asked by others to laser for them

[I_HATE_SNOW]

I give yardages all the time and am happy to do so, don't you guys believe in Karma?

[sidewinder]

Giving out yardages is catering to weakness. You are doing them a disservice. What happens when they play and you are not there?

Bzzzzzt! Wrong answer. Most people I play with know how to find a sprinkler head and walk off yardages. Giving them the yardages, when it is convenient to do so, speeds up play and that is always a good thing.

 

S-

[mookie]

BTW, I don't know if my friend's Skycaddy is always right... which is why I call it LIE-CADDY. Last week he said I was 275 yards from the green, but before he said that I pulled out my 3-wood as I thought I could make it. Plus there was a group on the green and I was waiting for them to exit and my buddy said to go ahead and hit I wouldn't come close. So I rip one straight down the middle of the fairway. When I got about 40 yards from the green, I was looking for my ball...couldn't find it. Then my buddy found it over the green, on the other side of the cart path... which means, the ball must of rolled (and not flew over, thank god) over the green and past the group of four. I said sorry to them, but there is no way even with a tail wind that I hit my 3-wood 275 yards... I just don't buy it!

 

Maybe your friend was tired of you forgetting your GPS and decided to pull out the poor sportsmanship-GolfWRX-loser strategy of giving you the wrong yardages.

 

kidding...

[DLiver]

Twist- I think the point is the difference between a 2 second glance at a gps unit and the time it takes to laser various points for someone else. I can definitely see how it'd be easy to offer yardages from a gps, but somewhat different from a laser.

I am not going to traipse 100 yards to someone's ball to give them yardage. But if I happen to be walking near their ball as I go to mine, I have no problem taking 5 seconds to stop and give them their yardage. Nor do I have a problem letting a friend use my laser range finder if he wants after I get my yardage.

 

I don't get all the negativity here about people asking for yardages...I'm not bitter that I spent money on a laser range finder and those that ask did not.

 

Scott

 

Yeah, what's the big deal? You shoot a yardage and give it to them. It's the nice thing to do. Actually I like giving yardages to slow players in my group since it speeds things up.

 

Do unto others...

[777twist]

I think my point was that if someone with a pinseeker or GPS does their ball's location, they should just say what it is. If my buddy is 20 yards in back or front of me, I think I can figure out the difference. It's just tough some times to find sprinklers (with markings) and other yardage markers on the course. And I do think it helps speed up play.

 

Also, even though everyone is playing their own game, don't you think it's kind of an advantage having something like that...so if you are scoring, wouldn't you want the playing field to be even?

 

Like I said, I always give out distance where I am... I don't walk to each person's ball. I may be at my ball, or in a cart, or just some random point on the course.

 

I think that's fair and good sportsmanship.

 

BTW, the skycaddie yardage I said was 275... but I was about 10 - 15 yards from the middle of the green, so that would mean I hit that 3-wood 285-290...not likely. And my buddy wouldn't give me the wrong yardage, I don't think anyway.

[mont86]

tell'em its nice you should get one.

[T2green]

Ask them what size bra does your wife wear, that usally take care of it ! lol

[jockie]

Asking others for advice is against the rules of golf. Just tell them that ... DQ or penalty strokes.

 

 

 

During a stipulated round, a player must not:

a. give advice to anyone in the competition playing on the course other than his partner, or

b. ask for advice from anyone other than his partner or either of their caddies.

[I_HATE_SNOW]

Yardage is not advice.

[WishICouldPlayMoreOften]

I've seen some misquotes about the rules regarding yardage. Section 8-1 describes clearly that is ok to provide yardage to other players without penalty since yardage is "public" information and not considered advice. As to whether you want to do it, that's a personal choice. I freely give yardage information because it helps speed up the pace of play.

 

However, I do not like it when people with GPS constantly ask me for yardage (I use a laser rangefinder) to compare against their GPS unit. I especially find it intrusive to my play when I'm getting ready to play my shot and someone crosses a fairway or walks from a shot not particularly close to mine just to come get a distance. In general, they all seem to indicate that they're usually 5-10 yards off. My most recent round was with a pair who's yardages with a SC-4 was off by as much as 35 yards, but I believe at least some of the indiscrepancies were due to tee box, pin adjustments, and whether yardages were calculated via SC mapping done from tee to center of fairway to center of green. After about 6 holes, I asked them to either trust their GPS or ask me prior to me getting ready for my next shot. They turned off the GPS and went with the laser distances. SC is not the only GPS I've experienced this with - most other well known brands too.

 

These tools can help speed up the game, but I find that they don't 90% of the time because people with 10+ handicaps don't make quick decisions about which club and shot to play, which is twice-compounded by the inability to consistently make good shots.

 

I don't care what device people use, I just wish they'd use them, trust them enough to play to them, or learn to ask for yardage when it's most convenient to the person who's giving it to them. Anything otherwise makes the person providing the information have more of a caddy-like than player-like round.

[KevCarter]

I've seen some misquotes about the rules regarding yardage. Section 8-1 describes clearly that is ok to provide yardage to other players without penalty since yardage is "public" information and not considered advice. ...

 

For those trying to look this up in your rule book. There is no Section 8, but the reference is meant to be Rule 8.1, where you will not find the information you are looking for either...

 

:rolleyes:

 

The easiest way to answer the question of whether distance information is advice, is with the definition of advice:

 

Advice

Advice is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke.

 

Information on the Rules, distance or matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, is not advice.

 

 

If you want to take it further than the definition to a decision on Rule 8.1, here you go.

 

8-1/2 Exchanging Distance Information

Information regarding the distance between two objects is public information and not advice. It is therefore permissible for players to exchange information relating to the distance between two objects. For example, a player may ask anyone, including his opponent, fellow-competitor or either of their caddies, the distance between his ball and the hole.

