PGA to Allow Distance Measuring Devices (Lasers) in 2021!

[billchao]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

But, Bill, you weren't making a point.

What you are watching doesn't negate that a caddie who is good at getting yardages from awkward spots is a skill that results in players playing better or worse by some small degree.

And whether those players play better or worse is what you're watching to see.

The point I was making is the skill argument for measuring distances from strange angles is kind of dumb.

And no, I don’t care to see a player playing worse because their caddie is inferior. I’d prefer a player have the information he needs and for the play to be a result of the execution.

[dennyjones]

2 hours ago, turtleback said:

Although it would be fascinating to set things up like they were back in the day without any yardage assistance of any kind, where it all has to by eye and judgement.  Not as a general practice, but maybe an exhibition.

Can you see BD walking 50 yards forward to get a distance and then back, measuring it twice before swinging?   I think that would just slow down the game

[Double Mocha Man]

Now, besides packing extra Titleists, the caddie will need to pack extra batteries for the rangefinder.

1 minute ago, dennyjones said:

Can you see BD walking 50 yards forward to get a distance and then back, measuring it twice before swinging?   I think that would just slow down the game

... and we'd also pick up on the player's mic, "Do you see a sprinkler head around here?"

[saevel25]

13 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

Can you see BD walking 50 yards forward to get a distance and then back, measuring it twice before swinging?   I think that would just slow down the game

It will speed it up. It's much easier to get an exact number, quicker, than pacing off. Imagine if you are Spieth who hit his ball way right at the British Open. His caddie walks to the top of the hill, he shoots the pin, and then he shoots Spieth. He goes back and tells him the yardage. 

As someone who use to find markers, pace it back. Rangefinders speed up play a lot. 

[DaveP043]

18 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

It will speed it up. It's much easier to get an exact number, quicker, than pacing off. Imagine if you are Spieth who hit his ball way right at the British Open. His caddie walks to the top of the hill, he shoots the pin, and then he shoots Spieth. He goes back and tells him the yardage. 

As someone who use to find markers, pace it back. Rangefinders speed up play a lot. 

I'm not a believer yet.  I can't imagine a player saying "I don't really need THAT bit of information".  My guess is that they'll use a laser to get a pin distance, but they'll still use paced distances to get the front of the green, the yardage over a ridge, etc.  I'm guessing that the laser will be one MORE bit of information they'll want to have, and want to digest and analyze, not a replacement for the information they currently get.

[iacas]

43 minutes ago, billchao said:

The point I was making is the skill argument for measuring distances from strange angles is kind of dumb.

That’s not a point. It’s an opinion, and a dumb one that belittles the work of caddies. 🙂

8 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm not a believer yet.  I can't imagine a player saying "I don't really need THAT bit of information".  My guess is that they'll use a laser to get a pin distance, but they'll still use paced distances to get the front of the green, the yardage over a ridge, etc.  I'm guessing that the laser will be one MORE bit of information they'll want to have, and want to digest and analyze, not a replacement for the information they currently get.

If they have the hole number and know it’s 24 on then they can just subtract 24 to get the front of the green yardage.

[Sandy Divot]

46 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Now, besides packing extra Titleists, the caddie will need to pack extra batteries for the rangefinder.

... and we'd also pick up on the player's mic, "Do you see a sprinkler head around here?"

They use them in practice rounds, and I guarantee they have an extra battery. 

[Vinsk]

33 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

It will speed it up. It's much easier to get an exact number, quicker, than pacing off. Imagine if you are Spieth who hit his ball way right at the British Open. His caddie walks to the top of the hill, he shoots the pin, and then he shoots Spieth. He goes back and tells him the yardage. 

As someone who use to find markers, pace it back. Rangefinders speed up play a lot. 

I agree. But If anyone can make the use of range finders slower for the pace, its a PGA TOUR player.

[DaveP043]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

If they have the hole number and know it’s 24 on then they can just subtract 24 to get the front of the green yardage.

No doubt, they CAN do that, I'm just not convinced that they WILL do that.  time will tell.

[saevel25]

16 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

I agree. But If anyone can make the use of range finders slower for the pace, its a PGA TOUR player.

I doubt it. Most of the time PGA Tour players have easy look at the green. You don't have caddies walking off getting yardages. They can shoot the pin, get a yardage much quicker. They get into their routine quicker. 

Overall, I suspect rounds would be faster. 

[Golfingdad]

31 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm not a believer yet.  I can't imagine a player saying "I don't really need THAT bit of information".  My guess is that they'll use a laser to get a pin distance, but they'll still use paced distances to get the front of the green, the yardage over a ridge, etc.  I'm guessing that the laser will be one MORE bit of information they'll want to have, and want to digest and analyze, not a replacement for the information they currently get.

I agree - I can see it speeding the pace up a little bit when they're way off line or just generally out of position, but I am skeptical it'll change pace all that much for the vast majority of shots.

That said, I think I am probably in the minority in that the pace of play on the tour is not really an issue for me.

[DaveP043]

Just now, Golfingdad said:

That said, I think I am probably in the minority in that the pace of play on the tour is not really an issue for me.

Most times, they can cut between players and minimize the impact of slow play.  I DO hate when the last group is two holes behind, and we end up with a half hour at the end of a tournament with only two (slow) players on the course.

[Golfingdad]

12 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Most times, they can cut between players and minimize the impact of slow play.  I DO hate when the last group is two holes behind, and we end up with a half hour at the end of a tournament with only two (slow) players on the course.

Yeah, that's why it typically doesn't bother me.  We're not usually watching them pacing and such, we're "flipping channels" to other golfers on other holes.  If they take more time between shots it typically just means more shots are shown elsewhere.  Also, sometimes the planning and strategizing they are doing is compelling to listen to.

I'm certainly not against them playing faster.  I just don't get bothered by their current pace.

[Rulesman]

I gather the PGA of America is going to permit DMDs in their events. Thoughts?

Edited February 9, 2021 by Rulesman

[Double Mocha Man]

10 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

I gather the PGA of America is going to permit DMDs in their events. Thoughts?

I don't like acronyms...

(My PCO tells me there are over 3000 acronyms.  I have not yet memorized all of them)

[turtleback]

4 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Ahh, another reason Jack is the GOAT.  OT, for another thread.  I know.

It is OT.

Plus it makes no sense.

2 hours ago, dennyjones said:

Can you see BD walking 50 yards forward to get a distance and then back, measuring it twice before swinging?   I think that would just slow down the game

a) that's why I suggested it as just an exhibition, and 

b) conditions of competition should preclude any kind of measurement other than eye.

[billchao]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

That’s not a point. It’s an opinion

Semantics. Don’t be so pedantic 😜

2 hours ago, iacas said:

and a dumb one that belittles the work of caddies. 🙂

Not at all. Caddies do plenty of other things besides determining exact yardage at odd angles. It’s but one small part of their body of work and I don’t see introducing a rangefinder as having an impact on it - mainly because contrary to what you seem to think, I actually have a very high opinion of tour caddies and I don’t believe the difference in level of this particular skill from caddie to caddie is significant enough that a rangefinder would make a difference.

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, saevel25 said:

I doubt it. Most of the time PGA Tour players have easy look at the green. You don't have caddies walking off getting yardages. They can shoot the pin, get a yardage much quicker. They get into their routine quicker. 

Overall, I suspect rounds would be faster. 

Right. But most of us see a laser read of 135yd and a marker, book or whatever reads 137yd we don’t care. Many Pros will say, ‘ ok ok now wait a minute.’😃