Opinion & Analysis
I finally learned to embrace golf GPS technology, and so should you
Different people play golf very differently; some like to listen to music, while others keep the rulebook in their back pocket. When I started golfing, I embraced the sport as best as I could down to its roots. It was just me against the course, rejecting as much technology as I could. I thought technology was against the spirit of the game, so I would pace the course looking for red, white, and blue markers to guess my distance to the pin, bunkers and other hazards.
But is rejecting technology really upholding the nature of the sport? I’ve recently changed my stance, and here’s why.
115 or 95 to the center of the green?
So you just walked off a yardage, but already forgot whether you needed to add or subtract 10 yards from the sprinkler head. Wait, what did that sprinkler head say again? Was it to the front or the middle? Without a golf GPS, a laser rangefinder, a caddie, or yardage book, surely you’ve found yourself in this situation at least once, or maybe you’ve gotten into a habit of being lazy with picking yardages. And you’re not alone. Since most golfers are usually satisfied with the markers on the fairway, a guessing game ensues when they are planning our next shot.
“Should I hit a pitching wedge or a soft nine?”
Many golfers have at least moderate knowledge of the distances they hit each club, maybe even knowing how far a perfect shot will go and how short a poor shot will go. Unfortunately, most of us take a less-than-serious approach to picking an exact yardage of their target, not realizing that we’re leaving strokes on the course.
Enter the caddie
I was quick to say “I don’t need a digital caddy,” but I was wrong. Since the dawn of golf, using a caddie has been an encouraged practice. And if he/she does their job correctly, golfers get the yardages they need before each shot. Why then, just because golfers opt to take a cart or carry a bag, should we penalize ourselves by not getting access to that information? The game of golf is a measure of skill and mental fortitude, not depth perception.
A portable caddie
Using any type of GPS device, be it an app on your phone or a dedicated unit like SkyCaddie, will help you know the real distances to your targets, just like a caddie. A lot of golfers prefer laser rangefinders, but I like my golf GPS. It tells me the distance to the center of the green, as well as to the front and back. It shows me distance to hazards, as well as carry distances, which assists me in picking landing spots for doglegs and more. They’re super simple and straightforward, and I don’t even have to tip them.
Is there anything worse than hitting a perfect shot, just to see it fly over the green or land short in a bunker? Pulling the right club for the right distance is paramount to a clean scorecard, but as I was quick to learn, these new technologies offer more than just distance.
The bonuses
Now that we have reliable, safe distances right at our fingertips, what other benefits do these new tech caddies offer? Often we hear about someone’s short game or long game. These are areas of the game golfers can improve that carry over from course to course. Your score could go up or down, but your iron game is your iron game. And your game is what your playing partners are betting on (or against).
Related: The tragedy that your range session doesn’t count towards your score
So when I say that the new GPS app on your phone or a rangefinder can help your score, what I am really saying is that your improved score will be a byproduct of better understanding your game. Knowing distances to my targets has been key to proper course management and improving my score. Here’s a quick example: 75 percent of your strokes are made within 130 yards to the hole (this includes putting). So if we take a golfer who shoots 95, 71 of those shots are within 130 yards. If we can just reduce our strokes within this range by 5 percent, which is not substantial, we’re going to save almost 5 strokes. So now that I always have my golf GPS handy, I know my exact distance to the best landing zone, so I can actually make a proper decision and therefore save shots.
The improvement to your course management seems obvious: I know my distances therefore I can pull the right club. Now you not only know your distances, but also can make important decisions about the kind of shot you want to play because of your newfound wisdom. A common situation before might be, “I think I have 135 yards to the pin and I need to carry the shot over water.” At this distance, I would pull my pitching wedge, but there’s a problem I don’t know how far it is to carry the water, and I don’t want my ball to land pin high and release through the green. Referencing my golf GPS, I can see I only need to cover 110 yards to clear the water, so I can hit my 52-degree wedge with confidence knowing that given a solid shot, I’ll carry the water, but won’t fly the green.
The pros do it and you should, too
A golf GPS will quickly become your best friend, and you should practice using it often. You’ll lower your scores by adding the knowledge a caddy would give you.. without the added cost. Your ability to manage the course will also improve, and you’ll find yourself hitting different clubs and different shots thanks to better information. Chances are, you’ll stay out of trouble more often. So go out and get one so you can improve your game and shoot lower scores.
The only problem? You’ll have fewer excuses to tell your buddies when you hit the wrong shot.
