Range Finder/GPS

[GMAC88]

After looking on the F/S / Wanted forum, it got me thinking, what is of more use to the average golfer, a laser range finder or a GPS device.

I know there are grey areas around iPhone useage on course for a GPS, however, the way I was playing last year, and looking for yardages, this was brilliant, and pretty accurate, with no running about, and factoring in my 50 yard offline drive to calculate a yardage.

If I'd been reliant on a Laser Range Finder, Id have been running about trying to get a view of a flag, and still trying to guess!!

What do we think?

 

[fundy]

Both have their benefits, round my home course or one I know well then the laser wins hands down for me (so i can get an accurate number to the flag), if playing a new course then I prefer to have the GPS (or both) so as to have a map and be able to see the hazards and know how far they are more important

 

[Curls]

If you use the search function on the top right you'll find this thread repeated a few times, everyone has their own preference and I can see the merit in both, you're a low handicap without one and I can't think that picking up either now would be a hindrance. Personally I've been using the Garmin S3 for the last few rounds and find it brilliant. The only reason I wouldn't use a range finder is I'm not accurate to with a couple of yards, so Front - Middle - Back do me just fine. At our course the flags denote their position on the green, that combined with the easy to read number on the watch is plenty for me. Loads on here use range finders and love them, guess the only way to know is borrow someones (they may give you a lend of one in the pro shop) and give it a go.

 

[GMAC88]

Ive tried the laser, and find my hand is a little bit shakey in order to get a good accurate reading! Im also like yourself Curls in that, front middle and back suits me fine.

Would you say a laser then is more useful for a low man? As I said, there were times last year where I was that far wide, I needed the GPS to get me back to the fairway never mind the green!!

 

[USER1999]

Same as fundy.

But I'm also lazy, and play a lot. My GPS needs charging every 3 rounds. My laser battery lasts 3 months. I use the laser most, as it doesn't need charging. I carry a spare battery. They cost me zip as I get them from work.

 

[Region3]

As much as I'd like to think I can hit a 132 or 137 yard shot on demand, I can't so a GPS is fine outside 120yds. Inside that though and I much prefer the laser to get an accurate reading because most of the time I can play a shot to either 72 or 77yds, or at least I think I ought to be able to.

 

[Curls]

Not sure that it is necessarily a handicap-driven decision, if front-mid-back will do you and you find yourself in very odd places around the course (unsighted) then you may do better with a GPS device that shows a map of the hole. I toyed with this but didn't like the fiddleyness (not a word) of the devices I tried, glancing at a watch is as easy as it gets regards data-retrieval and like I say I have no use for any greater accuracy than that so don't want to complicate things or give myself too much information when there are other equally important factors to take into account. Sounds to me like you've used an iPhone app and liked it so there are plenty similar (comp-legal) devices about and you can get last seasons model (or the year before that) for a fraction of the price on ebay or similar.

 

[GMAC88]

Are iPhone apps comp illegal??

 

[Curls]

Are iPhone apps comp illegal??

Check with the club for local rules but chances are yes they are, something to do with the fact that you could have other apps on there (e.g with a compass or something that tells you something about wind speed/direction) and they can't monitor everyones smart phones so they're all banned. Probably more to do with DMD manufacturers not liking free competition, but thats me just being cynical

It's a tricky one because if you point it out to someone who doesn't know it can make you unpopular but everyone ought to be aware of it and if they're not the club should be doing more to ensure they are.

 

[mab]

As already said, both have there merits.

For me, the fact the laser never needs charging (I can't even remember the last time I changed the batteries) and the level of accuracy it provides, it wins out for me. The ease of simply glancing at a watch or a contraption attached to your bag, at the cost of a few yards' accuracy, is something that interests me though.

