Technology is simply amazing. Even 10 years ago who would have thought you could have a full-color touchscreen watch on your wrist that will give you every piece of data about almost any golf course?
The SkyCaddie LX5 is your personal wrist caddie that will have you navigating new and familiar courses like a pro in no time.
Setup
Out of the box the watch is very easy to set up. The onscreen instructions will guide you through setting the time, preferences and connecting to your phone with Bluetooth. Even if you are not technology savvy I am confident you will be able to successfully get this up and running.
There are 2 apps that I recommend installing on your phone to get the most out of your LX5:
- SkyGolf 360: Think of this as an extension of your watch. This app allows you to manage the content stored on your watch, add additional courses and report it lost or stolen. It also consolidates all your round data from the SkyCaddie app to create analytics and real time stats for you.
- The SkyCaddie App: This app is like having another GPS device at your fingertips. Hole overviews, hazards, scoring, and shot tracking are all available for you to coordinate on your phone. This is one of the easiest phone GPS systems I have used and it is very intuitive.
To read more on either of the apps click here.
On the Course
The LX5 comes bundled with a 3-year subscription to over 35,000 courses worldwide, and I’ve had no issues finding any of the courses I play throughout Wisconsin. I recommend searching for a course right when you arrive so the GPS has time to find your location. It usually took about 3-5 minutes for the course to load and be fully ready for play.
The watch has a nice large face and bright screen. Although the overall profile of the watch is large the weight is light. It feels comfortable on my wrist and does not affect my swing in any way. The ventilated rubberized band stays cool and is easy to clean after sweaty or dirty rounds.
Once you start your round you will not believe how many features the watch has to help guide you through your round. You can check out the full list here, but let me talk about some of my favorites:
Off the tee the watch has some great information for you to pick your perfect target line. Carry and hazard distances are conveniently displayed and I’ve found them to be accurate to within 2 yards when manually scoping them with a laser.
The best feature of the watch by far is the aerial view of holes. The face is touch-sensitive allowing you to drag your intended target and distance anywhere along the hole. When playing a new course for the first time this aerial picture is invaluable.
Once you are ready for your approach shot the LX5 has amazing greens functionality. The display will show you the overall shape, major undulations and hazards. You will be able to position the relative pin location by touch and get distances from the front, sides and rear of the green.
At the end of each hole you will have the ability to add a score. This can then be uploaded to the SkyGolf 360 app to track your stats.
Battery Life
The SkyCaddie claims to get 2 rounds of golf per charge. I would say that estimate is fair, but I would recommend charging it after each use. I did try wearing it as a daily use watch and I was able to get through a full day with no issues. The included magnetic charging cable is propriety to the watch so store it somewhere safe.
Extra Features
Besides being a great golf-centric watch the SkyCaddie includes a number of additional features for use off the course. A built-in heart rate monitor, step counter, step goals, stopwatch, and timer empower you to wear this as an everyday or fitness watch if you so choose.
Do I want to use a Caddie?
If you have ever used an actual caddie before, you understand their knowledge, awareness and history with a course all lead to the right information for you to play your best golf. In much the same way I found the SkyCaddie LX5 to provide the right information to make an informed decision.
The SkyCaddie LX5 is currently on sale for $249 with the 3-year subscription included. This is one amazing deal in my opinion! If you are looking for a great gift for a golfer who has everything, a GPS watch is certainly a gadget they will love! If you are looking at this for yourself, you will not regret the decision to add it to your golf equipment.
It will make a difference in your game.
Get your own SkyCaddie LX5 on SkyGolf’s website by clicking here
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