TCUfrog

Let me start by saying a big thank you to MGS and SkyCaddie for the opportunity! Now time to get this party started. Introduction: I'm based out Atlanta, GA where I was born and raised, but went to TCU for my Undergrad (hence my username) and lived in Fort Worth, TX for 7 years total so that's my second home and will always be one of my favorite cities in America. I don't remember any of my life without playing golf, but based on what my family says I started playing golf about 4 years old so this is year 21 of golf for me. I play a majority of my rounds in and around Atlanta primarily at Heritage Golf Links or Cherokee Country Club, but I also go on 3-5 golf trips a year to different and new courses. I travel for work (when COVID-19 isn't a thing) which gives me the opportunity to tag on golf trips to the end of work trips. While I typically average ~35 rounds a year with work travel being shutdown for a majority of this year, I've currently played 62 rounds so far in 2020. I've successfully dropped my handicap from a 10.9 at the start of the year to a 5.0 currently. Being chosen at this time to test a product works out well for me and for making you extra jealous because on August 5th I'm boarding a flight to San Francisco for the North American Bucket List Trip. My brother, Dad, and I will be playing Pasatiempo, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, and the mecca of American Golf, Pebble Beach. I'm looking forward to providing you with jaw dropping photos of me wearing my LX5 overlooking the cliffs of Monterey. Current Distance Methods: I have a Bushnell V4 Rangefinder which I've been using for the last 2 years and rely on it heavily as I have been able to lock in some consistent distances especially with my mid and short irons. When I'm playing a new course, I find the rangefinder harder to trust though because I don't know the layout or where the miss is so I'm excited to see if the LX5 is accurate at providing me a better picture of the course and maybe cutting down on some mistakes by going for wider parts of the green or more center of the green. Arccos often seems to be off by 5-10 yards even after adjusting for the pin location, so I'll also be testing to see if the LX5 is more accurate backing up SkyCaddie's claim. If there are any other items you would like to see me test or provide in the review, let me know and I'll be happy to provide my feedback.

I currently use my rangefinder for a majority of shots and then for blind shots I use my Arccos distances as well as to help with aim. While testing, I intend to use all 3 to compare numbers and accuracy. I'm extremely interested to see if there are any big differences between Arccos and the LX5 based on SkyCaddie's claim that they are more accurate because they walk the courses to map them instead of using aerial imagery. I won't be using this as an everyday watch since i wear my Apple Watch everyday and it has such good integration to my phone and laptop for work.