 

[Region3]

Check with the club for local rules but chances are yes they are, something to do with the fact that you could have other apps on there (e.g with a compass or something that tells you something about wind speed/direction) and they can't monitor everyones smart phones so they're all banned. Probably more to do with DMD manufacturers not liking free competition, but thats me just being cynical

It's a tricky one because if you point it out to someone who doesn't know it can make you unpopular but everyone ought to be aware of it and if they're not the club should be doing more to ensure they are.

The R&A have made the use of all DMD's in comps illegal, but allow each club to introduce a rule allowing them if they want to.
The club can't overrule the R&A that smartphones (with specific features) are not legal for competition use.

We can argue until we're blue in the face about the usefulness of the things that the R&A object to, but the bottom line is no DMD apps on phones.

 

[Curls]

The R&A have made the use of all DMD's in comps illegal, but allow each club to introduce a rule allowing them if they want to.

This is why I said he should check local rules, but for all intents and purposes they're illegal.

It's clearly stated in our rules and there were even a few posters around last year, but I still saw someone using one in comp so no matter what you do the message will never get through to everyone (or some will just ignore it, bananas I know).

 

[Region3]

This is why I said he should check local rules, but for all intents and purposes they're illegal.

Sorry, I don't know if we're at crossed-purposes here of if I'm misreading your post.

Clubs can't make a rule allowing the use of smartphones. Apologies if that's what you meant.

 

[Curls]

Sorry, I don't know if we're at crossed-purposes here of if I'm misreading your post.

Clubs can't make a rule allowing the use of smartphones. Apologies if that's what you meant.

Ha ha, I see how it reads, yeah he should check the local rules to see if they have allowed the likes of a Garmin S3 etc before he goes off and gets one, chances are they will have. The use of smart phones (the "they" in my sentence) as you say is out. I need to go back to school! Shocking.

Hope the OP checks back, sounds like we may have spared his blushes when the medal tees go out

Just to clarify if you're having a bounce game phone apps are fine, we're not saying they're not allowed on the course, just in competition.

 

[G1BB0]

I barely used my gps on my home course, or at least thought I didnt. Since flogging it the 3 rounds I have plkayed I have severely missed having one several times. Garmin S3 on its way end of April (easter bank holidays triple time paying for it )

 

[The Sclaffer]

For the record:-

The Rule reads as follows:-

"The use of measuring devices during a stipulated round remains contrary to the Rules of Golf, however a Committee can permit the use of distance measuring device via a Local Rule. The use of a distance measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect a player's play (eg gradient, wind speed, temperature etc) is not permitted, regardless of whether such an additional function is used or not"

It's a frequent topic of conversation these days!

 

[GMAC88]

So really I have grounds to say to the committee, when I got my new phone last year I used an app to measur, DQ me, and dont give me 0.1 for everytime I was rotten?

Not a cheater, just ignorant I guess. I played against a few folk in team matches who used apps too.

Whoops!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I use GPS (SC SGX) as I tend to go to places that make laser rangefinders impossible to get a line of sight on the flag.

 

[Canmore]

Bushnell Tour Z6 here - I was amazed how inaccurate my distance estimation were - even using the 150 posts and sprinkler heads. Lasers give you the exact distance to the flag. I wouldn't dream of playing without my bushnell now!

 

[Warbur]

I switched from GPS to lazer after playing at Woburn last summer. I got frustrated that the GPS (SG5) couldn't give a reading to the end of fairway on a subtle dogleg and I ended up running out of fairway.

I went for the Bushnell and haven't looked back - can ping the laser off anything now to get the distance I want. True, they're limited on courses you don't know and I've ended up in a hidden ditch a couple of times but that's my own fault for hitting the drive offline and having to hot back to the fairway (and maybe being a bit greedy with the 2nd).

Had to smile the other week though as one of my partners wouldn't accept the distance I was giving him from the laser as it didn't match his GPS (not sure which one he has). I was getting actual distance to the flag and he was estimating how far the flag was from the back edge (we were taking about 5 yards or so difference). Didn't matter a jot as neither of us are good enough to hit that accurately but he wouldn't accept that the laser is more accurate.