Distance Measurement and Golf GPS

As our students know, we focus heavily on knowing the distance and consistency that you hit each club, and we always focus on keeping the cost of practice and playing golf at an affordable level.

All golf courses have some type of distance/yardage markers, such as posts, bushes, sprinkler heads, and the like, that indicate the distance from that specific location to the center of the green.

In our training program we have demonstrated manual tape and rope measurement methods during practice sessions for measuring distances. These methods are very accurate and affordable, but are a bit time consuming and work best when you have a helper or partner learning or practicing with you.

There are two electronic devices commonly used by golfers for measuring distance. These are Laser Range Finders, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

Laser rangefinders are accurate and help identify distances to an object, such as a flag on a golf course, a post or tree, or a golf cart near a bunker, etc.,  They are limited in their capability, however, with regard to identifying features of the course, green size, etc.

The use of GPS for golf has been available for several years. Most high end devices have seen good reviews with regard to accuracy and dependability.

With competitive models, and now cell phone use models available, the cost of GPS use for golf has  become reasonable, especially when looking at the features that are available and how they can help you improve and better enjoy your game.

GPS technology uses existing satellite signals to locate a position anywhere on earth where the signals can be acquired.  Nearly all golf courses are open areas where the signals can easily be acquired, thus providing for quick and accurate location identification.

Golf GPS units have data available for most golf courses throughout the world.  The information is either already loaded on the GPS unit, or you can download it from an Internet web site.

Some GPS manufacturers require a subscription to a download service, or require an annual subscription fee, while others do not.  New App's for Internet-capable cellular telephones now also provide GPS and other information for many golf courses.

Some golf GPS devices can be used for all levels of play, practice, and competition, and are approved for use under the USGA "Rules of Golf", while specific units that provide slope or angle information are not allowed for sanctioned competition under the rules.

Most newer models provide golf course information about the distances to hazards from each of the different tee locations, distances from fairway positions to the front, center and back of the green, and some provide information about the size and contour of the green.

All models provide you with your current position and the distance to the center of the green.

A significant advantage to using a golf GPS device is that you can repeatedly measure each of your golf club distances under golf course playing conditions. These data could be recorded for comparison with your practice distances to further help both your practice sessions and your on-the-course play.

By popular request, we now have available select GPS units, the Golf Buddy World Platinum and the Golf Buddy Tour.

We have looked at various models and decided that (1) the Golf Buddy provides the features that our students and blog readers could benefit the most, and (2) we could provide the Golf Buddy models to our students at the most competitive price.  Remember, as one of our students you could qualify for student pricing for most products, including a GPS unit.

In addition to our instruction on how to better manage your game using GPS, we include our online training course, "Improve Your Swing Speed and Tempo", and we include FREE SHIPPING to the continental US.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Golf Buddy GPS units and how they could help improve your golf game and fun on the golf course. 

 Golf Buddy World Platinum and Golf Buddy Tour Models

If you are one of our registered students, please contact us for your student price.

Seminar: If you are in the Lansing / Okemos, Michigan area don't forget about our golf swing seminar on July 31 at College Fields Golf Course in Okemos, Michigan.  See previous blog article, below.

Have a good summer golf season.

Hit 'em straight!

Phil Lawrence