Fear and loathing in the caddie lounge as rangefinders threaten to transform major golf
Terrifying laser-guided machines are advancing on to the fairways this week and the mortals are desperately mobilising. Who will prevail in this fight to the death and which side will golfing cyborg Bryson DeChambeau be on? It is easy to dive deep into hyperbole as the 103rd US PGA Championship...
www.yahoo.com
Most semi-serious golfers have been using range finders for years. They are dead-nuts accurate, and take only a few seconds to use. We also use golf GPS apps on our phones, which tell us the same information, PLUS distances to bunkers, water, and other permanent hazards. No way do they slow down play. My personal range finder is 8 years old and it works great. I'm sure the more modern and expensive versions are much more advanced. In fact, they will adjust the reading for elevation changes.
Part of a caddie's responsibilities has always been to map out the course in advance, so that he can estimate to the golfer how far it is to the front, center, and back of the green. A range finder can tell him exactly how far it is to the pin. Watching the game on television, the announcers have EXACT information, which they give to the viewing audience on virtually every shot, so it's only the golfer who is relying on an inexact estimate.
More information for the golfer is better, especially when it just brings the pro's to the same level as good amateurs always have. The golfer still has to decide where to land the ball, what trajectory he wants, how much spin to impart, and then EXECUTE THE SHOT. That's what they get paid for, not making the best guess at the distance.
We will see how it works out at the PGA tournament this year, but the complaints mentioned in this article are bullshit, as every serious amateur knows. Are the caddies concerned that their cut will be reduced? Fuck 'em.
