- amateurgolf.com photo
I haven’t worn anything on my
wrist in years.
I’m going to start doing so now, after trying
the SkyCaddie Watch.
I have been looking at a
wearable GPS for a couple of years -- when
SkyCaddie released one I knew it would not
disappoint. From the moment I opened the
package and
peeled the protective plastic coating off of the
face of the watch, I knew I would want to
wear
it off the course. It feels and looks that good.
Mine is black, with subtle lime green accents.
It’s super light, and the band adjusts in
seconds.
The controls are intuitive too. Simply hold
either button on the left and the watch tells
you
what to do, for example “hold for menu” or
“hold to set”. I was able to set the time for my
time zone in a matter of seconds without
glancing at the manual.
It stayed on my wrist for the next two days
and
even got a couple of compliments. I should
mention that prior to playing golf I used setup
an account at SkyGolf.com and downloaded
the
SkyCaddie software which is used to update
course data. The watch stores all courses and
auto-detects your location but it’s important
to
be a member and be in sync with the latest
database. Computer connection is via a USB
cable that easily clips to the watch. You’ll
want
to keep that cable in a safe place – it’s used
to
recharge the SkyCaddie watch to provide up
to
a year of power in watch mode or 10 hours in
GPS mode.
For my test and review of the SkyCaddie
Watch,
I decided to take it a bit further than just
playing a round of golf at my home course – I
played half the holes in the dark with the help
of a Night Flyer L.E.D. ball. (The kind they use
in glow ball tournaments.)
I started my round before dusk because I
wanted to get a good idea of how accurate
the
Watch was when I could still see my targets
and
compare the information on the screen with
yardages marked on sprinkler heads and tee
boxes. The SkyCaddie Watch is spot on; just
take a look at the photo on the upper left.
I soon wondered why I haven't used GPS
technology more often. Maybe it's because the
last time I tried it was via an app on my iPhone
which at times was off by 5 yards or more.
There are close to 50 free or low cost GPS
apps
on the iTunes store alone. They may be good
enough for some golfers, (what’s 5 yards when
you’re trying to get it airborne?) but anybody
who is serious about their game needs more.
The SkyCaddie Watch has something that GPS
apps, or competing “wearable” devices for the
matter, don’t. From the get-go the company
behind SkyCaddie – SkyGolf -- wasn't satisfied
with relying on satellite imagery for course
mapping. SkyGolf walks every course in it’s
database with professional-grade survey
equipment to create ground-corrected course
maps that are accurate to within one yard. (I
remember playing golf once and seeing a brisk-
walking, very in shape SkyGolf employee
completing a survey, GPS antenna backpack
and all.)
Back to my “walk in the dark” – I never came
close to losing my Night Flyer and quickly
learned the value of the SkyCaddie Watch’s
backlight (pushing a button activates it for a
few seconds), a nice feature when needing the
time, or a yardage in the dark. My experiment
ended with a lot of questions and conversation
in the clubhouse as I waltzed in a full hour
after
sunset.
I can’t wait to try some of the other features
of
this multi-feature sports watch, but look
forward
to using all of them, except maybe the calorie
counter. Here are some product details.
FEATURES, APPEARANCE, AND EASE-OF-
USE:
The whole concept of having a wearable golf
GPS device centers around convenience. No
more reaching in and out of the bag pocket,
and
running back to the tee to grab the GPS or
laser
you left behind. You’ll want to wear the
SkyCaddie Watch everywhere, letting it tell
time
when you’re off the course and quickly letting
it
“find” and tune into the course you’re playing
in
a matter minutes.
ON-COURSE:
Follow the menu to find your course, then view
bold, legible center of the green yardage
numbers in the middle of the screen and front
and back yardages in smaller numerals below.
Need to skip a hole or jump around? Simply use
the up and down buttons on the right to get
to
the correct hole. Use the pace-of-play clock
to
track the speed of your round.
OFF COURSE:
• Track distance, time, speed of any run,
walk or bike ride
• Water resistant to 30 meters
• Odometer, Lap Counter, and Calorie
Counter
• Available in black and cool gray
• Extras: Clock, timer, alarm, English and
French, , and backlight
MEMBERSHIP:
To take advantage of SkyGolf’s massive
30,000-
plus worldwide course map collection, you will
need to purchase a Par level membership for
either $19.95 for one year or $49.95 for three
years. The membership will pay for itself many
times over in lower scores and the confidence
of
picking the perfect club.
OPTIONS AND PRICING:
The SkyCaddie Watch is available in
Black/Neon
or White/Neon, at a price of $199.95. Purchase
at www.skygolf.com or at your favorite golf
retailer.