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Does 5 Yards Matter in Golf?

How accurate does distance information need to be for amateur golfers?


  • Total voters
    16

Junior8516

Active Member
Jan 18, 2011
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I hear different rangefinder companies - both laser and GPS - talk about their accuracy. But what IS accurate enough for the amateur golfer? Pros talk about they need accuracy to within +/- 1 yard (I'm not sure I buy that).

For the amateur golf, is +/- 5 yards good enough? Is +/- 10 yards?
 

floggerrushmd

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Jul 11, 2008
589
2
I think a lot of this depends on how far out the amateur is. From 100 yds and in I would like to think that +/- 3 yds may even be too coarse a guess. From 150-175 I would love +/- 3 yds in results. From greater than 175 I think +/-5 is good enough. I don't really ever see a situation where hitting into a green +/-10 yds is acceptable most courses by me don't have greens that are more than 12-15yds deep. But that is just my thoughts.
 

Rockford35

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125 yards vs 123 yards makes no difference if you hit the ball 120 or 135 with the information provided. Distance control within 4 or 5 yards is more important to your game than how accurate your GPS is.

R35
 

slickpitt

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2006
2,706
3
I think the closer you get the more it matters. Longer irons I think most everyone loses some distance control. But when you get to hitting 789 irons or wedges then I'd like to know fairly exact yardages.

I also see people all the time when they get inside 100 yards stop using their laser/GPS and eyeballing it. Personally I try to get as exact as I can in that range. I want to know a shot is 64 yards... rather than "oh, about 70 yards." I have much better odds of hitting a shot exactly 64 yards rather than 164 yards.
 

TheTrueReview

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Jan 8, 2009
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Yes, pinpoint accuracy does matter. In fact, it is critical. What's that you say? Nonsense? Forget driving. I'm talking about putting - the scoring shot. Sinking putts make scores go down, not longer drives. If only TaylorMade realised that ...
 

anonymous golfaholic

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I'm with Slick. GPS is most useful to me inside 100yds. It's hard to eyeball the difference in 40 and 60 yds. Which is huge. I'm really critical of my short yardages. So back to the OP, I think a margin of error of 5yd is acceptable, 10 is not acceptable. In fact it pisses me off to think I spent $400 for a yardage device that can't accurately deliver a 5yd margin of error.
 

anonymous golfaholic

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I'm due for a new GPS and I'll be damned if I buy another one if it can't deliver an accuracy of +-3yds. My SkyCaddie started giving some wacked out numbers before it died. There are enough variables in golf without worrying about a damn rangefinder. I know, I'm spoiled with technology today, but still $400 is $400.
 

Rockford35

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So, you have a GPS that is accurate to 0.1 yards. You measure your approach at 87 yards.

But, you can't hit a shot between 85 and 90 yards 8 times out of 10.

Who cares how accurate your GPS is if you can't hit the shot in the first place. Your money is better spent on buckets at the range or lessons from the local pro. "Touch" will come later once you have the basics down.

R35
 

shep3470

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2009
271
0
Omaha, NE
Who cares how accurate your GPS is if you can't hit the shot in the first place. Your money is better spent on buckets at the range or lessons from the local pro.
R35

Well said. I can't even count how many guys at the course I have seen take out their GPS/Rangefinder and have not even come within 20 yards of the green.
 

fisher

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Nov 16, 2008
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I rely heavily on my gps for front, back and center yardages. I feel lost without it. I can't imagine a gps being off +/- 5 yards. If a gps were off that bad it would be useless. Mine is pretty much spot on. I'm using the Igolf triton which is a middle of the road unit. On any given day when I walk to the spot where the gps comes to 0 I am standing in the center of the green. I'd be surprised if its ever been off 3 feet let alone 5 yards. Perhaps the cell phone based apps may be off that bad but a golf gps ought to be pretty darn accurate.
 

Fourputt

Littleton, Colorado
Sep 5, 2006
973
0
I hear different rangefinder companies - both laser and GPS - talk about their accuracy. But what IS accurate enough for the amateur golfer? Pros talk about they need accuracy to within +/- 1 yard (I'm not sure I buy that).

For the amateur golf, is +/- 5 yards good enough? Is +/- 10 yards?

How accurate do you want to be? It doesn't matter to me that I may not hit every shot a perfect distance, I still want the best information possible to start out with. That means that I not only know exactly how far I want to hit the ball, but if necessary, I can add in a fudge factor that gives me the best chance of at least putting the ball in a playable location. I don't see +/-5 yards as close enough - a 10 yard error is just too much. +/-3 is just livable (that's still a half club overall), but why settle for that if you don't have to? I'm going for the best data available, and that's a laser rangefinder with +/-1 yard accuracy.

