inch LCD.
• The SGX has dual navigation, so you can use the buttons like the SG5, or you can direct an on-screen cursor using a multi-directional joystick.
• The SGX is preloaded with basic information of 30,000 courses. Registration and membership are still necessary after 30 days.
• The SGX can store up to 50 full-featured course maps at a time (plus the basic green courses), whereas the SG5 can only store 20 course maps at a time.
• HoleVue image on the SGX is interactive, which allows you to move an on-screen cursor to adjust the line of play and see shot distance. It can also zoom in and out to help you dial in on a specific point of the hole. HoleVue image on the SG5 is static.

SkyCaddie SGX vs SGXw

• The SGXw offers WiFi connectivity for downloading courses and uploading scores.
• The SGXw has a faster processor, but it takes up more battery, so the SGXw gets a maxium of 10 hours where the SGX is rated for up to 14 hrs. In real life, you should charge either one of them after every round.
• The SGX Joystick has been replaced with an optical trackpad on the SGXw. The jury is still out on this.
• Dynamic RangeVueâ„¢ is new on the SGXw. Preset yardage arcs adjust dynamically over fairway landing areas and over greens to allow you to select the best club for every shot much more quickly.

Full comparison of features

There is no question that SkyCaddie devices offer some nice features and that many users are very happy with them. Looking at our GRS Scores compiled from user data, we would buy the SG5 if we had to buy a SkyCaddie. We got that same recommendation from a Live Chat representative on the SkyGolf website. That said, we honestly think there are several full-featured golf GPS devices that come preloaded and don’t have any annual fees, that make more sense for most golfers. For more on that, take a look at our “quick & dirty” Golf Rangefinder Buyer’s Guide.

SkyCaddie SGXw vs SGX vs SG5 is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. SkyCaddie SGXw Reviews
2. SkyGolf Skycaddie SGX
3. SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary
4. SkyCaddie SG5 Review
5. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews

$299.00

Our SkyGolf Skycaddie SGX Review of Reviews takes into consideration the pros and cons most mentioned by users in reviews all over the Internet. We do the research and pull it together in summary to make your decision a little easier. We also calculate our own GRS Score based on user ratings from a variety of websites, to help you compare devices.

Although the SkyCaddie SGX GRS rating is a little low, what we noticed is that most users who were actually putting this device to the test ON the golf course, were loving it. The lower ratings were coming from those whose out of the box experience was so bad that they never even got it to the golf course.  SkyCaddie has fixed many of the initial problems and its ratings scores are going up. Initially the SkyCaddies SGX debuted on our GRS Scores at 6.95 and has now climbed to 7.56. All we’re saying is that if you are willing to take a little risk and possibly invest some time getting it set-up, the SGX may be the golf rangefinder of your dreams. If you’re looking for a safer bet, definitely take a look at our GRS Scores and review summaries for golf GPS devices.

SkyCaddie SGX GRS Score: 7.89 out of 10 (264 reviews)
Most Mentioned Pros:

• Large clear screen
• Easy to read in sunlight and shade
• Acquires distances quickly
• Accuracy
• Good battery life
• Scoring and Stats capability
• SGClub – uploading scoring and stats
• User friendly and easy to navigate
• Mac and PC compatible (see problems under Most Mentioned Cons below)
• HoleVue (when available) giving you the ability to get distance to any point on a hole
• Size
• Stores 50 full-featured courses. Basic information for 30,000 courses is preloaded (requires membership after 30 days)

Most Mentioned Cons:

• Registration and syncing problems with Windows 7
• Bugs that weren’t worked out before release
• Hardware problems (SkyCaddie did replace the units)
• Wait times for customer service (likely has improved since the initial release)
• HoleVue not available on all courses (SkyCaddie claims to be adding hundreds of courses each month). Make sure it’s available on your favorite courses before you buy.
• Learning curve for using advanced features
• A few users felt that some of the numbers were a little small (ex. shot measuring feature)
• Membership fee
• Buttons and joystick a little difficult for some users

Top Features of the Skycaddie SGX:

• 3 inch display with impressive readability
• Lithium-ion rechargeable battery that lasts up to 14 hours of continuous use
• Intuitive and easier to use, even with a glove on
• TruePoint Precision Positioning Technology – super accurate and fast
• Offers up to 30,000 pre-loaded, making it “Ready to Play” out of the box with basic green information
• Ground-verified course maps… SkyCaddie® mappers walk every single course
• Interactive HoleVueâ„¢ with Zoom capability – HoleVue gives access to finding a distance to any point on a hole. Hundreds of courses are being added to HoleVue every month.
• SkyCaddie®’s patented IntelliGreen® technology that displays the exact shape of the green and automatically rotates the green to match a golfer’s angle of approach
• Golfers will be able to use the SGX to learn how far they hit each club almost automatically when SmartClub Technology is launched early this summer.
• Digital Scorecard and Stat Tracking tracks key game statistics, including: greens in regulation, fairways hit, driving accuracy and distance, and total putts

Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Feature Table

Model	SkyCaddie SGX
Type	GPS
Height	4.8+ in.
Width	2.48 in.
Depth	.75 in.
Screen Size	3 in.
Resolution	high
Display Type	TFT-LCD
Weight	5.6 oz.
Battery	Li-poly
Battery Life	14 hrs max
Rainproof	Yes*
High Sensitivity Receiver	Yes
Pre-loaded with Courses	Yes*
Course Capacity	50 Full
Touch Screen	No
Touch Targeting	Yes
Manual Pin Positioning	Yes
Stat Tracker	Yes
Digital Scorecard	Yes
Computer Analysis Tools	Yes
USGA Compliant (local rule)	Yes
Ground Verified	Yes
Alternate Targets	Yes
Aerial Hole View	Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle	Yes
Measure Shot Distance	Yes
Magnify Hole View	Yes
Slope	No
# of Available Courses	30,000+
Add Courses Manually	Yes
Compatibility	Windows/Mac*
Course Download Fees	Yes

We do our best to obtain information about product features, but make no guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.

Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

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2. SkyGolf Launches SkyCaddie Membership Benefits+
3. SkyCaddie SG5 Review
4. SkyGolf Introduces AutoView for the SGX
5. SkyCaddie SG3.5 Review

$169.98

For our SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary, we carefully read nearly 70 reviews and wrote down everything users said about their SkyCaddie SG5 experiences. We counted which pros and which cons were mentioned the most frequently and have compiled our results.  The results are listed in order from most mentioned to least. We also average out user ratings from as many websites as we can find and come up with our composite GRS Score.

SkyCaddie SG5 GRS Score: 7.67 out of 10 (385 reviews)

PROS (In order of mentions high to low):

1. Accuracy
2. Easy Computer Set-up and Downloads
3. Easy to use
4. Lots of courses
5. Improves golf game
6. Intelligreen – exact shape of the green rotates to match your angle of approach
7. Fast distance acquisition from satellites
8. Speeds up play
9. Up-to-date
10. Color screen
11. Easy to read and easy to see in bright sunlight
12. Email support responds quickly
13. Digital Scorecard
14. Holevue – on some courses – graphic view of the hole that allows you to zoom and get yardage to desired target
15. Alternate targets – hazards, carries and layups
16. Stat tracking – fairways, GIRs and putts
17. No charge for feature upgrades
18. Good Customer Service (note: more people complained than complimented)
19. Good battery life
20. Intelligreen Pro – available on some courses. Displays green contours
21. Size
22. Club SG – Upload your scores and stats for analysis and sharing

CONS (In order of mentions high to low):

1. Annual membership fee
2. Poor Customer Service
3. Limit of 10 courses stored – $20 upgrade to 20 courses
4. If you don’t renew your membership, the courses stored on your device will stop working
5. Too big to fit easily into a pocket
6. Steep price
7. Learning curve and no instructions
8. Not waterproof
9. Doesn’t take Alkaline batteries, so if don’t get to recharge it before you play, you may be out of luck.
10. Software Problems
11. Does not come pre-loaded with courses

Golf Rangefinder Shop Summary: The one thing mentioned more often than any other in all the reviews we read, was how accurate the device was. One reason may be that SkyGolf, the maker of SkyCaddie GPS rangefinders, ground-verifies every course in their database. This means that an actual person goes to the golf course with specialized equipment to make sure the yardages are accurate. All other golf GPS devices use only satellite imagery. We don’t know of any studies that have been done to prove it, but this might mean SkyCaddie GPS devices are more consistently accurate than other units. Although nobody likes paying the annual SkyCaddie membership fee, many of those who mentioned it as a negative, felt it was worth it for the accuracy. Although “Annual membership fees” was the most mentioned CON, “Poor Customer Service” was the one that really got our attention. There were several users who had good experiences with customer support, particularly email and chat support, but there were more who had bad experiences. From telephone wait times to rude comments, over 10% of the user reviews we read, were unhappy with some aspect of technical support. Considering how many users are thrilled with their SkyCaddie SG5, we’re guessing most of them have never needed to contact Customer Service. That in itself is a PRO. We at the Golf Rangefinder Shop have set-up many SkyCaddies and downloaded many courses with no problems at all. Our Conclusion:

• If consistent accuracy is the most important feature that you want in your golf rangefinder AND a laser rangefinder isn’t your thing, then the SkyCaddie SG5 should definitely be on your short list. You should also be prepared to defend your decision to pay annual fees (hopefully for more consistent accuracy), as several GPS models are now coming pre-loaded with thousands of golf courses and no membership fees. Also remember that you can only store 10 courses at a time on your SG5 (20 courses after a $20 upgrade).
• If you have computer phobias and little patience with things like bad customer support, then you should look into getting a pre-loaded golf GPS device instead.

