GPS is here to stay

I have absolutely no problem with people using GPS if they like it, I hope I have made that clear from the start?

I have only said that I cannot see me using it. I enjoy looking at my target and deciding what club and swing to make while taking in the factors that may affect the shot. I am not a Luddite by any means, I just like to exercise my senses.

I guess I had had some bad experiences with the GPS Gizmo in my car although it can be quite helpful sometimes, well that is when it's not not telling me off for ignoring it. No! sorry, that my wife

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

I have enjoyed piggybacking this debate.

Personally, I don't mind people using pinseekers or GPS, and I can clearly see the advantages of such tools.

But I'm still left with the feeling of "Why?".
Do we really NEED these tools in order to play golf? It's been played for centuries by millions of players who have never had tools nor caddies by their sides.

We might have better balls today, but we still have to hit it right. We also have more forgiving clubs, but we still have to swing them. We have distance markers, but still we need to estimate yardage to the pin.

These tools provide accucate and indisputable references. It takes skill off the game. It's like having a 6-iron that you could set for a "160yard shot with a 12 yard draw".

It would look great on our scorecards, but I'm not sure it would make us better golfers.

I'll pass on this new technology stuff ... for now, anyway. I might change my mind though.

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//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme

No, we don't need them.

It would certainly be an interesting world of golf if there weren't ANY yardage indicators. No sprinklerheads or shrubs, no GPS or laser. Just you and the course and your eye.

Now THAT would be a challenge (and I'd probably have no chance of even hitting the 2 GIR that I do now with all this help).

Hey I have had a caddy with me from birth. He never gives me the wrong club, the only problem is I have all the shot's but don't hit them in the right order!

Over the past month I have been using GPS and find you have no advantage. But I do lol

But as I said at the start of this thread there will be a few players/non players/committee men/ladies that shy away from progress yes GPS is progress and will benefit all that use it, when you have a game that can match the distance required.

There is nothing better than hitting a golf shot to a known distance and dropping next to the flag. I did this before GPS but now I know the distance I do it more often, wooops

If GPS get's me to plus 1 hc then I am all for it. When you come to think about it were do you draw the line between Pro's and us ametuers! Other than they make more $$$

It will I think widen the gap between higher and lower handicaps, while a low HC will find the GPS more beneficial and possibly reduce his/her HC faster than the higher player. It will be interesting to see how it pans out over the coming months/years.

Regards Cliff

Cliff,

You have lost me now. What is your point here?

I happen to have a Pinseeker (with slope adjustment...illegal) and use it all of the time while practicing or during a casual round of golf. Where it is useful for me is determining where the pin is relative to its position on the green. I can determine easily where the front of the green is and the distance to the back. In addition I can measure accurately the distance to a hazard, bunker, water edge or the beer cart. Unless your course has a book it is difficult to determine where exactly you are on the course. Of course if you can't hit an approach shot with accuracy no GPS or Pinseeker will help you. I usually compare my Pinseeker with the yardage markers and find that most of the time the yardage markers are within 5 yards or so from my readings with the laser. That is really close enough for me, I guess. I did not buy the Pinseeker for myself...it was a gift from my wife.

I'm planning to use GPS next summer. After reading golfseekers comment and thinking about it, I might need to buy some balls, too. I've used balls that I have found. I believe that GPD gives an aggurate estimate of the distance. It's not much sense to have an accurate distance, if I hit a variation of balls with different flight abilities....

Does it really matter if my estimate is off by 5 meters?

I don't know, but there is no harm in knowing better what has happened after a shot. I hope not to start taking it too seriously....

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"It's fine to take your golf seriously, but don't take yourself seriously." Zen Golf

Ah that's a different kettle of fish.

I've got SatNav loaded onto my "smart phone"; I get on with it fine but it drives me mad when my wife turns the phone upside down to work out where we are going.

I tend to look at it like this, if I have a chance to improve my game by constant yardage I will use it in conjunction with a repeatable golf swing that I am trying to master. The combination of the two goes hand in hand. Therefore if you can’t repeat a golf swing GPS might not be for you.

That’s a point!

LOL I've never tried a range finder but those of us who older players who claim GPS is slower have to factor in:

a) remembering which damn pocket of the bag we put it in
b) picking it up after we've dropped it
c) not being able to read the screen without our glasses
d) remembering which pocket we put the glasses in
e) checking the distance - yippee got that
f) putting gps back
g) putting glasses back
h) trying to remember the distance after messing about stowing away the gps and the glasses

You have to remember that our golf isn't sponsored by Volvo or Johnnie Walker but by Saga so assuming we are anywhere near a marker measuring out a yard pace is a doddle in comparison with using any technology that requires batteries.

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I firmly believe that we should try to experience all that life affords, except, perhaps, bestiality and of course Morris Dancing.

That's good Robin and so true.

Thanks for the explanation.

I guess it may not be for you if you can repeat a golf swing and can or like to estimate distances. As I keep saying, all to their own, no one need justify their use of them to me.

Lol Lol Lol Lol Lol

What's so funny Cliff?

Being an avid scuba diver, I reckon that GPS units are going to be very simular to dive computers.

Everyone has to learn to dive without. (Golf: One would hope that beginner golfers are not rushing out to buy one.)

There will always be someone on the boat with one. (Golf: foursome)

You don't really need it, but you can't help but want one. (Golf: everyone)

You have seen people too reliant on it, and they have forgotten the basics... (Golf: bunker---ahh I guess that 3 meter error rate got you.)

You have seen a few divers actually get the bends following a too steep diving profile. (Golf: too busy looking at the LCD and forgot about the 50KM winds blowing the tree tops towards the water hazard?)

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SumoSid
"Moments of Greatness followed by Moments of horror."