PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap was disqualified from the first round of the 78th U.S. Women’s Open after her caddie, Jinsup Kim, used a distance-measuring device on multiple holes.
Vongtaveelap, a promising 20-year-old rookie from Thailand, was even par through five holes at Pebble Beach Golf Links and competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open on Thursday.
The USGA released a statement that read:
“During the first round, on multiple occasions, the caddie for Natthakritta Vongtaveelap used a distance measuring device, which is not allowed in the U.S. Women’s Open. The first breach is a general penalty, and the second breach resulted in disqualification.”
Distance measuring devices were allowed at the recent KPMG Women’s PGA at Baltusrol. The only places on tour they are not allowed are here at the U.S. Women’s Open and the AIG Women’s British Open.
Discover how golf lasers and GPS devices work, and which could help you most on the course.
As with every other sport, golf is filled with debates. Who is the greatest of all time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Which would you rather play, Pebble Beach or Bandon Dunes? Which would you rather win, the Masters or the U.S. Open?
Another that many golfers struggle with is a more practical question: Which should you buy, a laser rangefinder or a golf GPS device?
Many players who started playing golf over the past three seasons have discovered how fun the game can be, and they are now deciding to start investing in equipment instead of relying on borrowed gear or the used equipment they picked up. That not only means clubs and balls but accessories that can help lower scores, such as a distance-measuring device.
Choosing between a laser rangefinder or a GPS device can be tricky, because both distance-measuring devices have benefits and drawbacks. Before you reach for your credit card, discover how each type of distance-measuring device works and think about a few frequent situations that can help make an intelligent purchase.
Laser rangefinders: How do they work, and what are the pros and cons? Laser rangefinders all work using the same basic principles. When a player presses the button on the unit, it sends out a beam of light that hits an object and reflects back. The device can measure the time it takes the light to bounce back, and because the speed of light is constant (at least as far as the practical use of rangefinders goes), the device can calculate precisely how far the object is from the rangefinder.
What separates one laser rangefinder from another is the speed at which a unit can do the calculations (all are reasonably quick), the clarity of images seen in the viewfinder, the level of magnification in the viewfinder and extra features such as water resistance.
Often referred to as a “slope” feature, many laser rangefinders can measure whether a target is uphill or downhill, then factor in the distance and the angle to create a playing distance that can be longer or shorter than the actual straight-line distance. Using features such as this is legal for recreational golfers, but in tournament play these features are rarely allowed. Laser rangefinders with a slope feature allow golfers to disable the feature for tournament play, often by simply sliding a button.
Most laser rangefinders are accurate within a foot or two from as far away as several hundred yards, so they are almost always the go-to distance-measuring device for elite golfers and caddies. They also typically come with a protective carrying case that can snap onto a golf bag, and many have a magnet on one side that allows players to attach them safely to a golf cart’s roof supports for easy access – make sure not to forget the unit on a cart at the end of a round, an all-too-common occurrence. A few laser rangefinders even have Bluetooth technology and can tether to a smartphone to obtain weather and atmospheric conditions to make the plays-like distances even more accurate.
All of that is great, but there are two downsides to laser rangefinders to keep in mind.
First, you need a direct line of sight to your target. It sounds obvious – and on the tee box of a par 3 or in the fairway it’s rarely a problem – but if you are off the fairway and can’t see the flag or trees obstruct your view, a laser can’t help you.
Second, obtaining accurate distance readings to bunkers, hazards and other features on the course using a laser can be challenging. Yes, you can zap the lip of a bunker or a creek, but to discover how far away a hazard is and what distance you need to hit to clear it, you will need to get several numbers, and that’s not always possible.
These shortcomings are minimal for pros and accomplished players who use yardage books in tournaments and often scribble laser rangefinder notes in those yardage books. They want to-the-flag accuracy above everything else, and lasers can provide that.
Golf GPS devices: How do they work, and what are the pros and cons? Golf GPS devices come as a wearable, such as a watch, or handheld units that resemble smartphones. They work by linking with satellites that circle the earth, and after connecting with several satellites at once, GPS devices use internal software to determine what course you are playing and where you are located on that course. Map software can determine how far you are from other areas on the course such as bunkers, water features and different portions of the green.
The most basic GPS devices display the yardage to the front, middle and back of a green from where you are standing, but colorful touch screens and sophisticated software designed into some units allow them to do much more. They can display the distance to a bunker and the yardage required to clear it. They allow you to touch the screen to determine the yardage to a layup spot on par 4s and par 5s, and some let you adjust the hole location on the screen for better accuracy.
