Are Golf Rangefinders Tournament Legal?
By S. Dee Davis
What makes a rangefinder tournament Legal?
There is a very simple formula for determining whether a rangefinder is tournament legal or not, even if it is not USGA certified. It should not have distances calculated for slope. Slope is the gradient value of uphill and downhill, and many rangefinders are equipped with distances that include the slope. If you want to use it in a tournament, make sure your rangefinder does not have a slope distance reading and you will be fine.
If there is any doubt, clear it with the tournament officials prior to the tournament. The last thing you want to do is go use it on the course and then finish and be disqualified because the tournament did not allow rangefinders. It’s a good idea to just pose the question ahead of time. Rangefinders can drastically speed play and provide a very valuable information source for people unfamiliar with the course, so they should be acceptable in most circumstances as long as the slope is not included in the distance calculation.
As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis |
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Filed Under: Golf • Rangefinders