By Chris C

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  • 10 Replies
  1. Chris C

    Chris C
    Quitman, GA

    Most of the courses I play now have GPS built in to the carts, some very detailed and interactive. While I find this very helpful, I wonder if it takes away from the game. I find my self relying more on what a computerized golf cart tells me than my natural feel of the course and the shot. Then the situation comes up when I'm on the 150 marker on the course and the GPS tells me I'm 134, and the pin is in the middle of the green. One of the distance tools is wrong. Is more information better, or is it information overload?

  2. Bob T

    Bob T
    East Otis, MA

    Way I look at it is this!!! I do not have the time to write every distance down in a book so to me a GPS is nice. You eventually know what club to use within a certain distance. With this being said, you still have to make the shot count with the best of your ability. Also some cart gps's will tell your where the carts are ahead of you and also you can place a lunch order on them and have it ready at the turn. I usually walk but when I use a cart it did take awhile to get a feel for the course but eventually I did. It's still up to you in how you want to go about your golf. Hit them well!!!!!!
  3. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Hi Chris C. ... I tend to agree with you regarding the "information overload". It is one of the reasons why I rely solely on a range finder! hahahaha ... I know, more information ... but I do find it far more reliable than the GPS and the usual course yardage markers. So I tend to ignore the GPS in the cart and the course yardage markers.

    Of course, as I learned a long time ago when we were learning about computer programming, "garbage in and garbage out" ... the information is only useful if we can process it properly. That is the challenge that I find in terms of thinking about forced carries, wind conditions, elevated greens vs. non elevated greens, ambient temperature, condition of my lie, etc. :-D.

  4. Dave N

    Dave N
    Dade City, FL

    Chris I was like you , I didn't want electronics to help me. Until last month I got a Voice Caddie GPS wow good info. I hope you are stronger then me. Dave hit um straight...
  5. I use a range finder which I would compare to the gps and even though it gives distance I still have to decide what club to hit especially in between distances, I have come to notice on most courses I golf the 150 stick is off by quite a bit.
  6. Allen L

    Allen L
    Clarington, OH

    Chris, I've been using a Garmin S3 GPS watch since it came out a few years ago. I must admit that without having a number for distance I don't play so well. But as you noted, GPS can be a little erratic. I played a round with a fella last fall who used a rangefinder, I had my GPS watch, and the cart had a GPS unit, we found variations in yardages throughout the round. I don't think GPS or rangefinders takes away from the game, I play with more confidence with my shots and score better so I tend to play happy golf more often. With all the tech stuff available, its still up to you to make the swing.
  7. Barry S

    Barry S
    Oakville, ON

    I have been playing with a Sky Caddie for about the last 7 years or so. Very hard to play now without one. The one feature that I use quite a bit is the "marking"feature, so that you can mark the distances to see yardages you are actually hitting.
  8. I prefer no rangefinders or gps. I like the traditional 200, 150 & 100 markers on the course. I enjoy the mental challenge of figuring what to hit based on course conditions and eye site. You figure this out as the other players are hitting and your ready to pull the trigger when it's your turn.
  9. Andrew A

    Andrew A
    Charlotte, NC

    I too get a sense that I have lost a "feel" for distance. However, I take comfort in this fact that I know for certain what the distance is as opposed uncertain. I find that it also helps the pace of play.
  10. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    At the end of the day you're the one who's got to hit the shot. The GPS may say one thing, the rangefinder may say another, and the sprinkler head might say something different too. Take what you've got, and go with your gut. I'm a big rangefinder guy, but even then you have to take slope, wind, and how you're playing into account.
    Don't let all that info cloud your mind. A 150 yard shot could be anything from a 9 iron to a 7 iron depending on the situation and the shot. The more you get to know your shots and trust your game the better you'll play.
  11. Tom P

    Tom P
    Stanley, NC

    We are in the age of information overload and it is making our lives more complicated, not simpler. I could get on a soap box, but I will stick to golf and the question at hand. I use a rangefinder along with course yardage markers plus my sense of feel that I have developed over the past 45 years playing this great game. The "feel" portion considers the wind, slope, and temperature. The primary device that I use to process all the data is my brain.

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