General
Is StarCaddy easy to use?
What does StarCaddy do for me?
How will StarCaddy improve my game?
What do I do with my PDA when I'm ready to take a shot?
Can I use StarCaddy in bad weather?
GPS
How does GPS work?
What does the USGA say about using GPS?
What can I do if I already have a GPS receiver for my PDA?
Does StarCaddy work without GPS?
StarCaddy Course Maps
How accurate are the StarCaddy course maps?
How are the StarCaddy course maps created?
Can I get a map for any course in the U.S.?
Can I get non-U.S. course maps?
How do I get a map?
How do I get my included maps?
How much do StarCaddy Course Maps cost?
What happens if I delete a map from my PDA?
Compatability
What are StarCaddy’s hardware/software requirements?
Which PDA should I buy?
Does StarCaddy work on the Sony Clie?
Does StarCaddy work on the Toshiba e740?
Does StarCaddy work on the Sharp Zaurus sl-5500?
Does the StarCaddy GPS Receiver work with other software, such as street navigation software?
Does the StarCaddy GPS receiver use WAAS technology?
I have SKYGOLF GPS, but would like to switch to StarCaddy. Can I use my SKYGOLF GPS receiver?
Can I install StarCaddy through a proxy server?
Can I install StarCaddy using my MacIntosh computer?
How does StarCaddy look on black and white (grayscale) devices?
Scorecard
How do I print my scorecard?
Shopping on StarCaddy.com
Is it safe to use my credit card?
Miscellaneous
Can StarCaddy track and replay where I hit my shots? Can it suggest what club to hit?
Can StarCaddy track the number of putts or greens in regulation?
Can I install both Pocket PC version & Palm OS versions of StarCaddy on my PC since I use both?
How big is the StarCaddy executable and how big are the map files?
Is there a trial version of the StarCaddy software?
What factors influence battery life?
Can I make a Course Map myself that can be used in StarCaddy?
Where is the User Manual?
Is there a way to mount StarCaddy to your golf cart, or do you have to hold StarCaddy in your hand or keep it in your pocket all of the time?
Is there a service fee for using StarCaddy?
What is a PDA?
Is StarCaddy easy to use?
Yes. All functions and icons are available with a tap on your display. There's integrated help to guide you along the way.
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What does StarCaddy do for me?
StarCaddy's primary function is to help you choose the right club. How often has your approach landed short of the green? ... rolled into the water? ... carried into the fairway bunker that you didn't think you could reach? How much time do you spend looking for sprinkler heads to find the yardage measurement? ... pacing off distance from the 150-yard marker? ... wondering how far it is to "cut the corner" of the dogleg? ... questioning if there's any hazard behind the green?
StarCaddy maps are expertly digitized from satellite and aerial imagery. Unlike the drawings you see on your paper scorecard, these maps accurately capture the exact geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) of every point on the course. With a highly accurate GPS system (all GPS units provided with or recommended for StarCaddy have been tested as being among the most accurate available), StarCaddy can give you a yardage reading to the green that is often more accurate than the markers on your course. PLUS, it can give you readings with that same accuracy to any other point on the course.
StarCaddy also provides you an elegant scorecard feature that handles match and stroke (medal) play and allows you to save and recall any or all of your rounds.
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How will StarCaddy improve my game?
Club pros say that mid-handicap golfers choose the wrong club an average of 15 times per round. That can cost as many as 10 strokes per round. StarCaddy gives you the tools to help you choose the best club for each shot.
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What do I do with my PDA when I'm ready to take a shot?
We sell a StarCaddy holster which can attach to your belt or clip to your cart.
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Can I use StarCaddy in bad weather?
While all of the functions work in bad weather, your PDA may not be suitable for wet or cold conditions. Check your PDA owners manual.
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How does GPS work?
Using at least four of the twenty-four GPS satellites, your receiver can figure out where you are on any golf course in the world. Your receiver figures out how far it is away from the satellites and StarCaddy uses this information to tell you how far away you are from the green.
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What does the USGA say about using GPS?
The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R & A have recently announced that for all golfers effective January 1, 2006 there are 111 changes to the book "Decisions on the Rules of Golf" which is published every two years. With these changes the USGA and the R & A have sanctioned the use of distance measuring devices such as GPS receivers and laser rangefinders.
The new decision 14-3/0.5 states "A Committee may establish a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure distance only. However, the use of devices that gauge or measure other conditions that might affect a player’s play (e.g., wind or gradient) is not permitted. In the absence of such a Local Rule, the use of a distance-measuring device would be contrary to Rule 14-3."
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What can I do if I already have a GPS receiver for my PDA?
You can purchase the software only version of StarCaddy from our Products page.
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Does StarCaddy work without GPS?
