GPS is here to stay

After the R&A & USGA passed the 14.3 rule helping clubs to make a local rule to use GPS, I have found it's the best thing I have bought in years to get me round the golf course.

Have any of you folks used one yet. If so have you had any problems with (Local rule) brigade! against its use.

hi cliff
i emailed my club secretary asking what the clubs stance was on gps/rangefinders, still waiting for a reply

I find it's especially useful when you're all over the course, or happen to crank one far, but it's two fairways over.


But between GPS and laser rangefinders, knowing where the middle of the green is and the distance to the flag, life is great! If only I could hit the ball consistently...

i know it's latest technology , but in my opinion , there are yardage markers and the rest is down to good old judgement.if you play regular at one club buy a yardage chart , lets not ruin golf with gps .

I cant see me ever using GPS or range finders, especially on my own course. I agree with Bruin, there are yardage markers, yardage charts and the skill of estimating the distance.

Just to be controversial I'd make GPS compulsory.

There's finding the (probably inaccurate) yardage maker, checking the charts, pacing back and forwards to the ball, working out where the pin is, and dithering about the distance and which club to use.

Yup, I'm all for it, 90% of golfers might not have the skill levels or consistency to hot the ball a set distance but at least they'd know the distance a damn sight quicker; compulsory GPS could stop the inexorable slide to towards the 6 hour round.

Don't really have those problems, I tend to approach the ball from behind in the direction of play and have normally made my mind up what club to play before reaching the ball. OK, when playing a new course it can be a little more difficult but normally a quick glance at the hole layout on the card or the 150 marker on the few holes that are obscure does it.

6 hour rounds? I find it hard to cope with 4 hour rounds, if it ever came to that I would take up competitive Gurning

I've recently used GPS and can see it's merits - but to me ONLY in a practice round. I found it invaluable in checking my yardages and working out how far I hit a specific club etc. It helped me work out the club to use whereas before I could use yardage markers there's still an element of guesswork

The GPS in practice is in my view a useful practice aid.

I will not though be using it in a competition on the basis that 1. Not everyone can use it so it's not fair. 2. I want to win/do well on merit on the day and not have competitors consider it was down to getting my yardage right. 3. It does distract you from play and can slow up play while you wait for a fix etc

Practice GPS is great - helps you develop your game. Competition bad - leave it to your skill and judgement on the day backed up by what you learn in your practice

Bruin/BrianW

You could say lets not ruin golf by using ProV1 or Square Drivers! But many players use them.

If you are lucky enough to hit a ball consistently with each club then GPS is the way to go. If not then spend your $$$ on more lessons.

Not all yardage charts are true measurements of the course, quite often the 150 marks are out of sync and many clubs mod the course over time and don’t mod the yardage chart due to the cost.

It is true that when playing your own course day in day out you will get a feel for distance, but I bet if I played your course with GPS I would be more accurate to what the yardage is and possibly hit the target more often too.

There is no skill in estimating the distance, the skill comes from executing the right shot.

I’m sure if the pros on tour had only a yardage chart to hand (the one you buy from the pro shop) the scores even the time they play would escalate.

Wicket94 not every body can use a computer but the technology continues to grow, given time GPS will dominate the course and maybe speed up play as well. Also you can’t use it in competition (unless the club have made a local rule) or you will be disqualified. Just to show how fast this GPS is moving our County Golf Society has recognised it’s potential and now made all County qualifying events GPS usable. (Incorporated the local rule advised by the R&A) Also the Fix as you call it takes 2-5 seconds to be accurate to within 2 metres! I take longer than that to pull the right club out of the bag.

But all in all it’s interesting to read other players/members comments.

Regards Cliff

PS just talking about the time it takes to play haha. I played The Buckinghamshire golf course last September and after 9 holes caught up the players in front, this guy came out of the main building pushing a cart, he waved us over and asked if we could take a break and give his society a head start on the back 9. I had no problem with this because he plied us with beer and ham rolls! I asked the chap do you run these events often and what was the biggest event he did, he laughed and said well last month we put on a tournament for Orange mobile phones and we had 160 players on a shotgun start on the course. OMG 160 players how long did that take, 81/2 hours with food and drink on each hole! On some par 5’s we had 24 playing it. True story lol

Well that another subject, I don't think Pro V1's or square headed drivers or any other technology come to that makes much difference to average Joe's game, just look at the average handicap today as to 30 years ago.

Would a Marksman be allowed to use a laser sight in competitive shooting, would a Snooker player be allowed to use a laser to line up his shot, would a competitive Runner be allowed to have a device that bleeped out his pace. No they wouldn't. OK, I take the case that you could use these things for practice but to me they should be banned so there is no advantage and the emphasis is on skill.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

The problem with GPS is it only gives you estimates to where the flag might be if it is on the front, middle, or back of the green. It doesn't give you the distance to where the actual flag is positioned. Also the GPS often don't give the correct distances (they don't update correctly when walking around the courses). I've played regularly with people with GPS, people who use range finders, and I've use both systems. (I carry a range finder with me). The range finder is a better way to go, and you aren't stuck paying a mothly fee, or a fee for a certain amount of courses. The GPS may be able to tell you how far to reach a lake, tree, or carry to avoid an obsticle, but that is only if its functioning and updating correctly. Overall for price, simplicity, and accuracy the range finder is a better package.

[Quoting the BBC website]

Stories of Langer's legendary attention to detail are in abundance, though one of the best concerns him asking his caddie for a yardage from his ball on the middle of the fairway to the flag.

Pointing, his caddie told him: "It's 150 yards from that sprinkler head over there."

Quick as a flash and deadly serious, Langer replied: "Do you mean from the front of the sprinkler head or the back?"


So would you also ban tour players using caddies who have paced every inch of the course?- not a huge amount of skill there.

"What have we got?"
"177 to the pin boss"
"Thanks"

GPS and Laser's only provide the same information to the average Joe, whether it would make any more difference than a Prov V1 to the average score who knows?

If not then then there's no harm in Joe Hacker using one in the same wayas he uses his Cruddington Special Square headed Ceramic Driver to find OB?

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Nice Quote bdbl on Langer.

GPS will not give you an estimate to any flag! Unless it is fitted with GPS transponders, then it will be spot on not an estimate. But the standard GPS will give you front middle & back of green from your location & other info required like bunkers etc.

I also never hit a golf shot while walking along, I tend to set up square to target, but I think I get your what you are saying, you don’t like it! No problem. I think all in all GPS is for 5 to plus 5 handicappers. These players will hit the yardage they are given. But the GPS can and will be used by all levels of golf because we can’t leave technology alone (monkey see Monkey do comes to mind)

My opinion will probably not be taken into account by the R&A and I am coming to the conclusion that I will not make the tour so neither GPS or Caddy will be assisting my game.

Pacing off the course is not something that I or anyone I am likely to play against will do so no problem there. But! if that's what they want to do then it's a fair cop to me.

Sadly my old mentor Norbington Hacket would turn in his grave at such ideas. He made the point in page 78 of his book "The 256 fundamentals of the modern game" "Tossing grass into the air to determine wind direction should be a flogging offence" The only square driver he knew was a member of a secret golfing society. Ah! will we ever see the likes of his reverse pirouette niblick stinger on the links again?

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

At least if you have a bad round using GPS on the course you can put it in your car to help you find your way home again. That’s unless it tells you to turn right on a motorway!

You either love it or hate it. I love it and that goes for GPS too.