Laser Rangefinders

[CDELA]

Anyone own and use these on the course? Curious as to your opinions. I know Bushnell and Nikon have some models,that while not inexpensive, seem to be of good quality. I realize they're not sanctioned for tournament play, but I think they'd be a great assett for casual play.....knowing it's exactly 220 to carry the water, or 250 to the end of the dogleg, or knowing once and for all the exact yardage on that par 3 where the posted yardage has just never seemed right. I have a feeling that some of us may feel that these have no place on a course during even a casual round,others may differ. I for one wouldn't see a problem with them. Afterall if one plays at a higher end course (the Marshes for example), all the carts are GPS equipped. (I've yet to see anyone not take advantage of a GPS equipped cart). The pros certainly have the exact yardage at their disposal on every single shot. Also, there seems to be much variation amongst local courses re yardage markings.....some have sprinkler heads all over the course with yardage markings, others just your standard 150 post. Anyways, just interested in some feedback,both on the general issue, and particular models of rangefinders.

[dbleber]

I know that Bushnell makes a good one and I think that they should be allowed. Pros get to have caddies go out and walk out the course and have every yardage at their disposal. We have to guess from a stupid white stake. I would like to see all courses offer a caddie yardage book at the pro shop that gave all the hole layouts with yardage and green slopage. I know Renefrew gives one that is pretty useful. As weekend golfers we need all the help we can get, nothing worse then playing a new course, hitting a beautiful shot and walk up to find a hazard or the yardage was wrong on the post. The pros get the info, so should we as we need it!
Denny

[mjf]

I got one for Christmas a couple of years ago. It works great. I find it particularly useful when I'm playing a course for the first time. Also, KNOWING the distance to the pin makes a big difference since there are no doubts in your mind as your'e standing over the ball.

I find that I don't really use it very much on my home course anymore since I'm pretty familiar with all of the distances now but it still comes out of the bag on occasion.

Personally, I'd like to see all courses post the important distances for each hole on the the tee boxes (how far to clear the bunker, how far to the water, how far to the front/back of greens on par-3s, etc.). I think it would speed up play in many cases.

MJF

[CDELA]

mjf-I see your reference to Stonebridge......of all the courses I play, a rangefinder would be especially usefull there, especially on the West 9.....#1 tee shot over water-how much to carry all the water,or how much to play it safer....#2 all over water,# 3 going for the green in 2-dogleg left-distance to green....# 4-distance to fairway bunkers off tee, # 5-distance to water off tee, # 7 a tricky par 3, angled away from you,with water, #8-how far to carry off tee to upper fairway, etc,etc. I think I'll save up and buy one !

[Kilroy]

I got one (Bushnell) for $200. Seems to work great, but I have not used it on the course yet.

From the Decisions section of the RCGA handicap manual :

5-1f/2. Scores made using an Electronic Measuring Device (EMD)

Q: Are scores made using information generated from an Electronic Measuring Device (EMD) acceptable for handicap purposes? A: Yes. While EMDs are not permitted under the Rules of Golf (Rules 14-3), most of the information that the EMD provides is widely available. As long as the information from these devices is obtained before the execution of the golf shot, the scores are acceptable for handicap purposes.

This is a bit of a contradiction, and I am certain it is only a matter of time until the rule is changed. I intend to use mine this season, just not on our Tour (yet).

[Colby]

I have a feeling that this rule will be changed for the next round of rule changes.

[el tigre]

I have a feeling that this rule will be changed for the next round of rule changes.

From what I have heard, the USGA is in favour of changing the rule but the R&A is dead set against it. So I doubt if it will be changed any time soon.

[Colby]

From what I have heard, the USGA is in favour of changing the rule but the R&A is dead set against it. So I doubt if it will be changed any time soon.

That's what I suspected. It's a pretty big technology change that to some may threaten the tradition of the game.

[NoBack]

From what I have heard, the USGA is in favour of changing the rule but the R&A is dead set against it. So I doubt if it will be changed any time soon.

From what I have heard, Dan is in favour of changing the rule but Steve is dead set against it. So I doubt if it will be changed any time soon for the OGT.

[Andru]

If courses offered detailed yardage books< ( For a cost ) then these devices would not be a popular.

They are great at the range though.

[LobWedge]

I'm still on the fence about these things. The R&A believes that golf is a game based on feel and that artificial measuring devices take away from that aspect. Pace of Play is also a consideration, especially in North America where the 5 hour round is the norm. Europeans on the whole play very quickly.

Another difference is the type of golf that is played over here and over there. North America is all about target golf. Yardages are based on carry. There are very few opportunities to play the "ground game" over here. "Bump and run", "run-up" and putting from well of the green are standard components of the European game.

Maybe they should allow the devices, but reduce the number of clubs from 14 to 4. Driver, 7-iron, wedge and putter. That would work for me.

[jvincent]

For a course you play often, nothing beats a handheld GPS unit.

I have the Skygolf GPS/PDA combo with Stonebridge and Eagle Creek (the courses I play most often) mapped out and it's really nice.

You can set up whatever targets you want and it will give you accurate distances from anywhere, even the adjacent fairway if you happen to hit a baddie.

Being able to define your targets, including multiple green positions and layup / trouble targets, is eally the most useful feature.

[Kilroy]

Rangefinders even work on courses you gave not mapped into your pda.

[jvincent]

Rangefinders even work on courses you gave not mapped into your pda.

True. I also have one of the original Busnell rangefinders, which I use mostly at the range these days.

[Colby]

From what I have heard, Dan is in favour of changing the rule but Steve is dead set against it. So I doubt if it will be changed any time soon for the OGT.

I think there should be a vote...