Yes. Most features of StarCaddy work perfectly well if your GPS is somehow disabled. Without GPS, you will have to estimate your position on the map. But with a reasonable estimate, you can still get good measurements to other points on the course.
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How accurate are the StarCaddy maps?
StarCaddy's maps are drawn from satellite and aerial imagery and are geo-referenced to be within about one yard of their actual geographical position. Most of the imagery used for StarCaddy maps is less than five years old when the map is drawn. However, any golfer knows that courses periodically change - greens or tees are moved or bunkers are added, for example. If you feel that your course map does not accurately reflect the current state of your course, send an email to support@starcaddy.com describing the inaccuracies and we will work to make corrections as quickly as possible.
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How are the StarCaddy Course maps created?
We draw the StarCaddy Course Maps from satellite and aerial imagery. All of the imagery we use is georeferenced and orthorectified to assure our map accuracy. We have access to such imagery for all of the continental 48 states plus parts of Alaska and Hawaii. With this imagery, we can typically draw course maps (if we haven’t already done so) within 5 to 10 business days, however this timeframe may increase depending on the current demand for new course maps.
Most of the imagery we have was photographed within the last 5 years, though some of it may be as much as 10 years old. If the course was built (or radically changed) in the last few years, we may have to search for other imagery before we can draw the map. (This search could take days, weeks or months, depending on what is available.)
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Can I get a map for any course in the U.S.?
Yes, but…. We have already drawn StarCaddy Course Maps for more than 30% of all U.S. golf courses (as of August, 2006). We will typically draw most other course maps within 5 to 10 business days of your map order, however this timeframe is dependant on the current demand for new maps and may increase at any time. For some very new courses it will take longer as we have to acquire new imagery.
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Can I get non-U.S. course maps?
Soon. We expect to start our international mapping by late 2006.
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How do I get a map?
Maps can be purchased from the Course Maps page. If the map you choose is not immediately available, we will typically produce it for you within 2-3 weeks and we'll send you an email when it's ready, however this timeframe is dependent on the current demand for new maps and may increase at any time. When the map is ready, choose "Download Maps" from the file menu in MapManager.
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How do I get my included maps?
After installing and registering StarCaddy, choose “Buy Maps Online” from the MapManager utility on your desktop OR go directly to the Course Maps page on StarCaddy.com. The map(s) that you add to your shopping cart, up to the number included with your initial purchase, will be listed as a free.
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How much do StarCaddy Course Maps cost?
18-hole course maps cost $19.95 each. 9-hole course maps cost $9.99 each. 27-hole course maps are sold as 3 separate 18-hole combinations, each selling for $12.95.
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What happens if I delete a map from my PDA?
If you delete a map from your PDA, you can easily reload it at any time from the Course Map Archive in MapManager.
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What are StarCaddy’s hardware/software requirements ?
StarCaddy works on most available PDAs. These are the considerations when determining StarCaddy compatability:
Software: The StarCaddy software is designed to work on the following operating systems:
- Pocket PC (including Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003)
- Windows CE (version 2.11 and higher)
- Palm OS (version 3.5 and higher).
GPS Hardware: StarCaddy is designed to work with any GPS receiver. Known receiver types include:
- Compact Flash receivers
- Sled-style receivers for Palm m-series devices except the m100 and m105
- Sled-style receivers for Palm IIIx, Vx, and VIIx
- Sleeve-style receivers for Compaq iPaq
- Springboard receivers for Handspring Visor devices
- Secure Digital receivers for Pocket PC devices
- Bluetooth receivers
Screen Resolution: Some screens, particularly color screens, for lower-end or older-model PDAs do not work well outdoors. Test your device outside on a sunny day before purchasing StarCaddy.
Battery Life: By following StarCaddy’s battery-saving tips, any PDA with an advertised “normal usage” battery life of 8 hours or more will typically get you through a 5 hour round. PDAs with better battery life and/or replaceable batteries reduce the need for the battery-saving tips.
Memory: The PDA must have at least 8MB of memory for Pocket PC and Windows CE devices and at least 2MB of memory for Palm OS devices.
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Which PDA should I buy?
Since there are a multitude of options, the decision will most likely come down to price. In general, the more expensive devices have better screen displays and battery life, but there are lower priced models which work well, too.
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Does StarCaddy work on the Sony Clie?
Yes, but …. A GPS Receiver for the Sony Clie is not currently available in the U.S., but Sony makes a receiver that is available elsewhere. If you can acquire that receiver, StarCaddy works great on the Clie. If your Clie supports Bluetooth than any Bluetooth receiver should also work fine.
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Does StarCaddy work on the Toshiba e740?
Yes, but…. Some customers have discovered that the Toshiba e740 emits a lot of electronic static (or “noise”) from its WiFi feature, even when WiFi is turned off, which can interfere with the CF GPS receiver.
