Here, we will breakdown the differences of the Garmin G6 vs Skycaddie SGX and SGXw, but we can tell you up front, that we think there is a very clear winner.
Since we feel so strongly about this, we don’t want to waste your time by making you read through to the end, before giving my bottom line, so let’s start there!
The SkyCaddie SGX and SGXw have terrible user reviews and they make all those unhappy buyers pay annual fees. On the other hand, the Garmin gets excellent user reviews and doesn’t charge any fees ever. On that note, the winner is…. the Garmin G6. Yes, it may cost a little more on the front end, but you are likely to have less headaches and spend a lot less over the lifetime of the device.
Other than price and user ratings, there are a few differences between the Garmin G6 and the two Skycaddie SGX models.
- The screen size on the G6 is 2.6″ and it’s 3″ on the SkyCaddie. Although only a little larger in screen size, the SkyCaddies are otherwise quite a bit larger than the Garmin.
- The G6 has a nice touchscreen, while the SkyCaddie SGX has a little joystick and the SGXw has an optical trackpad.
- All three units have bright color displays and allow you to get distance to any point.
- SkyCaddie has Intelligreen and Intelligreen Pro technology. It’s not available on every course, but it’s nice technology when it is available. Intelligreen gives you a close-up view of the green shape and hazards from the angle you are approaching. On the Garmin, you get the close-up view of the green shape, but as far as we know, it doesn’t change with your angle. The Intelligreen Pro feature shows contours on the the greens, which is cool, but in all honesty, most golfers don’t have the time or ability to take advantage of this information.
- The SkyCaddies have the ability to switch to a list view of hazards and targets, but switching screens, no matter how easy, isn’t preferable to having what you need on the main screen. The Garmin G6 shows a hole layout that includes those distances right on it, plus you can just touch the screen to the point where you want to layup and get the distance to that point and from that point to the hole. On the SkyCaddies, you have to get on the HoleVue™ screen and use the joystick or trackpad.
- The SkyCaddie models also have the QuickVue™ and RangeVue™ screens that give you options for how you want to view your information… but seriously SkyCaddie, less is more! Sure this might be great for a geek who has six hours for every round, but for most of us, it’s just too much.
- The Garmin G6 has a scorecard for up to four players and the SkyCaddies have a scorecard for one player. We figure most people will use a traditional scorecard when they are scoring for the group, so not really an issue. All three units allow you to track your stats.
- All three units allow you to measure your shots and tag the club you used, so they can store the average distance you hit each club. All of these units also allow uploading the scoring and stats to your computer for analysis.
In summary, SkyCaddie just tries to do too much, making it expensive and potentially confusing for the players who use them. Garmin just makes it a little easier and without the burden of annual fees.
Model | SkyCaddie SGX | SkyCaddie SGXw | Garmin Approach G6 |
---|---|---|---|
Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
GRS Score | 3.60 (367 Ratings) | 3.65 (46 Ratings) | 4.20 (648 Ratings) |
Height | 4.8+ in. | 4.8+ in. | 3.7 in. |
Width | 2.48 in. | 2.48 in. | 2.1 in. |
Depth | .75 in. | .75 in. | .8 in. |
Weight | 5.6 oz. | 5.6 oz. | 3.37 oz. |
Battery | Li-poly | Lithium-ion Polymer | Rechargeable Li-Poly |
Battery Life | 14 hrs max | N/A | up to 15 hrs. |
Rainproof | water resistant | water resistant | IPX7 |
Pre-loaded with Courses | Yes* | Yes* | 27,000 |
Instant Course Recognition | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto Hole Advance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Course Capacity | 50 Full | 50 Full | Unlimited |
Touch Screen | No | No | Yes |
Stat Tracker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Digital Scorecard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Computer Analysis Tools | Yes | Yes | Yes |
USGA Compliant (local rule) | Yes | Yes | Yes, if Club Averages feature is not used. |
Alternate Targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ability to Add Targets | N/A | N/A | Yes |
Measure Shot Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
# of Available Courses | 30,000+ | 30,000+ | 29,500+ |
Course Download Fees | Yes | Yes | No |
Issue with your choice. You show up at any USGA tournament with Garmin G8 and you will be disqualified because it shows elevation. quote…The “plays like” distance feature accounts for elevation changes on the course by showing the adjusted distance to the green. …quote
Thanks, Curtis. Our Garmin Approach G8 Review discusses the USGA rule.