SkyCaddie Pro 4X Course-Tested Review
Find out how the compact SkyCaddie Pro 4X compares to other GPS devices and laser rangefinders
Laser rangefinders can’t do everything that a golf GPS can do. Golf GPS units can’t do everything a rangefinder can do. Ultimately, it’s up to each player to decide what their top priorities are.
If accuracy is your top priority, you probably want a SkyCaddie GPS. That’s because SkyCaddie maps each course manually to ensure accuracy that satellite images can’t match.
The Pro 4X handheld GPS is the latest offering from SkyCaddie. With a 4-inch color touchscreen, it’s a more compact handheld GPS than its sibling, the Pro 5X, but offers the same suite of features, including on-course stat-tracking.
I took the SkyCaddie Pro 4X to the course to see just how much it can help. Here’s my complete, course-tested review.
SkyCaddie Pro 4X Overview
Pros:
- Unmatched accuracy in a golf GPS device
- Compact size is well executed and will likely satisfy most players
- Distance to every object, target, or obstacle at your fingertips
- Ability to track on-course stats
- Several features that help strategy and decision-making
- Over 35,000 courses mapped
Cons:
- Stat tracking is cumbersome without the SuperTags, which are sold separately
- No ability to get slope-adjusted distances
- Not magnetic
The compact size of the SkyCaddie Pro 4X is spot on. It’s easy to use with its 4-inch touchscreen, yet it still fits easily in a pocket for easy access throughout the round. However, there is no magnet, so you can’t just stick it to the cart bar or another mount you may have handy.
It fires up and loads quickly, and the on-screen options are easy to follow. If you want to play golf, there’s a big green button that says PLAY GOLF.
SkyCaddie Pro 4X Golf GPS On-Course Review
After gathering first impressions from unboxing the SkyCaddie Pro 4X, it was time to test it out on the golf course.
Accuracy
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Distance measuring devices are only as good as their ability to measure distances. After all, it’s better to get no yardage at all than to get the wrong yardage.
I took the Pro 4X to my home course, where I’ve logged countless rounds, and have a great feel for distances from most every shot I face. I also compared the distances I got from the Pro 4X to the course markings and my laser rangefinder.
Given how SkyCaddie maps courses – using human mappers with professional satellite equipment who walk every course in its database – it should come as no surprise that the yardages I got from the 4X were spot on.
While there are tradeoffs both ways between a GPS system like the Pro 4X and a laser rangefinder, I like that the 4X gives measurements to the front and back of the green, in addition to the hole location.
With a laser rangefinder, I tend to simply play to the distance from the flag, but that’s not always the right play. With the Pro 4X, I found myself paying more attention to everything the hole had to offer, and coming up with a more strategic plan before hitting each shot.
You also never have to worry about getting a distance to the wrong target when using a GPS like the Pro 4X like you do on occasion with a laser rangefinder. Although the Pro 4X isn’t capable of adjusting distances for slope the way today’s laser rangefinders are.
HoleVue and Dynamic HoleVue
The maps on the Pro 4X detail everything you need to know about each hole, not just distances to the flag and hazards.
For example, you can use HoleVue to choose the best line off the tee. I measured a 242-yard drive on a hole with a split fairway, and found that just by taking the line to the left, I could cut off 36 yards from the next shot, despite both drives traveling the same distance. This type of information can’t be gleaned from a laser rangefinder.
IntelliGreen
The sophisticated green view, which SkyCaddie calls IntelliGreen, matches the green’s orientation on the screen with its orientation for your shot, so you always have a clear picture of what to expect.
It also displays the distances from the flag (which you can set) to the edge of the green on all sides, plus shows any major contours (tier changes) on the green so you can plan accordingly.
It’s one step shy of a full green-reading guide, but it arms you with valuable decision-making information.
IntelliPath
By selecting your target on the Pro 4X before hitting a shot, the unit automatically displays distance information to other obstacles on that line, a feature called IntelliPath.
For example, by plotting your intended target in the fairway, you’ll get the distance to the end of the fairway on that line, as well as any bunkers or water hazards on your line of play.
This is another feature that can help steer you into the best strategic decisions around the course. Compared to using a laser rangefinder, IntelliPath saves you from making multiple measurements for a single shot.
Shot Tracking Capabilities & Limitations
The Pro 4X is capable of complete game-tracking on its own, and SkyCaddie’s SkyGolf 360 (the stat dashboard where you can examine your game) provides robust insights into your game that will get the data-geek golfers (myself included) giddy.
However, without using SkyGolf’s tags that attach to each club, the on-course stat-tracking is too cumbersome for me. To accurately track your round, you’d need to interact with the unit on every shot, including every putt, and set the hole location on every green, all from the device.
I did this as best as I could while testing the Pro 4X (both to test this and because I’m the stat-obsessed player this is designed for). It didn’t take long to conclude that, even for me, plotting shot locations on the handheld GPS for every 10-yard chip and 20-foot putt was just too tedious.
You can add and edit shots and hole locations after the round, but the less you track in-round, the more cumbersome that job becomes.
I’d recommend that anyone who is as interested in the on-course data collection as the course maps and distances add the GameTraX tags (an additional $499 for a full set). It’s worth mentioning that those tags are easily the most advanced on the market right now. In addition to plotting every shot, they also capture swing data, including and can even create a 3D animation of any swing.
SkyCaddie Pro 4X User Experience
If I had five stars, I’d give the Pro 4X user experience four of them. Considering the many features and viewing options it offers, it’s impossible for everything to feel completely intuitive.
Before taking it to the course, it’s worth spending five minutes in demo mode to familiarize yourself with where to find the key information, how to access the modes, and navigate the screens you need. Once you do that, it’s easy to operate.
The battery life is also excellent, rated for up to 18 hours of use on the course.
Breaking Down the Pro 4X
If you’re considering adding the SkyCaddie Pro 4X to your arsenal, you can expect a similar investment to a higher-level laser rangefinder.
If you want seamless stat-tracking along with it, the investment is even greater. Of course, there’s a reason for that. No other player in the golf GPS space measures each course from the ground, which means there is no more accurate GPS than SkyCaddie.
The only downsides I could think of to this unit are the fact that you can’t get slope-adjusted distances like you can with a rangefinder, and to realistically use the stat-tracking, you will probably want to use the tags, which are sold separately.
If you want pro-level data to make confident decisions on the golf course from a compact and powerful GPS device, the SkyCaddie Pro 4X is the best in the business.