Golf-South.net, your link to the Traveling Golfer.

By Claudio DeMarchi

Have you ever wanted to play a round with Natalie? Good luck - wouldn't we all? It is most likely that the closest any of us will ever get to playing a round of golf with Natalie Gulbis would be by playing a round with a product that she strongly endorses.

It was towards the end of this golf season, as I was playing a round on my home course where I have been a member for over 20 years, that never in a million years did I think I could learn something new about this course from a computer never mind have an influence on my club selection. Guess what? It did, and I have been forever grateful - and just a little more opened minded.

I will never forget the moment in time when I grew to appreciate another computer device that would change my life - yet again. I was playing with a couple of friends (members) that I regularly play with, and both had new toys for big boys and were anxious to show them off. I did not pay that much attention for the first three holes - after all, what could this computer tell me about my course that I did not already know?

On the 4th hole, a par 5 at Blue Mtn. Golf & Country Club, Wynne and I were both looking at similar 3rd shots into the green. The yardage marker indicated that I had about 130 or so to the pin, and I automatically pulled out my 9 iron because that's my 130 -135 club and I didn't think that my PW would get it there. I also knew the greens were hard and the ball was not stopping as quickly as normal. (I was also out of PRO V 1's so that did not help either.)

I looked over at Wynne and said, "Hey Wynne, what does that thing say is the distance to the front of the green?" He told me 119 yards. "Really?" I thought. All of a sudden, I needed to rethink my club selection. The PW that was not a consideration before suddenly became my club of choice. PW is my 120 – 125 yard club so that gets me over the bunker at the front of the green and safely on, with a little roll this could be tight. I ended up four feet from the pin, made my birdie, looked at Wynne and said, "I've got to get me one of those GPS things!"

SkyCaddie SG5

Much to my delight, Spain's
La Reserva was on the
SkyCaddie unit!

Enjoying the fruits of my labour... a third place finish on a course I had never played thanks to my SkyCaddie unit!

Thinking back, I have played on several courses that have carts equipped with GPS systems and I have always played them that much better. It helps when you take the guess work out of club selection.

At the Ontario PGA Show I had the opportunity to meet the Canadian representative for SkyCaddie and told her of my experience plus that I would be heading over to Europe to play a few rounds of golf. I also expressed that I was a little concerned about the conversion from meters to yards on the golf course. "Not to worry," said Ashley Davies, the person responsible for advertising and public relations for SkyCaddie in Canada. "No matter where you are in the world, whatever course you are playing, SkyCaddie can provide you with course information in yards."

Equipped with a SkyCaddie SG5 demo, and courses that I was going to play programmed, I was all set to tackle some of the finest that Portugal and Spain had to offer - Valderrama being one, and a new gem Praia DEL Rey, which is an hour north of Lisbon on Portugal's Atlantic coastline. (You will find out about those in upcoming issues.) After leaving Portugal, I was like a kid in a candy shop with my SkyCaddie packed and we were off to the International Golf Tour Operators Conference golf tournament at La Reserva - Club De Golf located near the coastal town of Sotogrande - a neighboring course to the famed Valderrama Golf Club.

SkyCaddie did not let me down! It provided me with very accurate information, and not having to worry about converting meters to yards, I was able to navigate my way to a 3rd place finish in the tournament with over 160 participants. In fact, a couple of my playing partners from the UK that were equally comfortable with both yards and meters quickly began to consult me and my SkyCaddie for yardage.

Let's face it golf, is a tough enough game to play as it is. Professional golfers have caddies that are there to take the guess work out of the course and allow them to focus on shot execution. Now amateur golfers have the opportunity to take some of the guess work out of their game.

The SkyCaddie SG5 model is about the size of your cell phone and weighing less than 5 ounces, it is easy to take anywhere with you. Playing anywhere in the world is not an issue as Sky Golf, the parent company, has over 14,000 golf courses available in over 45 countries. Its technology is second to none - utilizing the same global positioning system used by the US military. "What really sets SkyCaddie apart from its competitors is the fact that we physically map out our courses," said Davies. "We do not use satellite images to map out the courses as our competitors do."

There is also a SkyCaddie SG2.5 model available with a screen that is approximately 40% smaller and retails for about $329.00, with the SG5 selling for approximately $500.00. SkyCaddie is available through most Pro Shops and certainly through most of the major retail chains such as Nevada Bob's and Golftown in Canada.

Wouldn't a SkyCaddie make a great golf gift for the golfer that has everything?

For more information visit www.skycaddie.com