Is It Legal For DeChambeau To Use Compass/Protractor?

[David in FL]

Have to admit, I’m surprised.

Is he/are they now prohibited from measuring the same distances with, say his pencil, or finger?

Equally annoying, the USGA still insists on calling it a protractor.

Edited July 6, 2018 by David in FL

[Golfingdad]

3 hours ago, David in FL said:

Equally annoying, the USGA still insists on calling it a protractor.

Well in that case he should keep using his compass and remind them what a protractor looks like, and that he’s not using one. 😉

 

[Rulesman]

 

A pair of compasses, also known simply as a bow compass, is a technical drawing instrument that can be used for inscribing circles or arcs. As dividers, they can also be used as tools to measure distances, in particular on maps. Compasses can be used for mathematics, drafting, navigation and other purposes.

A protractor is a measuring instrument, typically made of transparent plastic or glass, for measuring angles. Most protractors measure angles in degrees (°). Radian-scale protractors measure angles in radians.

Edited July 6, 2018 by Rulesman

[Vinsk]

12 hours ago, trombettista_vecchio said:

It's totally legal. He won't be arrested for using it.

I've never been arrested for bringing brand new wedges to the machine shop for a little groove work.

As a matter of fact, if you don't mind going through golf balls a little faster, I highly recommend it.

 

Huh?

Well at least when BD hits his approach shot within 35’ instead of 30’ we’ll know why. 

[krupa]

11 hours ago, David in FL said:

Is he/are they now prohibited from measuring the same distances with, say his pencil, or finger?

I still don't completely understand what he's actually measuring.  Before the round he gets a sheet that shows hole positions and he has a book with the contours of the green.  So when he gets to the green he can see that the hole on the sheet isn't exactly where it is on the green? And then he's using a compass (I almost said protractor) to figure out on his book where the hole really is?

1. I either didn't learn or have forgotten how to use a compass.  How is he doing this?

2. Can he possibly be accurate enough to matter?  The photos that I've seen show him with his putter in the crook of his arm while holding a floppy book in one hand and a protractor ... dammit... compass in the other. 

(I love how Ads by Amazon is now offering me a 16-pack of plastic protractors when I few this page.)

[cutchemist42]

So really, how "off" are the green reading books and holenlocations that he thought this was needed?

I still dislike green books in general 

[DaveP043]

From what I've seen, pin sheets usually just indicate a distance from the front edge, and a distance from the nearest side of the green.  The guy who sets the pins may have walked the correct distances from the correct points, but he may not have always walked in exactly the right direction each time.  I've tried myself to turn a right angle in field layout situations, its hard to get it right.  If you know two reference points, and the dimension from the pin to each, you can use the compass to draw arcs to locate the correct spot, even if those two dimensions aren't along perpendicular axes.  I'd assume that BD has one of the detailed green slope books, and he's doing just as I outlined, in order to exactly position the pin on the green chart. 

Here's an example, the two location methods (linear pacing v. drawing arcs with a compass) show a pin locations about 4 feet apart

 

[amished]

27 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

From what I've seen, pin sheets usually just indicate a distance from the front edge, and a distance from the nearest side of the green.  The guy who sets the pins may have walked the correct distances from the correct points, but he may not have always walked in exactly the right direction each time.  I've tried myself to turn a right angle in field layout situations, its hard to get it right.  If you know two reference points, and the dimension from the pin to each, you can use the compass to draw arcs to locate the correct spot, even if those two dimensions aren't along perpendicular axes.  I'd assume that BD has one of the detailed green slope books, and he's doing just as I outlined, in order to exactly position the pin on the green chart. 

Here's an example, the two location methods (linear pacing v. drawing arcs with a compass) show a pin locations about 4 feet apart

 

Then that makes even less sense to me why he would use a compass.  Does the grounds crew use GPS or something else to precisely place the hole?  If not, then a compass, while technically accurate, still wouldn't account for any human mistakes made while placing the hole.

[Golfingdad]

25 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

From what I've seen, pin sheets usually just indicate a distance from the front edge, and a distance from the nearest side of the green.  The guy who sets the pins may have walked the correct distances from the correct points, but he may not have always walked in exactly the right direction each time.  I've tried myself to turn a right angle in field layout situations, its hard to get it right.  If you know two reference points, and the dimension from the pin to each, you can use the compass to draw arcs to locate the correct spot, even if those two dimensions aren't along perpendicular axes.  I'd assume that BD has one of the detailed green slope books, and he's doing just as I outlined, in order to exactly position the pin on the green chart. 

Here's an example, the two location methods (linear pacing v. drawing arcs with a compass) show a pin locations about 4 feet apart

 

This is exactly what I figured he was doing as well, but the question still remains; what's he gaining here?  He learns that the slopes around the pin are 3.45% instead of 3.5%?  That seems likely more precise than even the day to day conditions of the green might even be.  I still have a hard time believing that it's not just for show.

One thing we can probably be assured of at this point with DeChambeau:  He's close to done being disappointed in this ruling and he's now off to find the next "quirky" or "random" thing he can work into his game and make headlines with.

[DaveP043]

18 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

This is exactly what I figured he was doing as well, but the question still remains; what's he gaining here?  He learns that the slopes around the pin are 3.45% instead of 3.5%?  That seems likely more precise than even the day to day conditions of the green might even be.  I still have a hard time believing that it's not just for show.

One thing we can probably be assured of at this point with DeChambeau:  He's close to done being disappointed in this ruling and he's now off to find the next "quirky" or "random" thing he can work into his game and make headlines with.

I can't see that he gains anything at all, really.  On the other hand, I see no reason that he won't be able to use his compass before the round to mark up his greens book, as soon as he gets the pin sheet for the day.  You can still take written material with you to use on the course, can't you? There was never any need to wait to do it when he got to each green.  Sometimes I wonder if he does this stuff just to show how cerebral he thinks he really is.  Or maybe to make the other guys wonder if they're missing something important.  This seems to me a lot like the newer laser rangefinders that read out to 0.1 yard, instead of 1 yard.  As if anyone has ever had good enough distance control that the extra precision mattered.

 

[criley4way]

16 hours ago, iacas said:

AimPoint is reading the greens.

And their point is that it’s an artificial device.

Iacas understood but as was mentioned so it is precise way to measure vs a slightly less precise. Would notches on the pencil be an issue? what about tattoos on the side of his finger? I get it is an artificial device but it is not providing a recommendation outside information.

I guess I think it is silly and not likely to make much difference but don't see the advantage it offers or where the line is. All that said I wish it wouldn't happen because I just see it slowing the game down.

[hiwattage]

If the compass/protractor is considered illegal why isn't the book he wrote in also illegal ?

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, hiwattage said:

If the compass/protractor is considered illegal why isn't the book he wrote in also illegal ?

Huh?

The books themselves are legal. It was his use of the compass that was ruled illegal.

[hiwattage]

I am thinking the books should be deemed illegal. Why do the players get to see the subtle breaks in the book and not have to read them with their eyes. Green reading is a skill , book reading is ???

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, hiwattage said:

I am thinking the books should be deemed illegal. Why do the players get to see the subtle breaks in the book and not have to read them with their eyes. Green reading is a skill , book reading is ???

Looks like you should be posting here…

Thanks.

[hiwattage]

Thanks , like the thread.