Driving range mapping for GPS

[bogeys-R-us]

Yesterday on "The Fix" on Golf channel during the "Manage your Game" section Michael Breed was on a driving range somewhere and was showing how Sky Caddie is now mapping the driving ranges on their covered courses so you can measure how far you are hitting your clubs on the range. Is this for real and is this feature available on any other GPS? I fired off an email to Garmin to see if they plan to do this for the Approach series, but it'll be several days before I hear from them. I'll post their reply...........

[ckeller14]

[quote name='bogeys-R-us' date='13 July 2010 - 09:51 PM' timestamp='1279072315' post='2574399']
Yesterday on "The Fix" on Golf channel during the "Manage your Game" section Michael Breed was on a driving range somewhere and was showing how Sky Caddie is now mapping the driving ranges on their covered courses so you can measure how far you are hitting your clubs on the range. Is this for real and is this feature available on any other GPS? I fired off an email to Garmin to see if they plan to do this for the Approach series, but it'll be several days before I hear from them. I'll post their reply...........
[/quote]

On my sky caddie it does have the driving ranges for most of the ocurses I play. A driving range/practice facility close to me also has all the flags listed.

[bogeys-R-us]

[quote name='ckeller14' date='13 July 2010 - 09:02 PM' timestamp='1279072978' post='2574424']
[quote name='bogeys-R-us' date='13 July 2010 - 09:51 PM' timestamp='1279072315' post='2574399']
Yesterday on "The Fix" on Golf channel during the "Manage your Game" section Michael Breed was on a driving range somewhere and was showing how Sky Caddie is now mapping the driving ranges on their covered courses so you can measure how far you are hitting your clubs on the range. Is this for real and is this feature available on any other GPS? I fired off an email to Garmin to see if they plan to do this for the Approach series, but it'll be several days before I hear from them. I'll post their reply...........
[/quote]

On my sky caddie it does have the driving ranges for most of the ocurses I play. A driving range/practice facility close to me also has all the flags listed.
[/quote]

Is this something new, or am I just the last one to know? I keep reading the discussions about which is better, laser or GPS, and one of the advantages listed for the laser is that you can use it on the practice range. This would be a big selling point to someone who was "on the fence" about which to buy..............

[ckeller14]

Is this something new, or am I just the last one to know? I keep reading the discussions about which is better, laser or GPS, and one of the advantages listed for the laser is that you can use it on the practice range. This would be a big selling point to someone who was "on the fence" about which to buy..............
[/quote]


I noticed it about a year ago. When you select what hole you are going to start on from the menu, if the driving range for that course has been mapped it will have a D as a possible selection. Not all courses have their ranges mapped but the range I use does.

[gjpep]

After seeing this topic, I asked Callaway upro support if they could do this for the local range I use--here is the reply:

"We can map driving ranges if we have imagery of them. I will submit your request to mapping to see if they can map the driving range for you."

Nothing posted yet, but it's only been a few days--will see if it happens before the stats module gets released

[friscoloco]

The Bushnell XGC has a driving direction application. However, you have to map the range yourself. I mapped a couple of pretend points and it was easy to do.

[finalist]

There's a course near me that has the range close enough to the first hole that I can move the satellite pic of the first hole over to the range and use the Anypoint feature on my uPro. BUT WHY? It's rare that you can walk out to the middle of a range and start receiving satellite GPS data. I don't see how this is helpful unless you can actually walk out to the targets, and for most ranges that's a HUGE no no.

[Sweet Baby J]

It's useful because Skygolf maps each target (flag or island) that is already on the range, so when they move the ropes up and down to give you fresh grass to hit off of, you'll have accurate yardage to those targets. It's just nice to have and another perk for having a Skycaddie vs. other gps.

[finalist]

That is a cool feature then if the targets and greens on ranges are mapped.

[bogeys-R-us]

[quote name='finalist' date='20 July 2010 - 03:30 PM' timestamp='1279657858' post='2588716']
There's a course near me that has the range close enough to the first hole that I can move the satellite pic of the first hole over to the range and use the Anypoint feature on my uPro. BUT WHY? It's rare that you can walk out to the middle of a range and start receiving satellite GPS data. I don't see how this is helpful unless you can actually walk out to the targets, and for most ranges that's a HUGE no no.
[/quote]

This is basically the same response I got from a Garmin support rep when I emailed them asking if Garmin had plans to map practice ranges. He simply could not understand how that could possibly be of any use. One of the reasons for going to the driving range is to "dial in" your clubs. It helps very little to have a GPS unit in your hand telling you it's 150 yards to the center if you don't know which club you can hit 150 yards. Even on a range where the targets (flags) have been lasered and marked, you still have to guess at the yardage unless you're standing next to the marker. This is especially true if they move the ropes away from the marked areas. The need for a GPS is the same on the range as it is on the course - you want to know the distance to the target you have selected.

[phil75070]

[quote name='bogeys-R-us' date='21 July 2010 - 09:34 PM' timestamp='1279766074' post='2591561'] One of the reasons for going to the driving range is to "dial in" your clubs.
[/quote]

I question just how "dialed in" one can get distance-wise with their clubs hitting range balls. Very few ranges I have been to, even at somewhat exclusive private clubs, use anything but "range balls" as opposed to anything I would use on the course. There is a reason why the pros practice with and are given the brand and model they use on the course at the range in tournaments.

I also often see good players practicing chipping with buckets of range balls when there is no way that a range ball will react the same way as the ProV1 or Callaway or TM they use on the course. Wasted practice time in my opinion.

[phillypete]

[quote name='phil75070' date='22 July 2010 - 11:23 AM' timestamp='1279812232' post='2592428']
[quote name='bogeys-R-us' date='21 July 2010 - 09:34 PM' timestamp='1279766074' post='2591561'] One of the reasons for going to the driving range is to "dial in" your clubs.
[/quote]

I question just how "dialed in" one can get distance-wise with their clubs hitting range balls. Very few ranges I have been to, even at somewhat exclusive private clubs, use anything but "range balls" as opposed to anything I would use on the course. There is a reason why the pros practice with and are given the brand and model they use on the course at the range in tournaments.

I also often see good players practicing chipping with buckets of range balls when there is no way that a range ball will react the same way as the ProV1 or Callaway or TM they use on the course. Wasted practice time in my opinion.
[/quote]

Wow, you must be really good!

I am not that good.

For what I consider to be a quality strike; my distance can vary +/-5 yards depending on just how good it was. From waht I have found is that the type of ball does not give me that much more club and the effect of said ball seems to decrease exponentially with the distance of a shot. For example, limited flight balls drop my drives by about 75 yrads, but I can barely detect a difference with my wedges.

My range is very wide and has a wide teeing ground. From one side to the other the distance to target greens on the edges can vary dramatically. Naturally on a range I can just take the next club if I find the first selection to be short, but it would be nice to know if on that given day my 9i is still my 9i.

I've had days where for whatever reason, my distances are a club shorter. It would be benefical to know that before I leave my first three approaches short.