Those who know SkyCaddie products will recognize the SkyCaddie Breeze as a slight iteration of the previous generation Skycaddie SGX and SGXw devices. The Breeze uses virtually the same hefty hardware as the others, but the key difference is that the Breeze is feature-upgradable. The base SkyCaddie Breeze comes with distance information to the front, center and back of greens, and users then pay one-time fees to upgrade their device to access additional features (included by default with the Skycaddie SGX and SGXw). These user-upgradable features are available in three different “Feature Packs” (priced at $34.95 each), and include enhanced green detail, full hole views, and yardage arcs. If your purchase decision is based on specific features, be sure to check whether those features are available for the courses you play. For example, our course coverage test revealed that the SkyCaddie database provides advanced green detail on a paltry 59% of courses and pin sheet coverage on only 4%(!) of courses.

The SkyCaddie Breeze offers unmatched ability to customize your device for both features and preference settings. The display and graphics are quite good and the Breeze provides more detailed course information than any other device – assuming that those features are available for the course that you are playing. The Breeze will be a desirable option for players who want the full assortment of upgradable features and are willing to pay the considerable fees. Those who are die-hard SkyCaddie fans but don’t have a need for hole graphics or advanced settings will be better off considering the SkyCaddie Aire or SkyCaddie Gimme, both of which are available at correspondingly lower price points.

SCORE
87
GRADE
B+
Setup/Syncing
75
Course Availability
59
Ease of Use
86
Course Details
96
Features
95
Accuracy
90
Cost/Value
84

Pros:

Cons:

Retail price: $334.80
Three year total cost: $484.65
Availability: Discontinued. Replaced by the SkyCaddie TOUCH
Amazon.com: Check price now


75 / C

SETUP/SYNCING

We long for the day when we will be able to setup and sync a SkyCaddie device without issue. We’ve had problems in the past so we weren’t surprised by our experience, but a new SkyCaddie user can be in for a rude first impression. We haven’t yet determined a pattern for whether the SkyCaddie Breeze will successfully sync or not, so we just assume it won’t correctly sync on our first attempt to update the software or courses.

Details for syncing:

SkyCaddie Breeze Setup

Click for images

Once we were through the initial setup, we found that adding more courses or updating existing courses took a minimum of 20 minutes. We experienced additional errors, including one “Windows CE Networking” error on the device (see image), and others crashing our browser and requiring a restart. Setting aside the basic syncing errors, it’s still a mystery as to why it would take 20 minutes to update a single course and why you should have to select courses one-by-one to transfer to the Breeze as opposed to being able to select a state or region. There is also a limit of 50 courses with advanced feature maps (such as full hole views) on the Breeze at one time, which is puzzling in this age of cheap storage. Our suggestion to SkyCaddie – why not have information for all courses pre-loaded on the device, and then simply “activate” the courses that the user pays to access?

You can charge the Breeze by using the included AC adapter or by plugging it directly into your computer. Once it’s plugged in the Breeze will being charging automatically. A graphic will indicate the level of charge, and the device will power off when the battery is fully charged.

What’s in the Box: The SkyCaddie Breeze comes with:

The SkyCaddie Breeze User Manual is available only via download from the SkyCaddie website.


59 / F

COURSE AVAILABILITY

Critical Golf Test: We test devices based on their level of course coverage for the most advanced features available, as after all, that’s what the manufacturers market. Disappointingly, the SkyCaddie Breeze scores a mere 59 in our course coverage test, dragged down by its poor IntelliGreen Pro availability (see ‘Course Detail and Mapping’, below, for views and Feature Pack details). This score has been low since its introduction in 2010, and rightly should probably still be called a “beta” feature. It makes us wonder where the high annual fees are going… The slow addition of green detail does, however, imply to us that courses aren’t regularly revisited by SkyCaddie course mappers (the folks who walk the course with magic GPS backpacks).

We are going to give SkyCaddie a pass on the low ranking for its PinPoint Technology, which lets users enter pin sheet locations. We found this feature available on only 5% of courses tested. That’s not a typo. 5%. Five. Percent. It’s a nice marketing move on SkyCaddie’s part to promote this feature, but players should know that they will rarely be able to use this functionality, either due to courses not offering pin sheets, or SkyCaddie not having the feature enabled for the course.

The takeaway here is that if you are considering a purchase of a SkyCaddie Breeze and are interested in specific features, you’ll want to make sure they are included in the list of SkyCaddie courses mapped.

Manufacturer’s Claims: SkyCaddie claims to have nearly 30,000 courses with standard distance information in its course database, placing it among the top devices tested. SkyCaddie doesn’t break out coverage separately for advanced features, so the 30,000 number doesn’t tell you about detailed coverage available for the Breeze.


86 / B

EASE OF USE

The Good: A very nice display and straightforward navigation makes it easy to access the variety of features on the SkyCaddie, though you’ll want to check out the manual to learn all the preferences available. The joystick allowed us to quickly select target points without obscuring the screen with our finger (a problem on some of the touchscreen devices).

