Pace of Play and the Laser: Bushnell Study

[GolfSpy Dave]

Granted this comes from Bushnell, and they would like to sell some lasers, but it is interesting to see some data showing that the laser speeds up play rather than slowing it down as some argue. 

 

What do you think about this?

 

--------------------------

 

National University Golf Academy and Bushnell Golf Prove That

Laser Rangefinders Increase Pace of Play On The Course

 

The epidemic of slow play is put to rest with use of Bushnell's Laser Rangefinders

 

 

Overland Park, KS (December 17, 2013) - Bushnell Golf, makers of the No. 1 laser rangefinder on the PGA Tour for more than a decade, teamed up with California-based National University Golf Academy to conduct a speed of play study.  The results of the study concluded that laser rangefinders improved speed of play during a round of golf amongst mid- to high-index players reducing a full round of golf by nearly 30 minutes.

 

Video recap of Speed of Play Study: http://vimeo.com/82134770

 

 

“We're delighted to have teamed up with National University Golf Academy to conduct a speed of play study and proud to have proven that the use of a laser rangefinder can reduce the time it takes to play a round of golf,” said Phil Gyori, Bushnell Managing Director - North America.  “Golf is a great game and making the experience moreenjoyable for the player is at the forefront of our products.”

National University Golf Academy provided students with handicaps ranging from six to 18 to participate in the study.  Golfers played one round with a laser rangefinder and a second round without any electronic measuring devices.  With the use of a Bushnell Golf Laser Rangefinder, the 6-13 index players finished their round in four hours and 15 minutes, an improvement of nearly 30 minutes when playing a round without a laser rangefinder.   The 14-18 index players saw a 17-minute improvement finishing in four hours and sixteen minutes.  

 

 

 

“Pace of play is at the forefront of so many discussions when it comes to the game of golf,” said Ted Norby, Director of Instruction at National University Golf Academy.  “Using a product like the Bushnell Laser Rangefinders allowed mid-level handicap players to make a decision on club selection and yardage much quicker, leading to a faster place of play.”

 

 The study took place at the Santaluz Club in San Diego, Calif., over the course of two days.

 

[dru_]

I think they are correct that quickly knowing distance makes people select clubs and play quicker, but that said, GPS scorecard built into carts, or on phones have the same impact (if used appropriately). The problems with Pace of Play as mentioned in another thread this morning stem from people not equipment.

[GolfSpy Dave]

I think they are correct that quickly knowing distance makes people select clubs and play quicker, but that said, GPS scorecard built into carts, or on phones have the same impact (if used appropriately). The problems with Pace of Play as mentioned in another thread this morning stem from people not equipment.

I agree completely. Any rangefinder helps pace.

That guy who brings a little stand to the edge of the green for his towel, wedge, putter, and whatever doesn't help.

[Hula Rock]

Agree with the article BUT.....  The "Pace of Play" is only as good as the Foursome ahead of you, the foursome ahead of them, the foursome ahead of them, etc.

 

A good Pace of Play starts with well educated Marshells that regulate the pace of play.  A good percentage of them are on the course just for free rounds of golf..... 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I could see lasers (or GPS's) speeding up play on unfamiliar courses where you don't know the lay of the land...saves you from wandering aimlessly looking for sprinkler heads....

 

Not sure they do much either way - in regards to speeding up or slowing down play - in a course one plays regularly.  As I always tell my kids, it's better to know than guess, and it's better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it....

[LBlack14]

This statement...."No. 1 laser rangefinder on the PGA Tour" makes this whole this whole article irrelevant to me. Also can't factor in waiting on the group/s ahead of you. I play with guys who use range finders and it takes them longer to get yardage than it does me with my GPS.

[whiskey golf]

Agree with the article BUT.....  The "Pace of Play" is only as good as the Foursome ahead of you, the foursome ahead of them, the foursome ahead of them, etc.

 

A good Pace of Play starts with well educated Marshells that regulate the pace of play.  A good percentage of them are on the course just for free rounds of golf..... 

 

Exactly, this study is fine and all but it's worthless in the end because most people are going to get slowed down by the group in front of them.

[Blade]

That doesn't make the experiment useless actually. The experiment wasn't done to see if a laser would speed up the group in front of you. (Although a hot laser strong enough to light their pants on fire from a distance might accomplish that! No chance of that with a range finder though. Haha!) It was done to see if using a range finder had an effect on pace of play. It did in a positive way. Factors outside of your control such as a group in front of you are irrelevant as far as this experiment goes.

