Technology has changed the game of golf forever. In the last couple of decades, there has been more change in golf than occurred in the previous century, and almost all of it is connected to the modern tech that now permeates every part of daily life.
These changes have been great for the game. They have made golf more accessible, more exciting, and most importantly - more fun. It is a game, after all.
With all of that said, the PGA Tour hasn’t always been quick to adopt new technologies into their tournaments. Sure, the broadcast of a Tour event will feature shot tracking, and stats like ball speed and launch angle, but the actual process of how the players go around the course has changed very little.
That resistance to change can only last so long. For the 2025 season, for example, they have decided to use six tournaments as a test, allowing players to use a rangefinder on PGA Tour events for a limited time to see how it goes. Let’s take a look at what that means and where we might be going from here.
What Has Taken So Long?
From the outside, it’s hard to understand why golfers at the top of the game are still getting their yardages the old-fashioned way. After all, these tools have been standard equipment for millions of golfers for decades. If they are seen in every group at your local municipal course, why aren’t they in use by the world’s best players?
It comes down to tradition. The PGA Tour has been cautious about doing anything that changes the look and feel of professional golf. Will something be taken away from the product when fans see players or caddies using rangefinders to get yardages instead of doing the math in a yardage book?
For most fans, the answer is probably no. Golf fans tend to be golfers, and those golfers surely use some type of distance-measuring device in their own game. Why wouldn’t they want to see their favorite players doing the same thing? The argument doesn’t seem like a particularly strong one, which is likely why the Tour is starting to explore making this change.
Current PGA Tour Rangefinder Usage
If you have attended a PGA Tour event in person, you know that rangefinders are already widely used - just in the practice rounds. During those rounds, caddies use rangefinders to measure distances from every last possible angle, trying to get as prepared as possible for the tournament itself. Basically, instead of using the rangefinder during the tournament, they use it on Tuesday and Wednesday, write down those numbers, and use that info once the competition starts.
That’s a pretty silly system if we are being honest. If the devices are already used to get measurements for the players, why go through the process of measuring ahead of time and trying to write everything down? It’s just making more work for the caddies for no obvious reason. It seems logical to go ahead and allow rangefinder PGA Tour use during the competition, as well.
PGA Tour Officials Have One Goal in Mind
The motivation for exploring rangefinder use during PGA Tour events comes down to pace of play. Simply put, the rounds of golf played on the PGA Tour can be agonizingly slow at times, despite efforts to speed them up. This obviously has an impact on the interest level of the fans - if it’s taking six hours for a round to be played, many fans will just move on and find something else to watch.
Logically, this makes some sense. It takes time for caddies to walk off yardages and work out the math with their players. If they can just “zap” the flag with the laser, making decisions could prove to be faster, and the rounds could move along at a better pace.
Unfortunately, testing from lower levels of professional golf hasn’t been too encouraging on this point. When used at the Korn Ferry level, rangefinders haven’t proven to change the pace of play in any meaningful way.
The one area where they do seem to help is when a player gets way out of position on a hole - such as when they hit a drive into the wrong fairway. It’s time-consuming to get an accurate yardage when that far off track, but a rangefinder can do it in a matter of moments. So, if nothing else, the use of these devices should help speed up play in those situations.
Add a Rangefinder to Your Bag
Unlike on the PGA Tour, where the use of rangefinders is still limited to select tournaments, you can use one of these handy devices anytime you tee it up. And, to get great performance from a rangefinder, be sure to consider the line of products offered by Voice Caddie.
Our Laser Fit Rangefinder is an excellent entry point if this will be your first rangefinder. For something with more advanced features, take a look at the TL1 Laser Rangefinder with Slope or the high-powered SL3 Hybrid GPS Laser Rangefinder. With outstanding quality and great value for your money, any product from the Voice Caddie line will be a welcome addition to your game.
