Re: Golf GPS Devices

Bdbl,

Do you also argue to have practice swings banned? You could argue in much the same way that they slow the game down aswell and provide no benefit to the player.

Honestly, rangefinders are not the issue with slow play in golf, golf was slow long before they came along. In my opinion slow play has almost nothing to do with what happens when players are over the ball playing shots. In my eyes it's much more about what happens between shots ie. paying more attention to where the ball goes and walking faster.

But seriously, on the devices themselves, I really DO think they help players improve (and if they improve they play less shots so play faster). Here's an example of why. On a par 3, most players will check the yardage of the hole before choosing their club. They do this so they pick the right club for the distance. So by extension knowing the yardage on all shots will help players pick the right club more often and therefore play better.

Where is is the issue with GPS? Is it slow play or is it the integrity of the game? I totally dispute both arguments.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I don't use a GPS, but I know people that do. Here's how I look at it. If you're using the markers on the fairway or a GPS, it's pretty much the same thing....just one has technology involved. People that use either one of these are probably in the "unskilled" category that Brian has talked about. IMO, these people should use some type of indicator....at least until they have enough experience to be able to get a reasonably accurate estimation in their own minds.

Re: Golf GPS Devices


Great post.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

When I lost my sight in one eye and some distance judgement, I purchased a Golf Logix rangefinder which worked well for me. Over the course of the year, I began to depend upon it less and found it helped me redevelope my visual distance cues. It was recommended by my eye MD and it worked to make me less dependent, and not more. It worked as a re-training aid and not a crutch.
In that context, I would recommend one highly.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

Well, I'm about to trial a GPS application that I've downloaded to my mobile phone. It's called Wegolf.

On the advice and recommendation of a fellow member of my club, I've just d/l a free 14 day (or 5 rounds whichever comes 1st) trial package.

Will let you know how it goes in a couple of weeks.

Cheers

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I've used a laser until now, but for Christmas I bought myself a Garmin Approach G5. What a delightful product.

I took it on a recent Florida trip and it took much of the guesswork out of playing a new course each day.

Plus it will keep track of putts per round, greens hit in regulation, fairways hit and the average distance you hit every club. Keeping track of those statistics will sure help me find the areas I need for improvement more easily.

Couldn't recommend a product more.

Re: Golf GPS Devices


I got a Garmin Approach in December and it worked great the first time I used it. Having courses programmed in is great and being able to point at a spot and get the yardage is also great.

But mine stopped working halfway through my second round with it. It didn't appear the batteries were dead (still had 2 bars). I tried it again the next week and it surprisingly couldn't find the course. When I checked Garmin's web site the course had recently been added so I needed to download it. That course gets a lot of play and is old so it seemed odd it hadn't been mapped earlier.

Maybe I gave up too early but I took it back and exchanged for a Skycaddie. Will use that for the first time Saturday.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I know the Sky Caddie and many others have more courses mapped than the Ga rmin does. It did have all the courses I play at home in the summer and they keep adding courses each quarter.

I was familiar with Garmin from the portable I have for my auto and motorcycle, plus I like there are no subscription fees. Hopefully mine keeps working.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

Hey guys. Long time no see My question here is more about the actual use of rangefinders. Are you able to find the range to things other than the flag? To a bunker or to the crest of a hill.. etc

My extremely limited physics knowledge (i.e. I don't know squat) tells me that the laser needs to reflect in order for it to work... However, I saw one advertising that it's able to report the range to deer or other animals and they don't seem very reflective...

Re: Golf GPS Devices


How Bushnell Rangefinders Work:
Bushnell’s Yardage Pro rangefinders use an invisible, eye-safe Class 1 laser beam (as classified by the FDA), which is “bounced” off distant objects with the press of a button. Then, the rangefinder’s high-speed digital clock measures the time it takes for the laser beam to reach the target and return to the unit. Next, using advanced digital electronics, the rangefinder instantly calculates the distance within +/- 1 yard and shows the range in either yards or meters on a through-the-lens LCD display. The entire process is so fast that less than a second elapses between the time you press the button to generate a laser beam to the time the exact range to your target is displayed.
Reflectivity of Target Types:
Because rangefinders “bounce” a laser beam off the target in order to take a measurement, their range is partially determined by the reflectivity of the target. In other words, hard or “reflective” targets – such as a rock cliff or semi-truck – can be measured at greater distances than soft surface targets – such as a deer. Ranges for moderately reflective targets and trees, fall somewhere in the middle. Most experienced hunters will use their rangefinder to frequently estimate ranges to near and distant landmarks before they actually encounter a game animal. By pre-measuring ranges to spots where a game animal is likely to appear, they can concentrate on making an accurate shot when the moment of truth arrives.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

Hey Thanks Redlabel!

Re: Golf GPS Devices

I just lifted the information of the bushnell hunting website.

I thought I would find something there as I was using rangefinders for hunting long before golf. I measured distance for setting decoys at the maximum shotgun range, shooting distances when setting up a tree stand for bow hunting, and getting yardages for shots at elk, deer, moose, and bear when hunting in Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia and Alaska.

Re: Golf GPS Devices

Hi Scarab,

Things have changed a bit since I last posted in this thread. To address your question, "Pinseeker" technology allows the laser to detect a much smaller signature. So I feel confident when lasering the far bank of a water hazard or the lip of a bunker that, give or take 5 yards, I know the number.

As for my dependence on the laser, it's about the same as my previous posts. At my local club, I don't bring the laser out as much as I did a year ago - my eye is much better at this point. However, whenever I "nuke one" or come up woefully short, even though the strike seemed good, I'll pull the laser and double check - and time and again I've misjudged my initial yardage.

And I'm pretty much exclusively playing by eye inside 80 yards. But I've put some serious (for me) time into practicing those types of shots and distances, hitting to different targets up to 80 yards away, just by feel.

So I still believe in the laser, and on an away course it's still very useful. But as stated before - it's downfall is that it doesn't "see" through doglegs like a GPS does - killer on #2 at my home course.