Below are links to our reviews of GPS, Laser and Hybrid Golf Rangefinders, sorted by brand. You may also want to check our GPS Reviews and Scores and our Laser Reviews and Scores for product comparisons.
Golf Rangefinder Reviews
SkyCaddie SG5 Review
The SkyCaddie SG5 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..
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 User Rating: 4.38 out of 5 (439 reviews)
Score compiled from multiple sources.- Accuracy
- Easy Computer Set-up and Downloads
- Easy to use
- Lots of courses
- Improves golf game
- Intelligreen – exact shape of the green rotates to match your angle of approach
- Fast distance acquisition from satellites
- Speeds up play
- Up-to-date
- Color screen
- Easy to read and easy to see in bright sunlight
- Email support responds quickly
- Digital Scorecard
- Holevue – on some courses – graphic view of the hole that allows you to zoom and get yardage to desired target
- Alternate targets – hazards, carries and layups
- Stat tracking – fairways, GIRs and putts
- No charge for feature upgrades
- Good Customer Service (note: more people complained than complimented)
- Good battery life
- Intelligreen Pro – available on some courses. Displays green contours
- Size
- Club SG – Upload your scores and stats for analysis and sharing
- Annual membership fee
- Poor Customer Service
- Limit of 10 courses stored – $20 upgrade to 20 courses
- If you don’t renew your membership, the courses stored on your device will stop working
- Too big to fit easily into a pocket
- Steep price
- Learning curve and no instructions
- Not waterproof
- Doesn’t take Alkaline batteries, so if don’t get to recharge it before you play, you may be out of luck.
- Software Problems
- 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.
- 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 | ||
---|---|---|
Course Download Fees | Yes | |
Pre-loaded with Courses | No | |
Full Hole Views | Yes | |
Slope / Elevation | No | |
Battery Life | 14 hrs max | |
Battery | Li-ion recharge | |
Size (Width x Height x Depth) | 5.4 in. x 2.2 in. x 1 in. | |
Measure Shot Distance | Yes | |
Screen Size | 2.2 | |
Resolution | hi-res | |
Display Type | backlit color LCD | |
Weight | 5.5 oz. | |
Rainproof | No | |
Touch Screen | No | |
Touch Targeting | No | |
Manual Pin Positioning | N/A | |
Stat Tracker | No | |
Digital Scorecard | Yes | |
Computer Analysis Tools | No | |
Ground Verified | Yes | |
Alternate Targets | Yes | |
Green Rotates to your shot angle | Yes | |
USGA Compliant (local rule) | Yes | |
Notes | - | |
Order Golf Rangefinders from Amazon | ||
GolfRangefinderShop.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you buy anything after clicking through, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep the site up and running, so thank you! We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase. |
SkyCaddie SG3.5 Review
The SkyCaddie SG3.5 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..
Our SkyCaddie SG3.5 review summary takes into consideration pros and cons mentioned in user reviews all over the web. Our Ratings Score is a calculated based upon user ratings from a variety of websites to help when making comparisons between golf rangefinders.
SkyCaddie SG3.5 User Rating: 4.20 out of 5 (75 reviews)
Score compiled from multiple sources.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.
One thing to consider when purchasing are the annual fees required to get the most out of this unit. New models from other manufacturers come preloaded with courses and do not have annual fees. Take a look at our Best Golf GPS breakdown to find out the best model for your game.
- 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
- 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
- IntelliGreen® Pro (Beta) adds the ability to view major tiers, contours, false fronts and mounds from your angle of approach to the green.
- HoleVueTM powered by TrueGroundTM Mapping Beta displays a graphical image of a hole using SkyGolf’s reliable TrueGroundTM mapping process. HoleVue availability is limited, but more courses are being added.
- SkyCaddie’s QuickVueTM 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
Many features require a SkyCaddie Annual Membership
SkyCaddie SG3.5 | ||
---|---|---|
Course Download Fees | N/A | |
Pre-loaded with Courses | No | |
Full Hole Views | Yes | |
Slope / Elevation | N/A | |
Battery Life | N/A | |
Battery | 3 AAA | |
Size (Width x Height x Depth) | 4.96 in. x 2.2 in. x .8 in. | |
Measure Shot Distance | Yes | |
Screen Size | 2.2 | |
Resolution | hi-res | |
Display Type | backlit color LCD | |
Weight | 3.84 oz. | |
Rainproof | No | |
Touch Screen | No | |
Touch Targeting | No | |
Manual Pin Positioning | No | |
Stat Tracker | No | |
Digital Scorecard | Yes | |
Computer Analysis Tools | No | |
Ground Verified | Yes | |
Alternate Targets | N/A | |
Green Rotates to your shot angle | N/A | |
USGA Compliant (local rule) | Yes | |
Notes | - | |
Order Golf Rangefinders from Amazon | ||
GolfRangefinderShop.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you buy anything after clicking through, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep the site up and running, so thank you! We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase. |