Do you use a range finder/DMD?

[Region3]

As the GPS at best can only be guaranteed to beaccurate to within 10m there may be a few on here missing out on some very prestige’swins. Roll on Galileo I say.

Why do you say they are only accurate to +/-10m, when the manufacturer claims +/-1m?
Surely they can't advertise the fact if it were a lie?

And just out of curiosity, what has Galileo got to do with anything?

 

[Region3]

Golf Shot GPS on my phone. Cracking purchase and only £20

Thankfully my club allows these devices if used only for the GPS component.

Not that it matters one jot to me, and no doubt plenty of clubs do it, but they aren't allowed to allow smartphones used as DMD's according to the R&A.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I have a Garmin G5.

The reason I bought it was to measure distances. Particularly on the golf course.

 

[chrisd]

I have a Garmin DMD and a Bushnell v3 laser

I want to know how far the shot required is, the shot that I hit is down to ability and may just vary from the information acquired by the devices!

It definitely doesn't slow the game down - I used to have to pace distances from, say, the 150 yard markers or other known distances, now I blip it in a couple of seconds!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

As per title, do you own a rangefinder? If so, why? If you don't, why is that? And why would you consider or not consider getting one?

Do I own one? - Yes.
Why? - to measure distances on the golf course, quickly & easily.

 

[CMAC]

I had a Sky Caddie, then a Garmin S1

I now use the yardage markers and a very sophisticated computer that is uncannily accurate, yes my eyes and brain.

Too often I found the skycaddie not catching up and both units not showing the same yardage as my playing partners who also had DMD's.

I see it being useful on courses where the markers are way out or none at all, and very occasionally when I really dont have a clue on the distance i.e a big elevation, blind shot or dogleg.

Overall I dont have any issues whether someone uses one or not, you still have to 'make the shot'


I do laugh (inwardly of course) when I see someone with a GPS and Laser

 

[woody69]

That's your choice pal :thup:

In my opinion it takes something from the game, a bit of the skill I suppose when it comes to judging a distance and selecting a club.

They are of benefit to folk, no doubt, but anything inside 100 yards, I can't really see the point.

I suppose the test is in how well they work for you.

Can I ask. What was your handicap when you first started using a DMD, and what is it now?

I've had mixed results. I'm was off 21, have played in 1 comp since I got it and I'm now at 21.1. That being said, I feel my iron play has improved a lot as has my course management and I have a strong feeling I'm close to a decent improvement as many "bounce" games with mates has produced some decent golf. It has helped my course management as it helps me think more about approach shots. Say I'm on a par 5 and 280 yards from the green, previously that would have been a 5 or 3 wood out and try to hit as far as I can to get up to the green. Now I'm thinking, you know what I want to be around 130 yards for my best approach club, so I need to hit a 6 or a 7 here to get the 150.

I have a friend who played off 6 (5.8). He got one and has now been cut to 5 after 1 comp as well stating the DMD helped him and gave him confidence he was hitting the right club.

 

[blackpuddinmonster]

No AND I'm not considering getting one. So really two votes?

Ditto

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Use a range finder. Very useful when you only get 150 to the middle of the green on most courses. Sometimes the 150 markers are in the wrong place.

...and so I cry 'FOUL - unfair advantage' on behalf of those without a DMD. Golf is a game of uncertainty - anything that removes some uncertainly for one group of players but not another is clearly providing an advanatge to the have's. But I said I wouldn't start - as my position is clear and I know I am in a minority of a very few.

 

[USER1999]

I use a laser, and when I can be bothered to charge it, a GPS too. Why not. I derive very little satisfaction from guessing yardages, and then proving myself right however. I'm there to play golf, not some unrelated smugness test.

inot yet seen a pro guessing yardages either, or using the rubbish book of hieroglyphics you can buy in the pro shop, last updated in 1965. Guess what? They have a better book, and annotate it during practice rounds using the much derided dmd.