The Review 10/3/2020 SkyCaddie LX5 GPS Watch – Official MGS Forum Review by TCUFrog Intro I'm based out Atlanta, GA where I was born and raised, but went to TCU for my Undergrad (hence my username) and lived in Fort Worth, TX for 7 years total so that's my second home and will always be one of my favorite cities in America. I don't remember any of my life without playing golf, but based on what my family says I started playing golf about 4 years old so this is year 21 of golf for me. I play a majority of my rounds in and around Atlanta primarily at Heritage Golf Links or Cherokee Country Club, but I also go on 3-5 golf trips a year to different and new courses. I travel for work (when COVID-19 isn't a thing) which gives me the opportunity to tag on golf trips to the end of work trips. While I typically average ~35 rounds a year with work travel being shutdown for a majority of this year, I've currently played 62 rounds so far in 2020. I've successfully dropped my handicap from a 10.9 at the start of the year to a 5.0 currently. Current Distance Methods: I have a Bushnell V4 Rangefinder which I've been using for the last 2 years and rely on it heavily as I have been able to lock in some consistent distances especially with my mid and short irons. When I'm playing a new course, I find the rangefinder harder to trust though because I don't know the layout or where the miss is so I'm excited to see if the LX5 is accurate at providing me a better picture of the course and maybe cutting down on some mistakes by going for wider parts of the green or more center of the green. Arccos often seems to be off by 5-10 yards even after adjusting for the pin location, so I'll also be testing to see if the LX5 is more accurate backing up SkyCaddie's claim. First Impressions First opening this package after the long awaited delivery and watching UPS circle my apartment building all day only to drop the package the following morning, I was shocked by the size of the watch. It literally looked like a satellite dish with 2 silicon bands attached to the side. I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth packaging and small package size. It’s a very small thing, but I feel so often that golf companies waste a bunch of space or try to put too much information on the outside of the package. Turning it on, the backlighting of the watch was great which was a worry for me that it would be unusable on a sunny day or I would constantly be straining my eyes to read the information. Grading Looks & Feel (4 out of 10 points) Again back to first impressions, this watch is MASSIVE. If you don’t mind a super thick watch face than this is definitely something you should look into, but I’m overall a skinnier guy (Former long-distance runner with smaller wrists). This watch is just way too big for me. I was barely able to hit 10 shots on the range with the watch on my wrist before I had to take it off and put it on my bag. Overall, the watch face looks good and is a clean look. The ability to change the watch face also helps it be more functional than just a golf GPS if you’re looking for a watch to wear on and off the course. It’s obviously made well and feels sturdy in your hand. Setup (10 out of 15 points) After opening the package and turning on the watch, it was easy to understand the set-up process and how to get logged into SkyCaddie’s online account (the watch came pre-registered for us, so not sure if the registration process has any difficulties). Once set up online, it’s a simple type and look up course names for the courses you want to add. This is where I found the set up less than intuitive and lacking instruction in the packaging. There are multiple options of how to add courses to the watch (wifi, Bluetooth, usb, etc.). To actually add the course, you need to go into the settings and turn one of those options on then start the process of downloading the course. While I didn’t find it confusing or struggle, this issue could easily be resolved by having a course download turn on option and then have the software automatically recognize which function you are trying to download through. After you have the courses downloaded on the watch, it’s very simple and easy to start rounds and monitor all of the details while it is on. The battery performance for me far exceeded my expectations. I played 36 holes one day and left the watch on in-between rounds and still had 22% battery at the end of 36 holes. Accuracy (6 out of 15 points) This is really where it becomes a tale of two stories based on the course you’re playing. I played 5 different courses while using the watch for testing purposes. 3 were mapped by SkyCaddie’s proprietary mapping where people with GPS mapping tech physically walk the course and 2 were mapped using conventional satellite mapping technology. The 3 that were mapped by SkyCaddie’s proprietary tech were mapped almost to perfection. Off by less than 5 yards from my Rangefinder almost every time. It was amazing technology to use and I definitely saw an uptick in my on course performance but more on that later. The 2 that were not mapped were so wildly inaccurate it became frustrating and led me to second guess even my rangefinder yardages. At one point, I was on a Par 3 where the watch told me 175 to the center of the green where the pin was relatively located. My range finder told me 142 to center of the green. I thought maybe the watch was delayed, so I waited a minute and still read that incorrect of a distance. It was very worrying and eventually so inaccurate it led me to question the readings I was getting on the appropriately mapped courses. On-Course (27 out of 30 points) This is really where the watch shines in my opinion. The on-course experience outside of the accuracy issues I experienced is truly phenomenal. The ability to play a course and see the layout and get distances to certain places allowed me to feel extremely confident while using the watch. I was never overwhelmed or surprised by a hole based on the layout. It’s also extremely easy to switch between multiple views between the course and green layouts and the front-center-back distance measurements. I almost exclusively walk my rounds now, so being able to put the watch on my bag and have it just glow with numbers and data really allowed me to focus in on what I needed to do on the course and more or less kept me mentally in it when I was out of position on a hole. Being 245 out still on a par 4 after a bad drive didn’t feel as out of play when I was able to look at the watch hit a punch out to 110 yards and then get up and down from there to save par. Back up to the accuracy portion, my play definitely improved on the mapped courses that I played before I experience the distance issues on non-mapped courses. I was hitting center green much more often than trying to go after pins. I would say this probably saw me save 2-4 strokes a round early on. Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points) Something of note is the charging cable is a proprietary magnetic charging cable. While this seems like a good idea. It really becomes a pain if you’re traveling with the watch. It’s both another cord to remember and forget. It also doesn’t feel very sturdy and I would expect the cable to break and then that be another piece to have to replace. I’d much rather have a lightning plug in like all of my new devices and charge it that way. The SkyCaddie 360 is a great data aggregator and monitor for any golfer who doesn’t have Arccos. It’s an intuitive addition to the watch. Play it or Trade it? (12 out of 20 points) Personally, this is a very easy decision for me. I’m trading this right away. The watch doesn’t fit my wrist, and I am consistently playing different and new courses. Having to worry about the accuracy of the watch on a course I’m not familiar with would definitely lead me to shoot higher scores and have a lack of trust in my numbers. Keeping the combination of my Rangefinder and Arccos for a visual representation of the hole is definitely my winning combination. However, if you’re a golfer who plays a majority of their rounds on one course and that course is mapped, I’d say the user experience can’t be beat. I’d recommend you getting the watch or another SkyCaddie product ASAP. I think you’ll immediately start to gain confidence in your shots and utilizing the data on one course consistently will help you make less mistakes and therefore lower your scores. Conclusion I fully expect my score to be the lowest of any of the reviewers based on the fact that I wasn’t able to utilize the watch as a watch. The thickness of the band just inhibited my ability to swing the club. That combined with the inaccuracy of unmapped courses inhibited me from really trusting all that the product had to offer. If you have a smaller stature, I’d recommend looking into other options or one of the SX400 handheld product SkyCaddie has to offer. If you’re constantly playing a mapped course and don’t mind a big watch face, you should be running to your local golf shop to buy one. This is packed with usable data that should help inform your golf game. If you have a smaller wrist, dislike playing with a watch, or am constantly playing new and different courses, I’d look into other options for your distance finding method. Final Score: 64/100

