Golf

How far to the pin? Just point and read

Rules makers yield on use of range finders; developers say they will speed up the game.

By BOB HARIG
Published October 6, 2005

Rob O'Loughlin can't imagine you would ever want to leave the couch to change channels at your television set, or get out of your car to manually open the garage door.

People used to do those things, believe it or not.

That is why O'Loughlin figures, one day, golfers will no longer be satisfied pacing off yardages from sprinkler heads and 150-yard markers to learn the exact distance to the pin.

Not when there is technology available to do it quicker and easier.

"The most asked question on every golf course in the world is how far am I from the flagstick," said O'Loughlin, who is president of Laser Link Golf, based in Madison, Wis. "I can answer that question in two seconds instead of two minutes. In time, everybody will say, why not?"

O'Loughlin's company and others that make distance measuring devices got a huge boost last week when the United States Golf Association revised its rules to allow these products in competition.

The final say belongs to local clubs and tournament officials. Previously, range finders could only be used in practice rounds. GPS systems in golf carts had to be turned off.

O'Loughlin and others in the industry have been lobbying the rules makers for years, touting the virtues of fast play as a benefit.

"It was a great day for golf," he said. "... I really believe that. The powers that be have studied this problem for five or six years and they came to the conclusion that these things have a tremendous potential to speed up the game. Yes, we'll sell a few units. But we were selling them before (the ruling). We're going to get everyday golf to go a little faster. I sincerely believe that will result in more people playing. I think it'll be good for the whole business and the whole game of golf."

Laser Link, Bushnell and Nikon are the biggest players in this part of the golf equipment industry, and obviously have a vested interest.

Laser Link's product differs in that the range finder measures only the distance to the flagstick. For the product, which retails for $269, to work there must be a reflector on the flagstick. Bushnell's range finders can measure to different spots on the course. There are also GPS systems on some golf carts, although the process of installing them can be expensive, up to $3,000 per cart.

O'Loughlin admits his market is the upscale private club that have the reflectors on the flagsticks and will buy the range finders to sell to its membership.

He has experience bringing a somewhat controversial product to acceptance: Softspikes, a brand name of non-metal cleats. O'Loughlin was one of three original partners who started the company in 1993. (They sold it in 2001.)

"With that, it was strictly about the condition of the greens," he said. "We sold a billion cleats and the feedback we got was about comfort. With this deal, I got into it because I thought it was totally about speed of play. But at the end of the day, it will be about convenience. People want what they want right now."

Despite the ruling, don't expect to see range fingers during tournament rounds on the PGA Tour. At least not yet.

"We have no current plans to change our regulations and allow their use during competitive play on any of our three tours," said Bob Combs, the tour's senior vice president for public relations and communications. "Of course, their use continues to be permitted during practice rounds."

That is not surprising to O'Loughlin, who admits it might take some getting used to "the look" of players pointing and clicking a device to get yardages.

"Our mission is to get everyday guys around the golf course with the same information (caddie) Steve Williams gives to Tiger (Woods) and quick," he said. "But I'd be less than honest if I said I wasn't interested in the tour.

"If every tour caddie has a laser range finder on Tuesday and Wednesday to determine all kinds of information, they write it all down in a book, then on Thursday and Friday they open the book, some day somebody is going to look at the logic. ... Over time, somebody is going to say, "What's the difference.' "

[Last modified October 6, 2005, 01:14:18]