 

[One Planer]

I've had mixed results. I'm was off 21, have played in 1 comp since I got it and I'm now at 21.1. That being said, I feel my iron play has improved a lot as has my course management and I have a strong feeling I'm close to a decent improvement as many "bounce" games with mates has produced some decent golf. It has helped my course management as it helps me think more about approach shots. Say I'm on a par 5 and 280 yards from the green, previously that would have been a 5 or 3 wood out and try to hit as far as I can to get up to the green. Now I'm thinking, you know what I want to be around 130 yards for my best approach club, so I need to hit a 6 or a 7 here to get the 150.

I have a friend who played off 6 (5.8). He got one and has now been cut to 5 after 1 comp as well stating the DMD helped him and gave him confidence he was hitting the right club.

That's the whole point. Same as anything in golf, if you feel it gives you and edge, great.

I have a friend who has gone from an avid GPS user to not using anything. His reasoning was simple. confusion.

His words not mine.

He was stood in the middle of a Par 4 or par 5 fairway with his exact yardage on a windy day (Wind helping). He knew how far he had to get the ball to travel, but then had to account for the wind. Then the conundrum started.

Do I play less club with a full swing and hit it high and let the wind play with it?

Do I club up and play keep it low and play it under the wind?

Do I play with the correct club and play a 3/4 shot?

He knew his exact yardage but had multiple options to get it there effectively, with everything centred around that yardage ±10 yards for landing and run . Information overload (... Again, his words).

Now he just steps up to the ball, has a 'feel' for how far he hits each club. Judges the conditions, plays his shot.

He plays off 4.

 

[harpo_72]

We used to use stroke savers in the scratch league matches, but some clubs would hide them so we could not have them, and some would not answer the simple question are your distances to the front or middle of the green. So yes these devices are great, I have a sonocaddie v300 and a golfbuddy world (which was a prize), plus a laser. Yes I have the full array, but I think the Laser is great for mid to short irons (especially practice (you can work out half swing distances with each club and turn it all into a mechanical process) The GPS is great for giving you the lay of the land, accuracy is good the Sonocaddie uses up to 10 sats so the calculation can be verified. The golfbuddy is good if you are showing up somewhere on the off chance as it has maps in it.
I would never consider a sat nav that only gave distance, hole layout is critical and distances to dog legs , bunkers etc

 

[blackpuddinmonster]

Golf Shot GPS on my phone. Cracking purchase and only £20

Thankfully my club allows these devices if used only for the GPS component.

I'd show this flow-chart to whoever organises your comps: if i was you. :thup:


Thats if you can suss out how to enlarge it so you can actually read it. God i'am thick.
Anyway if you google R&A DMD Flowchart you'll see what i mean.

 

[ColchesterFC]

...and so I cry 'FOUL - unfair advantage' on behalf of those without a DMD. Golf is a game of uncertainty - anything that removes some uncertainly for one group of players but not another is clearly providing an advanatge to the have's. But I said I wouldn't start - as my position is clear and I know I am in a minority of a very few.

What a ridiculous argument (no offence). You have the choice as to whether you use one or not. Just because you choose not to doesn't mean others shouldn't. It's not an "unfair advantage" if the opportunity to use one is open to all but some choose not to take advantage of it. In the same way it is legal to have a caddie for a round but I never do. I wouldn't cry about it if my opponent chose to use one. I had the chance and didn't take it. And where do you draw the line? If one player can afford to have 3 lessons per week but I don't have the time or money does that mean I can say they have an unfair advantage. Or if I have to buy 2nd hand clubs because I can't afford new ones but someone with more money gets all the latest technological advances do they have an unfair advantage? As long as the choice/ability to use a piece of equipment is open to all then it's not an unfair advantage if you don't have one. It may be an advantage but it's not an unfair one.

 

[Old Skier]

Why do you say they are only accurate to +/-10m, when the manufacturer claims +/-1m?
Surely they can't advertise the fact if it were a lie?

