Rant #?? .... Use of Range Finders & Slow Play

[golfinnut]

OK ... let me first start off by saying, I own a Range Finder and I use it .... but sparingly. If I am on a par 3 and I just want to verify the distance (most of the time) or verifying from the fairway if I am standing next to a marker. Say I am 150 yards out according to the marker in the fairway and the pin is either in the front or the back ... then I may use it to verify how far the pin is from the middle. That's about it.
I was paired with someone just yesterday that really .... just annoyed the hell out of me. He had an App on his phone that would provide the distance ... and he would use it EVERYWHERE! Mind you, let me first say .... he was NOT good by any stretch of the imagination. He would dribble one off the tee box .... look at his yardage pro .... REALLY ... on a par 5 when you are still 350 out?? Do you need to know that in order to dribble another one up the fairway? I guess for the 1 in a million shot that you may make in your lifetime ... but this guy should have taken up Under Water Basket weaving instead! Inside 100 yards, he would top a shot .... get the yardage AGAIN from 60 yards ... then proceed to skull it over the green! C'MON!! Do you really need the yardage INSIDE 100 yards? Highly unlikely!
I mean let's be honest .... are ANY of us THAT good that you know ALL the yardages of your clubs, down to the nearest yard?? I doubt it! I know I am not .. that's why I use it sparingly. What did we do before the Range Finder? We used the yardage on the sprinkler heads, discs in the fairways, color of the flag, etc.
I blame this on the Tour and the advertisers. They are more responsible for the cause of slow play than anything in my honest opinion. "Buy this Bushnell Range Finder ... find your yardages in a snap ... get better ... BLAH BLAH BLAH!" The touring pro can use it for practice rounds to verify their yardage books, yardages to certain objects (bunkers, trees, etc.)
But, we, the average HACK have no business using the Range Finder as much as we do. We will never be that good to say I hit my 7 iron 162.5 yards on a good day!

Done with my Rant for the day! Now ... bring on the comments. I love to start a rant to see where everyone stands on the issue.

 

[Miller Time]

I love using my yardage app whenever I need to know a layup number and what's my number to before I reach a hazard. Especially when I'm playing a course for the first time.

 

[Hawk]

So, the 2 seconds that it takes to look at his phone was the cause of the slow play? Don't buy it.

 

[coers]

I know what you mean by someone always checking yardages. Have played with some folks that did that and it is annoying. If your second shot on the par 5 isn't reachable there is no reason to check yarage unless there is hazards that might affect your shot. But me I got tired of always looking at my phone so I got a watch now which is helpful and easy. And when you said paired with him do you mean you guys were in the same golf cart or were walking? I would think if your walking as soon as he would get to his ball he would check it.

 

[golfinnut]

So, the 2 seconds that it takes to look at his phone was the cause of the slow play? Don't buy it.

When the rest of the group is already standing on the green waiting ... yeah it kind of was. He was just using it at the most inopportune times. Why do you need to know the yardage when you are less than 50 yards away?? Not one time did he EVER hit close to the pin after he looked at his phone .... not once. So does it help ... I think not!

 

[golfinnut]

I know what you mean by someone always checking yardages. Have played with some folks that did that and it is annoying. If your second shot on the par 5 isn't reachable there is no reason to check yarage unless there is hazards that might affect your shot. But me I got tired of always looking at my phone so I got a watch now which is helpful and easy. And when you said paired with him do you mean you guys were in the same golf cart or were walking? I would think if your walking as soon as he would get to his ball he would check it.

My twosome was paired with his twosome on the first tee by the starter.

 

[drp3434]

I want to know yardage for every shot, doesn't matter how far out I am. Let's me plan the next shot especially if I'm laying up.

 

[G$$$]

I know I'm no pro, but I still like to know how far I am from the pin, from the trap, from the hazard, from a decent lay-up number, etc... I actually think GPS and Range Finders help speed up play, because now I don't have to take time to try and find a marker and then try to step it off and then calculate the depth of the green and approximately how much further to the back or closer to the front. I can just pull out my Range Finder, get my distance, pull my club and swing.

I think the gentleman in your example would have been a slow player, with or without his device. Without it, he would have stepped it off twice just to make sure he had the right club for his next worm burner.

I don't think devices cause slow play. I think not being ready to play, over-thinking/analyzing every shot and no consideration for those around you causes slow play.

 

[deuce]

I was paired with someone just yesterday that really .... just annoyed the hell out of me.

Shocker. Relax dude. It's just a game.

Mind you, let me first say .... he was NOT good by any stretch of the imagination.

So if he was good that would have made it better, less annoying, acceptable?

PS: I believe this is #5.

 

[sparksjr]

I love my bushnell and golflogix app

 

[Golferbest]

Umm I cant say much for the guy tou played with with but I can speak to a question you asked. Im not a pro nor do I consider myself an elite golfer, however I know the distances of my clubs within 4 yards. I also know how to hit most of my wedges certain yardages using different clubs. I practice this. So to say that using a distance/range device is only needed for top notch players I strongly disagree.

As for your playing partner, I ask if you were holding anyone up or falling behind? If the answer is no to both then just because his speed and yours are diferent doesnt make him in the wrong. If either is yes then say something to him polietly and move on. I personaly dont care if someone shoots/uses phone / or looks at a watch before every shot, they paid money to play too.

