Rangefinders allowed in majors

[clubchamp98]

Most pros don’t really aim at the flag.
They are working out the slopes etc and where they want to put from if they miss it a bit.
This will just add another layer of preparation to the shot.
Take the yardage books and green books off them if dmds are allowed.
Put a strict time on shots.

 

[pokerjoke]

They will now do both
Zap the flag then check it with the yardage book.
To be honest how much could it speed the round up 5 or 10 minutes.
It won’t make a blind bit of difference to the tv watcher.

 

[MarkT]

Speaking to a couple of tour caddies in the morning if anyone has any good questions?

Seems most think it’s not going to speed anything up as they have the yardages almost immediately and are after various numbers rather than, like most of us, just getting the pin and then under-clubbing.

 

[Tashyboy]

As much as it’s a good idea, I cannot help but smile. On one hand there Is talk of reeling technology in re distance balls are hit. In the next breath technology is embraced.

 

[Fugee]

Speaking to a couple of tour caddies in the morning if anyone has any good questions?

Seems most think it’s not going to speed anything up as they have the yardages almost immediately and are after various numbers rather than, like most of us, just getting the pin and then under-clubbing.

I saw a pro talk about introducing range finders a year or so ago. He said it would not make a difference. Pros rarely shoot at the flag. They're looking at landing zones, the wind, carry distances and whatnot.

If they start using range finders to measure more than the distance to the flag instead of using yardage books, it may well make the game slower for amateurs, because some people will start thinking they need all those distances too.

Range finders have already made the amateur game slower IMO.

 

[chrisd]

I was at Wentworth for the BMW practice round several years ago and heard Colin Montgomerie say to his pro am players that range finders would be allowed in the top level in the next year or two and I reckon that was about 8 or 9 years back.

I reckon I can measure a distance in less than 10 seconds, very often doing it whilst waiting for others to play, I used to have to do pacing out of distance, find distances on a yardage book, work out the shot distance - that could often take much more than a few seconds especially on courses where they didnt have yardage books.

Pros have a given time to play a shot and I reckon the authorities wont allow more time because of the introduction of range finders before slower groups are put on the clock and, anyway, it's not that they dont use them for practice rounds so are well used to them.

 

[patricks148]

good idea, lets hope it speeds up the slowcoaches

 

[Wilson]

I’ve only seen one player say it will help speed wise, and that will only be when they’ve hit it on the wrong fairway.... it won’t make any difference on most shots as the distance to the pin is irrelevant, you only need to look at the detail on their yardage books.

 

[Beedee]

I think it will just increase the difference between the fast ones and the slow ones. For the fast ones, quick accurate information - get on with it. For the slow ones, one more piece of information to gather, check, recheck, regather, discuss, and then pace out anyway.

Faffers gotta faf.

A shot clock with shot penalties (not fines) is the only thing that will actually speed them up.

 

[larmen]

Fine with it if it is not the speaker boom box range finder ;-) But I imagine they just use it to confirm what they work out from their yardage books anyway.
It gives them the opportunity for another sponsor.

 

[Dando]

 

[Sats]

Good thing. I think it will speed things up, but I think pro's will find a way to slow it down.

 

[Yorkshire Hacker]

I too worry that golfers will use a laser to double check the current yardage book distance, not use it as a replacement.

Maybe the rule should be, "you can have one or the other, but you can't have both!"

 

[Canary Kid]

Maybe the rule should be, "you can have one or the other, but you can't have both!"

That would be good ... I wonder if the authorities would be prepared to be that prescriptive.

 

[clubchamp98]

Maybe the rule should be, "you can have one or the other, but you can't have both!"

I agree but think they would keep the yardage books.

 

[BubbaP]

What do we think will be the shortest yardage zapped over the 3 events?

 

[USER1999]

What do we think will be the shortest yardage zapped over the 3 events?

I don't know how far, but it will be Bryson.

If I had to guess, less than a yard.

 

[Golfnut1957]

Regarding slow play Radar Reilly mentioned an interesting idea during last week's coverage. With regard to those pro's (and am's) who spend forever on the green lining up lines on their ball, if the rule was changed to "after picking up your ball, you may only replace it once", they would only get one go at aligning the marks.

It might not save a great deal of time, but it would certainly save me from have to watch it, both on the TV and the course.

 

[rulefan]

A statement from the PGA Tour:

“The PGA Tour conducted a four-tournament test of Distance Measuring Devices on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017, with varying results,” the Tour said in a statement released Tuesday. “We decided at the time to continue to prohibit their use in official competitions on the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour for the foreseeable future. We will evaluate the impact rangefinders have on the competition at the PGA of America's championships in 2021 and will then review the matter with our player directors and the Player Advisory Council.”