I think the idea of the lasers are better cuz they give you a distance to the pin is garbage. It is nice, but I know that I am very rarely hitting the ball at the pin. I'm a 4.8 so I have pretty good distance control and everything. While knowing the distance to the pin is nice I much rather know that the green slopes from back to front and pin is near middle so i need to keep it in front half somewhere between my front and middle gps distances. I don't think many people on here can hit it within a yard or two of their distance let alone like 5-7 so I don't really see how beneficial a laser would be. At the same time I do think if people see they need to hit it between 150 and no longer than 162 they can manage that.

I use nRange Golf GPS for my Blackberry. I've played rounds with guys who use Sky Caddie and it is accurate to within 1 yard of their $400 device. Mine was a free download. www.nrange.com

I started with a SkyCaddie. Got frustrated with slow lock on time, having the signal drop mid-round and the fees. Most of the guys I play with have a laser and those that don't are encouraged to get them to speed up play.(no more hunting for yardage markers and stepping off) And lasers work on any course.

I just sold my Sky Caddie and bought a Sonocaddie. Huge difference. No yearly fees...holds 30 courses...you can adjust the measurements if you happen to find that one is slightly off. You can also add icons with their distance (trees, bunkers, mounds). You can also track your shots and review them at the end of the round, on the screen or on your computer. You can keep your score and at the end of the round it will give you your stats. A full battery charge will last for three to four rounds, depending on how fast you play. Very user friendly.

Unlike Sky Caddie, however, you cannot adjust the distance based on pin placement. Also, Sonocaddie does not automatically scroll to the next hole. This is a good feature however, because it ensures that you enter your data before you hit your next tee shot.

Check it out.

How can you not have a with a GPS. I recently purchased the Golflogix and I don't know how I got along without it. It saves time, It takes away the task of trying to add and subtract yardage, and the Golflogix will tell you how far you hit your clubs. Just an invaluable tool.

Jake I admire your 4.8 handicap, I wish I could get there. However I play with a lot of guys who DO fire at the pin, and can definitely take advantage of the greater accuracy of the laser. You are correct that the average weekend golfer is lucky to keep the ball on the golf course, much less the green. These guys I play with on Wednesday use the laser to their advantage.

merlin2driver wrote:

Jake I admire your 4.8 handicap, I wish I could get there. However I play with a lot of guys who DO fire at the pin, and can definitely take advantage of the greater accuracy of the laser. You are correct that the average weekend golfer is lucky to keep the ball on the golf course, much less the green. These guys I play with on Wednesday use the laser to their advantage.

Down to a 3.7 all because of my igolf gps. I still think the gps is better than the lasers. And what do you do when you have a laser and can't see the pin? Also if the guys you are playing with are hitting it within a yard of what they want then its probably time to go pro.

I love my Skycaddie SG4. I bought the SG2 when it came out and as soon as the SG4 came out, I sold my SG2 to a friend and upgraded. I don't play without it. Even if I am playing a course that has GPS I take it for those shots when it is cart path only or something like that. It truly does make you a better golfer.

I have the SG2 also, I bought one of the first ones to be made. I agree it will make you a better golfer if you know your distances better. It is really good for those blind shots also. We use the laser also, it's especially helpful for the closest to the pin contest on the par 3s every week. I've never seen the winner of that be more than 2 feet away on all 4 of the par 3s. In the group I play with every Wednesday, there are a few who are 0 handicappers or better and yes, they do put it close. Congratulations on lowering your handicap, try going for the flag, you may get even lower.

Why buy or carry around another device when GreenFinder converts your BlackBerry or iPhone 3G into a GPS-powered rangefinder? For only $35, you can track your distance to the green, see how far to carry hazards and measure your shot distance. GreenFinder Golf GPS gives you everything you need to help improve your golf game - on your SmartPhone.

Jake: Nice to see your handicap is headed towards scratch. I completely agree with you that even single digit handicaps should generally aim for the center of the green.

The challenge with GPS is that they can be off as much as 6 yds and sometimes 10 yds. Have you ever stood in the middle of the fairway and noticed that the distance readout changes over time? There are many factors that influence the readout including if you're bald (see this link: http://www.doylesdartden.com/gis/Improve_GPS_Accuracy.html).

Even if your GPS device has a perfect signal, your total accuracy is dependent on how well the course was mapped. Most GPS except SkyCaddie use satellite maps, which have their own inherent degree of inaccuracy.

So even if you're just shooting for the center of the green your GPS may be giving you faulty data.

I see we live in the same neck of the woods. We should play a round together and compare laser vs. GPS. Maybe Catskill Golf Club next month?

I decided I was going to get a GPS during the Winter. But, I wanted to wait and make sure I was buying the best product. I found that Skycaddie was going to be my best option and I bought it. It has been a wonderful purchase. I've had no problems at all. It was said in a previous comment on this topic that they can't hit the right distances anyway. Having the GPS has helped me learn my distances for each club. But, what I like the most is knowing how far it is to the back of the green. If I'm in between clubs on a approach shot with a pin in the front or middle of the green knowing the distance to the back of the green helps me with my club selection. If I'm undecided on a club I will think, I know I can get this club to the front of the green and I know even if I hit this club absolutely perfect I won't hit it to the distance on the back of the green much less over that.
It's funny how some of my golfing friends told me not to get a GPS because I could just look at the sprinkler heads but when I play with them the recurring question is "hey, can you give me a yardage"
If anybody is thinking of getting a GPS I highly recommend the Skycaddie. Feel free to contact me if you would like more info about my experience so far.

I use the green finder gps app for my blackberry. It's proven to be pretty accurate at most of the courses that I've been to. Plus, it only costs $39.99 every year and all but 1 course I've played has been available. I'm not really good enough for 1 or 2 yards of inaccuracy to matter, considering I try to shoot for the fat part of the green most of the time anyways.

I dont think these kinds of things would help me anyway. I hit just as far with a 6 as I do with a 9.

If anyone out there is familiar with Golf Buddy Tour or Garmin Approach G5, please post your opinions here.
I am considering buying a golf GPS but as a high H/C 1st season golfer I am wary about investing $400.
I have no interest in annual subs or pay per course downloads so I figured skycaddie etc are not for me.
Thanks