Smartphone GPS and Compasses

[Airlie_Andy]

A couple of things here.

Firstly your phone is not a thermometer and cannot give you an accurate temperature reading.

Secondly the weather reading is also not particularly accurate and it will never give you an accurate wind speed/direction reading.

Finally knowing the exact distance to carry the bunker at the front of the green is far more helpful than knowing which way North is when making a club selection but it's the compass that's banned?

None of it has any basis in logic and just saying its in the rules is meaningless. The R & A had a great opportunity to sort this out a couple of months a go and basically just ignored it. If I was a conspiracy theory kinda fella I'd be wondering if certain companies were putting pressure on to not allow phone apps. Luckily I'm not so I'll just stick with the opinion they've just got it wrong.

 

[shewy]

My old Nokia had a thermometer on it! Anyways I was driving to the course today and noticed it was 10 degrees on the car thermometer,maybe the car should be banned, I got out of the car and noticed the trees were blowing a bit,maybe trees should be banned.It was early though and the sun had just risen so I guess that was in the east,maybe the sun should be banned.As I stood on the first tee I plucked some very muddy wet grass and threw it in the air,it blew to the right telling me the wind direction,maybe we should ban grass?
Point made.

 

[Pants]

Point made.

Sorry. What point was that?

 

[shewy]

My point being there are plenty of things on the way to and on the course which help you,GPS just another of these IMO.No different from a stroke saver with the distances walked which the pro's have.Silly R & A missed the boat here.

 

[Imurg]

The point is that the R&A want DMD's to do nothing more than allow to measure distance, something that is common knowledge and available via yardage markers and strokesavers.
They don't want your device to be capable of measuring something else such as wind speed or direction or teperature etc...

Honestly, argueing about isn't going to change it. The rule is there, like it or not.
I bet there are other rules you disagree with....

 

[Pants]

My point being there are plenty of things on the way to and on the course which help you,GPS just another of these IMO.No different from a stroke saver with the distances walked which the pro's have.

Exactly

That information has always been available and public knowledge since the game was first played and a dedicated DMD is just a glorified stroke saver, but quicker.

I think that the real point is that the R & A don't want to allow any other device that has or might have in the future the capability of measuring or doing anything else. You may think that they are being over the top about not sanctioning a smart phone that currently might have the capability of a compass or slope measurement (neither of which has as far as I'm aware has ever been allowed), but who knows what apps might be developed this year, next year, or whenever. They have made it very simple and clear and future proof - not allowed​

I can just imagine someone assessing their shot - now, let's see, my weather app says that the wind is from the WSW, averaging about 7mph, just check the compass app, ah yes, my shot is to the NNW, distance? 167 to the middle, slope? 13*, just check the database, right it recommended a 5 iron for exactly those conditions on 23rd April last year. Hmm, came up 12 yds short last time so the phone now suggests a 4 iron.

Bu33er, sha*ked it.

To all those who constantly whinge on about this subject, my guess is that you bought your smart phone for many reasons, none of which were that you could use it as a DMD on a golf course. If that was the reason you bought it then more fool you. Just don't keep bleating on about the matter.

If you want to play football but don't agree with the rule about not using your hands then go and play something else - rugby for instance.

If you don't agree with the rules of golf, go and play something else. The rules are there, accept them or do the other thing.

Mini rant over......

 

[Bikky73]

Not when you don't use a smart phone it won't LOL. And all this type to have a compass even the S2. Load google maps and there you are.

 

[USER1999]

The images in my strokesaver book have an arrow pointing to north, does that make it illegal to use in a competition?

No, because it does not point north. You have to point it north, and you can't do that with any great accuracy.

 

[Whereditgo]

I caused a bit of debate on this very issue at the club at the weekend, on the verge of getting out of hand now with some people getting their heckles up a bit.

We had a pro's Stableford and one of the guys was using his iphone as a DMD - I mentioned that I didn't think he could in comps. He was a bit touchy about it....well I suppose I could have picked a better time to mention it, he was about to try and reach a par 5 in two

After the round he's straight in the pro shop, I wander up in time to hear the assistant pro declare - "we can use DMD's in comps, so you let definitely will be able to!" - a tad arrogant and ill informed I thought.

