Does 5 Yards Matter in Golf?

[Rockford35]

Answer this. Would you have bought your SkyCaddie if it said on the box that readings could be off as much as 10yds? Because that's what it all boils down to. Regardless of skill, most golfers want the most accurate readings as possible. It's what they want. What they need is irrelevant.

The original question was asked if amateur golfers need/expect accuracy in their GPS/range finder product. I think that question is pretty self serving and answers itself - who the hell wants to buy a POS that doesn't work?

My comments are geared towards why an amateur would want said peice of technology if it's not helping their game in the first place. If you can't hit the ball, you're fooling yourself. It's pretty simple.

R35

PS...you're backhanded tone isn't needed here. We both have opinions, neither of us are right. There's no need to start throwing rocks.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

PS...you're backhanded tone isn't needed here. We both have opinions, neither of us are right. There's no need to start throwing rocks.

Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Your comments just struck me as pompous and not at issue, but I wasn't trying to throw rocks, I was just defending my point. Nothing wrong with a jab or two, but a personal attack is out of line. I apologize if I crossed that line.

 

[eclark53520]

I'm pretty sure Rock prides himself on being as pompous as possible.

lol

 

[Rockford35]

Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Your comments just struck me as pompous and not at issue, but I wasn't trying to throw rocks, I was just defending my point. Nothing wrong with a jab or two, but a personal attack is out of line. I apologize if I crossed that line.

No worries. I didn't take it personally, I assure you.

PS...I am a 3.7, even off the internets.

I'm pretty sure Rock prides himself on being as pompous as possible.

lol

This is not true. I pride myself on being on time. I hate being late.

R35

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

PS...I am a 3.7, even off the internets.

R35

I don't doubt it. I'm sure you would contend at the Shottalk member tourney.

 

[eclark53520]

PS...I am a 3.7, even off the internets.
R35

I still doubt it.

 

[Rockford35]

I don't doubt it. I'm sure you would contend at the Shottalk member tourney.

Maybe. I'd rather have fun with the guys here than worry about my score, tho.

I still doubt it.

I don't care.

R35

 

[nututhugame]

I would like to have a lazer rangefinder. I would like it so I could backcheck myself and know what I am hitting. For instance, at the course down the street from me there is what used to be a par 3 or something parallel to the 1'st fairway. It's not usually too busy that I can't take my shag bag down there and hit up to about a 5i in that area (it's pretty much a practice area now.) I could stick various stakes in the ground at various yardages and hit hundreds of balls to them. The advantage here is being able to walk out to that ball and know exactly where it is relative to my stake and what my shot dispersion is. -VS- the range where you can guess where you think your ball is landing exactly. Obviously this same thing could be accomplished in a school yard or county park (as long as you do it when there is nobody around to hit or object).

You could also use it a couple times at courses you play most often. Get yardages from certain landmarks on the course and backcheck their sprinkler heads, making it easier to play in the future. Plus it would be handy for when you hit one into the next fairway and are clueless as to the yardage. While you are doing this you can see if it coincides with your findings at practice. Like I said before... kind of keep yourself informed on what you really are hitting and what your margin of error is. May not put you 3' from the hole, but it could keep you from airmailing the green.

All that said I think as accurate as possible the better because for me it would be a learning tool.

 

[fisher]

I think you will find that most single digit handicaps hit their yardages pretty close with a 7 iron or less in their hands. For me the GPS is not so much about hitting exact yardages. Its all about strategy. My goal on any approach is to be below the hole so I generally try to hit it no farther than the pin. Most of the courses I play long is a bogey even if you are on the green. I definately want the GPS to be accurate and in my experience they are very accurate to the center of the green.

 

[MercMan]

Makes a big difference to me when I am playing well, I for one never want to be inside 100 yards. I don't like anything under a nice smooth full swing, so I like to leave myself 100-150 yards out, I am very confident with my setup and need my yardage to be accurate in that zone especially on good greens and fairways, when you want to carry all the way to the flag and stop or back the ball up

 

[MCDavis]

As a hack, no, 5 yards doesn't matter to me. I've never spent the money on any type of range finder because I can't justify it given my level of play and my lack of play. I can normally get the yardage to the center of the green accurately enough from yardage books and sprinkler heads. If I'm on the green, I'm happy.

 

[eclark53520]

I don't care.

R35

Better care.

 

[eclark53520]

As a hack, no, 5 yards doesn't matter to me. I've never spent the money on any type of range finder because I can't justify it given my level of play and my lack of play. I can normally get the yardage to the center of the green accurately enough from yardage books and sprinkler heads. If I'm on the green, I'm happy.

Gotta go with MC here.

I don't play enough to hit my clubs the same length every single time i hit them. Shit, i can't even connect with the ball the same way twice...

10 yards wouldn't matter much to me.

 

[Stratokatsu]

I have two devices, a Sonocaddie to use on the course and a Radar to use on the range. As long as both of them agree, I should be fine.

 

[MyBluC4]

Does 5 yards matter? Only if that is the distance beyond the cup that your putt finally comes to rest.