gps issue

[kpetro]

which indicator is right?

Greetings all. This is something I've noticed at a few different courses, and was wondering if anyone else ever ran into this situation. I hit my shot, and when I get to my ball there's a significant discrepncy between the reading on the gps in my cart, and the marker on the fairway. I'm looking at the gps reading to the center of the green, and I presume the marker in the fairway is also to the center of the green. I inevitably believe the wrong indicator almost every time. I figure how on earth could the gps be wrong, but at the same time, don't they measure for the markers accurately? What gives?

[Gxgolfer]

When I've run into this discrepancy, I will go with the yardage markers on the course...

[lhsgolfer2]

definitely trust the yardage markers in the fairway, i've played where the GPS says there is a bunker where there is no bunker, so if they are wrong about that then they could be wrong about the yardage.

 

mike

[hksaikung]

Could it be that on some courses the distance is to the center of the green from the tee box but to the front of the green from the yardage marker.

 

No such pb with Bushnell pinseeker !!! :drinks:

[shook23]

I run into this with my sky caddie some times, and I almost always go with the course yardages. I also find that some times the GPS needs to catch up with your position; if you wait 20 secs or so the yardage comes down. So if this is the case with a sky caddie walking, I would think it certainly happens with carts too...

[agoodgolfer]

If some people took the time to read up on GPS, they wouldn't use it for golf. The most efficient public GPS units can only measure up to 14 feet of accuracy. Even after you've waiting 60 seconds for a decent lock (GPS manuals suggest 3 mins), you be 4 or 5 yards off. Most players will never find conditions where they can even receive 14 feet of accuracy - many should just expect 18-20 feet - Infact, it wouldn't be unreasonable to find readings 40-50 feet off.

 

On the other hand, 20 feet doesn't mean much for the majority of golfers.

 

Personally I stick to the lasers and yardage markers.