There are many golf gadgets on the market today, many are merely gimmicks, and others are useful to a certain extent. In this article, I am going to discuss the use of golf laser yardage rangefinders and other measuring devices.
I have seen a few golf stores selling rangefinders that state that there use is legal in tournament play. Let's start by clarifying the rules of golf with regards to artificial measuring devices. The USGA states in rule 14-3:
"Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment, or use any equipment in an unusual manner:
a. That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or
b. For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play..."
What is permitted is the use of standard eyeglasses and binoculars that have no rangefinder attachments. When professional golfers are deciding on what club would be suitable for their next shot, the caddy usually tells them how far it is to the front of the green or to the pin.
The USGA allows the use of these booklets by tradition even though such a booklet is an artificial device. Therefore, before play, a caddy can walk the course taking measurements with a rangefinder and then make a detailed booklet with illustrations of each hole, including specific trees, bunkers, and other landmarks. He can superimpose a yardage scale on each illustration, thus a player can estimate quite accurately the distance from his ball to the pin.
A newer rule made by the USGA, 14-3/0.5, states; "Local Rule Permitting Use of Distance Measuring Device" In other words, a local committee could rule that it is permissible to use a measuring device. What is not allowed is the use of a device that measures other factors, such as gradient, wind-speed, temperature, etc.
Now that we have the rules sorted out I will talk about the benefits of using golf rangefinders. A lot of golf beginners that have learned the basics and can swing and hit the golf ball consistently, still have difficulty in gauging the distance that they need to hit the ball. It is important to learn how far you can hit every one of your clubs in your bag and you need to be able to judge the distance where you want to hit the ball. This is where a golf laser rangefinder comes in handy.
You could go the driving range and hit your driver several times; measuring the distance you hit the ball and then averaging the results. After doing this with every club in your bag and noting down the distances, you will have a record of your yardage for each club. Another way to use a golf rangefinder is to walk your local course "mapping" it out with your rangefinder. This way, when you are playing a practice round, you can refer to your notes and see how far your next shot is. With the knowledge from your club yardage notes, you will then be able to select the right club for the shot in hand.
After a bit of practice and repetition, you will then be able to comfortably select the right club without looking at your rangefinder data.
Now, let's have a quick look at some types of golf rangefinder. The best golf course range finders, by popularity, are from Bushnell. At the cheap end of the scale is the Bushnell Rangefinder Scope, which is a 5 x power monocular, made for quick and easy use. A couple of mid-range rangefinders are the Bushnell Medalist and Yardage Pro Tour which are the more traditional binocular rangefinders style. At the top end, one that stands out is the Bushnell PinSeeker 1500 Slope +/- Edition. It has the ability to measure distances taking in to account the difference in elevation between the object and the target.
