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Arccos Caddie is the latest evolution of the Arccos shot tracking system. More emphasis on helping players on the course, but that comes with more use of your phone.
Introduction
2014 was a great year for golf. Plugged In Golf was born, and Arccos launched the first iteration of its shot tracking system (review HERE). Arccos then evolved to Arccos 360 in 2017 (review HERE). Now, Arccos has changed again to bring golfers Arccos Caddie. While the core concept is still the same, a lot has changed since 2017, so we thought it was time to take another look.
Check out the latest Arccos sensors, Gen 3+, HERE
Set Up & Ease of Use
Setting up Arccos Caddie is not much different than in the past. Insert a sensor into each grip, then set up your bag in the app. The whole process doesn’t take more than a few minutes.
One notable upgrade is that the sensor for the putter is now the same size as all the other sensors. It is differentiated by its color – black instead of green – so make sure to install it accordingly.
When you get to the course, turn on the app, download the course that you’re playing, and tap “Start Round.” You’ll need to keep your phone in your pocket to accurately capture shot data, but you don’t need to have your phone in your hand if you don’t want to.
Features
The new (or substantially upgraded) features of Arccos Caddie are the A.I. Powered GPS Rangefinder and Personalized Caddie Advice.
A.I. Powered GPS Rangefinder (below, left) takes into account distance, wind, slope, temperature, humidity, and altitude to give you an adjusted yardage for each shot. Also, this feature breaks down the impact that each of those factors has on the adjusted distance (below, right).
Personalized Caddie Advice uses A.I. to tell you the best way to play each hole (above, right). Based on the current conditions, it recommends an Optimal Strategy and predicts how many strokes you’ll need to hole out. This is a fun feature because it often gives you alternate ways to play a hole and shows you how many strokes the different strategies will take. This feature is most interesting and useful on short, narrow, or sharply angled holes.
Positives
The Arccos Caddie app is great. It’s intuitive, looks good, and offers a lot of data to the golfer.
Specific handicaps for Driving, Approach, Chipping, Sand, and Putting is a wonderful way to quantify the strengths and weaknesses of your game.
For the player that wants every bit of information, the A.I. Powered GPS Rangefinder can’t be beat. As you can see above, sometimes the adjustments can be extreme. Learning about the relative importance of these factors will make you a smarter player.
Finally, the Personalized Caddie Advice is an interesting tool for learning about strategy. It’s fun to sit at home, dial up a course, and see how conventional wisdom compares to Arccos’s A.I.
Negatives
The biggest negative about Arccos is the phone requirement. Your phone needs to be in your pocket for shot detection, and much of the system’s value comes from having your phone in your hand during your round. While I’m not a Luddite by any means, I value my time on the course as time away from my phone. Also, if you spend time before every shot consulting your virtual caddie, your phone will quickly become your only playing partner.
Additionally, the shot capturing has improved dramatically but is still not perfect. It might be better with Apple Watch integration, but I found myself editing putts on multiple holes.
Finally, the data that Arccos Caddie provides is not as granular or malleable as Shot Scope. For the player who wants to get into the weeds of their performance, Arccos Caddie is limited.
Value
A full set of Arccos Caddie sensors costs $180 (support Plugged In Golf, buy it HERE). Purchasing the sensors gives you one free year of the Arccos Caddie app. Subsequent years of the app cost $99/year. This is a higher start up cost than Shot Scope V2 (review HERE) and Shot Scope does not have an annual fee.
More than ever, the two systems are providing different things. As the name suggests, Arccos Caddie has ventured more toward helping you on the course, so if you don’t mind having your phone out on the course, this system has a lot to offer.
Conclusion
Arccos Caddie is an outstanding system, but whether or not it’s for you comes down to your feelings about using your phone on the course. If your phone is an extension of your arm and you don’t mind using it to get yardages, Arccos Caddie is wonderful. However, if you’d rather leave your phone in your car, capturing your data with Shot Scope is the way to go.
Buy Arccos Caddie HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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24 Comments
The phone in the front pocket is my problem. The good thing is that they are releasing the caddie link soon which is a small little wearable sensor that clips to your waistband. That’s much more convenient imo. ARCCOS CADDIE LINK
Arccos Caddie Link is a small, ultralight wearable accessory that allows Arccos Caddie users to automatically record their on-course performance data without needing to carry a phone in their pocket.
Nathan,
Yes, when that arrives I think it could be a big boost to Arccos. The flipside is that Arccos is putting so much emphasis on using your phone on the course that I’m not sure the CADDIE LINK makes sense.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt
I have been using arccos for the last year. I haven’t been too bothered about the phone in my pocket. I would also say that I’m not constantly checking my phone non stop as this annoys me when other players are constantly pulling their phones out to get yardages from whatever app they are using. More often than not I will only look at my phone a few times in the round. I am also anxiously waiting for the release of link as I believe it will be a game changer. I have a Powakaddy cart with an attachment to hold my phone which once link is released end of July I will get full use out of arccos A.I. caddy.
Just purchased it. 5 sensors would not pair. Returning it and getting Garmin C10
I use Caddie while wearing my Apple Watch. It gives me the info I want on the course without pulling out my phone.
I like the Caddie aspects and really feel this has a lot of value to people. Does Arccos provide aiming spots on the drive or approach based on your abilities and club chosen and conditions?
No, it does not.
