Gps

[Airlie_Andy]

I am beginning to rely on my laser range finder. I could be sitting on a course yardage marker but still don't trust it!

Went on a captains away day yesterday to a course nobody had played before and the markers on the course seemed odd, lots of over hit and under hit shots. Someone in one of the groups behind us had a laser range finder and apparently some of the markers were as much as 30 yards different on different holes. If I could afford one at the moment I'd definately get one, I currently use a free app on my iPhone in practice and nothing in competition.

 

[Imurg]

This is what I find hard to understand with people saying using a gps are so usefull,if you hit a drive down the middle of a fairway and you were told its 160 to the green, surely there are 150 markers just 10 yards in front of you so why would you need a gps for this information?

You're assuming the 150 yard markers are 150 yard markers and not 160 or 140 as I've found at some courses.

 

[User 105]

I'm with you craw. Forgot to charge mine once, now I'm paranoid about it. I'll charge it the night before and then double check in the morning.

It's as you say. I pretty much know the yardages around my home track but having it in black and white in front of you just gives me that extra bit of confidence. Especially inside 100 yards.

 

[SharkAttack]

I think you really come to rely on them, even at your home course. Lets be truthful at your own course you will know roughly how far, but not exactly and the GPS tells you exactly. Lets face it how many of us have Tomtom's and couldn't find our way back to somewhere it had gave us directions to. We just follow the directions and don't look around for landmarks, same with your GPS you just read the distance to the hole/lay up and don't pay attention to the location.
Shark

 

[bladeplayer]

Not a gps owner but can definatly see the benifit of them on strange courses , on your own course tho ? come on guys , you should have a fair idea on your own track .. for me working out the yardages off the strokesaver (strange course) or markers in your own place is as good a skill at hitting the ball well .. gps , strokesavers what ever aint much use if you cant hit it to within say 5/7 feet of where you want to anyhow ..

 

[USER1999]

Had a shot into the last today, back pin, in to wind. Had about 125 to the middle. Gps showed 141 to the back. Hit an 8 iron to 6 ft. Without the gps, showing where the back of the green was, I would have hit a 9 iron, and not made the birdie that halved the match. I knew that into the wind I would not go long with the 8 iron. Worst case I would be back edge.

Give me my gps every time.

 

[G1BB0]

only sonocaddie have my course mapped, are they any good?

 

[Wayman]

you can request sky caddie to remap your course if you email them.

i would be lost with my bushnell/sky caddie if someone has got one of these i would really get one specially if you play a few different courses

 

[Region3]

For someone who doesnt use one I have a question in how you use them as such. Do you digest the info you get regularly by knowing that the tree to the left is so many yards and will roughly know the distance or do you generally forget the info as soon as you have played the shot and just check it again and not know the distance if you had to repeat the shot.

Hit the shot then forget all about it. As said above, when I use a sat-nav I just follow the directions and don't remember the way for the next time.
I don't remember yardages on the course from certain trees etc. In fact, I even use it on all the par 3 tees every round.

When you walk up to your ball do you already think of a shot or do you not bother til you have the reading on the screen? At the moment part of the thing I love about golf is approaching the ball and starting to see so many different shots.

You can still think about the shot as you're walking up to your ball. You know if you want to hit a high cut you might have to hit 5 or 10 yards more, or a low punch maybe 1 or 2 clubs difference. I'll decide how much distance the wind adds or takes off before I get to the ball too. After all that, in my head I'll have a number of yards to add on or take off of the reading I get when I'm at my ball, to choose my club.

I appreciate that some people 'see' or 'feel' the shot and instinctively know what club to play, but I'm not one of them.

... on your own course tho ? come on guys , you should have a fair idea on your own track .. for me working out the yardages off the strokesaver (strange course) or markers in your own place is as good a skill at hitting the ball well

You could argue that map reading and planning a route is a skill too. It doesn't mean I don't want to use my sat-nav.

gps , strokesavers what ever aint much use if you cant hit it to within say 5/7 feet of where you want to anyhow ..

I wouldn't claim to be able to hit my shots to within 5' of each other, but I'd like to think 5yds isn't an outrageous claim. With that the right club will only be 5yds short or long max, but the wrong one could be 15yds wrong.

Also, if the gps gives added confidence it's one less thing to think about over the ball and if that means I have 1 misshit in 10 shots instead of 1 in 5 because I'm wondering if I have the right club or not then that's a good thing in my book.

 

[evahakool]

You're assuming the 150 yard markers are 150 yard markers and not 160 or 140 as I've found at some courses.

Thats a valid point Imurg,but if you found your yardage markers were wrong on your course would you not have a word with the commitee to correct this?

As there are many players useing gps or similar devices I would hope they would also have a word with the club if they find this a problem,this would benifit all golfers.

