Cool new iPhone app...PinRanger

[sds1610]

Hey guys just wanted to share this iPhone app. It is pretty cool and is spot on. It is not GPS. It is actually a point and shoot app. you take a picture of the flag drag the line to the top of the flag and drag the line to the bottom of the flag and you get your yardage. Pretty cool stuff. It only cost me $2.99. Check it out well worth it! Search PinRanger in the app store.

[devinsolar]

Seems cool, if it actually works. Might give it a try.

[sds1610]

It works.. you just have to make sure to line up the line with the bottom of the flag and the top and bang... there is your yardage. My buddy has a bushnell and it was within a yard or two of his every time. For $2.99 it is well worth it.

[Mattco]

That sounds like the old gadget that you looked through and it had a bottom line for the bottom of the pin and several mark lines for the top.

That thing is 20 years old at this point

[Titleist1455]

Dumb app. You have to be able to see the top and bottom of the flag or else it won't give you an accurate reading

[NakMan]

And would take way too long on the course. Definately longer than GPS.

Although I could see it being useful at the driving range.

[tfish]

yea....

please don't use this on the course if there's a group behind you.

[talan]

I tried the app and it really slowed down the round. It takes too long to line up the yardage.

[chas521]

Just what we need. Another something to slow down a round.

[Sean25rp]

Definitely sounds too time consuming and useless for blind pins!

[BlackDiamondPar5]

[quote name='chas521' timestamp='1339017701' post='5043136']
Just what we need. Another something to slow down a round.
[/quote]

Agreed! Seriously why use it when you can put a golf GPS app on your phone.

[Jasarii]

just use a gps app

[DrCRHop]

Agreed, too slow on the course. But, I downloaded and took it to my local driving range - where I never have believed the yardage markers (the grass tees are way off to the side and the flags are marked for the mat area) and use it there. Seems to work well in that situation.

[sds1610]

Hmm... kind of weird that people think it takes too long. I found it to take less that 5 seconds to get a yardage. But I guess people have their own ways of doing things. Still think it is a cool app for $2.99

[BlackDiamondPar5]

[quote name='sds1610' timestamp='1339162085' post='5052106']
Hmm... kind of weird that people think it takes too long. I found it to take less that 5 seconds to get a yardage. But I guess people have their own ways of doing things. Still think it is a cool app for $2.99
[/quote]

Not sure why you think this App is worth using. First of all, I've seen diffrent length flagsticks, extra long or short (on the same course), so your measurement would be way off on certain holes. Also, if the flag is up or downhill it will change the angular geometry and give a wrong reading.

Seriously why would you use this App when you can use a $2.00 GPS App on the same phone?

[Pinranger]

Hi,

I wrote the PinRanger app when a buddy of mine suggested it.

I read all of your comments, and I really find the feedback interesting. The app is intended for those of you who do not want to pay for a laser, and want to get a proper distance to the pin without carrying around an extra piece of expensive equipment. You can recalibrate the PinRanger to suit any size pin, doesn't matter what course you play or the height of the flagstick. You can calibrate it to an object too if you want (on a driving range, etc). GPS apps are out there as well, I do understand that, but this gives direct distance to the pin.

To your point about not seeing the bottom of the pin..you can calibrate the PinRanger to anything, so if you want to calibrate to the actual flag, you can certainly do that. I have done this myself and it works the same as if you calibrate to the entire flagstick.

Also to your point about geometry, when you point the iPhone at the pin, the distance is linear, so the distance provided is "to the pin". Unless however you wish to have a yardage at zero elevation, and then do the calculation/guess-timation yourself as to how the elevation will effect the shot.

The next version will provide that elevation difference at zero elevation for those of you who wish to have that yardage as well, and also allow you to save different calibration profiles, (say for each course you play) if you wish to save them, but recalibration literally takes 5 seconds.

I appreciate any and all feedback you may have regarding the application. Most of you seem to have your method of getting yardage and I completely respect that, but if you don't and want to give the PinRanger a try, let me know what you think.

The comments about "slowing the round down" seem a bit off unless you are playing a round of speed golf ;-) It takes 3-5 seconds to get a yardage and that is a fair estimate.

There are some videos on YouTube, and on the pinranger.com website for you to check out if you are unsure how it works.
http://www.pinranger.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePinRanger

John
CEO/Developer - PinRanger iPhone application
http://www.pinranger.com

The app takes a quick picture, and you move two lines, it literally takes a few seconds to get a yardage.

[DrCRHop]

Thanks Pinranger for the comments. However, I have to say the re-calibrate function is nearly worthless. In order to recalibrate, I have to know the distance to the pin. If I know the distance to the pin, then why am I using this?

I use this on the driving range where I can see the entire flag stick and it appears to work okay - distances to the pins are not known due to where the grass hitting area is versus the mats. But this - for me - was completely useless on the course except for a few instances where I was around 50 yards and could see the entire flag - however, my GolfShot was much quicker.

[Pinranger]

Hi DrCRHop,

I really appreciate the comments and feedback. If you are at a course and on the first hole, typically I would stand at the 100 or sprinkler head near it and take a pic of the pin with PinRanger. There is typically a pin sheet as well, so of the Lin is in the center I go with the straight up yardage, if front or back, I typically add 4-5 yards depending on how the pin looks. That is how I recalibrate.

For instances where you cannot see the bottom of the pin, I may recalibrate to the actual flying flag. This works the same way as for the full flagstick.

And again, when we do calibrate to a laser range finder and test, it works perfectly same as laser. If you dont have a range finder in your group and don't want to spend the 400+ on one, I think the pinranger does it's job well.

If you can hit the ball within 2-3 yards of the pin every time or your club selection differs from 132-135 then your better than most. If not, pinranger gives you a pretty damn good yardage.

Good luck and thanks for the feedback! If there is a way to determine yardage to calibrate without the use of a range finder than you're right we wouldn't need them at all ;-)

[DrCRHop]

The one issue is - how to calibrate in the middle of the fairway with no sprinkler head around? Or, if there is a sprinkler head nearby, why would I calibrate the instrument when I can just walk off the yardage? There are few holes on courses where you can see the entire flag stick from, say 175+ yards, and taking time to re-calibrate to a partial flag stick is just not feasible. GPS apps walk circles around this app on the course.

I think this is interesting (for the cost) at the driving range; however, I do have an issue with the camera - how to zoom in/out to better capture the flag? It can be cumbersome to try and find the flag with the camera.

With the low cost of GPS apps (Golfshot, GolfLogix, etc.) I think this app is more of a novelty than something really useful on the course. I cannot hit my ball within 2-3 yards every time, but that's not the issue. I can easily use my GPS app (that also provides scoring) and have a good yardage assessment.

[Canuckswin]

I remember using those old school pin finders. This app takes me back 15 years, great nostalgia.