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BY TODD SAELHOF Golfers swear by them. But those without range finders might let loose a cuss or two on the local links. Certainly, manufacturers believe four-letter words in golf are being replaced by words of praise for once-taboo, multisyllabic terms such as ?smartphone technology? and ?global positioning system.? ?A range finder is another club in the bag,? said Bushnell?s Jordan Vermillion of the latest golf rage. ?It helps you decide where you can land the ball ? it can help users determine ?Can I put it beyond a water trap? Or do I have to place it in front?? The technology allows for less guess-work and much more confidence.? Not so long ago, the range finder ? whether laser-, GPS- or smartphone technology-based ? was far from being a must-have on trips to favourite tracks. In fact, it?s only been in the last few years golfers have embraced range finders without fear of being ostracized from the community. ?With golf, the laser range finder carried a stigma, because the USGA said these things are illegal, so shame on you,? Vermillion said. ?Golf is a very traditional game, so if golfers feel they can?t use it, they really weren?t buying into it. But we still saw the need to provide the distance for the golfer.? The USGA changed its tune in January 2006, allowing for the use of laser range finders in amateur tournaments. ? GreenFinder ?Then, it turned into a domino effect,? Vermillion said. ?One tournament allowed it, so then organizers of another tournament said, ?We?ll do it.??So Bushnell ? along with SkyCaddie and other range-finder manufacturers ? have become household names in the golf industry. And along with that has come an array of options. With the laser-based models ? that are binocular in shape ? manufacturers say there is the smallest margin of error, of plus or minus one yard compared to the GPS?s seven or eight yards when capturing distances with range finders. ?When golfers are trying to pick out a flag in front of a bank of trees, it can be difficult,? said Vermillion of Bushnell?s Pinseeker technology, which was established in 2005. ?The Pinseeker tech reports only the closer object such as the flag in front of the bank of trees and not the bank of trees.? Bushnell products have further been enhanced by slope technology to determine how the contours of a course ? such as elevation ? affect distance to targets. But all that takes time when you?re on the course, say the makers of smaller, more portable, GPS-based range finders. The SkyCaddie SGX, for instance, offers distances without the delay of capturing your target through high-tech field glasses ? and it?s not necessary to have a flagstick in your field of view. ?Our mission is to help golfers play smarter, play better, play faster and have more fun,? said SkyGolf CEO Richard Edmonson, whose company manufactures the popular SkyCaddie products. ?And we always have something gamechanging on the horizon,? continued Edmonson, touting the latest SkyCaddie product, which includes SGX SmartClub Technology, a break-through innovation that allows your clubs to talk to your range-finder ? handy if you ever misplace your weapons ? and to determine which of your irons ? based on previous strokes ? best fits the distance to the pin. ?The SkyCaddie SGX is not only the most advanced, reliable distance measuring device in golf, it is a platform that 20 The Toronto Sun Golf Guide 2010 ? SkyCaddie can extend the game beyond the 18th green.? Although GPS units ? walkie-talkie-esque in appearance ? are valued for their ease and speed, the hitch is they require a subscription and time to download course layouts before you can use them. Essentially, so too does smartphone technology ? or range-finder applications for your cell. But with such programs, including Canadian company GreenFinder, there are the benefits of speed, convenience and affordability. ?GreenFinder takes advantage of a device you already own and carry, so you don?t need ? Bushnell to buy and carry more hardware,? said GreenFinder vice-president Trevor Timbeck of a product that lets golfers know ? with speech, if desired ? the distance to hazards on each fairway and to the front, middle and back of each green automatically without the need for visible targets. It?s GPS-based and is available for BlackBerry, iPhone, Google Android and Windows Mobile smartphones. ?You can play a whole round without touching a button and only look at it when you need to know the distance,? Timbeck added. ?We are always working on mapping new courses. We have gone from zero to 13,400 in the last two years.? GG ? todd.saelhof@sunmedia.ca

FAST FACTS

Product Price Bushnell (laser) ? $140-$440 SkyCaddie (GPS) ? $130-$400 GreenFinder (application) ? $35/year

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