I think you are making it too hard.
Did you set iCal to auto-refresh that calendar every 15 minutes (when you subscribed, or now in the info drawer)?

I think there must be an error somewhere else. Does it refresh with a command-R?

Mine will refresh no problem on command. I am waiting 15 minutes to see if it will auto-refresh.

It is working for me, refreshed with no problem. So the problem appears to lie elsewhere.

I'd be happy to share the steps I went through to set it up if that would help. I am using iCal 2.0.4.

BTW: Why not just use iCal rather than Google Cal? Just curious as to why one would use Google Cal if on a Mac.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough.

I can get iCal to auto-refresh if I leave it open. What I'm hoping for is to be able to write a script that opens up iCal, refreshes it immediately, and then closes it (so it isn't taking up additional memory). For some reason, the "reload calendars" applescript command doesn't seem to do this.

I wonder if there would be a way to set up a script that opens up iCal, and then closes it 20 minutes later (guaranteeing that it would have time to refresh)? Maybe with a scriptable timer app. I'll try it out and see how it works.

I have a Mac at home, but use Windows and Ubuntu boxes at work, so I've found the gMail & Google Cal combo priceless.

You are right, they are "priceless".

Man (I mean Girl), all that work for nothing? I'd just leave iCal running. Mine uses .3 to .4 % of CPU and very little memory sitting in the background. Launch Activity Monitor to see what yours does. There are apps that will run and quit iCal, and probably a script that will "refresh" (command-R), but seems like trying to crack a nut with a sledge hammer. Why not just launch iCal and refresh when syncing the iPod. Actually, this should just happen when syncing (are you listening Apple?).

If you had a .Mac account the whole thing might be even easier, and you could sync while at work as well, if you left your Mac running. The possibilities...

Good luck. I don't script.

This article might get the ball rolling: using periodic, cron and Applescript in Panther.

In the meantime, I'm still looking, because I know this can be done.

There you go.

Use iCal alarms to simply "Open" iCal, and then set another alarm to run a simple script a few minutes later to quit iCal. This could be done every day.

Enter a suggestion on Apple's iCal Feedback page, and perhaps this can be incorporated (easily) into the next release of iCal.

Absolutely! (off-topic) I did so for iPhoto when it went from free, i.e., part of the purchased OS, to a pay-only product. Suggest, suggest, suggest! :)

Another alternative is to have iCal start up as a hidden application when you login, then set subscriptions to refresh at whatever rate you wish. They'll refresh, but iCal will stay out of your way.

You can set that up in the "Users" sections of the System Preferences.

Your suggestion must have worked; iPhoto remains "free"...with new hardware. ;-)
Actually, for the price they charge, it is practically free.

That is smarter than having iCal open itself, but not as creative, IMHO. :)