 

I call it an experiment because that's all it amounted to. Calling that a study is a wild stretch if you ask me.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Dude, are you serious?

 

If so, did you say somethin, LMAO

 

Mentally, that's a Kramer/Costanza(Seinfeld)

vision, LMAO

 

Fairways & Greens My Friend,

Richard

Sadly serious.

Played behind a 5-Some who all had things like this that they set up on the perimeter of each green before the first person putted.

Also refused to let us play through.

[whiskey golf]

That doesn't make the experiment useless actually. The experiment wasn't done to see if a laser would speed up the group in front of you. (Although a hot laser strong enough to light their pants on fire from a distance might accomplish that! No chance of that with a range finder though. Haha!) It was done to see if using a range finder had an effect on pace of play. It did in a positive way. Factors outside of your control such as a group in front of you are irrelevant as far as this experiment goes.

 

I call it an experiment because that's all it amounted to. Calling that a study is a wild stretch if you ask me.

 

Yes but while it does speed up play, not everyone uses range finders so it doesn't mean that all play is sped up. So that time you save will most likely go to waste because you are stuck behind someone.

[Hula Rock]

Sadly serious.

Played behind a 5-Some who all had things like this that they set up on the perimeter of each green before the first person putted.

Also refused to let us play through.

putterbuddy.jpg

 

 

I would absolutely blow a gasket if that was the reason why the foursome ahead of me was taking so slow the play and clear the green.  You might as well throw in a pillow and a cocktail while your at it.  JEEEZ!!!!

[Blade]

Yes but while it does speed up play, not everyone uses range finders so it doesn't mean that all play is sped up. So that time you save will most likely go to waste because you are stuck behind someone.

Of course. The point of doing the experiment though was to put to rest the myth that a laser will slow you down, which it accomplished as far as the limits of their test allowed. But it had nothing to do with other factors that create slow play. So to say the experiment was worthless because there are factors totally unrelated to using a laser that slow play down misses the point is all.

[RoverRick]

GPS beats Lasers on pace of play issue 99% of the time. I would have said every time but I remember you should not engage in absolutes.

 

However, using the pace of play issue as justification sounds like something made up to buy it to appease the wife.  "....but Honey, if I spend this $400 on this, it will speed up my round and I can get home earlier to do all the things you want me to do."

 

Good luck with that.

[Joezilla]

Exactly, this study is fine and all but it's worthless in the end because most people are going to get slowed down by the group in front of them.

It probably was not worthless to those groups participating since they obviously got a free V3 out of the deal and probably two free rounds of golf.

 

Joe

[Sluggo42]

This is what I've been saying, the gadgets are faster. But nothing speeds up the ignorant s in front of you, and Marshall's don't do much anymore. I rarely even see a Marshall anymore... And when I do, they are usually busy fishing balls out of the water or woods...

[BIG STU]

I usually march to the beat of a different drummer. Some of the courses I play a lot I have my own yardage books on and the ones that I play frequently I have yardages memorized except for an occaisional odd distance from an errant shot but usually I can compute the distance fairly well from known land mark distances but sometimes I have to pull out the old handy Leuopold and point and click. Some of the courses here have gone to selling yardage books professionally done for a couple of bucks or so. Some of the staff say it has sped up play some and it does make a cheap memento

[Siamese Moose]

I've always taken the position that a rangefinder is just a tool, like any other. Like most things, it's the Indian, not the arrow. A fast player with a rangefinder gets even faster. To a slow player it's another distracting toy, and they get slower. There is a guy in my league who is notoriously slow. We have forced him to be in the last group all the time. This year his brother (a teaching pro) gave him a laser. Oh my, for the first month it was brutal! Now, to his credit, his pace has improved. It could be having become familiar with the laser, but I think it's more that the rest of us stopped ragging gently, and started letting him have it quite a bit more forcefully.

[BIG STU]

I've always taken the position that a rangefinder is just a tool, like any other. Like most things, it's the Indian, not the arrow. A fast player with a rangefinder gets even faster. To a slow player it's another distracting toy, and they get slower. There is a guy in my league who is notoriously slow. We have forced him to be in the last group all the time. This year his brother (a teaching pro) gave him a laser. Oh my, for the first month it was brutal! Now, to his credit, his pace has improved. It could be having become familiar with the laser, but I think it's more that the rest of us stopped ragging gently, and started letting him have it quite a bit more forcefully.

