Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
EQUIPMENT
|
||||
|
Ever see a picture of Ben Hogan peering into a laser rangefinder? I didn’t think so. But by today’s estimates, there are thousands of amateur golfers who carry a laser or a global positioning system distance measuring device. After testing a number of these gadgets, I know which one I like best. But before we get into that, here’s a little history of how this part of the distance guessing game has changed. Until the late 1950s, feel and sight were the only things a golfer could trust for judging distance. Soon, a young Jack Nicklaus was ahead of the curve, having his caddie pace off distances during practice rounds and write them in a back-pocket yardage book. That led to courses installing 150-yard markers to aid those without a caddy. Fast forward to the late ’80s, when technology put on a pair of golf spikes. Aviation distance measuring equipment was used so courses could be specific about distances put on sprinkler heads. The attempt also was designed to speed up play. In the ’90s, Bushnell, known for its high-powered binoculars and hunting rangefinders, jumped in with a more accurate distance device for tour caddies. Their gadget bounced a laser signal off an object to compute distance within one yard of the target at 350 yards. The overwhelming acceptance led to Bushnell marketing rangefinders to everyday players. Then came SkyGolfGPS. At the 2003 PGA Merchandise Show, the Ridgeline, Miss., company unveiled the SG2 — a handheld device about the size of a deck of cards that communicated with a satellite. There were cart-based GPS systems available, but SkyGolfGPS put the technology in a golfer’s hand. Another device, called Laser Link Golf, requires a course to purchase and install flags with laser reflectors, and golfers can buy or rent a hand-held laser unit that computes distance. Which leads to the question: Which system is better? “I’d have to say we’ve sold more Sky-Caddies,” said Steve Carfano, vice president of retail for Roger Dunn Golf Shops. “And we’ve sold thousands of both since the USGA changed its rules.” Before 2005, Rule 14-3b stated a player “shall not use any artificial device for the purpose of gauging or measuring distance.” But a recent rule change left it up to local tournament committees to determine if the devices could be used in an event. Last year, the SCGA allowed distance-measuring devices in “four or five tournaments,” said communications director Bob Thomas, but this year they will be allowed at all SCGA events. SkyGolfGPS’ newest model, the SG4, is “like having a sprinkler head in your back pocket no matter where you are on the course,” Carfano said. “But we did pretty well with them before they became more mainstream.” That’s because on the West Coast, we like our gadgets. Rocky Rafkin, a longtime Orange County PGA member and the regional sales rep for SkyCaddie, said that Californians jumped on SkyCaddie immediately. “We have been mapping courses here since 2001,” he said. “Our capabilities and the technology in general have improved greatly since then. Five years ago, we used an average of six points of reference per hole. Today, we have up to 40 different points of reference.” Rafkin adds that SkyGolfGPS stays on top because “the equipment we use today to make the maps has improved 300 percent. A GPS can only be as good as the map you use. We now have close to 1,000 courses mapped in California.” The devices may not have speeded up play yet, since, as Thomas pointed out, “a golf course can only be as fast as the slowest golfer.” But Paul Wise, the head pro at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles, says his club’s cart-installed GPS system and Laser Link Golf capabilities, in addition to the fact that most members own a rangefinder, has helped speed up play. “We pride ourselves on pace of play and we’re always adjusting to what’s new,” said Wise, who had his SkyCaddie with him when he competed in the Senior Club Pro PGA Championship. From the beginning, SkyGolfGPS has worked hand-in-hand with the golf courses, and that respect is paying off. The LPGA television announcers now quote yardage in their broadcasts as “provided by SkyCaddie,” which has enhanced the company’s reputation. The market for these devices is huge. Consider there are 6 million core golfers who play from eight to 24 rounds per year, according to the National Golf Foundation. But only about 200,000 use distance measuring devices. That figure is expected in increase dramatically in the next few years. However, Carfano warns consumers: “There are many cheap knockoffs hitting the marketplace, so do your research. The accuracy of the software that the device uses is important in how the device communicates with a satellite.” I didn’t need any help measuring the accuracy of that statement. SG Eric Tracy is also known as The Mulligan Man. He can be reached at eric@themulliganman.com. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
