Re: Golf GPS Devices

If you have a smartphone I heartily endorse the one at www.golfgps.com. I love it so far. My only complaint is not finding out about it in early Spring instead of late Summer

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I prefer a laser to a GPS - the laser gives you yardages right to the flag, doesn't require a subscription and doesn't require a course to be mapped.

Granted, sometimes a laser is sketchy if you're trying to figure out how far it is to cut a dogleg or to carry a hazard, but that's a tradeoff I'm happy with.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

SkyCaddie Golf GPS Devices are awesome.

Screen Quality: Excellent
Weight: Light
Look: Very Nice

what more do you want, oh yeah accuarate yardages :-)

Re: Golf GPS Devices

Come to that, even if we did have the time and money, most club golfers - unlike the pros - can't hit that accurate or consistent yardages in the first place - let alone finesse a bit more or less out of their 8I by shaping the shot.

So if the marker over there says its 150 to the front and I'm ten yards back and a bit to the right and its a decent size green then we're looking at 180 thereabouts to the back: so that's my 24 degree hybrid - if I hit it out of the screws I'm at the back which is fair enough, a more likely slight mishit? well that should miss the crud at the front and be on the finely mowed stuff.

That's enough for me and I'd venture to suggest that unless you are a Category 1 golfer, enough for you too.

So with the money you've saved from NOT buying a cheating gimmick have a look at this site and, Brits especially, support it.

http://www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk/

Re: Golf GPS Devices


I'm not a category one golfer. Sure, this year I've dropped my cap by 6 strokes and fired a 78 my last time out. What helped? A solid short game, for sure. What else helped? Having an accurate yardage to the flag to start with.

See, for all those that hate the GPS/Laser, there's guys like me who have no idea what 10 yards looks like, let alone 20 or 25 or 150. So unless I'm more-or-less on top of a yardage marker, I'm already disadvantaged. I'm sure if I played a ton of golf on a course with no yardage markers, sooner or later I'd get accustomed to what yardages look like, but I don't have that opportunity. So out comes the rangefinder to get a yardage to the flag. Then it's time to account for the lie, the wind, trouble, shot shape and whether the flag is front or back. Starting with a concrete number is a tremendous help.

Like you say Robin - I'm still likely to mishit it some so there's a fudge factor. But I'd rather lose a couple yards off the perfect number - rather than lose a couple yards compounded on the completely wrong club because I started with a yardage that was 10 or 15 yards out to begin with.

Now, before folks start claiming dependence on the machines, it's helped my eye - I've forgotten my laser for the last couple rounds and still played a decent round. I certainly lacked some confidence on some shots and left myself some long-ish putts because I didn't have a 'sure' yardage, but I was a little surprised at how often I seemed to pick the right club.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

Ben, I agree totally with the need for an accurate starting point, which is why I often walk 20 yards or more to find a marker. My reaction is against those who, despite being even worse than me think knowing "its 163.8 to the rear quadrant leaving me an uphill putt" will help them - as my son says "all the gear, no idea". And your handicap? I'd say more down to hard work on your rotary swing than gps - well done, its nice that we old duffers are improving.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I use a Bushnell Medalist and it's quick.

Of course I have a pretty good system that was taught to me by an older gentleman I often played with when I was first starting.

I keep a scorecard in the car and when driving in to the course I go by greens 2 and 3 and note the location of the pin in the scorebox. Playing hole 2 takes one by the pins on 4 and 5. Six and Seven were noted when playing #1. 8 was marked when going by it playing hole 6. 9 can be marked either from the first tee or 8 tee. Hole 10 is easy to see. 11 and 12 were note when playing hole 7. 13 & 14 are noted when playing 10 & 11. 15 is noted when playing 14 and 16 needs to be lasered. 17 is seen from 16 and 18 was noted on the tee box for 10.

It's a simple system but it had to be shown to me and when I explain how it works to others they're surprised how easy it is to mark them. It's also easy to forget if you don't do it every time.

It works for me.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

BDBL - I absolutely agree with you. I play with a few guys who have recently invested in this type of technology and now spend ages working out distances (almost to the exact millimetre it seems at times !!) and they certainly don't possess the skill to hit accurate yardages. Also as Brian W says, judging yardages with your 'eye' is a skill you aquire over time.

Lowpost - there is merit in what you say when you get down to wedge distances but I think this sort of distance can be judged with the eye. Also, the guys that I play with never use their gadgets for this type of range !!

Re: Golf GPS Devices


I concur that sub 80 yard shots are eyeballers. However, when I practice, I practice two ways. The first is hitting to a know target that's 80 yards away - do develop my eye and my feel. The other is to make a 'three quarter' swing, and find out how far it goes. Then I can adjust a little based on that.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I'm definitely a laser rangefinder man - bushnell are the best. It's great to know exactly what you have left to the pin and definitely saves you shots. And for those that say its cheating, well, not really. If you fork out for a course planner and spend the time pacing off yardages then you will get accurate yardages, but personally I don't like 5 hour rounds!

Anyone struggling with their driving? Check out the video tips on purplegolf.com. They really helped me.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I definitely don't get the anamosity towards GPS in golf, do people really think it's cheating?! A device cant hit a 4 iron off a tight lie or a flop shot over a bunker.

Anyway, if it's within the rules and approved by the R&A then why wouldn't you use it? If it's about protecting the integrity of the game then fine but I hope you aren't using a titanium driver Brian, or an electric trolley. In fact, you should perhaps consider playing in a tweed jacket just for that extra bit of authenticity.

Silly debate, go lobby the rule makers..........

Re: Golf GPS Devices


This is a factually incorrect statement, since it is not necessary to remove one's glasses (specs) when reading the display. I know as I have a Bushnell Medalist and always read the display with my glasses on.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I think you missed Brian's (tongue in cheek) ref to "reading" glasses. However I did try Intelligolf s/w (excellent) on my gps smart phone and I can assure you that you have to put them ON to check out the yardage and OFF to play the shot. When the 500 sq yards of green is as precise as one's golf gets then it was all a bit of a chore. But as I said in my previous post my objection is not the gps tools per se but those tools who use them, can't benefit and slow the game down

Re: Golf GPS Devices

No, I didn't miss his reference, he's made it quite clear on this thread as he told us and told us and told us what he thinks of the issue.

However, his statement remains factually incorrect, as I have a Bushnell Medalist and do not remove my glasses to read the display.

It is also incorrect to state or claim that these items slow down play. In my case it speeds up my play as I'm not looking for or pacing from yardage markers.

So it's not the tools that slow down play, but slow players that slow down play.