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
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lazio
Feb 6, 2019 at 11:11 pm
Bushnell Excel,is also be batter for.Pairs via Bluetooth to the Bushnell Golf App to allow the golfer to book tee times, pay, confirm and set tee time notifications all from their smart phone. There is also the option for 3D course flyovers to give the golfer a birds-eye view of the hole. The Excel also has improved battery life
Read more at https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/best-golf-deals/best-golf-gps-devices-2018-94809#kMBO4XSTM2XTpMlV.99
Gary
Apr 9, 2018 at 2:48 pm
Indeed, I think it’s very beneficial in the long run to get used to GPS on the course. Until recently I used to go manual, but now I’m looking to get a good GPS watch for myself. I’ve heard really good things about the Garmin Approach S20 – people are praising it left and right. I’m very close to deciding on the S20 at this point, although a few other models do interest me. This guide here (https://golfstead.com/best-golf-gps-watches) lists some interesting models. Does GolfWRX have any buying guides for golf GPS units?
Kyle @ TGG
Dec 17, 2016 at 5:44 pm
If you’re on the fence about embracing emerging technologies, you definitely should. Mike is dead on, these devices can help your game out a lot. They’re basically $150 caddies that you play with for 10 years who have walked every course you play 1000 times.
geoff
Jun 1, 2016 at 5:47 am
SimplyGolf GPS for Android, it’s free and works well and has a lot of Australian courses!!
Nick
May 6, 2016 at 4:27 pm
funnily enough, I went through almost exactly the same argument with myself not so long ago about gps/rangefinders and it being against the spirit of the game and came to exactly the same conclusion!
I was actually testing a lot of different devices for reviews and the key for me was just how much more enjoyable golf becomes when you know the distance. It really is incredibly frustrating to pure one and see it come up short because your ‘guesstimate’ was really 15 yards off (and mine usually is!)
Nick
Mike Puglielli
May 8, 2016 at 12:33 am
Nothing worse than that my friend it is a common story when you are guessing. I was doing that ALL the time.
Mat
May 4, 2016 at 9:05 pm
Here’s another endorsement for golfshot if you don’t have anything else. I use GameGolf Live now, and I’m happy enough with it. What I will not do without is a laser. GPS is fantastic for approximations, and you can certainly learn a lot – especially on a course never played before. But once you have an idea of the course, the laser is the thing that really inspires confidence.
Mike Puglielli
May 5, 2016 at 6:41 am
My current “laser” is not very accurate and can’t target pins. What you end up getting is approximations, so for me right now, the GPS is more consistent and accurate. I am looking to get a new laser that actually can hit a pin.
TR1PTIK
May 5, 2016 at 9:06 am
Bushnell Tour V3 had a small price drop recently. It’s what I used to have and it’s a really good unit. Just found that I was constantly afraid of losing it or something because of the extra investment to get it.
Mike Puglielli
May 5, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Cool, I’ll take a peak at it if the price is right. Thanks Tr1p!
Jarrod
May 6, 2016 at 6:42 am
If you are not in a rush, or are the patient budget type like myself, just search Amazon, Ebay, and Craigslist, almost daily. Last summer, I would look for golf related items all the time, and was able to pick up a Bushnell V2 with Slope, for $50 on Amazon. For those that are patient, and cheap, like myself, deals can be had, just by waiting and looking around often.
Josh
May 5, 2016 at 9:15 am
I also use GameGolf but I have started having issues with it.
It doesn’t appear very accurate, especially when you compare it side by side on a course. I have gamegolf on my iphone and my buddy uses gamegolf on his android. The GPS is almost always off. Mine will be short, and his will be long. We will tee off and he will be 10 yards short of me and his GPS says he hit the ball 20-30 yards further than my GPS tells me. Also recently they don’t have the most accurate scorecard, played a course where the score card was way off. Not to mention the yardage for holes is off to on some holes.
However; it is very handy and useful. I use it to figure out how far to front and back of the green and use that as my “which club to play” guide. For example on a Par 3 the front was 165 and back was 195, so I used a 4 iron knowing I can’t hit it past 195 and knowing that even the weakest hit is 165. Needless to say I put the ball in the center of the green. When the GPS is accurate it is really, really useful, and I wouldn’t even consider using a laser.
Mike Puglielli
May 8, 2016 at 12:36 am
Thanks for sharing your use cases—everyone keeps talking about game golf but I haven’t touched it before. I’ll have to check it out!
