John - Nice response !
Ian - I was just wondering why you mentioned the time element with regards to rules/committees - I can't see the relevance. Have you ever been put on the clock in your club comp ?
I'm interested to know what arguments the committee are coming up with to refuse to make a local rule.
|
 |
_of_18th_n_berwick.JPG) Never been put on the clock in a club comp - my point was in reply to the qu about the difference between a GPS and a yardage book!!
I was meaning that a GPS is MUCH quicker. There is no need to pace off (argh!) the distance from your ball to a reference point in the yardage book.
Speed of decision to allow them, came from the realisation that there was money to be made selling them in the shop!!
I have one and think they are really useful.
|
|
I have read that the gps will take something like 20 seconds to come up with a reasonable number - on a course with which you are familiar, this would be longer than working out the distance in your head.
|
|
Ian,
I also have one.
My original question wasn't about the general difference between the two but the difference in relation to the rules.ie why wouldn't a committee introduce a local rule ?
"I can't see any difference in relation to the rules between using a SkyCaddie or using a Course planner / yardage markers"
|
|
Chemphysics - no, thats not so. The yardage even changes as you walk down the fairway! So it pretty much real time on mine.
Steve - Why indeed!! - I too see no difference between allowing a GPS and allowing Course planners / yardage markers
|
|
 Chemphysics - how do you know the distances you "work out in your head" are accurate?
The GPS is constantly changing as you move. Just a couple of seconds to acknowledge your not moving anymore and there's your accurate figure.
|
|
|
|
|
 Apparently for the new rules that are coming in for 2008, use of GPS/Lasers is going to be allowed - ie. the committee does not have to bless their usage by a local rule - can anyone confirm this?
|
|
 I can't confirm that Jon but I have also read that somewhere.
It's definitely the right way to go in my opinion.
|
|
I was stating only the information provided to me since I do not yet have one. I have been told that it takes several seconds for the unit to get an accurate measurement - whilst the numbers are real time, skycaddie have told me that these numbers will be unreliable, it takes a few seconds to get to the maximum accuracy.
As for working it out in my head - well I know the distance to the front is accurate because I know how far I hit my clubs and, since I am familar with the course, I know that the yardage markers are consistant with that.
I agree that they should be allowed in the same manner as markers/planners. Ultimately what is to stop an individual making their own planner with 100 points per hole? Nothing and it will basically give the same advantage as a skycaddie. Effectively the skycaddie is a time saving device - you could get exactly the same result without it and with a bit more effort.
|
|
I was told that global warming was only a new labour tax scam... hey it could be true!
I do agree that when you play your home course, you normally have a pretty good idea about what to hit! Always make me laugh when one of my biddies paces up and down the tee of a par 3 and still hit the same club (plus or minus the wind condtions!)
BUT - the resassurance of the getting a definitive yardage is not to be sniffed at!
I don't think I would have bought one unless I had some vouchers I didnt know what to do with (cost!) but now I have it , really like it.
Also, the detractors all want to have a look at dam thing during a round too! that's all I need to know!
|
|
I used a friends sureshot to make a course guide for my local course.
You might also look at google earth, the latest version has a ruler which is very accurate. You can click on a tree/marker then measure to the front centre and back of the green and just make up a sheet in excell.
Images can be 3 years out of date but you can usually find enough familiar points (assuming google is hi-res in your area)
Lee
|
| Edited: 21/08/07 11:28 |
Google earth is great, but my laptop fell off the powakaddy and broke!
Any ideas? LOL!!
|
|
self mapping, sure shot ariel photos, google earth and making up books none but none of these will ever be as good as the proper professional mapping done by Skycaddie, having seen how they map a course and the detail that goes into it I am totally sold on the gismo, I have total confidence in it and it enhances my game . you get what you pay for ! but of course if you want everything for nothing........................that is what you will get....nothing
|
|
I have a skycaddie sg5 and find it invaluable especially if you are playing on a course that is new to you. These devices are brilliant for practicing to ,you can accurately lay out markers or quickly check what length you are hitting which clubs with the ball marker function. the only thing that I see as being a potential problem is knowing when the course you are playing was last mapped as it heavily relies on the centre of the green being in the same place as when the course was mapped if there a temporary greens or the course has been changed then you might be snookered without realising it. but i think the benifits far outway the cons it is like having your own personal caddie and you dont have to give it a percentage of your prize money but you have no-one to blame but yourself and it dosn't carry your bag.
|
|
David you are right, but Skycaddie are actively updating their courses all of the time and as they mapped on foot in the first place I am confident they will have all of their maps up to date unlike those who use ariel photos who will have to wait until a new photo is produced
|
|
'I am confident they will have all of their maps up to date unlike those who use ariel photos'. Longdriver you should know better being a skycaddie employee that comments like that are liabless. How do you know how up to date the photos are? Shame on you!
|
|
I wish ! they must be rolling in it, only repeating what Im told .
|
|
at long last sanity has prevailed our monthly board meeting decided to go pro-active and have ratified the use of GPS in medals and competitions. this after steadfastly refusing to consider their use latterly. the change of heart appears to be the fact that pros in our pro-am can use and their partners cannot. the low men have changed sides and now argue in favour. whatever the reasons, i am delighted and will watch with interest to see if the surrounding clubs now follow our lead 
|
|
