What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

[Macster]

Robobum:

What you call my 'rough guessing' at distances, is exactly what everyone who plays this beautiful game has been doing since its invention. Its called judgement, and is all the sweeter when you do it well.
Yes, the Pro's have caddies, who have the time on their hands to pace out distances and provide their man with as near exact distances as possible, but thats another game than the one most of us play.

I think it a bit much to try and insinuate that my apparent lack of ability and skill in playing off 11, is somehow connected to me not having the exact yardage, is just ridiculous, - I rather think it has more to do with my occasional 3 putts or errant Tee shots, or being left or right of the green, than being long or short due to my inadequacies with yardage judgements.
You're clutching at straws there in trying to justify Skycaddies.
Oh, and the Medal Card Demons........

I take aboard your comments about them being allowed perhaps in Comps, and as I said before, good luck to all of you that apparently will soon be seeing your Handicaps tumble as a direct result of using them, but I never will, and I rather think will get all the more personal satisfaction as a result.

Agreed- each to their own. :-/

 

[HTL]

What a great thread, been loving reading this over the last few days, well done ChrisMc for putting up such a good debate, hope this gets into GM for post of the month.

I still aint used my Caddy Lite so holding fire with my views but can defo see the advantage in using them, however, if you dont hit your clubs consistent distances there aint much point in splashing the cash. However, they can help record distances so that's good, however, the effect of weather etc will affect this, however, im rambling and need to stop now.

 

[Imurg]

A GPS will only give you yardages. It can't give you gradient,wind speed or direction. So the judgement element is still there. And I'll agree that a yardage a couple of yards either side is not going to make that much difference in shot selection. However, I have found that yardage markers at my course can be up to 8 yards out. Also most people thought the yardage was to the middle of the green but its actually closer to the front.

And they're a Godsend when you play a course you've never seen before.

I've only used my SC2.5 once (damn weather!) but its in my bag to stay. Commitee has approved them for competition play so I'm off and running.

 

[Robobum]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

Chris, I'm not trying to justify gps to you, I've justified it to myself (and wife who kindly bought it) and now have one. If they had not been sanctioned for use in club & county comps I would not have got it.

May I ask if you are opposed to slow play??

 

[Macster]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

Of course I dont like slow play, but then again I dont suffer it at my own club, we can get round in 3hrs 30mins no problem, maybe 4hrs in a medal.

I dont see people pacing back and forth, or dithering about yardages, so how they would speed things up at my place is beyond me, it really is, more likely to slow things I would have thought.

 

[Robobum]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

Others may suggest that 4 hrs is too long to play a medal round, I was only given 3 hrs 48 (pace of play schedule) for this year's County Championship.

I see you have no problem with the use of a course planner, I presume that you use your "judgment" alongside the aid of 150 markers and tee box yardage markers. These are all fixed point aids for us to judge distance, a GPS is only a handheld device with an infinite number of fixed yardage aids which are constantly updating themselves. Just as we are now using technologically advanced drivers, irons & balls surely GPS is only a glorified Strokesaver?!

Golfing skill IMO is not being able to see distances but being able to hit the ball to them. I would also hazard a guess that if you know how far you hit each club and know how far you have to go you will find yourself closer to the pin more regularly and avoid those three whacks that are dragging your scores down.

 

[Macster]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

Well thats where we differ - the game is all about judgement and execution to me, and if we keep adding in outside aids to simplify it, we may as well paint a big white line down the middle of every fairway, with every yard marked off perhaps, would that suit you too ?

Lets take out the Bunkers so they dont get in the way, after all, if we know the yardages we wont go in the fairway ones will we ?

And before you start harping on about Titanium Drivers and graphite shafts blah blah, whilst they make it easier to hit the ball further, they also make it easier to carry the ball into previously inaccesible places too, if you're not straight, so things even out anyway.
No thank you........I'm happy with the game as it is thanks.

 

[TonyN]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

I think that is the important point about this debate, How you enjoy the game.

ChrisMc gets his kicks from nailing the right judgement and me for example am happy to hit the ball well. With the exact distance available to me, I would simply enjoy exectuting a shot to the point I choose.

 

[ademac]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

I'm with you all the way chrismc! as I said before this debate isn't a new one as I had a bit of an disagreement with most of the same people before. I've enjoyed reading this thread though!