So out comes the rule book Rulke 14-3 is read out. "see you can" is the response from all.

After re-reading at my insistance the wording is declared as being ambiguous - really??

Tonight I get a text stating that 2 members of the committee have said it's ok and the R&A have confirmed that "measuring devices for yardage can be used as long as they do not have wind speed temp gauge etc. any ap having these must be disabled" - I have left out some of the content of the text which was purely intended to insult and inflame the whole issue.......he did get both barrels by return mind!

So does 2 members of the committee saying something is ok constitute a Local Rule being in place? I for one wouldn't have thought so. And what does "must be disabled" mean? Turned off? or removed completely? I have emailed the R&A for clarification of that point.

 

[Bikky73]

Hmm bit dodgy if turned off, cos all you have to do when you first pop it out is turn it on. If you see a steward turn it back off......

Besides which, this is probably a good place to ask, What Android range finder apps are good. An airial view with obstacles and distances is perfect. My bro wants one, mainly for the first time he plays a course.

 

[bluetoon]

Ok we know that the intent of the R&A ruling was to forbide the use of smartphones on courses but they seem to have mudded the water so to speak.

Is anyone aware of clubs making a local ruling on this. ie Have allowed smartphones or banned them from comps?
Was wondering if there is a trend going in either direction.

 

[USER1999]

Ok we know that the intent of the R&A ruling was to forbide the use of smartphones on courses but they seem to have mudded the water so to speak.

Is anyone aware of clubs making a local ruling on this. ie Have allowed smartphones or banned them from comps?
Was wondering if there is a trend going in either direction.

Clubs can't do anything about this. It is a rule of golf, and cannot be over ruled by a committee.

 

[StuartD]

I thought the offending app had to be deleted from the phone.

Range finders that measure slope are banned even though you can switch off the slope function . The capability to measure slope must not be present on the unit to start with.

I would presume it would be the same with a phone. Any app that could meaasure wind speed, slope, direction must not be present on the device, switching it off would not be good enough.

 

[Whereditgo]

Received this over the weekend:

Dear Mr Whereditgo

I refer to your e-mail query below in which you raise a query on the Rules of Golf.

Firstly, please be advised that Rule 14-3 states that the use of artificial devices or unusual equipment during the course of a stipulated round for the purposes of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play are not permitted. This means that the use of any device for the purpose of measuring distance (including laser range finders, GPS systems and smartphones) is not permitted.

However, please refer to the Decision below, taken from the 2012/2013 edition of Decisions on the Rules of Golf which gives Committees permission to introduce a Local Rule allowing the use of certain such devices if they so wish.



If a Committee has decided to allow the use of certain such devices at its Club or in certain competitions, then you must still be careful as to which device or product you choose to use – as there are some very specific limitations as to what is and what is not permitted even under the Local Rule. Indeed, the use of a GPS app in conjunction with a smart phone (including an iPhone) is a very complex issue and is something that the Rules of Golf Committee is currently keeping under close review. In most cases, it depends on exactly what features or other applications are available on the individual device.



Based on my understanding of the features available on an iPhone, it is my belief that it would not be permissible to use this device during a round for the purpose of distance measuring, even under the Local Rule. This is because I believe it contains a compass feature as ‘standard’ and unless this compass feature can be removed, I do not believe the iPhone could be used.

If you do have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely



CLAIRE BATES

Assistant Director - Equipment Standards

R&A Rules Limited, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JD

Tel: +44 (0)1334 460000 Fax: +44 (0)1334 460152



14-3/0.5 Local Rule Permitting Use of Distance-Measuring Device


Q. May a Committee, by Local Rule, permit the use of distance-measuring devices?

A. Yes. A Committee may establish a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only (see the Note to Rule 14-4). However, the use of a distance measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect a player’s play (e.g., gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc) is not permitted regardless of whether such an additional function is used.
In the absence of such a Local Rule, the use of a distance-measuring device would be contrary to Rule 14-3.

Good evening, Could you please confirm whether or not the use of a distance measuring device ap on an iphone is permitted during competitions, provided that any additional aps that measure temperature, direction (compass) etc are switched off and that a local rule is in place for the competition allowing the general use of DMD's. Kind regards, Mr Whereditgo
Best regards.