For inexperienced golfers, information such as this can be very reassuring and help simplify club selection. Plus, if you are a player who struggles to break 90 or 100, knowing the distance to the front, middle and back of the green is more valuable than knowing the precise distance to the flag, which frequently shouldn’t be your target.
However, that’s the shortcoming of GPS devices. They can’t tell you exactly where the hole is located. For many better players, that’s a deal breaker.
So which should you play? Understanding the strengths and shortcomings of laser rangefinders and golf GPS devices, and how they relate to your game, can simplify figuring out the ideal device.
If you are an accomplished golfer and typically play the same courses, a laser rangefinder will probably be a good choice because you will value precise numbers on approach shots. And even if you hit a tee shot into the woods, if you are familiar with the course you’re playing, you should be able to judge recovery shots and layup areas when necessary. The most important thing for you is knowing exactly how far the flag is from your position on par 3s and from the fairway, and a laser does that well.
If you play a wide variety of courses, want to know how far away bunkers and hazards are from the tee and don’t want to do a lot of math to figure out the ideal layup shot, then a watch-style or handheld GPS can deliver what you are looking for.
Here are several models you might want to consider:
The NX10 rangefinder is customizable with different skins.
Gear: Precision Pro NX10 laser rangefinder Price:$279.99 Specs: Slope-adjustable distances, magnetic side piece, 6X magnification with 600-yard range.
Who it’s For: Golfers who want a rangefinder that can provide slope features, be made legal for tournament play and that gives you a chance to add personalized details.
The Skinny: The NX10 has all the features that golfers want—laser accuracy, easy target acquisition, slope-adjusted numbers that can be disabled in tournaments and a magnetic side so it can stick to your golf cart—along with the ability to be customized using colorful sleeves.
The Deep Dive: There comes a time in nearly every golfer’s life when he or she has to ask a simple question: “How seriously am I going to take the game?” For some, golf will always be a fun activity and a way to enjoy time with friends outside. For others, it’s a competitive outlet that tests them mentally and physically. The more seriously you take the game, the more you will want a laser rangefinder, but that doesn’t mean your laser rangefinder can’t be fun. Or at least not dull.
Precision Pro started in the laser rangefinder business by offering well-made products at a less-than-premium price. However, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company has also added plenty of technology to its lasers. Last season, its new R1 Smart Rangefinder debuted the ability to link your distance-measuring device to your smartphone for more-accurate and personalized yardages. Now, with the release of the NX10, Precision Pro has a model that lets golfers personalize the look of their laser.
The Precision Pro NX10 can measure targets up to 600 yards away and has a powerful magnet on the side that lets you affix it to your golf cart. (Precision Pro)
First things first, the NX10 weighs 18 ounces and feels reassuringly solid in your hands. Looking through the viewfinder, golfers will see clearly in the enhanced LCD display that provides 6X magnification. There are only two buttons on the unit, and pressing the circular one closest to the viewfinder activates the NX10 for a measurement. The system is extremely fast, and the black numbers on the display are very easy to read. The NXT can display yardages up to 600 yards away.
A second oval-shaped button on top of the NX10 allows golfers to activate or disable the unit’s slope functions. When activated, a second number appears in the top-right area of the viewfinder when you measure the distance to a target, which is an adjusted or “plays-like” distance to the target based on whether it is uphill or downhill from your position. In tournament conditions where slope functions are not allowed, sliding the oval-shaped button to forward disables them.
In either setting, when the NX10 hits a target, the device vibrates in your hand to let you know the system has locked on, and a powerful magnet on the left side of the NX10 allows you to secure it to your golf cart. Even on bumpy fairways and cart paths, the magnet holds the NX10 in place.
The Precision Pro NX10 can be fitted with different skins. (Precision Pro)
On top of all that, the all-white Precision Pro NX10 has been designed to hold a series of sleeves (referred to as skins) and face plates that can be separately ordered. The skins wrap under the front of the unit while the face plates go on the front and surround the two lenses. There are 10 different colors available, 12 themed designs and 12 limited edition state and regional skins, with more on the way.
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Players and caddies didn’t hold back when asked their opinions on the use of rangefinders this week.
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The PGA of America believes pace of play will improve in this week’s PGA Championship by allowing the use of distance-measuring devices.
Players and caddies say not so fast.
Committed to speed up play, the PGA of America is the first major governing body to allow distance-measuring devices in its foremost professional events, starting with the 103rd edition of the PGA Championship this week on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.