 

[golfinnut]

I love using my yardage app whenever I need to know a layup number and what's my number to before I reach a hazard. Especially when I'm playing a course for the first time.

Exactly ... those are the appropriate times to use your yardage app or range finder. Not when you are inside 100 yards and you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a boat!

 

[blugold]

We should just go back to pacing off yardages from sprinkler heads. That will speed thing up

 

[golfinnut]

Shocker. Relax dude. It's just a game.
So if he was good that would have made it better, less annoying, acceptable?

PS: I believe this is #5.

thanks for keeping count for me!

 

[golfinnut]

We should just go back to pacing off yardages from sprinkler heads. That will speed thing up

Exactly!

 

[Hawk]

When the rest of the group is already standing on the green waiting ... yeah it kind of was. He was just using it at the most inopportune times. Why do you need to know the yardage when you are less than 50 yards away?? Not one time did he EVER hit close to the pin after he looked at his phone .... not once. So does it help ... I think not!

So, let's just say every single shot he looks at his phone. Which we know isn't the case since he's not measuring putts with it.

I'll be generous. 100 strokes and five seconds each time. Both of which are probably exaggerated numbers.

500 seconds/8 minutes. Again, exaggerated, since he was probably waiting on others to hit at some point and looked before it was his turn to hit. Especially on a tee box. Plus, five seconds is a long time to physically look at a phone. 8 added minutes at the very worst case. Probably less than half that in reality.

Honestly, it's none of your business when he thinks he needs to get a yardage. I have to wonder what all these terrible people that you play with are writing on their internet forums about you.

 

[Good.Shepherd]

I know I'm no pro, but I still like to know how far I am from the pin, from the trap, from the hazard, from a decent lay-up number, etc... I actually think GPS and Range Finders help speed up play, because now I don't have to take time to try and find a marker and then try to step it off and then calculate the depth of the green and approximately how much further to the back or closer to the front. I can just pull out my Range Finder, get my distance, pull my club and swing.

I think the gentleman in your example would have been a slow player, with or without his device. Without it, he would have stepped it off twice just to make sure he had the right club for his next worm burner.

I don't think devices cause slow play. I think not being ready to play, over-thinking/analyzing every shot and no consideration for those around you causes slow play.

Excellently well said. They speed up play over stepping off or using the wrong club too often. Also a good tool to help golfers improve more quickly.

 

[staticline]

Rangefinders are the most overrated piece of equipment used in golf. 99.999% of golfers, including myself, cannot hit 2 shot in a row within 5 yards of each other.

Just look at the 100/150/200, eyeball the diff between you and that marker, grab a club. Then, hit it.

 

[blugold]

Exactly!

I think you missed my sarcasm.

Golf seems to really stress you out.

 

[Chickopher]

I find the person that goes through the "I think I am way better than I am" super long pre-shot routine to be more troublesome. Or that looks at every angle on the green twice. Checking your yardage then hitting seems rather minimal in time consumption.
HOWEVER, if he gets to his ball, walks back to cart to get phone, goes back to ball, checks yardage, walks back to cart, chooses club, then goes through pre-shot routine, then he might deserve a Chicago necklace on the next water hazard.:sinister:

*Disclaimer: in no way does this rant promote violence on the golf course or anywhere else.

 

[fupresti]

I know what you mean by someone always checking yardages. Have played with some folks that did that and it is annoying. If your second shot on the par 5 isn't reachable there is no reason to check yarage unless there is hazards that might affect your shot. But me I got tired of always looking at my phone so I got a watch now which is helpful and easy. And when you said paired with him do you mean you guys were in the same golf cart or were walking? I would think if your walking as soon as he would get to his ball he would check it.

If I want to lay up to a specific number, there is a perfect valid reason.

 

[fupresti]

Rangefinders are the most overrated piece of equipment used in golf. 99.999% of golfers, including myself, cannot hit 2 shot in a row within 5 yards of each other.

Just look at the 100/150/200, eyeball the diff between you and that marker, grab a club. Then, hit it.

I think your statistics are a bit overstated.

 

[OITW]

Use the yardage app on my phone and dial it in to the pin with the rangefinder.

I agree with other posters that I don't think the rangefinder and GPS were the root of the slow play.

 

[Chickopher]

I know I'm no pro, but I still like to know how far I am from the pin, from the trap, from the hazard, from a decent lay-up number, etc... I actually think GPS and Range Finders help speed up play, because now I don't have to take time to try and find a marker and then try to step it off and then calculate the depth of the green and approximately how much further to the back or closer to the front. I can just pull out my Range Finder, get my distance, pull my club and swing.

I think the gentleman in your example would have been a slow player, with or without his device. Without it, he would have stepped it off twice just to make sure he had the right club for his next worm burner.

I don't think devices cause slow play. I think not being ready to play, over-thinking/analyzing every shot and no consideration for those around you causes slow play.

Amen, brother

 

[GenErr]

There are extreme cases for everything, but I think GPS and range finders actually speed up play. I remember when people would find a yardage marker, walk up to it, then pace off the distance to their ball, and then calculate the distance. These same people now can take 2 seconds to check the distance with a glance at their yardage device.

Slow players will always be slow with or without range finders and GPS.