Rangefinders on the PGA Tour?

[seanoando]

Should range finders be allowed in PGA Tour golf? Why or why not?

[No Mulligans]

They should.  It's antiquated that the don't.  Granted they pretty much get all that information from their yardage book but it takes a lot of work to create the book.  Modern technology makes ones work quicker, and easier.  It won't necessariily change the results, it will just get rid of some of the busy work.  

Use the technology like we do in most facets of life.

[Golfingdad]

I see no good reason for them not to.

[Patch]

Using range finders in pro golf is something I could live with, or live with out. On the plus side, the pro players have their distances off each club dialed in, so why not allow them to have accurate yardages to work with. The question I have would be if their range finders are more accurate than their yardage books. Another plus would be speeding up play, since they wouldn't be spending time looking for, or pacing off yardage points. The only negative thing I can think of is the rule book citing some rule that could include the use of electronics. I carry both gps, and a range finder. I hardly ever use them anymore. Just not a big deal to me. 

[newtogolf]

They get to use them during practice rounds and if used properly it could speed up their rounds.  We're told how technology needs to be embraced for rules violation detection, so embrace it for distance determination too.  

[Rainmaker]

I voted yes - can see no reason not to allow it. 

[iacas]

3 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

I see no good reason for them not to.

About the only thing I can think of is that the PGA Tour doesn't like the appearance?

I think they should be allowed to use them.

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

About the only thing I can think of is that the PGA Tour doesn't like the appearance?

I think they should be allowed to use them.

I'd buy that.

The only other thing I see as a remote possibility is that some guys would use them but not abandon their other methods of measurement and it would slow things down a little?

[Pretzel]

7 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

The only other thing I see as a remote possibility is that some guys would use them but not abandon their other methods of measurement and it would slow things down a little?

Their other methods of measurement are consulting the yardage book that they created earlier in the week (using the exact same rangefinder), so I don't think that's an issue. If anything rangefinders would speed up play since players would be able to have an exact yardage they want within seconds, instead of taking upwards of 30 seconds to figure out the yardage from the nearest point they had marked on their book.

At every level of competition rangefinders that measure distance only are allowed. High school golf was the last bastion of amateur golf that didn't allow it, but they have pretty much all started to allow it in the last five years or so. Heck, even the professional tournaments hosted in Colorado all allow the use of rangefinders as far as I'm aware.

[Chilli Dipper]

My take: pros can have either rangefinders or caddies, but not both.

[Pretzel]

1 hour ago, Chilli Dipper said:

My take: pros can have either rangefinders or caddies, but not both.

Why is that?

[boogielicious]

6 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

I'd buy that.

The only other thing I see as a remote possibility is that some guys would use them but not abandon their other methods of measurement and it would slow things down a little?

"I know the rangefinger reads it's 176 to carry that bunker, but you better walk it off just in case." 

[krupa]

I'm clearly in the minority but I don't think the use of technology automatically makes something better, or that not using technology is "antiquated."  The more they use technology, the less I want to watch because it becomes less about individual performance/ability and more about some engineer's cleverness in creating tech.  May as well just watch Robot Wars.

[dennyjones]

I like the idea. 

[seanoando]

17 minutes ago, krupa said:

I'm clearly in the minority but I don't think the use of technology automatically makes something better, or that not using technology is "antiquated."  The more they use technology, the less I want to watch because it becomes less about individual performance/ability and more about some engineer's cleverness in creating tech.  May as well just watch Robot Wars.

well considering that they use robots to make the yardage books, I hardly think having a correct yardage has anything to do with an individual's preformance or skill. Rangefinders wouldn't make golf easier, just faster

[Vinny Cap]

I voted no as I like watching the caddie pace it off and then they consult the book and pick clubs.  In the 91 PGA that was on the other night, I was watching John Daly pace off his shots.

I heard they are allowed to use them in practice rounds and they update their yardage book with all the info they can pack in there to help on Thurs - Sunday.  If they were allowed to use them in competition, it would speed up the rounds but the networks might not like that as they like the 4 - 6 hours of TV time.

I think they try to keep it as Old School as possible.  If they wanted to speed up golf, they would be using golf carts, GPS, Rangefinders and playing ready golf. 

I like my rangefinder.  I am pretty dialed in on my course.  I can usually guess within 4 yards of the actual distance.  I look at the pin, then the closest marker, make a guess and then shoot it.  Within 4 yards most times!

[krupa]

2 minutes ago, seanoando said:

well considering that they use robots to make the yardage books, I hardly think having a correct yardage has anything to do with an individual's preformance or skill. Rangefinders wouldn't make golf easier, just faster

There's still some element of human judgement in reading the book and figuring out where you are; not a ton but it's still there.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/a-look-inside-dustin-johnsons-pebble-beach-yardage-book

I don't think they'll speed anything up.  Jordan Speith isn't slow because he doesn't know how far he is from the green.  I admit I don't watch golf fanatically but when I do, the conversations are more about the wind, what the golfer should aim for (TV tower, guy in pink shirt, etc), shot shape, blah blah blah...

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, Vinny Cap said:

I voted no as I like watching the caddie pace it off and then they consult the book and pick clubs.  In the 91 PGA that was on the other night, I was watching John Daly pace off his shots.

I heard they are allowed to use them in practice rounds and they update their yardage book with all the info they can pack in there to help on Thurs - Sunday.  If they were allowed to use them in competition, it would speed up the rounds but the networks might not like that as they like the 4 - 6 hours of TV time.

I think they try to keep it as Old School as possible.  If they wanted to speed up golf, they would be using golf carts, GPS, Rangefinders and playing ready golf. 

I like my rangefinder.  I am pretty dialed in on my course.  I can usually guess within 4 yards of the actual distance.  I look at the pin, then the closest marker, make a guess and then shoot it.  Within 4 yards most times!

They do want to speed up golf.

I'm not saying rangefinders will do it, but TV people do want to speed up golf. That's known.