SkyCaddie is the first companies to pioneer GPS yardages on golf courses. They not only used GPS technology so that golfers could determine what clubs to hit for any given shot, but invested significant time and energy to map each course in-person to get the most accurate golf GPS on the planet. Over the last 5 rounds I acquired distances with the SkyCaddie PRO 4X GPS Tourbook.
This handheld GPS is the smaller brother of the PRO 5X. It has the same accuracy like a laser while showing all the course details like we see on tour players using to hit the correct shots. It is just a little more compact and a little lower cost. Is it the right GPS Tourbook for you?
This is my definitive SkyCaddie PRO 4X GPS Tourbook Review
Tourbook?
SkyCaddie doesn’t rely on “google maps” or some generic GPS system to acquire distances on the course, they have physically mapped the course from the ground to give you the most accurate GPS in golf. There tend to be two camps of golfers: Lasers and GPS. The SkyCaddie PRO 4X GPS Tourbook is the closest GPS I’ve ever used to a laser. I could pinpoint on my screen another cart, a golfer, or any other object and get within 5 yards. If I pulled up the green map and moved the flag I could get it to within about 1 yard on most attempts. This thing is “Tour” ACCURATE!!
Beyond GPS?
The SkyCaddie PRO 4X GPS Tourbook offers numerous shot tracking and scoring options to go beyond just simple GPS yardages. It can really give you a snapshot into your round. You can track score, putts, fairways, yardages, strokes gained, etc. If you use the SkyCaddie GameTraX 360 tags you can get the most out of every shot while tracking your round. Everything is accessible on menus from the home screen. The details are easy to plug into the Tourbook while your playing.
On Course Function?
The SkyCaddie PRO 4X GPS Tourbook is a dedicated golf GPS. The 4″ screen looks and functions like any other high quality smart phone. You slide, pinch, swipe, toggle, etc just like you would on your phone without any distracting text messages or phone calls. That really is the beauty of this tourbook. The simple on/off button the two side buttons control brightness. The touch screen GPS is easy to use and simple to navigate. Power it up, select your course and play. SkyCaddie did a great job of making a touchscreen that can function while wearing a golf glove too.
Pro 5X vs Pro 4X?
In the same way cell-phones comes in different sizes, so SkyCaddie offers two different handheld golf GPS units the PRO 5X and PRO 4X. As you can see them side by side above, it really depends on preference and price. Everything about them is exactly the same so it comes down to choice. If you keep it in your pocket, the PRO 4X is more compact, if your eyesight isn’t a perfect 20/20 then the PRO 5X. It is a $50 difference between the two so that also might be a factor. If you have a tendency to drop things than the PRO 4X is better since you can grip it tighter.
LONG Battery Life
The laser vs GPS debate almost always comes down to battery life. I can throw a laser in the bag and not worry about it for almost the entire season whereas GPS usually needs to be recharged after every round. The SkyCaddie PRO 4X GPS Tourbook has INCREDIBLE battery life. I used it for 4 rounds on a single charge. Even though it has an auto sleep feature to save battery life, but it does need to be powered down after each round. The LONG battery life is impressive and helpful since I don’t remember to recharge a GPS after every round. Well done Sky Caddie with the very long battery life of this handheld GPS.
Summary
The SkyCaddie PRO 4x GPS Tourbook is tied for best handheld GPS unit I’ve ever used with the PRO 5X and there isn’t even a close 2nd. The accuracy, ease of use, and super long battery life makes these the best handheld golf GPS units you can buy. The only small drawback that it they the required yearly subscription. The 1st year is free with the $349 purchase, but after that there is $60 fee to have access to all of the SkyCaddie GPS features and library. Now you just need to decided which screen size is best for you.
