SkyCaddie LX2 Golf GPS Watch Review

SkyCaddie LX2 Golf GPS Watch Review

For those that want SkyCaddie’s industry-leading (in terms of accuracy) GPS distances on a simple, fuss-free wearable device without the complicated bells and whistles, the LX2 is an appealing prospect.

Before teeing off for the first time it’s worth creating an account with SkyGolf, syncing your LX2 via WiFi and activating your pre-paid Go Play membership card included in the box. It takes time, but it is worth going to this effort to get the most out of your £200 investment. To gain access to the full feature suite you’ll need upgrade to the 360 Pro membership plan for £40 a year - more on that later.

The square LX2 lacks the visual wow factor of the feature-packed LX5, but the minimalist design coming in at a mere 57g means you’ll hardly notice you’re wearing it. The user experience is, for the most part, a passive one as the LX2 automatically recognises your course and advances to the next hole when appropriate, just like the best golf watches. 

The graphics on the 3.25cm screen are basic but easy to read. In auto mode, we found the brightness a little dull, but you can adjust the backlight level in settings. You navigate through the menu mostly using the touch screen, which is responsive most of the time but doesn’t work as well when using your glove hand. The main screen shows front, middle and back distances and the hole number but tap the screen and the bottom row will scroll through your step count, the battery level, the hole’s par and stroke index and the time. 

Swipe left and you gain access to the scoring system where you can enter shots taken, number of putts, GIR and fairway hit/miss. Sync the watch after your round and you’ll be able to see your stats in more detail on the SkyGolf360 website. Swipe down to measure shot distances and swipe up to see the distance to the recommended fairway target, which is a nice addition although the top of the main number is frustratingly cropped off the top of the screen initially.

On the face of it, this watch is as basic as it looks. Function over form, certainly. But upgrade to the 360 Pro plan and your LX2 becomes a miniature version of the LX5. When activated, swipe right from the main screen and you’ll instead see a 2D map of the hole, on which you can zoom in on more specific areas and move the crosshair up and down the hole by sliding your finger on the screen. As you do so, the distance to that point from where you are and the distance from that point to the middle of the green also change. You’re also able to zoom in on the green, which will always rotate to match your angle of approach for a closer look and tap the crosshair icon to move the pin position to a more accurate place.

I’ll be honest, it doesn’t work as well as it does on the larger screen of the LX5. The chances are if you’ve opted for the LX2, you prefer something more basic and less expensive and therefore the added cost of the 360 Pro plan isn’t justifiable. Having tried using the hole maps in demo mode, you could make a case that SkyCaddie has tried to cram in too much because trying to see and navigate through that level of detail on a tiny screen was tricky at times, depending on the light conditions. 

The majority of golfers likely won’t indulge in the full compliment of features and will instead likely enjoy leaving the LX2 on the main screen and lock it with the top side button so you’ll always see the distances you need. For this reason, it becomes one of the best value golf watches around and should be considered by less tech-savvy golfers that demand fast and accurate distances without additional hole-planning capabilities.