Anyone who thinks that their GPS is accurate within a yard all the time is dreaming. GPS technology doesn't work that way. There are a lot of variables that can affect how well it locates itself. I have both GPS and laser and I use both. I just use them for different situations, but when I want precise numbers, it's the laser all the way.
 

TheTrueReview

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FWIW, irrespective of whether golfing wanna-be's can't play for nuts, at least a GPS unit will keep the pace of play going. On the odd occasion when I've left mine home, I've found it frustrating at some courses where the distance markings on sprinkler heads have been worn off. Pacing out distance & asking your playing partner his estimate, really slows the game down.
 

anonymous golfaholic

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So, you have a GPS that is accurate to 0.1 yards. You measure your approach at 87 yards.

But, you can't hit a shot between 85 and 90 yards 8 times out of 10.

Who cares how accurate your GPS is if you can't hit the shot in the first place. Your money is better spent on buckets at the range or lessons from the local pro. "Touch" will come later once you have the basics down.

R35

The pros don't hit their yardages all the time either. You're missing the point. If we listened to you, we'd never get off the range. It's about having a constant among many variables. Have you ever played a course with very little for yd markers? Ever hit your ball offline on a course you've never played before and was clueless about your yardage? Can you tell the difference between 40 and 60yds? These are a few reasons why I bought a SkyCaddie. Forgive me, but when I drop $400, I expect accurate readings. + or - 10yds doesn't cut it. 10yds is a club difference. Who cares if I can't hit all my spots. When I airmail a green, I want to know it was me and not bad information. Using a yardage device helps you learn your distances. It gives you some peice of mind. And like TTR said, It speeds up play. So go buy one, that way the group behind you doesn't have to watch you pace of your yardage all day. The games elite aren't the only ones entitled to accurate information.
 

Rockford35

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The pros don't hit their yardages all the time either. You're missing the point. If we listened to you, we'd never get off the range. It's about having a constant among many variables. Have you ever played a course with very little for yd markers? Ever hit your ball offline on a course you've never played before and was clueless about your yardage? Can you tell the difference between 40 and 60yds? These are a few reasons why I bought a SkyCaddie. Forgive me, but when I drop $400, I expect accurate readings. + or - 10yds doesn't cut it. 10yds is a club difference. Who cares if I can't hit all my spots. When I airmail a green, I want to know it was me and not bad information. Using a yardage device helps you learn your distances. It gives you some peice of mind. And like TTR said, It speeds up play. So go buy one, that way the group behind you doesn't have to watch you pace of your yardage all day. The games elite aren't the only ones entitled to accurate information.

I have a Skycaddie. I play to a 3.7. I hit my yardages (most of the time).

How does missing greens speed up play again? Or guys pissing around with their GPS/lasers on tees, just to air mail greens?

Peice of mind comes when you have a level of certainty. And you achieve this by being confident in your iron distances.

Have you ever heard some of the old pros stating that they wished that irons had distances stamped on the sole instead of numbers to get out of the amatuers head that they need to hit such-and-such a club a certain distance?

The club in your hand makes no difference if you can't confidently hit that yardage - no matter how accurate the distance measured is.

R35
 

anonymous golfaholic

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I have a Skycaddie. Do you not care if it is accurate?I play to a 3.7.Why is your internet hdcp of any relevance? I hit my yardages (most of the time).

How does missing greens speed up play again? Who said missing greens speeds up play?Or guys pissing around with their GPS/lasers on tees, just to air mail greens?I can figure my distance twice as fast with GPS. Yeah, most of us do miss greens regardless. What is your secret to hitting all GIR?

Piece of mind comes when you have a level of certainty. And you achieve this by being confident in your iron distances. I don't care how good I am, I still want an accurate yardage.

Have you ever heard some of the old pros stating that they wished that irons had distances stamped on the sole instead of numbers to get out of the amateurs head that they need to hit such-and-such a club a certain distance? That would be fine, if everyone hit there 7i the same distance.

The club in your hand makes no difference if you can't confidently hit that yardage - no matter how accurate the distance measured is. I see your point. If I can't break a 100, I shouldn't waste my money on GPS. Now try to see mine. If I'm going to spend $400 on GPS, I want it to be accurate.Bottom line.

R35

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.
 

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