“We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our championships,” Jim Richerson, president of the PGA of America, said in a media release in February announcing the decision. “The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf. Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”
The response from players and caddies? It. Will. Slow. Play. Down.
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“I love what the PGA of America is trying to do. The organization has been at the forefront of change,” said Paul Tesori, longtime bag man for Webb Simpson. “The PGA Championship is the only major we’ve played lift, clean and place. The PGA of America was the first to allow shorts.
“But I think they reached into an area where I don’t think we need help.”
His boss agreed.
“This is a fact: it’s not going to speed up play because everybody I know and have talked to, we still want front numbers, and the range finder, you can’t always get the accurate front number,” said Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champion and current world No. 10. “So you’ll probably have the player shoot the pin, the caddie will walk off the number because I’m going to want what’s front. I haven’t read the reasoning behind it or their desire to test it out that week, but I don’t think it will really make a difference.”
And as Scott Sajtinac, caddie for 2013 PGA champion Jason Dufner, said: “Too much information is needed that is unzappable by a laser. But some will sure try to laser something extra.”
Harry Diamond, caddie for Rory McIlroy, uses a rangefinder during a practice round prior to the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort’s Ocean Course on May 17, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
The devices, in accordance with Rule 4.3a (1), can only report on distance and direction. Those that also can calculate other data including elevation changes and wind speeds, are not allowed.
Since 2006, rangefinders and GPS devices have been allowed for recreational golf and tournaments with the rule stating that local rules would allow tournament committees to ban them. While rangefinders have been allowed in the U.S. Amateur since 2014, top professional events, including the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, do not permit such usage.
As well, the PGA Tour conducted a four-tournament test of distance-measuring devices on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017 but did not change its view.
“We decided at the time to continue to prohibit their use in official competitions on the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour for the foreseeable future,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “We will evaluate the impact rangefinders have on the competition at the PGA of America’s championships in 2021 and will then review the matter with our player directors and the Player Advisory Council.”
Where one and all do agree concerning the rangefinders – which also will be allowed in the PGA of America’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – is that time will not be wasted when players hit wayward shots, which could be frequent on the windswept grounds of the Ocean Course.
“I have a hard time seeing it speed things up, unless you get it way offline or you’re out of contention,” Jordan Spieth said. “We’ll plan on using it, but I think it will be more confirmation than anything. It’s not going to be we just step up, shoot it, and go. I mean, these pins get tucked and the wind’s blowing and you got to figure out a few more things than just the number to the hole.”
Added Bryson DeChambeau, the PGA Tour’s longest hitter: “It’s going to help me for when I hit it offline. We’re not going to have to go to a sprinkler head and walk 40, 50 yards away from a place to find a number.”
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But here’s where it will slow up play, according to players and caddies. How long will it take to pull the trigger if the player shoots one number and the caddie walks off a different number. They’d likely repeat the process. Then if there still is disagreement, the two would discuss how to go forward.
“I don’t know of one caddie who was consulted by the PGA of America, and that’s frustrating,” Tesori said. “We’d have stressed that normally, I’m getting a lot of info: the yardage to the front number, the carry number, left and right numbers, the distance behind the pin. And we’re talking about the wind and roll out. Of all the info, the last number we get is to the pin.
“If you shoot a rangefinder from 150 it will say 150 one time and 149 another and then 151. If you’re two yards off that can mean difference between 9-iron and pitching wedge. And if our numbers are different, we’ll redo all the numbers and if we’re still split, we’ll figure out what to do and away we go.
“As professionals, we have never done this before. It will be another part of the process and that will take time.”
World No. 2 and 2017 PGA champion Justin Thomas said he doesn’t like the PGA of America’s decision for many reasons but one in particular.
“I think it takes away an advantage of having a good caddie that maybe goes out there and does the work beforehand as opposed to someone, especially now between the yardage books, the greens books and range finders, you technically don’t even really need to see the place or play a practice round,” Thomas said. “You can go out there and know exactly what the green does, you know exactly what certain things are on certain angles because you can just shoot it with the range finder.
“I made my stance on it pretty clear. I don’t really like them.”
Companies are seeing delays the release of new models and pushing back innovations that would otherwise be in pro shops already.
This week, the PGA Championship is making its second trip to The Ocean Course at Kiawah, Pete Dye’s fiendishly challenging track along the South Carolina coast. It meanders over, around and through dunes, but unlike the last time the Wannamaker Trophy was handed out at this windswept venue in 2012, the pros will be carrying extra technology.