 

Except when the Local Rule allowing the use of distance-measuring devices has been adopted (see Note to Rule 14-3), information regarding distance must not have been obtained from an artificial device used during the stipulated round. A player who obtains distance information that he knew was measured by anyone with an artificial device during the player’s round is disqualified under Rule 14-3. (Revised)

[SemperFi91]

I play with guys at my course who ask me to shoot the yardage for them with the pinseeker. If we're driving carts, no big deal. If we're walking and they ask, I just stop at the general vacinity of their yardage on my way to my ball (it's usually in front of them) and tell them from there. Takes a few seconds and I don't go out of my. Makes for a more pleasant round as there's no bad vibes floating around.

[rockinar]

When I first got my laser I would gladly shoot the front of the green or a bunker for people as I sat in the cart. But even then they usually respond with "no way" or "that can't be right". So I quit doing it totally. Now when asked I just respond with "it's about...."

[Wookieedog]

I am not a unfreindly golfer. I usually go by myself after work and get teamed up with others. I enjoy talking to others while walking and have a good time out there. I have no problem telling what the yardage at a par 3 since we are hitting from the same area. But what do you do when they start asking all the time for yardages of thier ball in the fairway?? I am not trying to be a grouch but I am trying to concentrate on my game and dont want to have to stop constantly to help the others out. Am I being unreasonable?? Some people really get upset with me. If it was that important to know the exact yardage, shouldn't they buy one themselves??

 

give me your opinion.

It's not you .. they're being inconsiderate. Hey, you're not their caddy! I have a friend who has been playing a few years, and he inevitibly will ask me how far to the pin, when we can see a yardage marker a few yards away. This is without either of us having a GPS. I point the marker out to him, and ask him what does he think. He will use an excuse, I don't remember what that color means. Yeah, right. So, I give him some false yardage .. and let it go. I tell him, 'I'm not your caddy!'. If he blames me for hitting over a green because of the yardage I gave him, I tell him 'your guess is probably better than mine. He stops asking after a few holes. But, I will be recommending that he get a GPS.

 

With strangers, I'd just ignore them, and act like I don't hear them .. or give 'em some false yardage ... I don't think it's mean .. they're too freakin' lazy to figure it out themselves. If they get upset, it's their problem not yours. Besides, how did they figure out yardage before GPS's? You can also tell them it's technically against the rules of golf to give out information (yardages and what club you're hitting, etc.) Hmm, that will probably really tick them off.

 

Most average golfers don't really need GPS's (me included) .. were not that accurate hitting certain distances despite knowing the yardages. I have the uPro GPS mainly for those courses that I'm not familiar with. I still usually estimate my own yardages anyway and confirm it with the GPS.

 

 

If it was a GPS that's easy for me to see without too much effort. I wouldn't mind. But if I had to pull it out of a bag to laser, it would be an inconvenience.

 

"My laser is running low on battery... "

 

 

When I am using my GPS, then I will gladly tell them. I give out yardages pretty much the whole round with the GPS, but I wouldn't make the effort with a laser.

 

Unless it is my usual golf buddy, if someone asks I will glance at the GPS and just tell them, "I've got xxx to the center from here.". I won't walk over to their ball. I think it is 'OK' to ask someone what yardage they got when they last lasered the flag, but I think it unreasonable to ask someone to laser a new, specific distance for them.

 

 

Interesting. We played with a forecaddy who had a laser and I didn't like him giving me distances. I think its part of the game to figure out your yardage. I wouldn't ask someone to shoot the distance if I didn't know them. To each his own I guess......

Part of the game to figure out your yardage? I don't get this at all. I guess you don't use any course markers to help you determine yardage either. What do you do? Walk it off to the hole? Estimate? The yardage on a shot should not be some secret information or require special divining skills.

 

It's part of caddy's job to give yardages to his player. What do you think Tiger and Steve are talking about, the Lakers?

 

S-

 

 

Good point about figuring out your own yardage. That is like when people ask 'what club did you hit'...which is bothersome.

 

Guess the next step will be where they will ask to wipe down our clubs.

 

 

 

courtesy would dictate that you tell them the distance. May not walk over to their ball, just shoot from where you are at and say "157 from here". That is helpful and friendly.

 

I think it is dishonest and discourteous to make something up. Why not have the courage to simply say "Its a hassle for me to help you" instead of taking a coward's way out and being dishonest.

 

Guess it must just be a Southern thing to be polite and helpful to those that request help....

[stevestrike]

courtesy would dictate that you tell them the distance. May not walk over to their ball, just shoot from where you are at and say "157 from here". That is helpful and friendly.

 

I think it is dishonest and discourteous to make something up. Why not have the courage to simply say "Its a hassle for me to help you" instead of taking a coward's way out and being dishonest.

 

Guess it must just be a Southern thing to be polite and helpful to those that request help....

I guess so. I'm asked all the time for yardages from my GPS. I tell them exactly what you said, "It's xxx from where I'm standing" Everyone seems satisfied with that answer.

[HarryBee]

I generally provide distances to others if they don't have a sky caddie or pinseeker. What's the big deal. I don't go running over to their ball, but if they're close by, i gladly give them a fast reading, or better yet, pass the device to them. By the way, if you happen to be playing a match against the other person, would you really want to have a technical advantage over them because you went out and bought a $399 toy that they hadn't picked up yet? I'd rather have an even up match where we both had access to accurate distances. Also, distance devices are USGA approved, but it is a local rule as to whether the course allows use in tournament play. If I was in charge, there's no way I'd let distance devices into tournaments unless all participants had access.