I can see someone with your h/c would benifit from knowing there exact yardages,but imo the average player will not benifit from them ,if you say the average distance between clubs is 10 yards you have to be a good player to hit these shots. It would be interesting to know if there are many players that have had there h/cs cut after useing them for a while.

I know I,m in a minority with these views,but hey if you think they help then good luck to any one that works with them.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Thats a valid point Imurg,but if you found your yardage markers were wrong on your course would you not have a word with the commitee to correct this?

Difficult to do when you are playing a different course and they are totally out +/- 10 yards on every hole as a course I played recently was. I actually find it helps the most from 120 yards and in. I know a smooth 9 on a calm day goes 120 yards but I can then decide to grip down, club up or down depending on flag position and conditions. It has made my shots from that distance and closer much more accurate and I'm not trying to play shots I'm not comfy with or trying to hit a club too hard or be to finnicky

 

[rosecott]

only sonocaddie have my course mapped, are they any good?

Snooper claim they will map any course not on their list within 14 days.

 

[PIng]

On my home course I'm usually ok. On new courses I generally get by with the 150 yard markers and the little booklets you can buy for about £3 if available. However, I'm considering a gps because I struggle with courses where the distance markers are little concrete squares in the middle of the fairway - these can't be seen from the edge of the fairway where I play most of my shots from!

 

[evahakool]

Difficult to do when you are playing a different course and they are totally out +/- 10 yards on every hole as a course I played recently was. [/QUOTE

Whats so difficult with having having a word with the pro if you find the yardages are wrong? Surely this would only benifit every golfer playing that course after you if they correct there yardages.

 

[GB72]

To be honest I have all but stopped using mine on my home course and it does not really affect my scores. On away courses it is invaluable but if I were only playing my home course I would probably not go to the effort of buying a GPS

 

[Snelly]

I am mellowing on GPS gizmos. My argument is that as the man said, golf is not a game of perfect and I have always thought that the wind direction and speed, envisaged shot type, elevation to the target, lie of the ball and my performance level of the day are significant factors that influence club selection as much as actual yardage.

In addition, I am not a consistent enough player to need the precision that a GPS device provides. For example, if the green is between 175 (front) and 200 yards (back) away then I know I am going to hit one of six clubs to get there based on the criteria above coupled with flag position. Consequently, yardage is just one factor therefore an approximate distance is enough for me to make a rough calculation and choose a club.

That said, I played in a greensomes game at West Hill recently and my partner was a mate of mine. We both played off two on the day and he had a GPS. It was a very calm, warm day and we were on a flat course with pretty generous fairways which all meant that we were in the most part, pulling a club based on yardage to the target. It was a case of yardage = X club and away we go. We went round pretty quickly and were 3 under gross, winning first prize. I definitely felt that day that the GPS was a help and certainly assisted in us getting round faster than we would have without it as we were not on our home courses.

In essence then, I am of the view that they are beneficial as they give you the right distance very quickly. However, I still maintain that for most golfers, an approximate distance is enough and this can be gleaned from the on-course markers pretty quickly too.

Finally, I am not ready to buy a GPS device personally as I don't feel the need. I am softening my view on them though and will now only argue the toss with people that see them as a panacea for all things relating to club selection!

Cheers,


Snelly.

 

[patricks148]

I just got myself a range finder and though I wouldn’t use it around my home course as we have yardage on the sprinkler heads every 10 yards or so, I got it for away opens etc.

Played at Royal Dornoch again yesterday morning and it def saved me a few shots and even allowed me to get few birdies to boot.

Dornoch greens are pretty big and middle of the green yesterday would have still left you with quiet a few 60 foot puts.

Not a gps fan and much prefer the range finder.

 

[Tiger]

I am softening my view on them though and will now only argue the toss with people that see them as a panacea for all things relating to club selection!

STOP THE PRESS: Snelly in GPS systems are ok shocker!!! He'll be off to Gainsborough for a Ping custom fit next

NB I do not believe GPS systems are a panacea for all things relating to club selection!

 

[chrisd]

Everyone to their own. I want to stand at my ball and know the yardage to the target, so does Luke Donald, why should I not want to do the same as the best in the world? Surely the fundamantals are, correct stance, grip and posture, alignment and know that you have the correct club for the shot you are about to hit

Ok I dont hit many shots like Luke but at least, in my head, I am going to hit the right club, and even before gps/lasers I had a strokesaver and would pace it out, so, the gps just saves me and my fellow players the time that pacing would entail.

I use mine at my club and everywhere that I can and if my Skycaddie is not mapped for the course (eg Sunningdale recently) then I will use the laser.


Chris

 

[Snelly]

The difference is that Luke Donald knows exactly how far, high and straight or short, low and curved he hits a given club with a given swing and we absolutely don't.

The day I pace out yardage from a marker is the day I bin my clubs. I do like to see others do it though as even if I am having a rotten day score-wise, I still find it very amusing and it cheers me up no end!