John Krug
May 4, 2016 at 8:44 pm
I recently purchased the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope Edition with Jolt. Incidentally, this is now legal as slope can be turned off if you are playing in a tournament. I have played with people who have watches and found that they are quite inaccurate compared to the V4. As well, if you hit a shot that lands on another fairway the watch does not recognize where you are. The V4 is also a third smaller than the previous version. The jolt is an added bonus for those with shaky hands.
Mike Puglielli
May 5, 2016 at 6:39 am
Good point about the other fairway…I end up there sometimes 🙂 I heard the Bushnell V4 is amazing. Thanks for sharing how you use this new tech. The fact that they can calculate slope nowadays is amazing.
Egor
May 4, 2016 at 6:39 pm
I carry a laser and use Arccos.
The laser range finder is used most often to get distance to the pin on deep greens or from non-fairway locations. Arccos which has a GPS overlay of the course is used when I want distance to carry or to a layup spot before a water hazard.
Mike Puglielli
May 5, 2016 at 6:37 am
Very cool, I’ll check out the Arccos. Its good to have both, you can then really dial in.
TR1PTIK
May 5, 2016 at 9:02 am
I use Game Golf, but I hate having to keep the phone nearby and sometimes the GPS won’t refresh right away or I have to go to a different screen and come back. I like being able to see distances to hazards, but I don’t really need that for the courses I play regularly. I like having the watch because I simply have to glance at my wrist. What’s your experience like using GPS on Arccos? Do you have any of the same issues with the app?
TCJ
May 4, 2016 at 5:49 pm
If you’re worried about a PW running through the green, perhaps more attention should be paid to properly striking the ball properly, and less attention paid to your doohickey.
TCJ
May 4, 2016 at 5:50 pm
Or in my case, english!
Miguel
May 4, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Golf Shot, cannot play without Golf Shot. I also use the free Game Golf app to track what I do on the course. 😀
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Two great apps Miguel and they go hand in hand. Do you have the game golf club “sensors”?
Scooter McGavin
May 4, 2016 at 2:54 pm
“Many golfers have at least moderate knowledge of the distances they hit each club”…. I think this is the main problem, in addition to golfers being lazy. If you polled a group of golfers and asked how far they hit their 5,7,9,SW, and then actually put them on a Trackman to check, I’d be surprised if even half of them were within 5 (maybe even 10) yards.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 5:18 pm
I would say, generally, average golfers are within 10 yards…even 15 is acceptable to get something out of a gps or laser device. These devices can also help golfers discover their real distances of they don’t know them already. Now…whether or not you find an honest golfer during a poll is a different story—the ego is tough!
Double Mocha Man
May 4, 2016 at 8:17 pm
I think, as a golfer uses a rangefinder and consistently finds he/she is short by 5-10 yards with a particular club they will make the adjustment. Ego takes you only so far. Or less far.
Jon
May 4, 2016 at 1:06 pm
What are some GPS apps I should look for if I have an Android phone?
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 1:18 pm
Hey Jon,
My favorite is Golfshot: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shotzoom.golfshot2 and they also have other great features for the app.You can try Golf GPS & Scorecard: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hole19golf.hole19.beta
GPS golf watches are also pretty affordable, check em out!
TR1PTIK
May 4, 2016 at 2:15 pm
Recently purchased a Garmin Approach S2 from TGW for $120. I used it for the first time yesterday and loved it. I’ve owned and used just about everything. Lasers are great for getting exact distances, but I do find that they are more time consuming than my watch and while it is nice to know where the pin is that isn’t necessarily what amateurs should be aiming for on every hole.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 5:22 pm
Exactly! Most players shouldn’t be going straight for the pin!
Blake
May 4, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Was this paid for by skycaddie or something? Interesting to hear use GPS when civilian GPS is +/- 5 yards. And also no pro is using GPS during a practice round. Its not accurate enough. They use lasers which are quicker and more accurate.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Hey Blake,
This was not a sponsored piece. I talk about other devices, not just GPS, you can use on the course. Lasers are great and ideal for finding pin position, but isn’t a perfect solution when you have blind spots. Its good to have both and use either when the correct situation arises.
