Measuring Tapes

[Cgkdisc]

Yes, ball golf courses are marked better. My point was that the PDGA will be going beyond the current ball golf rule if they make rangefinders and GPS gear always allowed rather than just a local rule option like ball golf. It will be interesting to see players trying to measure around a corner in the woods or over a blind hump using a rangefinder (and get it done within 30 seconds including throwing). Rangefinders should be helpful especially on courses with multiple pins where they couldn't put permanent distance markers like golf anyway because the pins would all be different distances from a lie.

 

[iacas]

Rangefinders are not legal in ball golf during competition UNLESS there's a local rule allowing it (see 14-3 b).

Yardage books are always allowed, though. Can you build a yardage book for a disc golf course?

And rangefinders are fairly well accepted in golf events. Virtually every amateur event allows them. Local section PGA events allow them. It's mostly the PGA Tour (and the majors) that don't allow them, and really, they don't need them as their caddies have well-prepared books with every possible yardage mapped out already.

And nothing would stop someone (it's happened before - like when Tiger hits the ball in another fairway) from pacing it off. No 30-second rule in golf like in DG.

Yes, ball golf courses are marked better. My point was that the PDGA will be going beyond the current ball golf rule if they make rangefinders and GPS gear always allowed rather than just a local rule option like ball golf. It will be interesting to see players trying to measure around a corner in the woods or over a blind hump using a rangefinder (and get it done within 30 seconds including throwing). Rangefinders should be helpful especially on courses with multiple pins where they couldn't put permanent distance markers like golf anyway because the pins would all be different distances from a lie.

Well rangefinders have trouble going through trees, too. You'll get some odd yardages if you rely on a laser sometimes. Did you hit the tree 10 feet short, the basket, or the other tree 10 feet long of the basket? Golf doesn't have that problem - the flag is usually on a flat piece of ground without trees.

But in practice, rangefinders are pretty much allowed more often than they're not, particularly since they're perfectly legal for handicap rounds, which is how 99% of the golf world plays golf.

 

[Greatzky]

Yardage books are always allowed, though. Can you build a yardage book for a disc golf course?

yes you can create caddy books. That's what the USDGC has. I have been considering it for my home course as well. I have a high end printer and costs would be low for me to create one for my course.

Plus we could sell them and put part of the money towards the club/course. This might not be legal though during competition as it might be a rule that all players would have to be allowed access to the caddybook. This I would have to look up. We could still sell them for leagues/casual rounds.

 

[patdb23]

It sounds like the rule is being updated (pending PDGA Board approval) where GPS and rangefinders will be legal to carry and use starting Jan 1, 2013. You still won't have more than 30 seconds to throw when it's your turn.

Cool, I think I'll bring out this rangefinder to the course:

 

[Steve West]

A lot of flag sticks in golf have little three-cornered reflectors built in to help the range finders. If wonder if the basket manufacturers will do the same.

Bow hunters stick little reflectors in the trees around their stand. Will those become the newest "nice to have" on disc golf courses?

I would have preferred that the new rule ban the USE of the devices, but allow them to be carried. I think judging distances is one of the skills (or signs of good advance preparation) that should be tested.

Besides, players have enough annoying time-wasting steps in their "routine" as it is.

 

[MrFixIt]

I would have preferred that the new rule ban the USE of the devices, but allow them to be carried. I think judging distances is one of the skills (or signs of good advance preparation) that should be tested.

Interesting point, and I agree.
We've all played w/ that guy that asks (while on the teepad :doh, "What's the distance on this hole?"
I usually tell them some outrageous distance.
I could see the use of rangefinders when playing a course for the 1st time, but after that...

 

[Cgkdisc]

Once rangefinders are in wider use, perhaps Internet claims of distance will go down? I think the jury's out whether knowing the distance will actually improve your shots or perhaps screw you up because you lose the ability to judge and let your internal mechanics take over.

 

[_MTL_]

As our sport progresses from all par 3's to actually having par 4's and par 5's, one thing that hasn't progressed is distance markers on those par 4's and par 5's. When I designed a temp course for my A Tier, each and every non par 3 had distance markers in the fairway and I know for a fact players really loved that aspect.

Until our sport recognizes the need to have distance markers on every par 4 and par 5 in the fairways, I'm in favor of allowing range finders.

Golf does not allow them but in golf, you pretty much always have a good idea of how far you are. The skill is taking that information and then using it to your advantage. In disc golf, except on rare occasions, there is flat out no information.

I don't see how judging a distance is considered skillful when zero resources are provided.

 

[iacas]

Golf does not allow them but in golf, you pretty much always have a good idea of how far you are. The skill is taking that information and then using it to your advantage. In disc golf, except on rare occasions, there is flat out no information.

Again, golf does allow them, just not always (and the times they're excluded, like PGA Tour events, the caddies have books with so much information that a laser would be useless anyway - not entirely useless, because it would still be faster to get the same number.).

 

[_MTL_]

But I've played amateur golf tournaments that allow GPS's used during play. But any pro or any major amateur event won't.

I highly doubt that this rule will not allow them in the pro divisions but in the amateur divisions, so the argument that golf allows them really doesn't stand here.

 

[ERicJ]

Well rangefinders have trouble going through trees, too. You'll get some odd yardages if you rely on a laser sometimes. Did you hit the tree 10 feet short, the basket, or the other tree 10 feet long of the basket?

A lot of flag sticks in golf have little three-cornered reflectors built in to help the range finders. If wonder if the basket manufacturers will do the same.

Having used a quality range finder for several years now to measure just about every course I play (and update DGCR distances of course), I can say it's amazingly easy to zap the distance to a basket without any additional reflective surfaces.

Trees in front or behind the basket are also rarely an issue if the range finder has a scan or continuous range feature. You just sweep across the field and watch the distances change from target to target.

The speed and accuracy of commercially affordable GPS devices will probably limit their utility to most players, but lasers have the potential to even the "home course advantage". Playing on your home course you probably know what disc you'd throw from just about anywhere on the course. But that out-of-town player who shows up at your tournament might not be able to tell if they're 275' or 325' from the basket and using a laser might quickly tell them if they're throwing a mid or driver for the shot.