What if Laser/GPS were banned?

[wils5150]

What would you guys do if lasers and GPS devices were banned? Would you still be able to play as well or would you be lost?

[newtogolf]

I'd be lost at first because I've become spoiled getting pretty accurate distances to the hole by just looking down at my watch.  Long term it would probably impact my pace of play, especially on unfamiliar courses.

I don't see that happening, in fact I had heard they were considering allowing rangefinders to be used at even the professional level if they would improve pace of play.

[hacker101]

I don't have one yet, so I would be fine.

Maybe a Christmas present this year from the wife?

[RickK]

Well, I played for years stepping off yardages, reading yardage books, etc.  I did ok then, I'm sure I could go back.  Just don't want to.  Using EMDs make it so much quicker to determine yardage without a caddie.

[David in FL]

The same thing I did for the 35+ years I golfed before using either.....

[MS256]

What would you guys do if lasers and GPS devices were banned? Would you still be able to play as well or would you be lost?

I wouldn't say that I would be lost because I played a lot before I got a GPS but I wouldn't like going back to guessing yardages any time I'm not in the fairway (or the fairway I'm supposed to be playing).

No doubt I trust the shot and commit more to the shot with a GPS. Especially on blind shots.

I see no good reason why pros can't use a GPS or range finder. The caddies are very good at getting them the correct distance anyway but after the off line tee shots it's a little annoying when they step off the yardage all the way to the green. Rounds are long enough as it is.

[RayG]

I'd go back to looking for sprinkler heads and stepping off yardages.

[PirateJim]

I pretty much always estimate yardage before looking at my "golf watch." Usually I am pretty close. And I played without it not long ago with no ill effects. That said, I would be annoyed if range finders were banned.

[colin007]

If they were banned I'd still use them.

[Dave2512]

It's convenient but not necessary. In fact I often wish some people didn't use them. Drives me nuts following four guys chasing balls all over only to sit behind them shooting yardages before another duff. Especially when they are already riding in gps cart with displays better than a yardage book.

[billchao]

I'm lost now, with a laser, so I doubt it would break my game.

[MS256]

It's convenient but not necessary. In fact I often wish some people didn't use them. Drives me nuts following four guys chasing balls all over only to sit behind them shooting yardages before another duff. Especially when they are already riding in gps cart with displays better than a yardage book.

Surely that doesn't drive you more nuts than four players wandering around looking for yardage markers, pacing off the distance to their ball, and then getting the triangulation wrong causing more bad shots and more of the same.

[Pretzel]

I personally would be fine, but I know there are some people I've played with in tournaments that would be completely lost. Part of the reason for this is that I play a secondary game with myself whenever I golf, in that I try to guess the distance before I shoot it with a laser. I've gotten fairly good, but some courses manage to throw me for a loop with deceptive pin locations that look like they're closer or further than they really are.

I always thought it was odd whenever I saw someone out there with a young kid who was using a rangefinder to tell them how far their shot was. I would image distance control would be more difficult for them when they just see each shot as a number to the pin, rather than being able to analyze how far it is to carry various obstacles or hazards. That being said, carry distances are the majority of what I use my rangefinder for rather than actually distance to a pin.

[Ernest Jones]

If they were banned I'd still use them.

Would you anchor it?

[Desert Driver]

IF THEY WERE BANNED.

It would have a negative impact on my game for sure. I have become very accustomed to taking a distance reading with my rangefinder not just to pins, bunkers and hazards, but to all sort of objects including golf carts in front of us to see if they are out of range before hitting.

I would be back to walking off distances from known yardages which certainly takes more time than raising the laser and taking a quick reading. Back to yardage books.

That being said, those are the very reasons that support the use of rangefinders and GPS'. Be grateful for them.

[GaijinGolfer]

Just like with anchored putters and u-grooves, people would whine about it at first, say its going to ruin the game and then they would adjust and deal with it.  As long as a course has adaquate yardage markers, you dont need laser or GPS.

[Robster 7]

It would certainly slow up play which is something that nobody wants. I occassionally forget my Sky Caddie and it is strange but I don't think it impacts my score too much, maybe a shot at most. For me, it's been the best innovation since I started playing golf with custom fitting second.

[GolfMad19]

I have never used the GPS when playing golf as I really do like using my skill in judging the distance.... but then again maybe I should use one and get my score under 75.