“We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our championships,” said Jim Richerson, the president of the PGA of America, last winter. “The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf. Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”
So now, instead of pacing off distances from sprinkler heads, players and caddies will be able to zap the flag to get a precise yardage to the flag, then refer to the daily hole location sheet to work out the distance to the front and back of the green.
However, it is ironic that as laser rangefinders are primed to get more exposure than ever, a looming semiconductor and microchip shortage is playing havoc with the industry. Companies ranging from start-ups to industry leaders are haggling with suppliers, delaying the release of new models and pushing back innovations that would otherwise be in pro shops already.
Tiger Woods uses a rangefinder from his golf cart during a practice round for The Match: Champions For Charity at Medalist Golf Club on May 23, 2020 in Hobe Sound, Florida. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for The Match)
Shortage related to pandemic
Like so many other things, the semiconductor and microchip shortage was caused by a series of events related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, companies worldwide were forced to close, workers stayed home and kids started attending school remotely. Businesses in many industries canceled orders and stopped production because no one knew what the global economy might do. That forced chipmakers to either stop or severely reduce their output.
Then, with more people working and studying from home throughout 2020, the sale of computers, webcams, smartphones and other electronics surged. As robust demand continued throughout 2020 for high-tech products, factories ramped up production but could not keep up.
In an interview on “60 Minutes” that aired in May, Intel’s CEO, Patrick Gelsinger, said, “I think we have a couple of years until we catch up to this surging demand across every aspect of the business. COVID showed that the global supply chain of chips is fragile and unable to react quickly to changes in demand.”
The shortage hurt makers of automobiles, consumer electronics and even, yes, golf laser rangefinders.
While there are subtle differences from one laser rangefinder to another, they work similarly. When you press a button, a laser rangefinder pulses light in a wide beam. When that light hits something, it bounces back to the rangefinder. Microprocessors inside the device measure the time it takes for the light to reflect, and then, using that information, determine the distance to the object. Laser rangefinders with sophisticated processors can do the job faster, but all devices rely on microchips to get the job done.
Bushnell Golf, based in Overland Park, Kansas, is the most popular brand of laser rangefinders on the PGA Tour. Derek Schuman, the company’s senior brand manager, told Golfweek, “I created our sourcing team because they have done a pretty good job of finding some workarounds. We have even helped to solicit going above and beyond our vendors to source and find the chips ourselves.”
Schuman also said the shipments sent in cargo ships from Asia are taking significantly longer to pass through ports and customs in Long Beach, California.
“It’s taking twice as long to get the containers off the ships, and then there are further delays in getting the container on the rail,” he said. “It’s a mess.”
Shot Scope has made a name for itself as a maker of shot-tracking systems and GPS watches. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, it entered the laser rangefinder market in 2021. Gavin Dear, the company’s chief commercial officer, said Shot Scope recognized the shortage was coming late last spring. It spurred the company to buy enough parts from different distributors to create a stockpile of 40,000 sets of components for its lasers and watches. Those parts are now sitting two miles from its factory.
“We can draw on that at any point over the next two years,” he said, explaining that the stockpile allows Shot Scope to build what it needs when it needs it, while replenishing the inventory separately.
“So we are in a phenomenal position, however, that is because we recognized the shortage was coming early on, and our leadership team has very good links into the distributors,” Dear said.
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Precision Pro wanted to release a new laser rangefinder in the first quarter of 2021. The chip shortage and other supply chain issues pushed the timing back to this week. It has also pushed back another product, initially slated for an early-spring release, to September at the earliest.
Rickie Fowler’s caddie Joe Skovron at 2019 Masters. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Alex Everhart, Precision Pro’s director of products, said that Qualcomm, the company that provides some of the chips Precision Pro needs, recently notified Precision Pro that it would not be receiving the parts it had ordered.
“It wasn’t that there was a price change. They didn’t say that it was going to be delayed. We were just flat out told that this chip was no longer going to be available,” Everhard said.
That, in turn, necessitated Precision Pro’s engineers to go back to the design and “basically rebuild all the internals based on the newly-available part,” according to Everhard. He said the item now scheduled for a third-quarter release had been redesigned four times because of situations like this.
“It’s like, ‘These are the parts that are available at this time, so let’s start mapping and creating the internals and just hope that by the time this project is actually completed, those chips are still going to be available to us and we don’t have to restart,'” Everhard explained.
