Preference for Judging Distance?

[lordhamster]

And there is a reason Steve Williams gets a percentage of Tiger's winnings, because he collects this information for Tiger that actually took work to get.

You mean the same way that SkyCaddie and GolfLogix etc pay people to map the courses onsite or via satellite images?

Either way, you are paying somebody to give you information other players don't necessarily get. I'd say a rangefinder or a GPS (especially if you buy used off ebay like I did) is much much cheaper than hiring a professional caddie. As for the accuracy, GPS units don't tell you anything that distance markers don't. Laser Rangefinders tell you actual pin distance, which I can see where that might be an unfair advantage, but it does not bother me. In my case, my biggest challenge is swinging consistently etc. As far as affordability, for the first 2 years I played, I only had irons as I could not afford to buy a driver. I didn't insist my buddies put away their drivers.

[iacas]

Laser Rangefinders tell you actual pin distance, which I can see where that might be an unfair advantage, but it does not bother me.

Additionally, most tournaments provide pin sheets so you can get the yardages to the pin if you want and are capable of basic arithmetic.

[Shockergolf]

I just recently bought a Bushnell, and have found that it comes in very handy! There are those times when the course markings just aren't sufficient enough to help me make the right decision! Although a lot of the time I am playing at a course that I seem to know very well so I tend not to use the Bushnell as much at those courses!

[GaijinGolfer]

I use the course markings. I know that in a lot of cases the course markers arent perfectly accurate, but Im really not all that worried about that.
My shots arent so precise and consistent that Im all that worried about knowing the exact yardage.
It would be kind of nice to have a rangefinder for my shots from the fairway/rough because much of the time Im not exactly sure of the yardage and I usually guess as to what club to use.

[mgoofy24]

I have always used the course markings. Sunday marked the first time I ever played with someone who had a laser range finder. My paces and course markings were never more that 1 yard away from what his fancy piece of equipment told him, and my pacing was faster. He used the thing on EVERY shot, except chips and putts. I mean, if I know a shot is 130 yards, that makes a difference for me because it tells me what club to pull. But when its only 30 yards, that's more feel than anything else.... He slowed down our group quite a bit...

[Mr Eagle]

I like to play against the course,I always carry ,it gives me a feel for my surroundings the topography and the challenge that the designer had in mind.The only markers that I take any notice of are the 150 (well you can hardly miss them can you). Its just the way I like it, If I knew exactally how far I had to hit my next shot It would take a bit of the game away,for me getting it right just by looking is part of the challenge.

[joshtpa]

I have always used the course markings. Sunday marked the first time I ever played with someone who had a laser range finder. My paces and course markings were never more that 1 yard away from what his fancy piece of equipment told him, and my pacing was faster. He used the thing on EVERY shot, except chips and putts. I mean, if I know a shot is 130 yards, that makes a difference for me because it tells me what club to pull. But when its only 30 yards, that's more feel than anything else.... He slowed down our group quite a bit...

That is why I prefer the GPS. A quick look down and I have my distance.

[lordhamster]

That is why I prefer the GPS. A quick look down and I have my distance.

I also chose a GPS for that reason, I've used my father's rangefinder and its just a pain to have to take it out, sight and the put it away before shooting. Takes a bit longer than GPS. Nice thing is the rangefinder allows me to see how far the group ahead of me is, and also because it is zoomed in lets me watch them putzing around in the woods spending 20 minutes looking for their precious top flites. :)

Seriously though, if your friend is taking longer to use his rangefinder than you are taking to pace off distances, he is really really slow. Lets say I'm 50 yards behind the 200 marker, if I take the time to pace off 50 yards and then walk back I think I'm really going to slow everyone down.

[joshtpa]

Thats the same reason I returned my Pinseeker and went with GPS. That, and the course I play has quite a few dog legs that I could not see around. The GPS, quick glance and I am there.

[mgoofy24]

Seriously though, if your friend is taking longer to use his rangefinder than you are taking to pace off distances, he is really really slow. Lets say I'm 50 yards behind the 200 marker, if I take the time to pace off 50 yards and then walk back I think I'm really going to slow everyone down.

I am actually lucky enough to play courses that have the sprinkler heads marked, so I rarely have to pace off 50 yards at a time.

I can see that a GPS would be much faster. I wish he had one. He really played around a lot with his rangefinder. It was getting quite annoying.

[lordhamster]

I am actually lucky enough to play courses that have the sprinkler heads marked, so I rarely have to pace off 50 yards at a time.

IMO he was being rude if he was holding you up.

Well I used my GolfLogix on my local course today for the first time. The distances seemed pretty good. It saved me several strokes I think, where from my bad visual estimation I'd have overshot or undershot the green. I had it clipped to my belt, so all it took was a quick glance and I already knew all the relevant distances. I never even had to press a button, it advanced for me telling me distance to the doglegs, hazards and green as I approached them. I used it once to get a dose of reality. :) My 210 yard 3 wood tee shot ended up being only a paltry 188 yarder. :)

[Big Padrigo]

I bought a rangefinder in January and have been really happy with the results. It's great when you're off in the rough or other fairways and its so quick and simple to use that I never get accused of holding folks up. I'm very popular in my 4some!

[lordhamster]

I bought a rangefinder in January and have been really happy with the results. It's great when you're off in the rough or other fairways and its so quick and simple to use that I never get accused of holding folks up. I'm very popular in my 4some!

When borrowing a rangefinder on the course I find the people who give me the most grief are also the ones who ask me the most often "how far am I?"

[clemsontiger]

I use the course marking and use that as a distance. Once I have that, I really just go with what feels right.

[bprater13]

Except there has been limitations the USGA has put on clubs and other equipment (i.e. balls) that limit how extreme the technology can be. This limits a 900 club that hits the ball 60 yards farther just due to thinner or harder faces. The gap between "cheap" clubs and expensive clubs is not as large as it used to be. I just think that figuring yardages is part of the game and Steve Williams still has to figure yardages, bought book or his own, and Tiger pays him to do that every shot. I think having to figure your yardage is a part of the game that adds to the challenge and "romance" of the game (I liked that line in an earlier post). It is another skill that has to be mastered to be a good golfer.

[bogeyhitter25]

I'm "old-school" and use course markings. I'm not that good either way. Spending 100s of dollars on a GPS or a Rangefinder isn't gonna magically turn me into a scratch golfer.

[lordhamster]

I'm "old-school" and use course markings. I'm not that good either way. Spending 100s of dollars on a GPS or a Rangefinder isn't gonna magically turn me into a scratch golfer.

I'm the same way, but in the 1 out of 10 chance I hit a decent shot, I don't want it sailing right into a lake because I didn't estimate the layup distance correctly. :)

[iacas]

I'm "old-school" and use course markings. I'm not that good either way. Spending 100s of dollars on a GPS or a Rangefinder isn't gonna magically turn me into a scratch golfer.

I don't think anyone is saying it will. However, that doesn't make them useless.