I walked 18 on Sunday in Atlanta. Teed off at 11:45 with a real feel of 104 degrees. Going to get back out there tomorrow afternoon and it'll only feel like 97. Can't wait for a 'Chilly' Summer round in Atlanta.

First off, "I PLAY FROM THE TIPS" guy should be just a guy, not a friend. Ditch him and find better playing partners. I take my advice from Jack Nicklaus and play one up. As a 6 handicap, I could probably grind through a round from the tips and shoot in the low 80's but personally I like playing from the Blues and being able to enjoy the round I paid for. Most men though young and old should be playing from the Whites for nothing more but pace of play. From the whites, you're more likely to have short irons and wedges in which means more greens hit. More greens hit = Faster Pace of Play.

Ok Boomer I don't think you will have to worry about them being political while playing football this year cause odds are they won't be playing.

I bought my wife some Chaos golf balls (She likes the colorful golf balls...). I'm going to have to steal a few balls from her bag. Will kneel to the golf gods before teeing off, asking them to protect my forearms and reduce the shanks.

The most important piece of a putting stroke in my opinion is consistency in the physical stroke and where on the face you're making contact with the ball. To practice this I stole a drill from the GOAT (Tiger), I put 2 tees just slightly wider than the width of my putter about 5 ft from a hole or tee in the ground. If you make contact with either of the tees, you're not returning your club face to the same spot that you're starting it at. I will do this from 5 ft until i make 10 in a row then I will move back to 7-8 feet and go until i make 5 in a row. Move back to 10 feet and go until i make 5 in a row. Since I've started doing this 2-3 times a week. My 3 putt % in Arccos has gone 19.5% to 13.3% (In the last 3 rounds combined, I've only had one 3 putt).

I have this happen a ton on the local public course my group plays at a few times a week. I've learned to be proactive and as soon as I notice the course is getting backed up. Whenever the group behind me is getting close to us, I'll just wait in my cart till they get to the green and say something along the lines of 'Sorry guys, group ahead of us is very slow. We are trying to push them to keep up with pace of play.' Most groups will take that and realize that it's not us and be slower off the tee and not hit into us. However if they do hit into us after that, I will yell back "Come on guys" then if it happens again that ball is going into my bag or getting dropped into the nearest bunker in a plugged lie against the lip.

Hit a personal record, 74, today. Shot 39 on the front with a 35 on the back. Shot of the day came on the par 5 15th, where I hit 3 wood from 225 to the elevated green. Hit the bank short and popped up and rolled out to 1 foot short of the pin. See below for photos.IMG_1144.HEIC Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

I'm not the one who's getting confused by the rules. What I am saying is that let's remove barriers and confusions for players. If you're new to golf, is it not easier to just learn that you drop on the line where the ball went out, take a 1 stroke penalty, move on? Put yourself in someone who's never played golf before shoes and tell me it's not confusing. If you don't think it looks outrageously stupid to drop from knee height, get your friend/spouse to take a photo of you doing it. You look like you're getting ready to hit up the squatty potty. Why does it matter if i drop from knee height, shoulder height, or anywhere inbetween?

