PGA Tour Rangefinders

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By Deno

  • 1 Like
  • 24 Replies
  1. Andrew A

    Andrew A
    Charlotte, NC

    Sadly, it won't do what it's intended anyway. Players at this level are more concerened on the landing area and room in front and behind the hole. They don't have a real interest in the exact yardage to the hole, but the landing area. This is more so as they get closer to the green for pitch shots, etc..
  2. Brock L

    Brock L
    Fort Myers, FL

    Deno said:

    Now that the PGA Tou will allow rangefinders during tournaments in an effort to speed up play, What's next?, expanding the hole size 6 inches?

    What's the hurry? They are still going to walk the putting green like heart surgeons anyway.

    No more TV golf for me!!!!!

    Deno

    First of all... get your facts straight. The PGA of America is NOT the PGA Tour. Two different entities, and two different things. The PGA of America is allowing distance measuring devices in their championships, which is essentially ONE TOURNAMENT. The PGA Tour is not.
  3. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military

    Deno said:

    Now that the PGA Tou will allow rangefinders during tournaments in an effort to speed up play, What's next?, expanding the hole size 6 inches?

    What's the hurry? They are still going to walk the putting green like heart surgeons anyway.

    No more TV golf for me!!!!!

    Deno

    You are correct. For some reason I was starting to type PGA of America and was interrupted with a phone call. I know the difference of the two.

    The PGA Tour has not committed to the use of rangefinders as you POLITELY pointed out.

    Deno
  4. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military

    Deno said:

    Now that the PGA Tou will allow rangefinders during tournaments in an effort to speed up play, What's next?, expanding the hole size 6 inches?

    What's the hurry? They are still going to walk the putting green like heart surgeons anyway.

    No more TV golf for me!!!!!

    Deno

    You are correct. For some reason I was starting to type PGA of America and was interrupted with a phone call. I know the difference of the two.

    The PGA Tour has not committed to the use of rangefinders as you POLITELY pointed out.

    Deno
  5. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Interesting the PGA tour went this direction....doesnt really bother me since they had all the same distances in their yardage books...one still has to hit the shot!

    IMHO, Cheers
    Chris
  6. Barry M

    Barry M
    Reno, NV

    I don't think it will make much difference, unless it's in addition to their yardage book. If you've ever seen their yardage books and all the info and notes they have in it, you would know they already have an advantage over a player with just a rangefinder. But if they start using a rangefinder, and then wanting to double-check with the yardage book (which we all know they will), and then walk/measure from a sprinkler head, they better add an hour to the time slot and let them also use flashlights.
  7. JAM

    JAM

    There is nothing the PGA can do to speed up play besides penalizing them strokes. They should not penalize the group, just the individual.
  8. Chris B

    Chris B
    San Diego

    I dont understand the focus on the pace of play, particularly at the pro level. At the amateur level, sure, no one wants a 6 hour round. But this wont speed up the pros any, and they get their distances dialed in during the practice rounds. This is a pointless change.
  9. BCH

    BCH

    I kinda expect to see a rangefinder/GPS unit end up in fashion. Distance is one thing but they still want front back info as well as pin position-location. Also distance to water, hazard info...Should be interesting to watch this play out...

    Great post by the way.
  10. Eric H

    Eric H
    Ridgway, PA

    Hey man, this is only for the PGA of Americas events. The Pga Championship, Senior PGA Championship and the KPMG women PGA championship. It is not for the PGA tour use.
  11. Keith M

    Keith M
    Acworth, GA

    It wouldn't surprise me if it has the opposite effect, as you point out, and the caddies will be shooting distances to every object around the green. Can you imagine Dechambeau with a range finder? He'd probably complain that he can't get a yardage between blades of grass.

    Admittedly, I don't have an issue with it if it does in fact speed up play and it's the only thing they're allowed. Take away the books and maps. Technology marches on.
  12. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Now worries, overdue in my opinion. They are still going to allow them to use the yardage books and could be a good thing if the pilot is effective in achieving the goal. With respect.
  13. Erich F

    Erich F
    NY

    Rangefinders, green books. What else do they need?! Call me an old fogey, but this is not the game I grew up playing. I have a GPS I look at when I am approaching my ball to give me general yardage, which takes no extra time.

