Mobile phones as measuring devices

[Davey247]

The rule amendments are out and 1 has caught my eye:

14-3/18
Weather Information Accessed on Multi-Functional Device

This has been the rule that has effectively rendered the mobile phone apps for measurements illegal, however the amendment stats these are now fine as they dont have the functionality for current on the spot wind speed and temp. Accessing local forecasts is fine - probably because anyone can access them prior to being on the course and having the same information.

Here is the quote from the R&A website:

Q.During a stipulated round, may a player access local weather information
(e.g. wind, temperature, humidity) through an application or internet
browser on a multi-functional device?
A. Yes. The prohibition in Rule 14-3 is only applicable to the specific act of
gauging or measuring conditions that might affect a player’s play (e.g. through
use of an anemometer or a thermometer). When accessing weather reports
provided by a weather station through an application or internet browser,
the player is not actively measuring or gauging the conditions.(New)

Is my reading of this correct?? Will this mean apps such as GolfShot will now be legal?

If so what are your thoughts?

 

[BTatHome]

Not really, modern phones have gyroscopes/inclinometer etc, that would work well as spirit levels etc, so I doubt that any of these are now legal either.

 

[doublebogey7]

No change as far as I can see this new decision just adds clarity to the current position. Most mobile cannot be used
as a DMD as they also contain a compass.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Not really, modern phones have gyroscopes/inclinometer etc, that would work well as spirit levels etc, so I doubt that any of these are now legal either.

This is where I find the current rulings crazy. There is no penalty AFAIK if you carry a compass, a spirit level, a gyroscope or whatever in your bag providing you don't use it to give you an advantage. However, if you use an iPhone app for distance measuring etc then you are apparently breaking the rules beause the device is not conforming....ie the compass app cannet be removed......regardless of whether the functionality is used. You can have an iPhone in your bag and use it to make phone calls (a whole other debate!!) superglued to a legal DMD and presumably you would be OK???

The whole area needs looking at and if the rules are changing then that is good....providing they don't make as big a hash of it as they did last time.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

This is where I find the current rulings crazy. There is no penalty AFAIK if you carry a compass, a spirit level, a gyroscope or whatever in your bag providing you don't use it to give you an advantage. However, if you use an iPhone app for distance measuring etc then you are apparently breaking the rules beause the device is not conforming....ie the compass app cannet be removed......regardless of whether the functionality is used. You can have an iPhone in your bag and use it to make phone calls (a whole other debate!!) superglued to a legal DMD and presumably you would be OK???

The whole area needs looking at and if the rules are changing then that is good....providing they don't make as big a hash of it as they did last time.

Lets not do this again

 

[Fyldewhite]

Lets not do this again

LOL ....OK....fair comment.
Just saw a glimmer of hope that they were actually DOING something about it and got carried away.

 

[duncan mackie]

14-3/18
Weather Information Accessed on Multi-Functional Device

This has been the rule that has effectively rendered the mobile phone apps for measurements illegal, however the amendment stats these are now fine as they dont have the functionality for current on the spot wind speed and temp. Accessing local forecasts is fine - probably because anyone can access them prior to being on the course and having the same information.


If so what are your thoughts?

this is the flaw (bold) and continually crops up in DMD discussions as such.

in this context (as opposed to the revised - reversed - 14-3/4) there isn't actually any practical change, just a clarification.

 

[ger147]

No change as far as I can see this new decision just adds clarity to the current position. Most mobile cannot be used
as a DMD as they also contain a compass.

Compasses can now be used.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Lets not do this again

Oh please, please - can we please :clap:

2nd thoughts - no - let's not.

 

[doublebogey7]

Compasses can now be used.

Yes sorry just read that on another thread.

 

[mchacker]

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-A...dia/RandA/Equipment Notices/DMDflowchart.ashx

 

[rulefan]

The rule has not changed. The decision simply clarifies the situation.
See the diagram above which is nearly two years old.

But the gradient function is the killer.

 

[ger147]

There have been 2 changes i.e. a compass used to be banned and now it's allowed and you are now allowed to access local weather info via an app and not breach the rule.

 

[mefromhere]

It does appear that the R&A are slowly moving to making using a phone as a measuring device legal. If I was a dedicated GPS manufacturer I think I would be starting to get worried!

What features, as of January 2014, does a phone have that make it illegal still now that the compass and weather apps will be allowed?

 

[Colin L]

There have been 2 changes i.e. a compass used to be banned and now it's allowed and you are now allowed to access local weather info via an app and not breach the rule.

Just one change here. As rule fan points out, it is not a matter of now being allowed. Information only accessible from the internet or through an internet shortcut was previously allowed.

 

[rulefan]

It does appear that the R&A are slowly moving to making using a phone as a measuring device legal. If I was a dedicated GPS manufacturer I think I would be starting to get worried!

What features, as of January 2014, does a phone have that make it illegal still now that the compass and weather apps will be allowed?

Gradient facility.

 

[Davey247]

Thanks for the clarity folks.

Shame the R&A cant go for a definitive yes/no for mobiles. But I guess there'd be no fun in that....

 

[ger147]

Just one change here. As rule fan points out, it is not a matter of now being allowed. Information only accessible from the internet or through an internet shortcut was previously allowed.

It's 2 as the 2nd NB on the flowchart posted above states that accessing local wind or temperature conditions is a breach. This is no longer a breach.

 

[ger147]

Gradient facility.

Is this a built in phone app or a feature of phone based DMD apps? Asking because as far as I know, my phone has no built in gradient facility/app.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Thanks for the clarity folks.

Shame the R&A cant go for a definitive yes/no for mobiles. But I guess there'd be no fun in that....

I'm guessing that the problem is that the functionality of a DMD is defined - whereas the functionality associated with a mobile phone cannot be defined - it could include be anything and become anything - including functionality that we haven't thought about. As soon as the R&A allow mobiles they open the door to they know not what. And once open, then future super whizzy apps for mobiles will be walking through an opened door that will be difficult if not impossible to shut.

To me it seems that they looked at the compass app as an app that could possibly in some way help in golf that is clearly not distance measuring; and that is on most if not all smartphones - and used that as the door stop. A compass isn't distance measuring and it's on all smartphones - so if your device has a compass - it's illegal. Has that changed?