I must admit that I am in a dilemma. Two weeks ago I wrote about wearables versus gadets like Arccos Golf and Game Golf. I highlighted in that post as one of the main disadvangtages of such devices is that you cannot use them for other purposes. In addition to this, they are pricey. Something similar I feel about GPS rangefinders like SkyCaddie, GolfBuddy, Garmin etc.
At the same time, I think what National Golf Foundation's survey (November 2014, 'Dashboard' Report) says about the benefits of Distance Measuring Devices (DMDs) is questionable. The survey found that distance measuring devices are helping:
- increased shot confidence (80%) –> how is it possible when none of these DMDs are able to provide topographic data and their displays are like my computer games from the 80s? I think we will be in better position if we utilize the wisdom of crowd (e.g. Caddio) and provide clearer picture about the golf course where we are playing (e.g. Hole19 mobile application)
- increased speed (52%) – the survey didn't tell who were in the sample, so this statement is more likely to be true for people under age 45.
- carded lower scores (39%)
SkyCaddie TOUCH offers a middling entry point of £329.95 (RRP; = $299.95) for the device itself. In the recent promotion they are adding over 2 free gifts of £75 in value:
- a 12-month Birdie Membership: year’s free and unlimited access to SkyGolf’s unparalleled TrueGround Course Maps in the UK and Republic of Ireland;
- box of Bridgestone B330-RX golf balls.
Unlike in case of SkyCaddie Watch, Gimme, Aire and Breeze (with no Feature Packs) and SkyCaddie Linx, for SkyCaddie TOUCH you have no other choice, but to subscribe to SkyCaddie 360 membership (£11.86). Without having SkyCaddie 360 membership you will not be able to utilize SkyGolf 360 App, premium statistics and the SkyGolf's online community. At the same time it is a good thing that they provide the most accurate and up-to-date golf course information, the error-corrected global HoleVue golf course maps.
What is new in SkyCaddie TOUCH is the ability to download onDemand Vivid HD course graphics for up to 100 of our favorite golf courses.
My questions:
- Whouldn't it be nicer if these services would be included in the product price?
- Do we need this quasi social networking solution when regular golf social networking sites are struggling for their existence?
