KEY POINTS:
One of the great pleasures of playing golf in the past 25 years has been the extraordinary development in technology which makes the game a darn sight easier now than in the early 1980s.
As we enjoy huge titanium drivers, graphite shafts, two-piece balls and soft-faced putters, we wonder how we could ever play with drivers the size of muffins and balls which wore a huge smile every time they were hit off centre.
Advances aren't restricted to clubs and balls. When I started playing, club selection was based on the perceived distance of the shot. Then it became standard for courses to put distance markers on each hole. Professional caddies chart a course for their player before a tournament with all manner of measurements.
Technology has started doing that work too and this year the R&A and the USGA said they would permit the use of GPS range finders if a club or tournament committee brought in a local rule allowing its use.
Not many such local rules have been made. For instance, my club decided against range finders in official club competitions. NZ Golf doesn't permit them in tournament play although they are quite legal, and common, in practice rounds.
The big breakthrough this year was when the (British) PGA rubber stamped their use in its tournaments. This is not to be confused with the European PGA Tour but the experiment for events such as the Scottish and Irish PGA Championships and on the third level Europro Tour is seen as a taste of what may come.
I first tried a GPS rangefinder in the Kiwi Cup Pro-Am at Cape Kidnappers on a layout I'd played once. It was great because the Sky Caddie gave me an exact distance to the front of the green and we had a pin sheet showing how far the hole was cut on the green. So we had precise distances on an unfamiliar course and it was great.
But when I used it at my home course, it was really of limited value. I guess that's because I've played there so often.
The endorsement from the PGA made a big issue of how these instruments will speed up play. The thinking is that if players have the distance information available instantly, it will speed up club selection, pre-shot routine and actual hitting. From what I hear, anecdotal evidence is that is not the case. The time a player spends contemplating distance is not regarded as a contributor to the slow pace of
play. It's the decisions on which club to use, plus general preparation for a shot which are the time wasters.
My limited experience is that these instruments are really useful. They quickly provide available and accurate information, so for that reason their use should be encouraged.
But despite this technology, nothing about golf's basic premise has changed. It's great knowing how far away the hole is. But you still have to hit the shot.