And just out of curiosity, what has Galileo got to do with anything?

Signal for GPS is received from a limited number of sats which transmit weak signals that can be downgraded by weather. Manufacturers of many things claim a lot, there was a time when people believed car makers mpg figures. As for Galileo, new system slowly being launched which is said to make GPS redundant as it will be more accurate. We can then go off and by some more shinny new toys.

 

[CMAC]

actually in hindsight (wonderful thing) a Laser would be very useful at the course range using proper balls.

 

[Old Skier]

What a ridiculous argument (no offence). You have the choice as to whether you use one or not. Just because you choose not to doesn't mean others shouldn't. It's not an "unfair advantage" if the opportunity to use one is open to all but some choose not to take advantage of it. In the same way it is legal to have a caddie for a round but I never do. I wouldn't cry about it if my opponent chose to use one. I had the chance and didn't take it. And where do you draw the line? If one player can afford to have 3 lessons per week but I don't have the time or money does that mean I can say they have an unfair advantage. Or if I have to buy 2nd hand clubs because I can't afford new ones but someone with more money gets all the latest technological advances do they have an unfair advantage? As long as the choice/ability to use a piece of equipment is open to all then it's not an unfair advantage if you don't have one. It may be an advantage but it's not an unfair one.

I'm not sure I go as so far as cry foul but in an abstract kind of way the powers to be banned buggy's in comps mainly because there normally aren't enough to go round thereby giving an unfair advantage to those using them. If you cannot afford rangefinders etc that is giving some an unfair advantage if they work.

 

[Region3]

Signal for GPS is received from a limited number of sats which transmit weak signals that can be downgraded by weather. Manufacturers of many things claim a lot, there was a time when people believed car makers mpg figures. As for Galileo, new system slowly being launched which is said to make GPS redundant as it will be more accurate. We can then go off and by some more shinny new toys.

Ah, I was thinking Galileo the person rather than a codename for a new system. Thanks.

As for the GPS accuracy, I've obviously not got it quite right in my head how they work. Something to do when I next get bored at work.

Back to the OP, I have a laser and 2 GPS's.

 

[ColchesterFC]

I'm not sure I go as so far as cry foul but in an abstract kind of way the powers to be banned buggy's in comps mainly because there normally aren't enough to go round thereby giving an unfair advantage to those using them. If you cannot afford rangefinders etc that is giving some an unfair advantage if they work.

With buggies being banned it means no-one can use them and therefore there is no advantage gained. I can't afford a brand new driver and irons so am I at a disadvantage and should everyone be banned from buying new clubs? An unfair advantage would be me turning up to play a match and insisting my opponent could only use Pinnacle distance balls and hickory shafted clubs while I used all the mod cons. As long as it's a level playing field then it's not an "unfair" advantage. I accept that I find having one an advantage but just because some people don't want one doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed.

 

[Region3]

Signal for GPS is received from a limited number of sats which transmit weak signals that can be downgraded by weather. Manufacturers of many things claim a lot, there was a time when people believed car makers mpg figures. As for Galileo, new system slowly being launched which is said to make GPS redundant as it will be more accurate. We can then go off and by some more shinny new toys.

Regarding your earlier questions about lasers...

They are class 1 devices, which are classified as 'eye-safe'. You can't do any damage with them, even when magnified.

I don't really know how they work, but I guess the beam must be wider than those of the devices you've been used to. Mine has a x6 magnification lens and it's not a problem getting a signal from a person at 300yds. I tend to struggle with flags over 250, but at that distance it doesn't matter.

From what I've read, in a crowded scene the device gets multiple signals back (ie the flag, and bushes, trees etc behind it) and displays the closest of those. It's only a problem if you're aiming through branches at a flag beyond them.
That's how my Nikon works anyhow. I believe Bushnells have a mode that has to be selected in order to read the closest signal.