Golf’s nailed-down ‘caddie’ lets you take the cart’s GPS display anywhere

Welcome to I tried ita GOLF.com series about golf articles – clothing, equipment, accessories and more—that we recently took out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest and simple opinions on the latest and greatest golf or golf related articles. So scroll down to read about what we love about the newest (or new to us) golf products.

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I have to admit that the first time I saw it The Caddy from Golf with fixation I got major FOMO. And then the hits kept coming. Many of my creative friends got their hands on the device and I was getting very jealous. So when it came time to raise my hand to test the new device, mine rose faster than any other. I’ve already had a few chances to use it while playing a brand new course without GPS carts, and it really is a lifesaver.

First and foremost, the idea is really cool—so cool that it won Best New Product for its category at the PGA Show this year. The Caddy is a self-contained device with its own data signal that allows you to essentially take a cart GPS display with you wherever you go. Whether you’re a pedestrian or someone riding in a cart without a GPS display, the Tracked Golf Cart travels with you. And the best part is… NO SUBSCRIPTION. A payment for the device means it is completely unlocked for use at no extra charge – plus that is currently on sale for $50 off. Well done for that, embedded.

Inside the box you’ll get the Caddy touchscreen tablet, a charging cable and a hard case for the device, which is very convenient to have so you can throw the Caddy in your golf bag and not worry about any potential damage. Logging into the device for the first time is really easy and can be done on any WiFi signal. It only takes a few minutes to load it properly and then you can explore the interface yourself. It is a very easy to use experience and there is no learning curve to get to know the software. They’ve designed it to be a smooth experience that feels familiar to using a cart GPS display or other GPS apps that have been available for years.

GOLF CADDY with pins

An 8-inch screen offers a compact and crystal-clear picture. A slim design and built-in magnet make it the perfect companion on the course. $50 off retail price for a limited time!

There’s very little the Caddy can’t do in terms of GPS functions. Since it’s a standalone device, you can download your course to your tablet before your round, or find it when you arrive at the club. They have over 45,000 courses and loads more to play. The tablet is very efficient in power, lasting me about three rounds before I worried it was going to kill me. The screen is bright enough to see in sunlight and the magnets are strong – much stronger than any other golf gauge or accessory I have. It’s also IPX7 waterproof, so even if you get caught in a storm, you’ll know how far you are from the club’s dry relief.

When you pull up to a new hole, there are several different perspectives to look at, including a drone-style flyover of the hole, 2D and 3D views you can maneuver around, and the ability to get a close-up view of the hole so you can check for hazards or tighter landing spots. No matter where you are, you’ll also get live updates on front, middle and back distances for the hole you’re playing, and of course you have the option to use the touchscreen to find distances to specific areas of the hole, which is great for finding out if your 7-iron can hold that bunker in front of the green. The Caddy does everything a normal in-car GPS can do, but that’s where its functionality begins.

In addition to being a reliable GPS device, you can also keep your score, track your stats and even keep track of games between you and your golf buddies. Pretty hard to argue for handing over $5 when Caddy is keeping score in the game.

Now, I can’t write this article without addressing the most obvious and common question that all my friends ask me: I can’t use the phone?

I’m not going to lie, I’ve thought about that too. But then I realized the benefits of using Caddy through my phone. The first of which may be a separate issue, but my GPS app of choice on the phone won’t let me play music at the same time for some reason. So that’s a big deal when we’re trying to keep spirits high. I can put the Caddy and my bluetooth speaker in the cart and have zero issues with my Spotify playlist showing up and not touching my phone while playing. You don’t realize how nice it is to not interact with your phone at all when you play until you play an entire round without touching it. I don’t want to see those “I missed a meeting” notifications, I’m playing golf on Tuesday at noon.

Finally, the product has only one pull factor. I throw this in my club cart, which again has no GPS screen and everyone is jealous. Everyone has been asking me where I got it and how to get it. Our pro has even talked me into getting a handful of them to use as rentals during rounds, which is great for guests, tournament players, or anyone else who wants the benefits that a GPS device gets you. Not to mention the score and game tracking would probably stop a few fights during the men’s daily game.

The Pinned Caddy IS on sale now for $50 offso if you’re looking to up your GPS game or want to buy a jealousy gift for someone you love, now is the best time to get one for yourself!