Green Reading Devices & Apps

[Harry (The Hack) Radley]

Within the last 12 months GPS devices have expanded the capability to include green reading charts and maps to go even as far as showing you exactly where you can putt. Many of these devices are free and I see them used regularly while I’m playing.
I personally think that this takes all the skill out of golf as you you have to visually judge it yourself it’s like playing a computer game. In addition to this I feel that it slows play down with people accurately marking where the pin location is in relation to the ball then trying to judge accurately how far the putt has to be hit left or right and then when it doesn’t go where they want they are having an inquisition for the next 3 minutes complaining about the app or comparing where the ball should have gone.

Will these devices be allowed to be used in the tournament this year and if not how is it going to be policed

[Dale Craig]

Harry, I haven’t seen these new functions on any of the devices, but I’ll have to look. As for including in competition?????? I would hope and expect that these would be illegal. These should not be used. Just like the slope function on my laser range finder. I only use it when I’m playing a course I’ve never played before and not in competition. Every competition I enter it is usually stated in the rules that “slope function must be turned off”, so hopefully they will now also include and green reading applications.

[BL Oliver]

I recently received an email from the SCGA advising that those functions are going to be added to the GHIN app in Mid late July. Including a GPS function for courses too! For a premium, they will include all kinds of stuff to the basic app of layout/green and center of green distance. It will definitely slow play even more than it already is with the other apps, etc. I support not allowing the green reading apps. I do not want to be out in the SC heat for longer than necessary. Pace of play has always been issue in the years I have been attending.

[Chuck Nesbit]

The rules of golf do not allow for measurements like slope and extensively detailed green reading materials. It is policed by the field just like any other rules.

Conforming equipment and following the rules is always expected in an event like the World Am. The onus is on the players to follow the rules, or point out those who are in violation. Golf is built on a foundation of honesty and integrity, players and fellow competitors are the only means of policing things like this. The rules take care of it, the World Am doesn’t need to do anything specific.

[John Tantillo]

I’ve done quite a bit of homework on the green books, in fact you can purchase them for most courses from companies like Greenslopes, GolfLogix and StrakaLine (who I believe makes the PGA Tour books)–they are not cheap. I bought one for my home course, and the tournament legal ones have a precise resolution, like 3/8″ on paper = 5 feet of green, and no numeric slopes. They still make and distribute the old ones that are now non-conforming with greater resolution and numbers, so be careful if you buy one. The one that the CGA seems to be adding to their app appears to be the GolfLogix app version. I demo’ed the GolfLogix app a few months back. Like most yardage apps it has a regulation mode that you need to turn on and off for legal rounds. The regulation mode has the right detail, and the non-regulation mode has the feature that actually predicts your putt path–I tried it but it takes waaaay too long to use. Just like range finders we all need to make sure the proper mode is enabled in a tournament. Handicap trivia BTW, technically you are not allowed to even post a handicap score if you use the non-regulation features on a range finder or app like slope/wind/elevation etc., but between you and me if someone wants to score better and artificially deflate their handicap that’s OK with me!

[Bob Newman]

It will be very interesting as to how the USGA implements this. I use the golf logic app to plot all the courses that I play. I first started using it for layout of the hole but I added the greens feature and now “hand draw” the featured I want into the greens. I find it very helpful in knowing what the greens may do. My books are not nearly detailed as the tour books, but I do believe anything hand drawn will be acceptable.

[John Tantillo]

I have used various green reading books in the past, and when the USGA changed the rules on them the providers all developed tournament legal version of their books. I just previewed the GHIN green maps and everything about them are tournament legal, which isn’t a surprise since it is a USGA app. There are no illegal features in the app to disable.

[benny shepard]

Can you use a level as a ball marker?

[William Aleshire Jr.]

LOL.. Its funny you say that because there is the Sure Putt Pro Golf Green Reader which is a ball marker with a built in level(Bubble).

Keep in mind it is “NOT” tournament legal.

https://sureputtgolf.com/products/sure-putt-blue?variant=17751634049&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2019-12-06&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqZS4rO2m8gIViLWzCh3o0wQ2EAQYASABEgKz4vD_BwE

[benny shepard]

I knew it was illegal just bull shitting

[Dennis Daley]

Can someone officially answer if the Enhanced GPS version of the GHIN App will be legal to use in the WA? It is “USGA rules compliant” and states so in the FQA’s on the GHIN site. John Tantillo is correct in what he wrote on August 9 and unless the WA states that they can not be used in this tournament it looks to me that they are legal. As far as slowing play I guess it is who is using the app or scope. When scopes became popular I thought it would slow play but after using them for years I find that they speed up play. No need to find a distance plate and step off the yardage. We’ve all played with someone that wants to walk all sides of the hole trying to read the break😏

[John Kufrovich]

Rule 5.6 place of play, players have 40 sec or less to make the stroke.

I have never played golf with anyone that used the app. Are they still able to, open a app, read what the app shows, then physically read their putt and make the stroke in under 40 sec?

[Bob Newman]

Who will be timing them. When does the 40 seconds start? Who is monitoring pace of play on the golf course?? Also who is timing the 3 minutes search for the ball?? I think more time is lost looking for balls, 3 minutes goes in a hurry.

[Scott T. – World Am]

the app is legal provided it cannot zoom and/or give advice.

[adam peterson]

Pace of play should be enforced more.

[Author]

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