SkyCaddie SX500 Golf GPS Review

Golf is fun. We love it here at TGG. Now if there was only a way to get better with technology.
Well there is, the SkyCaddie SX500 Golf GPS gives you a leg up on the competition. Here is how.
With what is essentially an Android platform that drives some amazing software, you have a video-game like look at each hole you will play.
The rugged and waterproof device has a durable outer protective casing to help prevent damage when dropped. It has fallen out of our cart a few times with zero issues or visible damage, this thing is strong. 
A long battery life also helps out, you can get about three rounds out of it before a charge is needed. Forgot to mention the huge 5 inch HD screen that makes seeing all of the information beyond easy, even on sunny days.Back to that video game like view of each hole. You can toggle through multiple views of each hole to find specific information, for example close up views of the greens to see distances and slopes.  The GreenVue and HoleVue are incredibly detailed and give you a view that I haven't seen on a golf-aid device before.
You can measure distances to hazards and layup points with ease and confidence too because each course has been manually mapped by SkyGolf to ensure that everything is correct. 
That is a length that NO OTHER golf GPS company has gone yet. The map will automatically rotate to give you accurate views no matter what angle you are approaching the fairway or green from.
The device also feeds an accompanying app on your phone that allows you to store round information and even customize your bag according to distances that you hit each club. That information will be used by the device moving forward as you can turn on and off the club suggestion feature, another video game like feature.
There is so much here to give the information that an above average golfer would need. But it does come at a price. $400 to be exact. The SX500 is costly, one of the more costly on the market. But exact information that is mapped by humans obviously comes at a steeper price point. 
Along with that, there are recurring costs. Not a huge fan of this but SkyGolf makes you by a membership to all of that data. There are three tiers, state maps, country maps and worldwide maps. Ongoing costs are to support the SkyCaddie Team for their time spent measuring distances on courses manually.
I used to use my phone as a GPS along with a watch. It is nice to have a dedicated device that is more rugged and reliant than my phone. The battery life, information and not having to use my phone battery, which is not meant for that, really makes the SX500 worth it.
GRADE: A+