Leon
May 4, 2016 at 10:58 am
Talk this to a dude who slices, fats and thins 90% of his shots, and lost 2 dozens of ball every round while find half dozen from the pounds to keep up the inventory. I am sure he will pop up a few nice words for the GPS
Philip
May 4, 2016 at 10:51 am
I think your preaching to the wrong crowd – I expect most on GolfWRX rely on some management system already – whether GPS, laser, course book, notes, Google maps, etc. Personally I dislike GPS apps on phones – interrupts my routine and often difficult to see the screens in the sun. For the majority of golfers a GPS app is only going to make the game slower for all – they have other more important things to figure out – like how to check their ego (you don’t HAVE to use driver on the tee) and make a decent swing for starters.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Haha Good points Phil! Have you checked out the GPS watches? They’re pretty great and don’t require you to use your phone. I’m with you though, I prefer to not use my phone while on the course.
Don’t you think having some kind of tech for high handicaps would improve pace of play? If they can reduce strokes because they have proper distances, shouldn’t that speed things up? 10 seconds to look at a GPS watch or something and maybe they save a stroke.
Philip
May 4, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Yes, I’m keeping my eye on the watches, almost got the new Microsoft one – waiting for v3. Thing is, I know my yardages and can hit them within 5-10 yards, unless I mishit. When I was a higher handicapper I was only accurate with my yardages to 20-30 yards. There was just too much variance due to my over swinging and setup issues to get any real use out of the GPS apps. I tried a few, but knowing you can hit a club within 30 yards of your target doesn’t help much with choosing a club. I just measured to the front of the green and went for it.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 5:13 pm
Yeah, you’re right. I guess it depends on how badly the player is hitting their clubs…at the end of the day, you still got to have a decent swing. I know players with a similar miss pattern, about 20yards, they can still benefit from the additional course knowledge that these devices provide: take a green that’s 30×30, and all of a sudden if this type of player were to aim in the middle, they could end up somewhere on the shed of the green, front or back. Still helpful I think! How’s the MSFT watch? Haven’t tried it.
Philip
May 4, 2016 at 7:30 pm
I still use the middle of the green quite often. If I can get on the green in regulation I have a shot at par, with the occasional birdie opportunity. There were a few things about the watch that I think shouldn’t be missing, and since we already know that next years watch is being prepared, I’ll just wait for those few things to get added eventually. In the meantime I may go for Game Golf, or more likely, just start going onto the course after work again with my laser and hit shots to the fairway/green.
Double Mocha Man
May 4, 2016 at 10:22 am
If you use a GPS device you still have to rely on your depth perception. How far forward is that pin from center??? Laser rangefinder is the way to go… until it comes to an uphill blind shot where you can’t see the pin.
Double Mocha Man
May 4, 2016 at 10:23 am
So to cover for both instances someone needs to come up with the Laser/GPS rangefinder, where you can switch between the two technologies in the same unit.
jim
May 4, 2016 at 10:46 am
http://www.callawaygolf.com/accessories/gps-rangefinders/gps-c70110-hybrid-laser-gps-rangefinder.html?gclid=CPWy6bzUwMwCFdgQgQodhpMPhA
Double Mocha Man
May 4, 2016 at 11:23 am
Dang! A guy just can’t keep up with the technology these days. Thanks Jim.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 12:35 pm
That’s sweet, never seen that before!
Scott
May 4, 2016 at 3:40 pm
I use a watch and range finder. The gps is nice for courses that you have not played before. If I have played the course before, I find myself using the laser most of the time. The hybrid range finder and gps is a really nice product but it does not have all the bells and whistles that the top range finders have or the top gps units have. I just just basically created my own by attaching my watch to the laser case.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 5:21 pm
Haha that’s a cool idea, with the DIY setup. I like the GPS most times, like you, even if I know the course. A big issue of mine is not knowing the size of a green and how much room I have to play woth (my depth perception isn’t good there).
BD57
May 4, 2016 at 11:43 pm
Vast majority of us would benefit from playing to the middle of the green 75-80% of the time – at least, with any club longer than a wedge / 9 iron.
Also, most GPS will give you yardage to front, middle & back, so you can get a reasonable approximation of where a “front” or “back” pin will be by dividing depth by “3” and then putting the pin in the center of the appropriate third.
P.S. Have a laser & use Golfshot both. so I’m not boosting one over the other. Just saying that, for those who can’t afford / choose not to bite the bullet for a laser, there are things they can do w/ GPS alone that are useful.
Mike Puglielli
May 5, 2016 at 6:36 am
All totally true.
ooffa
May 4, 2016 at 8:45 am
Welcome to the the party. Your 10 years late.
Mike Puglielli
May 4, 2016 at 8:59 am
Do we have jackets?