    What really gets me is when the 10 handicap submarine commanders start taking out their rangefinders to get exact yardages to the pin. First they go to their ball, pull out the rangefinder, take a moment to zero in, take the thing back to the bag, then pull a club. An extra minute for every shot. It can even be a longer time on a par 3, go to the tee box, get the yardage, bring the thing back to the bag, go back to the tee with a club.

    I long for the days of 3-1/2 to 4 hour rounds, and that was walking.
  14. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    Erich F said:

    Rangefinders, green books. What else do they need?! Call me an old fogey, but this is not the game I grew up playing. I have a GPS I look at when I am approaching my ball to give me general yardage, which takes no extra time.

    What really gets me is when the 10 handicap submarine commanders start taking out their rangefinders to get exact yardages to the pin. First they go to their ball, pull out the rangefinder, take a moment to zero in, take the thing back to the bag, then pull a club. An extra minute for every shot. It can even be a longer time on a par 3, go to the tee box, get the yardage, bring the thing back to the bag, go back to the tee with a club.

    I long for the days of 3-1/2 to 4 hour rounds, and that was walking.

    Call me a submarine commander if you like, but a periscope is way to heavy to carry on my bag, but I do rely on my Bushnell ProXE. Am a former 10 handicapper who had surgery last year, doctor's would not let me play for a year, now carrying a 18 and working my way back. Have to ride a cart now and cart path only due to course renovations, New fairways and greens. I love my rangefinder. Shoot it from the cart and carry three clubs with me and shoot it again. I am a little slower because I have to stay on the cart path, but we still play in four hours. I wish I was physically capable of walking the course again, my loss. Oh, we are a bunch of old guys who ages range from 65 to 92. I am one of the younger at 75. All of our flags on the greens are old school, they are short. No red, white, or blue flags to indicate position, so a rangefinder is very helpful the closer you get to the green. The designer of the renovation of the course made the greens much tougher by redesigning them in the style of Seth Raynor from the 20's, with bowls, thumbprints and many unusual undulations. You have a routine that works and allows for a quicker pace of play and if everyone did, golf would indeed be played much quicker. I long for the days when I walked and cannot do it anymore. Hoping to have my handicap back down to a 10 soon. And I still play in tournaments on occasions and you just never know who you are paired with. Have played with single digits who just cannot play under five hours. So guess it is a two way street. Just sayin'. With respect..

  15. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military
    Sorry for the misinformation starting this thread. I'll take mulligan.
    Be safe.

    Deno
  16. Barry M

    Barry M
    Reno, NV

    You guys are correct that it is only the PGA Championships that will allow rangefinders, but we all know that is the first step to allowing them at all tournaments, and that is a small step. My opinion is they really don't need them with what they already have available. One plus is that most of the rangefinders have magnification so they can see if there is a beer stand near their next planned shot. Would be interesting if they gave them an option of using just a rangefinder and green layout map, or sticking with the yardage book and all their notes without a rangefinder. Would be even more interesting to give them a rangefinder, a green layout, and no practice rounds.
  17. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military
    I am a member of the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL. Each fall we have the Senior PGA Club Pro Championship and the PGA Assistant Pro Championship. I volunteer as a riding scorer in each event. Contestants use rangefinders as there are no such things as yardage books, though they are supplied with pin placement sheets for each round. I have never had a group play in less than 4 hours. Most of the time is spent on the green, lining up putts and none of the players have caddies (All use carts.) so they all on their own. Having a radio at my disposal, I hear numerous slow play complaints, although no group that I have scored for had ever been called out for it. Today I played a round of golf on our Ryder Course (We have 3 courses, Ryder, Dye and Wanamaker.) in 3 hours and 25 minutes and shot an 85 which is about 10 to 15 shots more than the club pros that I have scored for. Everyone in our group uses a rangefinder, so I'm not buying the argument that rangefinders slow up play, It's how you go about your business. It's my opinion that pros go about playing golf in a more deliberate fashion. I have never seen a group of pros on the green, worry about a group standing in the fairway waiting to hit up. As far as this spilling over to the PGA Tour, I don't think that the use of yardage books will go away.
  18. Matt B