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Does StarCaddy work on the Sharp Zaurus sl-5500?
No. The Zaurus uses the Linux OS which is not yet supported.
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Does the StarCaddy GPS Receiver work with other software, such as street navigation software?
Yes. Most GPS software recognizes receivers that function in either the NMEA or Sirf protocols. The StarCaddy CF GPS Receiver is shipped in Sirf protocol but can be switched to NMEA by using a simple function in the StarCaddy software.
We have tested many GPS software programs and almost all work with this receiver. The notable exception is Delorme’s Street Atlas which doesn’t recognize any CF GPS Receiver. (They are working on fixing this.)
An important note: Many of these street navigation software packages have very large map sizes which require additional memory. Since the CF receiver uses up a CF memory slot, make sure you have an additional memory slot available.
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Does the StarCaddy GPS receiver use WAAS technology?
Yes.
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I have SKYGOLF GPS, but would like to switch to StarCaddy. Can I use my SKYGOLF GPS receiver?
Yes. The SkyGolf GPS receiver can be used with the Palm OS version of StarCaddy and your compatible Palm OS PDA. StarCaddy cannot, however, be used with the SkyCaddie SG2 as it is not a standalone GPS receiver.
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Can I install StarCaddy through a proxy server?
Yes. If you have any problems with this, contact StarCaddy Customer Support.
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Can I install StarCaddy using my MacIntosh computer?
Not at this time.
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How does StarCaddy look on black and white (grayscale) devices?
Fine. Color is prettier, but StarCaddy works fine on grayscale PDAs.
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How do I print my scorecard?
First, make sure to save your round. Start up MapManager with your PDA connected to your pc. Notice that your round information gets uploaded to the archive in MapManager. Select the round from the archive, click on the scorecard icon and select Print.
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Is it safe to use my credit card?
Yes! StarCaddy is a secure site that uses the latest security measures and encryption technology, to keep all of your information safe and secure. Please see our Privacy Policy for more details.
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Can StarCaddy track and replay where I hit my shots? Can it suggest what club to hit?
Not yet. These features are being planned for a future version.
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Can StarCaddy track the number of putts or greens in regulation?
Sort of. We’re planning robust tracking of this type for a future version, but many customers are doing this now by creating “players” named “Putts” and “G-I-R” and using the scorecard to track these numbers rather than other players’ scores.
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Can I install both Pocket PC version & Palm OS versions of StarCaddy on my PC since I use both?
No. StarCaddy is designed and licensed to be used with a single PDA device per PC.
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How big is the StarCaddy executable and how big are the map files?
The StarCaddy executable is about 300K. Each map file is less than 64K and is typically around 35K.
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Is there a trial version of the StarCaddy software?
You can get a trial version of the software from Handango.com and other sites that offer a downloadable version of StarCaddy including Starcaddy.com.
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What factors influence battery life?
There are several factors which influence battery life. Here are the primary ones:
- The device that you're using ... Newer model PDAs have longer battery life than older ones, but all of the Pocket PC devices (iPaqs, Jornadas, etc.) have been fine.
- The power settings ... We recommend that you set your device to turn itself off after 30 seconds or 1 minute.
- How you use it ... If you use StarCaddy "normally" -- that is, have it on when you're looking for your yardage and keeping score and have it powered off when it not needed -- the battery will last through even the longest of rounds.
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Can I make a Course Map myself that can be used in StarCaddy?
No. All of StarCaddy's course maps are professionally created.
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Where is the User Manual?
You can find the user manuals from the Help menu in the StarCaddy MapManager utility on your desktop. There is also help available from within the StarCaddy program on your PDA.
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Is there a way to mount StarCaddy to your golf cart, or do you have to hold StarCaddy in your hand or keep it in your pocket all of the time?
We sell a StarCaddy holster which can attach to your belt or clip to your cart. There are also various PDA mounting devices, such as cup-holder mounts, that you can find in many PDA accessory stores on the internet.
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Is there a service fee for using StarCaddy?
No.
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What is a PDA?
A PDA (personal digital assistant) is a handheld computer, often referred to as a "Palm Pilot", which is actually the brand name of the first mass-marketed PDA. These devices were originally used by salesmen or other mobile workers as a way of keeping their calendar and notes, etc., but have since generated a broader interest by replacing the "day planners" used by many workers as well as allowing for mobile email access.
PDAs range in price from about $200 to about $800. (There are actually some cheaper ones, but we don’t recommend them.) There are 2 operating systems to choose from: Pocket PC (a version of Microsoft Windows) devices made by HP/Compaq, Toshiba and others, and Palm OS devices made primarily by Palm and Handspring. StarCaddy works on either type.
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