The Bad: Size and weight are strikes against the Breeze. There is no ability to step “back” to a previous view – instead you have to cycle forward through all of the options. Target List view often initially displays only a subset of total available targets, forcing users to immediately start scrolling through the list.

SkyCaddie Breeze

Click for views

Details:

The errors we experienced weren’t limited to the syncing process. We were also forced to quit our round in progress when we received a “Program Memory is Low” error (see image to the right). C’mon SkyCaddie! Thankfully we were able to resume the round and found our previously entered scores and statistics were still intact. Phew.


96 / A

COURSE DETAIL AND MAPPING

The Good: While it’s not a satellite image, the graphic hole views provide great detail, including rough mapping of tree cover. These graphics are the most comprehensive of all non-satellite image devices. The green graphic will rotate based on player position.

The Bad: Holes can sometimes get cropped, particularly doglegs and when you’re zooming on a hole and your position is far from the center of the fairway (simple solution – just hit your ball into the middle of the fairway!). Target List doesn’t drop targets from the list off after you pass them on the hole.

SkyCaddie Breeze

Click for views

Unless you purchase one of the Feature Pack upgrades, you will only have access to text distances to the front, center and back of the green. Once a Feature Pack is purchased, you can quickly cycle between the available views (see below), and can customize the display to remove any views you don’t want to use. In a business decision that isn’t very player-friendly, the Feature Packs all “build” on previous packs. For example, if you want Feature Pack 3, you have to first purchase Feature Packs 1 and 2. For a closer look at the different views available, check out the Feature Pack images at right.

Views:

Users have the ability to switch to viewing either their scorecard or an alternate green view that only displays the distance to the center of the green by simply rotating the device to the left or the right. We found these views too easy to trigger regardless of sensitivity setting, and ultimately elected to turn it off. Both the scorecard and green view are still easy to access.

Users can’t add custom points for existing courses, but can create personal courses from scratch (though with distances to the front, center and back of the green only).


95 / A

FEATURES

The Good: The SkyCaddie Breeze provides nearly all of the features and you would expect from a premium-priced golf GPS device.

The Bad: No ability to modify layup points that are shown in full hole view. Would prefer to enter additional statistics on the device (you can, however enter them manually on the online ClubSG portal).

SkyCaddie Breeze

Click for images

Details:

For more details, check out the Critical Golf comparison of golf GPS device features.


90 / A-

ACCURACY

In most instances, the distances provided by the SkyCaddie Breeze were within 4 yards of sprinkler head readings, though we have seen distances differences of up to 7 yards. Distance readings are available all the way to the green.

Our readers have asked about the benefits of having a device that has been mapped by SkyGolf (parent company of SkyCaddie) through having employees walking the course. This process enables SkyCaddie to provide more information than its competitors, with the edge coming in areas such as green contour and additional course detail which can’t be seen on satellite images (upon which most companies rely for their mapping). We have, however, run into a number of cases where SkyCaddie maps aren’t up-to-date. While SkyCaddie notes that they are reliant upon golf courses to tell them when changes are made, it is still disappointing to see that they haven’t known about, or made the effort to find out about, changes at major courses that have been in place for several years. It’s high time that SkyCaddie used more of our steep annual fees toward maintaining the course database!


84 / B

COST/VALUE
Retail Price: While the SkyCaddie Breeze starts with a retail price of $229.95, our reviews encompass the full capabilities of GPS units, which in this case includes the three Feature Packs. This raises the total SkyCaddie Breeze price to $334.80, putting it in the top quartile of retail golf GPS devices, comparable with full-featured golf GPS devices from Garmin and GolfBuddy.

Fees for Access to Course Database: Fewer and fewer companies charge annual fees for access to their course database, but SkyCaddie hasn’t changed its stance. SkyCaddie Breeze owners can choose one of three membership plans to access the course database with advanced information: $19.95/year for access to just front/center/back of the green course information and updates, or for full course maps (which most users of the Breeze will want), you can choose between $29.95/year for one state, $49.95/year for the entire United States, and $59.95/year for worldwide access. These memberships all include ClubSG access.

Three-Year Total Cost of Ownership: At $484.85 over three years in our tests, the SkyCaddie Breeze is one of the highest-priced devices in our test of total golf GPS cost. $$$$$!

Value: While the SkyCaddie Breeze markets an aggressive starting price with a solid number of features and settings, our bet is that most customers will purchase all of the Feature Packs, as these really are the selling points of the device. There are a variety of features and settings available, and the graphics make the device a compelling purchase. The relatively large size and spotty course coverage for advanced features are negatives, and the recurring fees add up over time. The Breeze is a device worthy of consideration if your courses are covered and you have the bucks, but at nearly $500 for three years, the SkyCaddie Breeze is going to face tough sledding against the competition.

Reviewed: March 2013


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