Which one describes you? I know which one describes me but I’m not going write it outloud, you’ll guess for yourself by the time you get to the bottom of the post.
In trying to decipher if I’m a pragmatist, and pursuant to us collectively trying to determine if technology of this type is acceptable even in the amateur ranks, you’d better then put your own opinion front and centre, and see if it’s still your opinion at the end of the article.
Which one comes first? I’m on the fence with this one, because it’s reminds me that there is always a chicken-and-egg scenario with anything that is remotely controversial. Is the symptom really a symptom or is it a cause, did the rangefinder make the golfer a cheat, or did it make the cheat into golfer?
Notice a common thread by reading between the lines? You might be getting warm as to which camp I’m in, but maybe you haven’t quite got it yet, so we’ll continue lifting the veil some more.
If we are supposed to look at the pro’s and think that they are living targets for us, or living aspirations whichever way you want to look at it. Then surely we should be looking at ways to reach those targets without cheating, without taking short-cuts, and living by a notion that tuition and practice can achieve great things.
I can’t image that the kid who sneaks a calculator into his maths exam is really thinking about becoming the next Sir Isaac Newton (oh, I could’ve picked a hundred others, but the man is my all time hero..).
Perhaps that’s not a strong enough simile, maybe there’s a better one to make? What about Golf Chippers, you know those clubs that are a putter with an angled face, and take all of the skill out of chipping. Why not use one of those in conjunction with your Rangefinder, I mean, that’s got huge potential for reducing your handicap and getting you to the front of the leader-board, hasn’t it?
Oh yes that’s right, you can’t actually use them in a competition because they are disqualified. So why would you want to become reliant on a gadget, and I’m not even talking about lazy yet. Why would you want to take the use of your senses out of golf?
Isn’t that the whole point of golf? To battle with nature and pitch your senses into the mix, and hone them to all types of weather and daylight levels, wind speeds and ambient temperature, humidity levels, different types of grass, a cross wind maybe, the elevated green or the green that’s downhill, the undulations in the fairway, the placement of the bunkers, is there an out-of-bounds or a hazard? I think you get where I’m coming from..
Stun your admirers
I mean I could be wrong, but if you wanted to go out for a quick 18 holes and score a low round, here’s a tip: Drive your car round the course, don’t bother hitting any shots. Goodness, you wouldn’t want any test on your character or strain on your ego. No, just race around the golf course and throw a ball out onto the 18th green, somewhere near the pin would be good. Hop out of the car and putt the ball in the cup, and just mark down an Albatross on your card for good measure.
Go back home, or back to work, and tell everyone about your round of golf today, 20 under par in 11 minutes flat. It’s bound to be a World Record. I’m sure you can even apply to the Guinness Book of World Records through the web these days, and if your golf partner also has a Rangefinder then I’m sure he won’t make any fuss about signing your card as a witness.
Has it clicked yet?
Now even I think it might be a bit strong to compare Rangefinders with drugs, but you’ve got to admit, it made a hell of a headline.
Still, there must something that I don’t understand about the people that would want to use these gadgets – on a regular basis. Sure, even I will admit that there is maybe one instance where I might consider asking someone that has one (no chance in the world I would ever buy one), what the range of a course is.
That would be if I’m playing a course for the first time and I might be scoping it for a competition that is going to played there in a few weeks/months time. That is the only acceptable use of a rangefinder to me, it’s really no different in that respect than making your own course planner or similar. Even with a course planner you need to use some grey-matter to figure out your situation, and that’s a good thing.
Some of the new buggies that I see springing up in some clubs have even got sat-nav type rangefinders in the cabins. I’ve got to admit, if you’re having an off day – it’s awfully tempting. But your iron will is strong if you’re a purist.
I haven’t even talked about price yet, some of these tools of evil rangefinders are more than a couple of hundred quid, that’s about a third of a year’s subscription in a decent local club. It’s a new driver, two new putters, 4 decent quality bags – much better buys for the purist.
No, you can’t beat sticking with tradition.
I’m a technology lover, massive technology lover actually, but some things are off limits even for me. This is one of them.
In fact, there are limits to how far I would go with a lot of technology in certain things in everyday life. I have no issue with computers, quite the reverse to be honest, I love them. But I wouldn’t want a computerised fridge (yes I know that most fridges have some kind of PCB in them), or I wouldn’t want a computerised bed.
Leisure time, and in particular golf, is one of those things that you want to spread out over a few years of intense learning, and then a few years of refinement. It’s not a race, you don’t need to knock ten shots of your handicap temporarily, you need to knock them off gradually, and by using your highly evolved senses, all in combination, to help you achieve it.
Can you even remember your father’s traditions? Strange question isn’t it, I asked myself the same question to test if I’m keeping up with tradition, and I think the answer I came up with is that tradition is actually quite a personal thing. My father’s tradition was/is mainly family, I’ve certainly kept that tradition alive and that’s good enough for me.
The next century is going to have your whole life being totally consumed by technology (or is that today?). But there needs to be a release from it somewhere, otherwise everything is going to be the same same same – boring same.
In other words, I don’t want technology that helps me do less, I want technology that helps me do more. So that I can have time to do the things that don’t require technology, the things that are traditional, and need to stay that way – for me at least.
Well said. I never thought I would agree with this opinion, but I’m beginning to view things from a different angle. I don’t think it will stop me buying a Range Finder though, I need one badly.
That’s certainly a strong opinion, so you won’t be buying one anytime soon LOL