SkyCaddie SG5 Review is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary
2. SkyCaddie SGXw vs SGX vs SG5
3. Summary of SkyCaddie SG4 Reviews
4. SkyCaddie SG3.5 Review
5. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews

Our SkyCaddie SG3.5 review summary takes into consideration pros and cons mentioned in user reviews all over the web. The GRS Score is a calculated based upon user ratings from a variety of websites to help when making comparisons between golf rangefinders.  Just as a side note, one of our editors was recently caddying in a group where a SkyCaddie SG3.5 was being used by a former LPGA star who now walks the fairways as a golf television commentator.

SkyCaddie SG3.5 GRS Score: 8.40 out of 10 (75 reviews)

Most Mentioned Pros:

• accuracy
• AAA batteries – no recharging worries if you carry an extra set
• color display
• choice of viewing formats
• ability to move pin location
• auto hole advance
• stat tracker – downloadable
• lots of courses
• compact size
• sturdy
• easy to use

Most Mentioned Cons:

• price
• Lack of good instruction manual
• difficult to read in direct sun
• uses batteries fast (3 rnds or less with alkaline). Using rechargeable batteries was recommended by several users

OVERVIEW OF KEY FEATURES

• IntelliGreen® Pro (Beta) adds the ability to view major tiers, contours, false fronts and mounds from your angle of approach to the green.
• HoleVueâ„¢ powered by TrueGroundâ„¢ Mapping Beta displays a graphical image of a hole using SkyGolf’s reliable TrueGroundâ„¢ mapping process. HoleVue availability is limited, but more courses are being added.
• SkyCaddie’s QuickVueâ„¢ displayes a virtual preview of the safest path from the tee to green.
• SkyGolf’s IntelliGreen® technology provides you with an eagle’s view of each green from anywhere on the golf course. The graphic rotates to provide front carry, back yardages, and green depth from your approach angle.
• Digital Scorecard allows you to enter your handicap into the preferences and the pars for your handicap are automatically highlighted on the digital scorecard.
• The SkyCaddie can tell you with a simple touch of a button how far you hit a shot and record the club used so you can refer back to it later.
• Instant Distances to Greens and Hazards
• Up to 40 targets per hole

Some features require a SkyCaddie Annual Membership

SkyCaddie SG3.5 Review is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary
2. SkyCaddie SG5 Review
3. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews
4. Skycaddie SGX Review
5. SkyGolf Skycaddie SGX

Our SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary takes into consideration user ratings, product features and the likes and dislikes most mentioned by users in their reviews. First we calculate our GRS Score based on over 100 user ratings from a variety of websites. Then we list the features of the device and summarize the pros and cons we have noted within user reviews from multiple websites.

SkyCaddie SG5 GRS Score: 7.16 out of 10 (241 reviews)

Features of the SkyGolf SkyCaddie SG5:

• Ground-Verified Course Maps – Only SkyCaddie walks every course to make sure you have information you can trust. Other GPS devices rely on satellite images.
• IntelliGreen® Proâ„¢ (Beta) – shows the contours of the green from your viewing angle.
• IntelliGreen® – shows the overhead view of a green and gives distances to the front and back from your viewing angle.
• HoleVueâ„¢ powered by TrueGroundâ„¢ Mapping Beta – displays a graphical overhead view of each holed. It is not available on all courses, but over 100 courses a month are being added.
• SkyCaddie QuickVueâ„¢ powered by TrueGroundâ„¢ Mapping – In QuickVue, you can see the distance of the hole, the hole shape, the shape of the green and the distance to your ideal target.
• Digital Scorecard –Keep track of your round with the SkyCaddie Digital Scorecard. Enter your handicap into the preferences and the pars for your handicap are automatically highlighted on the digital scorecard.
• Calculates your distances – mark the spot where you hit from and then when you arrive at your ball, you can find out exactly how far you hit it.
• Instant Distances to Greens and Hazards –distance to front, center and back show of the green, plus up to 40 targets each hole.

Most Mentioned Pros:

• Easy to operate
• Comes with travel case, car charger and LCD protector for no extra charge
• Gives you accurate distance for many targets and hazards from any angle
• Durable
• Battery life – lasts for 14 hours of continuous use
• Water resistant
• Large display fonts make it is easy to read
• Color LCD is easy to see even in direct sunlight
• Large database of golf courses
• Digital Scorecard

Most Mentioned Cons:

• Customer Service – long wait times for phone support
• Annual membership fee of $29. Discounts are available for multiple years.
• Only 10 courses at a time can be stored on the unit

Some users complained about installing and using the software for downloading courses. Based on our personal experience, we would say that installation is not a problem, but searching for and downloading courses is not altogether intuitive. However, once you get the hang of it, it’s no problem.

SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. SkyCaddie SG3.5 Review
2. Summary of SkyCaddie SG4 Reviews
3. SkyGolf Skycaddie SGX
4. SkyCaddie SG5 Review
5. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews

Caddy GPS? You’re probably looking for a SkyCaddie GPS handheld device for the golf course. SkyGolf has lead the way in the development of the GPS Golf Rangefinder and it looks like they are continuing to raise the bar with the SkyCaddie SGX. One thing to keep in mind about SkyCaddie is that they actually send people out to each golf course to ensure accurate and relevant information. No guarantees that it’s perfect, but most other companies use satellite maps to build their databases. In spite of this, the competition among golf rangefinders has gotten pretty stiff, but remember that there is probably a unit for just about every budget.

Things to consider before buying your GPS Golf Rangefinder:

• Is my golf home golf course available on the unit?
• How accurate is it?
• Is there an annual membership fee on top of the cost of the unit?
• How many courses does it hold at one time?
• Is it preloaded with courses and ready to go out of the box?
• Is the screen color or black and white?
• Is the screen readable in bright sunlight and are the numbers big enough for me to see?
• How many targets are available on each hole? Is front, middle and back of the green all I need?
• Can I see the actual layout of the hole? In how much detail?
• Can I set my own targets on the the device?
• Will it track my statistics? Is it easy to do that?
• How easy or hard is it to download new courses?
• How many of these features am I likely to use?

On this site we’re attempting to summarize reviews and ratings from around the web to give you a complete look at the most popular products on the market. Take a look at our Golf Rangefinder GRS Scores and then link to individual review summaries to discover the things people consistently mention as pros and cons for each device.

Caddy GPS is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

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2. Summary of SkyCaddie SG4 Reviews
3. SkyCaddie SG5 Review Summary
4. SkyCaddie SG5 Review
5. SkyGolf Launches SkyCaddie Membership Benefits+

Skycaddie SG4 GRS Score: 6.98 out of 10 (198 reviews)

The Skycaddie SG4 doesn’t quite get the same scores at more expensive models, but there are quite a few users that absolutely love this device. For the price, there’s not much else that compares, so if this one fits your budget, take a look below at our summary of pros and cons.

Most Mentioned Pros:

• Good customer service
• Ease to use
• Durability
• Easy to Read
• Accurate
• Ability to move the pin for more precise yardage
• Several users felt their scores had come down as a result of using this unit.

Most Mentioned Cons:

• Poor power cable design – this was the most frequent complaint.
• Slow to acquire satellites
• Loss of signal during round
• Inaccurate – this happens with many GPS units. Some users think it’s really accurate, while others do not. We noted more users felt the unit was accurate or (“close enough”), but a few were unhappy with accuracy.
• Battery life
• Subscription fees
• Poor customer service – Again, more users were pleased with customer service than displeased, but as more than one had problems, we felt it appropriate to mention in both pros and cons.

Summary of SkyCaddie SG4 Reviews is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

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2. SkyCaddie SG5 Review
3. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews
4. Skycaddie SGX Review
5. SkyCaddie SG3.5 Review

Skycaddie SGX Key Features:

• 3″ Display with greatly improved readability
• Long-lasting lithium-ion rechargeable battery (up to 14 hours continuous)
• More intuitive – the touchscreen has been eliminated to reduce problems caused by large hands and golf gloves
• TruePoint Precision Positioning Technology – ultrafast with unmatched accuracy
• Offers up to 30,000 pre-loaded, ground-verified course maps making it “Ready to Play” out of the box with basic green information
• SkyCaddie® mappers walk every single course
• Interactive HoleVueâ„¢ with Zoom capability – HoleVue enables the golfer to know the distance to any point on a hole. Hundreds of courses are being added to HoleVue every month.
• SkyCaddie®’s patented IntelliGreen® technology that displays the exact shape of the green by automatically rotating the green to match a golfer’s angle of approach
• Golfers also can use the SGX to learn how far they hit each club
• Digital Scorecard and Stat Tracking option to track key game statistics, including: greens in regulation, fairways hit, driving accuracy and distance, and total putts

The Skycaddie SGX looks like it’s taking the golf rangefinder game to a whole new level.

SkyGolf Skycaddie SGX is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

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1. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews
2. SkyGolf Introduces AutoView for the SGX
3. SkyGolf Launches SkyCaddie Membership Benefits+
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5. Skycaddie SGX Review