Agreed some people just cluster through life whether on the golf course or not. Not trying to be disrespectful by any means at all but some older golfers do not need a laser range finder at all. Their hands are too shaky for what ever reason age or meds and they have trouble holding it steady. One guy I play with has this problem he is 74 years old I had been shooting ranges for him due to this. He finally got him a gps type and uses it. He did give me his laser that is how I got it so that was a winner

[HighFade]

People are people. Some will be fast, others slow. And some are clueless. No device is going to help. But if the marshals kept an eye on slow groups, it would sure help. Most dreadfully slow groups don't wven know they're slow, or that they should be keeping up with the group in front of them. Marshals, you got one job!!!!!

[GolfSpy WD]

GPS beats Lasers on pace of play issue 99% of the time. I would have said every time but I remember you should not engage in absolutes.

 

However, using the pace of play issue as justification sounds like something made up to buy it to appease the wife.  "....but Honey, if I spend this $400 on this, it will speed up my round and I can get home earlier to do all the things you want me to do."

 

Good luck with that.

 

We're talking seconds difference if comparing a laser to a watch GPS. That kind of time is in the noise. If compared to an iphone or some other gps, there's no difference.

 

I have both a watch and laser. The watch is technically my son's, but I like to use it. However, his pace of play since getting it has literally improved tenfold. He no longer calls across the fairway to ask me which club to use. Instead, he looks at his watch, grabs a club and hits the ball. It's a beautiful thing.

[Sluggo42]

I've begun to incorp both now. I like to zap the pin with the laser, glance at the GPS, ( sometimes the GPS needs a few seconds to "find" itself. Then I look at the big part of the green, and start thinking, just get on the dance floor first. Especially with deep flags and hard greens. For instance a deep blue flag at 150, I used to hit an 8. Now I'll hit the 9. A short red pin at 150 gets the 8. I also "lean" the approach to the "fat" Sid of the green. This gives a little cushin to the shot as well. With the wind, against the wind, side wind.... Oye!

Wetness of the fairways overall too.

There are so many factors to club selection besides actual yardage to factor in as well.

Actual distance is just one piece of the information pie.

 

One really good thing that the laser has done is to help me learn my distances with the new irons. I'm starting to,get an idea after 3 rounds now.

[Shambles]

Laser or GPS will speed up play simply because the player will no longer have to struggle with making the initial distance estimates and try to remember poorly learned high school geometry lessons. Even with a good caddy you still have that moment spent wherein you verify his read. GPS only gets tired when you fail to charge the batteries. Great toys but they can't do anything when the flight in front of you or the fool in your fight is way slow.

 

 

 

Shambles

[wbealsd]

I have both and on courses I play a lot, seldom use the GPS and just use the range finder to check the pin.  On courses I don't know, the GPS is nice to provide the layout and distances for hazards, then the laser once I get within 150 yards, or so.  I think they help my pace of play and I've never been accused of being a slow player - lol

[dru_]

I realize now just how crazy spoiled I have become in the last year.  90% of my rounds are walking rounds played between 3pm and dark (depending upon the time of year, that could be 9 or 18).  During that year, my LONGEST round was played at a pace of 14.5 minutes per hole (4 hours 20 minutes), with my shortest being 9 minutes per hole (81 minutes from leaving the car until returning to it).  My weekend rounds are generally part of a larger group, and if I take out two rounds where I just about blew a gasket from dealing with a notoriously slow player in the group (he no longer talks to me. at all.)  I am still under 5 hours.  

 

Those two rounds?  both 5.5 hours (and looking at my scores, my temper/frustration levels hit the redzone about hole 7 both times).

 

What is interesting to me, is that the player in question uses a GPS, takes many practice swings, and is a bring the kitchen sink player at the green.  Wedge, towel, putter, little putter stand to keep the grip off the ground player.

 

So yeah, it IS the player.  My question is this.

 

At what point is it appropriate to go Elin Nordgren with a 3w on these players ?

[Kor.A.Door]

I don't care whether or not it speeds up play, I think they are excellent tools for for us, at my course, most of the greens are 2 or 3 tiered, so depending on flag position, you could be 1-2 clubs different, and putting the ball on the correct part of the green is imperative, if you don't you are looking at a 3 putt every time, so knowing the exact yardage to the flag is very important, rangefinders give you that, it's not a general number, it is exact, and the newer models are simple to use, and even vibrate when you hit the flag, incredible, I just wish I had the extra money to purchase one. Most of the guys I golf with have them and they are very nice about sharing, and I am thankful for that.