SkyCaddie SX400 Review

Following the on-going success of the SkyCaddie SX500, a more compact model - the SX400 - was launched which flew off the shelves, providing golfers with in-depth details on over 35,000 courses worldwide.

Unlike other GPS devices, SkyCaddie creates and frequently updates each course map on foot to record thousands of points with sub-metre precision, making it the most accurate GPS device on the market today.

Given how successful the SX500 proved to be, GolfMagic took the SX400 model out on the course to see how well it performed.

WHAT SKYCADDIE SAY

Golf's Most Brilliant Display

With a full high-definition 4-inch touch screen driven by an ultra-fast multi-core processor, the SkyCaddie® SX400 is the most powerful way to measure yardage while providing the very "best view" in golf with vivid graphics and accurate numbers you can trust.

Sleek, Compact Design & Water Resistant 

The SkyCaddie® SX400 comes in a highly water-resistant, sleek and compact design. With a large battery, the SX400 is ready for extended playing time for that emergency 9, or even 18 more holes. Using multi-constellation navigation satellite systems, the SX400 provides enhanced accuracy and overall better performance under tough conditions or tree cover.

A Stunning Visual Experience

The powerful features of the SkyCaddie® SX400 are easily tapped with a 4", intuitive touch screen and a host of automated features such as Auto-Course Selection, Auto-Hole Advance and Auto-Zoom, making it basically "touch-free" from the parking lot to the 19th hole. The large HD display combined with HD quality course graphics, only available from SkyCaddie, provide the best view of the most-reliable information in the game to allow you to play your best golf.

Dynamic HoleVue

Just like the SX500, the powerful processor of the SX400 drives SkyCaddie’s new Dynamic HoleVue™, which automatically re-orients the entire golf hole from your position to the green as you progress from the tee. So, in addition to SkyCaddie’s patented IntelliGreen® technology, golfers can now see the entire hole from their point-of-view... only from SkyCaddie!

Ground-Verified Course Maps

The SkyCaddie® SX400 comes preloaded with over 35,000 ground-verified, error-corrected courses without the short-cuts taken by the competition. Only SkyCaddie walks each course to record thousands of points with sub-meter precision because we know that you cannot trust your club if you cannot trust your distances. Knowing and TRUSTING critical distances lets you manage your game and eliminate those 6, 7, and 8’s from your scorecard!

GOLFMAGIC VERDICT

If you're someone who takes your golf seriously and you don't want to settle for a rough estimate of how far you need to hit the next shot, the SkyCaddie SX400 is a complete game changer.

As someone who usually uses a laser to get my distances, I was blown away by the amount of information I was provided with when using the SX400.

Setting up the device was extremely easy and the 4-inch screen is very clear to see, with a button on the side of the SX400 that enables you to alter the brightness.

Before you start your round, you can customise the settings so that the correct pin locations are being shown, but it's also very simple to drag the pin to where it is located, which quickly updates your distances.

The SX400 will provide you with front, middle and back distances to the green, as well as the contours, which helps you decide which area of the green you should be aiming for, something that can't be done with the use of a laser and is a huge benefit when playing a course for the first time.

The Dynamic HoleVue technology featured on the SX400 offers yardages to every hazard, carry and lay-up point on each hole. I found this feature especially useful as it can sometimes be difficult to get a correct reading on lay-ups using a laser, but with the SX400 I knew exactly how far I needed to hit certain tee shots to hit my target area.

The run-out yardage made a serious difference to how I thought about each tee shot, as the SX400 lets you know how much room you have to work with over certain hazards, which is information I've never had at my fingertips before. There are a few holes at Farleigh Golf Club where I take a certain line and often find myself running out into the rough, so this feature definitely helped my decision making from the tee box.

Other features that the SkyCaddie SX400 boasts include Mark Ball, which helps you understand your own game even more by tracking how far you hit the ball with each club in the bag, as well as Target List view, which I found very useful as it shows a quick list of all the targets ahead of you on the hole.

Another useful feature that you can see in the image above is the digital scorecard that allows you to keep track of your scores for Strokeplay and Stableford, with handicapping adjustments.

It also allows you to track your Total Putts and Fairways Hit, meaning you can analyse your round once you're finished and see how you improve in following rounds.

With an RRP of £299.95 - including a 1-year UK & Ireland Membership (Birdie) - the SkyCaddie SX400 is the complete tool and there is no doubt that every serious golfer would benefit and improve with this device at their fingertips.