Is There An Advantage In Having A Golf Gadget Such As A GPS Device?
If you are reading this, you have probably already started to answer this question your self. Golf is a game of skill and experience where knowing the yardage information for every bunker, hazard or green on a golf course will enable you to decide how to take a shot and improve your game.
The professional caddie is not just there to carry the player’s bag. A caddie will have spent a lot of time mapping out yardages on the course and this knowledge informs the player as to which club to choose and how to take the shot.
Most of us don’t have the services of a professional caddie, leaving us a couple of options. Build up the knowledge of yardages ourselves or take advantage of some modern technology to ‘caddie’ for us. This is usually in the form of a golf GPS (global positioning system) device or a laser range finder.
Both these device options provide insider knowledge about a course, enabling the player to make accurate distance judgements rather than guessing or relying on experience or “gut feeling”. Based on reports from users it seems that many players can benefit from at least a couple of strokes improvement per round when using one of these devices .
A golf GPS unit relies on communicating with satellites in orbit above the earth to pinpoint the device’s exact location on the surface. Many devices, for instance the Golf Buddy range of GPS rangefinder units can auto detect the course and hole you are playing on. It is necessary for the course to have been mapped and the information downloaded or pre-installed into the device and some brands require a membership fee or subscription. Those that don’t require a fee include the Garmin Approach G5. You also need satellite reception for a GPS device to work. This is generally not a problem in the open, but many GPS units are unlikely to work under a canopy of trees. The SkyCaddie SGX is an example of one with an advanced, high performance GPS aerial that can operate under tree foliage.
All golf GPS devices provide accurate yardage information to particular targets and can tell you the distance of tour last shot. Graphic and satellite images of the hole are fairly standard, where as, more recent additions to the field such as the Sonocaddie V500 features video flyovers of each hole. Digital score cards and statistics tracking are also available on many models including the SkyCaddie SGX.
To find out more about different models and makes check out a guide to purchasing a golf GPS rangefinder device .
Under R&A and USGA Rules, you can use electronic devices which measure distance only, in tournament and handicap games when a relevant Local Rule is in effect. Access to processed data from previous rounds is also permitted. Even if the feature is turned off it is not permitted to use that are able to measure other conditions such as wind speed or direction, slope or temperature. If you play using a GPS range finder device (that measures distance only) the USGA Handicap system requires players to post those scores .