-Matt
Didn’t mind carrying the phone at all. I usually wear cargo pants and just put my iPhone in my left thigh pocket. Agree that having to edit putts on at least every other green was a bit of a pain. But the real failure to me was the inability to see the app on my phone. In bright sunlight, like when standing on the green or tee, I couldn’t read anything so had to find deep shade somewhere to check if the strokes on the just played hole were recorded correctly, which they usually weren’t. And yes I had the screen set on full brightness setting. Really wanted this system to work…I’m an engineer and a real numbers guy. Retired the sensors to my garage an canceled the app/service. Maybe if they offered a separate device with an LCD screen (operates on reflected light) to use instead of phone.
Hi Matt,
I am looking for a GPS-Watch, because I want to improve my game and therefore I need a device which will provide me good data to work with.
I brought it down to two devices and now have to make a desion. Garmin S62+CT10 and Arccos.
So, because you have tested both of them, which one would you choose based on the information provided by the device.
Thanks in advance
Ralph
Ralph,
If you’re looking for a watch, there’s no question in my mind that you want the Garmin. Arccos has a lot of cool tech, but, for me, the requirement of having my phone out constantly is a deal breaker.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
thanks for your answer.
I have a Apple Watch but as far as I understood this is just a display for distance. If I always have to take out my phone to use the caddy feature that’s a „no no“ for me.
Could you say something about the tracking capabilities of both devices, because this is an other big point for me.
Ralph,
If you want a quality GPS and shot tracking, what you want is Shot Scope. Their new version, V3, comes out on July 6, but you can pre-order it now.
-Matt
Thanks, arccos stops midway. Will try V3 version.
I’ve used the s62 CT10 combo. Absolutely terrible.
The watch on its own is outstanding.
The sensors are a different story.
You cannot carry more than one club to your ball.
It frequently adds shots(yes you can edit extra shots out but that gets old) that you didn’t take.
Its terrible at recording putts and if you forget to confirm your data after a hole? The system won’t record any shots you make until you confirm the last holes data.
It also showed me hitting approach shots from locations that don’t make sense. 100 yards “behind” the green. 150 yards left of the green, etc. All of them do it. I’ve owned the s20, s40, s60 and now s62.
I just picked up the game golf v3 and it’s got issues as well.
I think I’m going back to Arccos.
I have tried this on my clubs for two years plus and highly disappointed. On many occasion it stops tracking and stops and asks for restating the round. Just waist of money. You end up paying more attention of this gadget rather than game. Apple watch has to be restated couple of times to get distance info. My friends who have golf apps are better off. I may switch to one if those apps. Not worth trying and paying for new product. Donot buy it
I used Arccos with my Apple Watch yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by the functionality. The shot detection was pretty accurate, although it did add a few putts that I had to delete, but that is a pretty simple task.
I do carry a laser range finder as well, but the club recommendation on Arccos has been pretty spot on so far. Have only 3 rounds completed so far, but I am enjoying reviewing the round afterwards. The negative part of using the watch is the drain on the watch battery.
How do I start?
Do I need to subscribe to the app + get the sensors too?
Or can I simply get the sensors ?
Bradley,
I believe that you get a year of service when you buy the sensors. After that you need to pay the annual fee.
-Matt
I have the Ping G710 irons. Set up the Arccos for each club. ( could not set up all irons) and had problems. I have a Garmin S60 watch which was already set up for my former irons (G700). Having to carry my phone when I play is not good. Too much trouble and the weight of the phone. The S60 watch is perfect it records everything. I just look at the watch and have distance for the shot. After completed hole it prompts me for what club, where it was hit , tells me the distance I hit it and the number of putts, and even if there were any penalty taken. It’s quick and easy .Then downloads to phone after the round is complete. I am going to get the garmin sensors for my clubs and take out the Arccos ones. Plus it doesn’t cost me an annual fee with Garmin. When I charge the watch all the info goes right to my computer. I can look at the stats for the round or prior rounds. Garmin has done it right and I will stay with it. I play at least three times a week . This is my personnel experience and just wanted to give you my thoughts.
I bought the Arcoss sensors, and over the last year have not had one round that my shots have been calculated correctly…The sensors seem to miss anywhere from 2 to 6 shots every round which is frustrating and I have to go back and edit each hole… I have contacted Arcoss and finally got a reply which told me to do a whole bunch of things I have done each of them and played five more rounds and it still doesn’t calculate correctly….I could not in anyway say that the senses are worth it
I’ve used Arccos for last few years and although you get the odd blip, and may have to put the odd club in, it actually works really well and for me to go back hours later and analyse my game is very useful. I think a lot of issues are the phones used and the settings within them but that is just my experience.
One of the worst apps for golf out there. Big promises. Tried for the 5th time to use the app and it said it needed to download the course. Download failed, many times. SO of no use whatsoever. Luckily I had Swing U on my phone which worked flawlessly. Thought it might be the internet connection. No, when I got back home to a good internet, it still failed. The few times it knew the course because it was my home course, I had to keep manual scores so I could correct the app. Worthless…
I have had Arccos and link for a year. Gives good data for a new golfer for total distance but not carry distance. It does not pick up every stroke or putt and I have to recall the round later on my computer. Use it for a year when you get new clubs, but don’t bother to renew.
Originally enjoyed the Arccos, but it looks like they have stopped supporting my older perfectly good Android phone, so it no longer works. $300.00 (can), now junk. Can’t justify up grading my phone, so I’ll be looking for another product.