 

[Smiffy]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

I'm with you all the way chrismc! as I said before this debate isn't a new one as I had a bit of an disagreement with most of the same people before. I've enjoyed reading this thread though!

The difference is though Ade that you will succumb to the power of the caddy and buy one. Doesn't sound like Chris will.
The force is strong.....

 

[ademac]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

la la la, I'm not listening, I'm not listening!

 

[Robobum]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

From your point it would appear that we do not differ, golf is a game of judgement and execution. However judgement is trying to figure out whether a little cut up 7iron holding into the breeze is enough or do you need to knock down a little 6, then having the belief that you have chosen the right shot and ability and confidence to execute it correctly. Knowing the exact yardage takes one element of doubt out of the equation so you can focus on the other variables.

How do you think stokesavers differ from GPS in the info they provide Chris??

 

[Smiffy]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

la la la, I'm not listening, I'm not listening!

But you will buy one though Ade, won't you.
You know you will.
Imagine how much you will enjoy Whittington Heath knowing exactly how far you've got to go to the pin.
And I won't let you take a sneaky peek at mine

 

[ademac]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

ha ha ha! not even a sneaky peak?

 

[Smiffy]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

ha ha ha! not even a sneaky peak?

Not a glimmer of hope I'm afraid you Luddite

 

[ademac]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

Nice one smiffy, you've lightened up a "too" serious row again. Happy new year to you mate and to everyone else in golf-monthly forum land!

 

[Marko77]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

call it judgement, call it luck. The key element of the game for me is the ball going in the hole.

For reasons (most of which stated already) I can't see why there is such opposition to GPS devices. I can't yet afford to employ a caddy to accompany me on my rounds and pace out courses before I play them

 

[theeaglehunter]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

Robobum is right, a skycaddie is just a glorified strokesaver and gives you nothing that you wouldn't already use / know with the aged equivalent. The skill is, as always, still in executing the shot- you just need less maths and mental power

 

[Smiffy]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

East Sussex National GC, (not content with having 150 yard marker posts each side of the fairway), have the yardages to each green centre engraved on brass plates on every sprinkler head on every fairway. I have played there many, many times....long before the advent of GPS systems.
One of the first things you learnt playing those two courses was to ask your mates how many yards they had showing on their nearest sprinkler head if you yourself couldn't actually see one. If none of your mates were close by, you made a point of searching out the nearest sprinkler head and wandered over to have a look. Never looked on it as cheating, didn't even occur to me (or my mates) that we were gaining an "unfair" advantage. Just using the tools made available to us. Now I don't have to wander across to the sprinker heads, I just need to look at my SkyCaddie. If that's not speeding play up, I don't know what is?
Chris...can you honestly say that if you were playing a course like that you wouldn't at anytime take a look to see how many yards you had to go?
If you answer "maybe" then your arguement about not using a GPS system flies out the window.
Rob

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Re: What is it about Skycaddie's/GPS etc etc ?????

A very interesting thread and one which I think has the makings of a great magazine piece. Certainly GPS has been the hot topic in the last few months and I'm sure the arguments on the validity will run. From my perspective, I understand ChrisMc's argument that it should be you vs the course with only the information gleaned from on course references and a strokesaver and your own ability to execute. That is a pretty tough stand to have and by playing to 11 he obviously has capability.

My argument however would be that by utilising the power of a GPS and learning how far he hit each club (into and down wind, wet and dry conditions etc) he could learn to course manage better. He has said in a previous post that most people should know roughly how far a hazard is and whether they can carry it or not. Fair point but what happens when you are coming down the stretch and have a bunker or other hazard to take on. It might be on it might not. GPS will give you an exact yardage and allow you to make a definitive call that may make the differenc ebetween shooting your best ever score or not.

I know a number of clubs are already allowing them in monthly competitions from the new year and I think it will only be a matter of time before they become allowed in all amateur events (Pro golf has its own rules which to be honest will never impact 99% of us).

Whilst I admire the tenacity in which he argues his corner and the faith in his ability to play golf in a traditional form I cannot help but feel that his game would benefit from using these devices. I'd urge you ChrisMc to at least give one a go. It is like anything in this world, you cannot truely reject something you have never actually tried. If after a round you don't see any benefit then you have lost nothing but you might just find some interesting results, especially in the distances you actually hit compared with what you thought you did.