[mjf]

I'm still on the fence about these things. The R&A believes that golf is a game based on feel and that artificial measuring devices take away from that aspect. Pace of Play is also a consideration, especially in North America where the 5 hour round is the norm. Europeans on the whole play very quickly.

I'm not convinced that using a 'measuring device' slows down play. If players know the distances to the important features of a hole, they'll be able to pick the right club more often and hopefully lose less balls and take fewer shots. I guess maybe that only counts if you hit the shot the way you planned to more often than not though.

MJF

[Kilroy]

I think there should be a vote...

As far as our tour is concerned, policy has already been set for this season, but this will be in the this year's end of year member's poll.

[el tigre]

Pace of Play is also a consideration, especially in North America where the 5 hour round is the norm. Europeans on the whole play very quickly.

Actually, there is a tour in Texas that got permission from the USGA to use them in order to speed up play. All the time taken in finding yardage markers, pacing off yardages, figuring out where hazards are, etc. was stretching rounds into the 6 hour mark.

Maybe they should allow the devices, but reduce the number of clubs from 14 to 4. Driver, 7-iron, wedge and putter. That would work for me.

Or just put proper yardage markers on every sprinkler head on the course, and increase the clubs from 14 to 24. That would work for me!

[Colby]

Or just put proper yardage markers on every sprinkler head on the course, and increase the clubs from 14 to 24. That would work for me!

If I had to carry 24 clubs, I'd never make it!

[LobWedge]

Actually, there is a tour in Texas that got permission from the USGA to use them in order to speed up play. All the time taken in finding yardage markers, pacing off yardages, figuring out where hazards are, etc. was stretching rounds into the 6 hour mark.

Okay, but what happens if I'm playing in an event on this tour and my range finder "craps out"? Now I'm at a disadvantage to the rest of the field. Do I get to use my fellow competitor's? Does every other player on the course have to shut his off because mine's busted?

If you're playing on some 5th class tour, in the middle of BF nowhere, getting yardages spoon-fed to you, and you still can't play your way out of Texas, then maybe it's time to find a different line of work. The tournament officials need to start handing out penalties for slow play. They're all playing under the same conditions.

[el tigre]

If I had to carry 24 clubs, I'd never make it!

Yeah, the stand bag wouldn't get out of the garage too often!

[el tigre]

Okay, but what happens if I'm playing in an event on this tour and my range finder "craps out"? Now I'm at a disadvantage to the rest of the field. Do I get to use my fellow competitor's? Does every other player on the course have to shut his off because mine's busted?

If you're playing on some 5th class tour, in the middle of BF nowhere, getting yardages spoon-fed to you, and you still can't play your way out of Texas, then maybe it's time to find a different line of work. The tournament officials need to start handing out penalties for slow play. They're all playing under the same conditions.

Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Besides, MY POINT was that rangefinders speed up play, as a rebuttal of your position that they slow it down. As we all know, there are lots of other ways that pace of play could be improved, but they are not really relevant to this discussion.

[Kilroy]

Okay, but what happens if I'm playing in an event on this tour and my range finder "craps out"?

Same as if you driver head falls off I'd think. If unit just died you could replace it. If you threw it against a rock cause it lied to you, you could not.

Some would be better quality than others, just as some drivers are better than others.

[oldmaninblack]

Maybe this should be on the Rules forum, but I would think a PDA without the GPS would be legal anywhere. It's just an automated yardage book without the GPS.


Of course if your PDA is also a phone and a pager you might not want to have it on the golf course with you. I've tried to play golf while on-call ... it doesn't work

[Colby]

As long as there is no measuring device it is allowed. For example, a static yardage book on a PDA is OK. Anything that would dynamically show you the distance between two points, such as a trap and a green, is not allowed

[ros_bif]

Can anyone recommend a yardage finder (are the cheap ones useful? do i need a nice one)

I'd like to walk my home course and fill in a yardage book this year.

[HiG4s]

I know from watching the Desert Classic Pro Am,, the pros used Laser range finders on the practice rounds to make notes in their yardage books for the actual tourney, and this was legal. They mentioned it on day and that the biggest piece of information they get is the degree angle on raised and lowered greens to the tee box. They even mentioned how many degrees up or down was a club shorter and longer, but I don't rememeber the number.

[CDELA]

The one referred to that measures slope is the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 with slope compensator. It's not even available yet (sometime in the next week or so in the U.S.). U.S. internet prices for this unit are $425.00-$450.00, so expect your Edwin Watts or TGW to sell them for $499.99, and of course higher in Canada. A good one is the Bushnell Pro Tour, $348.00 CDN locally. The nice feature about this one is that it has a scan mode. Your yardage is continuously updated as you scan your target area. As opposed to others where you have to zone in on one target, get a reading, then reset if you want another yardage reading.

[Chris]

I have the Bushnell scout.. http://www.bushnell.com/products/rangefinder/scout.cfm

When I is was in the Dominican playing on a Pete Dye course I used it alot. Especially useful on the par 3's. Tee blocks were different every day, some times up to a difference of 20 yrds. Using the rangefinder took the guess work out. I would say that I save probably 4 stokes knowing my yardage to the pin.

Down side is that zeroing in on the pin was difficult from outside 150. If the wind hadn't been blowing the flag, I wouldn't have got half the yardages. If zeroing in on the flag stick is difficult you can always sight in on someone on the green, if there's someone on it of course.

I can see it being really usefull if you happen to be hitting from another fairway and have no clue on how far it is to the flag.

Great little tool!

[ros_bif]

I ordered the Bushnell Yardage Pro Tour yesterday, and it will be in next wednesday.

My plan is to map my local course (Manderley), and maybe a few others in the area.

Hoping that it proves rather useful, and i'll post a review once i've had a chance to play around with it.