Is that native area marked as OB or is that marked as a hazard? Cause if it is a hazard than the 1 stroke penalty is fine. Either way, the drop was illegal and should've been dropped at the line of entry. In my opinion, the USGA should eliminate OB from Amateur Golf. Take away the confusion and have everything be a lateral drop with a one stroke penalty. Not only would this reduce questions like this, but it would improve pace of play. Also, the new drop rule requiring from to be knee height is so dumb. Please @USGA make golf logical again.

Continuing to trend in the right direction. Today, got out on a morning round. First few holes we had a slow group ahead of us and it took an hour to play 3 holes, but was still able to play well enough to shoot a 76. Turned it on the last 6 holes to shoot -2 over the last 6. Also, played with my buddy who broke 80 for the first time this round and was awesome to grab a beer after to celebrate his record round. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Played my home course, Heritage Golf Links, this afternoon and shot a 79 which is about where I’m trending right now (77, 78, 80, 81, and 79 my last 5 rounds). Drove the ball well, was striking the mid irons really well. The highlight of the round game on the 8th hole, which is a slight dog leg right, downhill short par 5 that’s all about the drive. I drove it 291 yards down the middle with 172 left to the pin hit 7 iron to back right pin position and landed it about 5 feet left of the pin and spun it back to 10 feet short of the pin and made the putt for Eagle. First eagle I’ve made in the last 2 seasons. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

I've got my money on Morikawa coming out and winning this one. This is a ball striker's paradise and length will not have the advantage at Harbor Town that it does at a lot of other courses on tour. Morikawa might be the best iron player on tour right now (aside from Tiger). Although my heart is for Spieth to win this week. The guy is so close to being back to 2015 Jordan and having him back would be great for the game.

I disagree with the idea that it's harder to be financially viable as a short course. If you think about the cost of ownership and footprint of a short course vs a full course, a short course is a fraction of the cost. There is a reason that Bandon, Pinehurst, Sand Valley, Cabot are all adding short courses and i guarantee it's not because they're losing money on them. Hopefully in the coming years we will see more and more courses turn dead space on their properties into short courses. It's the ultimate place to settle a tie, have a beer, and maybe grab a hole in one (even if it carries an asterisk).

I bought a full set of Arccos Sensors in January and i've already had 4 or 5 break or not sensing. Did I get a bad batch or has anyone else had similar problems?

I play all across Metro Atlanta and the rates vary drastically depending on the course. Local Muni is $55 on the weekend/$35 weekdays. Other nicer public options range from $60-$120.

Snuck out mid work day to get some holes in before rain here in Georgia. Luckily the rain held off and we were able to get all 18 in. Despite my buddy and I arguing over a gimme putt,I played pretty well. My mid-irons need some work (only 6/18 GIR) but I was driving the ball well 260 yard average 8/14 fairways with 3 of the “misses” being in the first cut on the right side. My putting was lights out though, 8 one putts, and only 1 three putt. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Can't wait to hear how she likes it! I appreciate the fact that Cobra offers women's clubs without having to look like a Women's specific club. My wife has loved hers so far.

I always try to go first so if I hit one good, I can proudly say "no breakfast balls today" and have all my competitors get the jitters, but if I shank it and I'm first, I can sheepishly say "We are doing breakfast balls today, right?"

There are 2 tips of advice I've carried with me since I was about 12 year's old. First was that rhythm is more important than speed in the golf swing. My coach taught me to say "Johnny Miller" in my head as I swung at the ball. Back swing say "johnny" then "Miller" through the finish. Second is slightly more entertaining: "Stare at the ass of the ball" My coach said to picture a good ass on the back of the ball and to not move my eyes from it.

Never tried linksoul. I'll have to check it out

Is there a better golf shirt brand than Peter Millar? Every time I go play a new course or go on a trip, the first thing I look for in the pro shop is the Peter Millar Section. I've tried to play in Travis Matthew and Nike, but it's just not as comfortable as Peter Millar in my opinion. What's your go to brand whenever you're looking to pick up a new golf polo?

This is a real toss up between my M6 3-wood or my Mizuno JPX 900 Tour 6 iron. The 3 wood flushed probably has a better feeling but standing over my 6 iron right now I just have the confidence I can't miss. Over my last few rounds, I'm hitting ~70% of Greens in Reg with my 6 iron. It's weird to have more confidence over that than my pitching wedge, but golf is a weird sport.