A few weeks ago, I made my season debut in the now infamous Greensburg Cup in Orlando, Florida.  Having played limited golf in Florida before, I had little idea of what to expect from the four tracks that we were to play.  Thankfully, I had an opportunity to try my luck with not one, but two GPS units while down in the Sunshine State.

The folks at SkyGolf sent me their SkyCaddie SG5 at the end of '09 but because of weather conditions (the unfathomable blizzards of '10), I wasn't able to use it until Florida.  After the PGA Show, I connected with Garmin to do a review of their Approach G5 unit.

Both units performed very well on the basics:

• All four courses that I wanted to play were available for use on the products
• The GPS units were both very accurate, down to a yard or two with each other and with the cart-based GPS units that we had on two tracks
• Each gave me detailed readings of distances to and beyond hazards, sand traps, and other things to avoid
• Once greenside, both provided more detailed layouts of the putting surface, including shape and distances

Beyond that, the two units also performed well on other standard features like: keeping score, measuring distances of shots hit, and being able to customize yardages to the pin based on where it is on the green that day.

There are some crucial differences between the two products, though.  To find out more about those differences, read after the jump.

To start, each is priced slightly differently.  Garmin's Approach G5 is selling at Golf Galaxy for $400. The SG5 is selling on Golfsmith for $350 right now.  With the SkyCaddie, though, there is an additional annual subscription fee to use the product.  It can be as low as $30 for access to all of the courses in your state to a worldwide plan that is $130 for three years (clearly the best value).  That plan also provides critical support updates for the unit.

The plan with the SkyCaddie allows users to sync their device with a desktop software package called CaddieSync.  Users use a USB cable to connect the GPS unit to their PC and then download/remove courses to the unit.  It is a simple process, but that means that there is a limitation of the number of courses that a unit can hold at one time.  Realistically, though, it is not likely that the average golfer needs more than a handful of courses on the device at once.  At the same time, the owner is responsible for getting the courses onto the unit.

On the other hand, the Garmin Approach comes preloaded with thousands of courses.  When the GPS is powered on, the unit detects courses nearby and prompts you to select the one you wish to play.  The end result is that the unit is bulkier and heavier than the SkyCaddie - perhaps double the weight.  The difference is still in ounces, but it can be annoying to carry the Garmin in your pocket, and I refuse to look like a stock broker from the 90s by wearing a belt clip to hold it.

The power source for the Garmin is two AA batteries.  This seems convenient, but can pose problems.  Just like the owner has to remember with the SkyCaddie to load the courses, a Garmin owner must remember to ensure his/her GPS has enough juice on the batteries to get through a round.  I made that mistake once halfway into my second round with the device.  If you're going to buy a Garmin, make sure that you have rechargeable batteries and charge them before the round.

The SkyCaddie is powered with a permanent battery unit and delivers with adapters for an electrical socket, cigarette light adapter, and a USB cable.  It is important to charge the unit, but the battery holds a charge for quite a while in our testing.

One nice feature for the Garmin is that it is a touchscreen device.  That eliminates the need for buttons and makes using the device more intuitive, even to that uncle of yours that wants to borrow it.  The downside of that is that it will likely require a protector similar to what you would have for a touchscreen mobile device.  The SkyCaddie uses a combination of central arrow based navigation and soft buttons.  The contrast of the screen was a little better in sunnier locations.

Overall, I would recommend both units, but for different audiences. 

I would tend to recommend the Garmin for a golfer that plays more casually - either at home or on the road.  The lack of a subscription fee and that the unit comes pre-loaded with courses is huge for the golfer who just needs a GPS on the go.  Just remember to have a fresh pair of batteries.

The SkyCaddie is great for the heavy duty golfer.  Though the subscription fee does add cost, the accessibility of the courses through the software is easy and eliminates clutter.  For golfers that like to see a lot of tracks, they will enjoy this device and its slightly better mobility.