DMDs, Rangefinders and The Rules

I am posting from the UK.

I am looking for views and experiences fom all over the golfing world and having started the ball rolling with a thread on a specifically UK golf forum, I thought I would go further afield and try and get a feel for the attitude toward the new technology.

In the UK we have four unions that represent the four countries, the Golf Union of Wales, the Scottish Gofl Union, the Irish Golf Union and the English Golf Union.  Each union represents the various counties that play within that country.

The rules for GPS and Rangefinders are laid out by the R&A; (Royal and Ancient), but these are vague in that the four unions have been left to make up their own minds about allowing free use of the new technology.  In turn, it is apparent that the seperate counties within those unions are also left to their own decisions.

The result of this apathetic attitude is confusion and anger.  In England the technology has been fully embraced as far as the amateur game is concerned.  I understand Worcestershire was the last county to be dragged into the 21st century!

In Wales it is a different story.  Although as far as GPS is concerned and in particular I refer to Sky Caddie, many clubs have had their courses mapped and some even allow the technology to be used in competition at the amateur level and in certain instances the professional level too.  Some clubs, although having had their courses mapped, will not allow the use in competition.  A very few will not allow the mappers to set foot on the premises, (Conwy and St,Deiniol, Bangor to mention a couple) and certainly will not allow the devices to be used in competition at any level unless the competition or tournament is sanctioned by a different authority.  Anything run under the GUW banner does not allow DMDs.

I have not had any feedback for the Scotland and Ireland yet.

So as a whole, the UK does not fully embrace the new technology.  I feel it is the fault of our governing body, (i.e. the R&A;) and that they should be taking the lead in this instead of sitting the debate out on the fence.  They should either say yeh or neh, but preferably yeh to full acceptance at least at the amateur level to get rid of all doubt and stop the various unions and counties making up their own rules.

I was hoping that some of you guys from across the pond could fill me in on what the position is in the USA.

As the rule is currently written, it's up to each association to enable the local rule allowing them if they so choose.  Most state associations in the US have deferred to the individual clubs, whether they play on public or private courses, to make their own choices.  The Colorado Golf Association allows them for all of the tournaments they manage, and my home Men's Club also allows them.  I'm sure that there are still some backward clubs which are still stuck in the 20th century, but they are becoming increasingly rare.