Philadelphia, PA – Gadgets and gizmos come and go. Look at the Slinky or Mood Rings, the Pet Rock or sneaker balls deodorizers.
Really?
Yes, really, we all know it and you get the point, I am sure. But, there is a product in the golf industry that's second to none and not destined to go anywhere, it at all, at any time soon.
The SkyCaddie.
For the recreational golfer, not to mention the serious player, this is one of the greatest tools of the trade that you can have in your arsenal right now.
First of all, it has access to almost 30,000 course descriptions around the world. That's right, it has everything from your local muni to Pine Valley, Valderrama in Spain or St. Andrews in Scotland.
Downloading those courses is a piece of cake. Heck, even my 11 year-old son was able to do it. Thankfully.
The ease of use is relatively simple, just clip it to your belt and voila! It's yardages and diagrams at your fingertips. A three-inch screen displays all the vitals ... no need to point and shoot. It even verifies your caddie if you decide to stroll the fairways.
I know, some of you purists like to walk off the yardages from the sprinkler heads and check the pin sheet, but, come on - this is me you're speaking with, thinking about - not only does this eliminate all the guesswork, checking the card and whether you really wear a size 13 shoe or not, but it speeds up play decisively and gets you back to the pool, the family, the gin rummy game, the bar, wherever your next stop might be well ahead of time.
Picture this - you're on the final hole and after a successful tee ball, you're 165 yards away to the middle of the green. You've realized while playing, that the greens are firm and fast and you need to bounce the ball to the pin, but to clear the front bunker it's just 140 yards. So instead of taking a seven-iron out, you strike your nine-iron just like the doctor ordered and it flies the trap and finishing three feet from the hole. Sounds like birdie to me and you just won your match.
As the commercial says, Priceless!
Well, not really.
Technology is not cheap, and it will take $300 to get going and there is an annual fee, which I think will eventually have to disappear to create more interest and sales, but the good outweighs the cost here.
The bottom line - it's lightweight, has a high-resolution LCD screen, displays pinpoint numbers and comes with a rechargeable 14-hour battery.
The 21st century sure is cool, but I wish I kept my Slinky! A real collector's item these days. Heck, my wife has her Barbie Doll in the vault.
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