One major difference between competitive golf on a professional level and amateur golf is that professionals have to comply with additional rules and regulations surrounding what equipment can and cannot be used.
A rangefinder is an example of a device that can cause confusion and necessitate adjustment for golfers transitioning from amateur to professional competition.
In today’s article, we’ll be discussing whether or not professional golfers can use rangefinders and what the use of rangefinders in competitive golf will look like in the future.
What Is A Rangefinder?
For anyone who hasn’t heard of or used a rangefinder for golf before, here’s a brief explanation of what this device is and how it works.
A rangefinder is a device that helps golfers to estimate how far their shot will travel and how accurate it is likely to be.
Laser rangefinders are generally considered to be more accurate, although they are not as fast as their GPS counterparts.
Essentially, a rangefinder is a tool to assist golfers in their accuracy and limit the amount of guesswork involved on the course.
Can Professional Golfers Use Rangefinders?
While there are no official limitations on the use of rangefinders in amateur competitive golf, the rules get somewhat stricter.
Professional golfers can, of course, use rangefinders during their practice sessions, but when it comes to professional competitions, the use of rangefinders was banned in 2012.
This was because the United States Golf Association has a list of regulations for professional golf, including rule 14-3b, which prohibits the use of devices that measure distances or other conditions on the golf course.
Rule 14-3b does not apply to non-artificial tools for measuring playing conditions, such as yardage books, but the definition clearly applies to rangefinders.
In addition to players being banned from using rangefinders, caddies were not permitted to use them in professional golfing competitions, either.
The United States Golf Association did allow local committees to permit the use of rangefinders as long as they measured distance only, as opposed to other factors such as wind.
This exception was not applicable to larger tournaments but is allowed for local competitions.
However, the rules for professional golfers recently changed.
As of the Kiawah Island PGA Tour in May 2021, professional players were allowed to use distance-only rangefinders to estimate the necessary power behind a shot.
This was only permitted during practice rounds, though, and not during actual play.
So, while the use of rangefinders in professional competitions was not permitted for many years, the rules for professional championships and tournaments have recently been amended to allow pros, as well as amateurs, to use rangefinders that measure pure distance in competition.
Will Professionals Use Rangefinders In The Future?
Many professional and amateur golfers have expressed interest in whether the rules surrounding the use of rangefinders in professional competitive settings is likely to change in the future.
At the moment, it seems that the current regulations are likely to remain in place.
While many professional players have taken advantage of the opportunity to measure the distance to holes on the course with greater accuracy, a significant portion of players actually prefers to continue with traditional means of estimation during practice rounds.
With that being said, the regulations of professional golf are being evaluated regularly, so there’s really no telling whether rangefinders might be banned from professional competition again in the future, or whether restrictions on them will be loosened further.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Rangefinders Actually Work?
This is a question that should be approached from multiple perspectives.
First of all, how useful a rangefinder actually is will depend on what kind of rangefinder is being used.
Laser rangefinders are definitely more accurate than GPS devices, so you’re more likely to feel that your rangefinder is really working for you if you opt for a laser device.
Additionally, whether or not a rangefinder will work well for you depends on what you expect to use the rangefinder for. Rangefinders (as long as they use a laser) are generally accurate at estimating distance.
However, as the PGA pointed out regarding its rules on rangefinders, these devices may not actually be accurate when it comes to measuring factors such as humidity and wind speed, which is part of the reason why devices that do this are banned from professional golf.
Is A Golf rangefinder Worth The Money?
Rangefinders for golf can be quite expensive, setting you back hundreds of dollars.
However, it’s worth noting that many of these higher-end rangefinders have features such as humidity and wind speed measurement, which may or may not be accurate and which are not permitted in professional golf competitions.
Therefore, whether you plan to enter the world of professional golf or simply want to improve your accuracy in local competitions and friendly games, you might be better off with a more budget-friendly rangefinder.
You can find plenty of accurate rangefinders for under $100, and in our opinion, these can definitely be worth the money.
What Rangefinder Do Pros Use?
According to research conducted in 2010, prior to the initial ban, over 90% of professional golf players were using a Bushnell brand rangefinder.
The continued prevalence of this rangefinder brand in professional golf has since been confirmed.
Final Thoughts
The rules concerning the use of rangefinders in professional golf have changed over the years.
In 2012, rangefinders were illegal in professional golf tournaments and championships, although there were no limits on their use in amateur golf.
Recently, the PGA Tour allowed professional players to use distance-only rangefinders in tournament practice rounds, although they remain banned during actual tournament rounds.
It seems likely that the current rules will stay in place for the foreseeable future.
Allowing professional golfers to use rangefinders to estimate shot distances in practice rounds takes some of the rigidity out of professional golf without making things too easy.
Hi! I'm Naomi Hagen, the Lead Editor of Golftlink. Me and Andrew met during a casual game of golf at Seminole in Florida. I've got a hcp of 5, one of my key achievements in life apart from raising four beautiful children (one is a scratch golfer!). I live with my family outside Florida and absolutely love the game of golf.
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