For golfers, laser rangefinders are still readily available from numerous brands. Prices have not spiked, but replacing some models may be slower as people buy the inventory in stores.
All the same, Bushnell’s Schuman has a tip for people who might be looking to wait until the end of the year to grab a good deal on a laser.
“We certainly get a significant spike (in sales) around the holidays,” Schuman said. “So if the supply constraints that we anticipate in Q3 lag into Q4, that becomes a problem.”
Starting in 2021, players can user laser rangefinders and GPS devices at PGA of America majors, including the PGA Championship.
The PGA of America announced Tuesday that it will allow the use of distance-measuring devices in its three professional major championships – PGA Championship, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – starting this year.
The devices will first make an appearance at the PGA Championship, May 20-23 at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course in South Carolina.
“We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our Championships,” Jim Richerson, president of the PGA of America, said in a media release announcing the news. “The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf. Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”
The PGA of America becomes the first major body to allow the devices in all its premier professional events. There has been speculation for years that such devices might help speed play, as players and caddies won’t have to walk off yardages to sprinkler heads and other fixed positions.
The Unites States Golf Association’s Rules of Golf have allowed the use of laser rangefinders and GPS devices in casual play and tournaments since 2006, but a local rule allowed a tournament committee to ban such devices. At elite professional levels of play, the devices still have not been embraced for competition rounds, though they have been allowed in the U.S. Amateur since 2014. They are still not allowed during competition rounds at PGA Tour events or at the U.S. Open and British Opens.
In keeping with Rule 4.3a (1), the devices allowed can report only on distance and direction. Devices that calculate elevation changes or wind speeds, or that suggest a club for a player as well as other data, will not be allowed.
Jordan Spieth uses a laser rangefinder during a practice round at the 2015 PGA Championship. (Photo: Michael Madrid, USA TODAY Sports)
The devices won’t be new for the pros, many of whom already use laser rangefinders and GPS in practice rounds.
It’s likely laser rangefinders will prove more popular than GPS devices, as they more easily provide an exact distance to a flag on the green, often with accuracy to within a yard at normal approach-shot distances. GPS devices typically provide more generalized information on holes. It is possible a player could use both styles of devices, and several new products incorporate both lasers and GPS.
Many laser rangefinders provide information on elevation changes and “plays-like” distances. Most of those devices come with a switch to turn off such information, but many elite players opt for devices that do not provide elevation and other data as a precaution against forgetting to turn off those functions.
Garmin has been one of the most popular makers of GPS devices for cars, boats and aircraft for years. Using satellites orbiting the Earth that power the Global Positioning System, the company’s devices can pinpoint your location and overlay it on maps, provide you with directions and more.
The company has also made several GPS-enabled watches and devices for golfers too, like the new Approach G62. Two years ago, Garmin ventured into the laser rangefinder category with the Z80. That unit relied on a laser to reveal how far you are from the hole, but then provided extra information based on an internal GPS system.
Today, Garmin has launched the Approach Z82, an updated model that is more accurate and offers more game-enhancing features.
According to Garmin, the Z82’s laser and internal systems can now measure a flag’s distance to within 10 inches from up to 450 yards away. You will see your targets more clearly in the Approach Z82 because the high-resolution OLED display has been improved and colors are more vivid.
To help make hitting the flag with the laser easier, Garmin has improved the ranging function, which means when you press the button on the top of the device and slowly pan from side to side in the direction of the hole, the Approach Z82 does a better (and faster) job of distinguishing the flag from trees and other objects in the background. When you hit the flag, the unit buzzes in your hands and the distances you see in the viewfinder blink.
What really sets the Approach Z82 apart from nearly every other distance measuring device, however, is how it blends the laser and GPS data together.
The Garmin Approach Z82 shows a laser-measured distance to the hole plus GPS-gathered distances to other areas. (Garmin)
After turning it on, the Approach Z82 determines your location using GPS and lists which of its 41,000 pre-loaded courses you are near. After selecting the course and starting your round, when you look inside the viewfinder and hit the flag with the laser, you see the hole you are playing and the yardage to the flag. At the same time, using GPS, the Z82 also displays the distance to the front, center and back of the green. To the left of that information, you can also see an illustrated overhead view of the hole, complete with views of bunkers and hazards, and a yellow arc that shows the distance to the flag.
If you link the Approach Z82 with your smartphone, it can also show wind speed and direction. The unit also has a slope function that determines if your target is uphill or downhill, then provides a PlaysLike distance. In Tournament mode, slope function and PlaysLike are disabled, but the laser still works.