    Matt B

    I don't see any issue with allowing them the use of range finder, since the USGA has already allowed them. One rule being the use of Non Slope model range finder in the bag, during the entire week, including practice rounds.

    Most of the Pros have the sloped version they use during there practice rounds and make notes on the yardage books, I don't believe it will help with the pace of play, as much as they think it would. The only benefit would be to make it easier for the caddies on errant tee shots when they have to walk 40 yards to find sprinkler, after searching for the ball.
  19. WFalls

    WFalls

    I think it’s more how the caddies feel than anyone else. As technology keeps improving will their work and pay decrease?
  20. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    WFalls said:

    I think it’s more how the caddies feel than anyone else. As technology keeps improving will their work and pay decrease?

    I read a post that some of the caddies feel it will slow down play. Guess it is easy for players and caddies to overanalyze with all that data provided and now throw in a rangefinder, when trying to determine which club to pull when you are playing for such large amounts of money. The caddies have a responsibility of getting the yardage right and pulling the right club, if they want to get a decent payday. Of course the player has to hit the number. The players will always need a caddie. They serve in more ways than just a looper. With respect.
  21. Mike M

    Mike M
    Marblehead MA

    I couldn't agree more Deno. Bad decision. I certainly don't think allowing rangefinders will speed up play.
  22. Scott D

    Scott D
    Lethbridge,

    I personally do not like the use of rangefinders and I don’t think it will speed up play.
  23. Patrick Z

    Patrick Z

    Firstly, I agree the pace of play is too slow which is only going to be changed by the TV companies leaning on the PGA and telling them this is their time slot stick with it or we are going deduct money out of viewing rights payment. This will then give the stick to PGA to in turn pass it on to the players to get a move on.

    Secondly, If they want to stop the pacing out to get distances when they off the fairway, then I think the use of a GPS would have been better to allow the players and caddies to know how they have to get back to the pin. Otherwise they should have it all in the yardage book which are extremely detailed.

    The slowest point of the game is on the green and with the greater number of people now back on the golf courses, many of the previous match play conventions of golf should be continually discouraged and ready golf be promoted. The players should be encouraged to A) Be ready to putt their ball on the green, ie already lined up, just put your ball down, practice swing and putt. and B) Finish putting out and not marking their ball every time for their 2-4 putts and waiting for the other in the group to put to a distance inside their ball and the hole before checking aligned etc etc.
  24. TAustell

    TAustell

    Patrick Z said:

    Firstly, I agree the pace of play is too slow which is only going to be changed by the TV companies leaning on the PGA and telling them this is their time slot stick with it or we are going deduct money out of viewing rights payment. This will then give the stick to PGA to in turn pass it on to the players to get a move on.

    Secondly, If they want to stop the pacing out to get distances when they off the fairway, then I think the use of a GPS would have been better to allow the players and caddies to know how they have to get back to the pin. Otherwise they should have it all in the yardage book which are extremely detailed.

    The slowest point of the game is on the green and with the greater number of people now back on the golf courses, many of the previous match play conventions of golf should be continually discouraged and ready golf be promoted. The players should be encouraged to A) Be ready to putt their ball on the green, ie already lined up, just put your ball down, practice swing and putt. and B) Finish putting out and not marking their ball every time for their 2-4 putts and waiting for the other in the group to put to a distance inside their ball and the hole before checking aligned etc etc.

    Patrick - your posting is spot on! But for the occasional lost ball, the real time sink is on the greens. I especially like your reference to have golfer finish out their putting. I would even take that progressive step if it were applicable for the first three rounds in a tournament.

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