Changes to Rules of Golf

Bobby_Kennedy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/25006871

The R&A and USGA have ruled that players will no longer be penalised if slow-motion video or high-definition replays show a ball moved when at rest but was not obvious to the naked eye.

The other one that catches my eye is that players will now be able to access weather reports on a smartphone during a round without breaching the rules.

Does that mean that it is OK to use a GPS app on a smartphone AND another app on the smarrtphone such as a weather app during a round?

Wombatman

Put it this way, I wouldn't go asking Santa for a Golf GPS device. If you are allowed to use a smartphone for weather then why not range?

Wombatman

PARlance

SnowDrifts

Should have been a perfect time to include all smartphones being allowed to be used as a DMD but there is a purposeful omission unfortunately.

ssbob

Why is it that these rules can come into effect on 01/01/2014 and the new rules regarding Putter anchoring cannot come into effect until 01/01/2016?

SnowDrifts

ssbob wrote: »

Why is it that these rules can come into effect on 01/01/2014 and the new rules regarding Putter anchoring cannot come into effect until 01/01/2016?

I think they can amend decisions but rule changes happen every 4 years. Not 100% sure on that though.

PARlance

ssbob wrote: »

Why is it that these rules can come into effect on 01/01/2014 and the new rules regarding Putter anchoring cannot come into effect until 01/01/2016?

I think it was important that people were given enough time to adjust re the anchoring...It's far easier "learn" to whip out a phone and check a weather app than it is to change your entire putting technique.

Roger_007

Wombatman wrote: »

Put it this way, I wouldn't go asking Santa for a Golf GPS device. If you are allowed to use a smartphone for weather then why not range?

This rule change makes no sense. Nobody that I know would be using a smartphone the find out what the weather is. How would anyone know what you were looking at anyway. If smartphones are to be allowed at all then you cannot restrict what they are being used for. I could never understand why using a GPS app was banned in the first place!

PARlance

Roger_007 wrote: »

This rule change makes no sense. Nobody that I know would be using a smartphone the find out what the weather is. How would anyone know what you were looking at anyway. If smartphones are to be allowed at all then you cannot restrict what they are being used for. I could never understand why using a GPS app was banned in the first place!

We certainly don't need a weather app over here... just tip-ex "It's going to rain in about 5 mins" onto the back of your smartphone and it'll be more reliable than any app.

It's a kop out by the USGA (and R&A?) if you ask me.
It's as if they were pressured into having a discussion about smart phones and found the easiest box to tick.

Don't want to go all Jim Corr on it, but there could very well have been a lot of influence from GPS manufacturers. I think it'd be naive to think that they haven't been lobbying the USGA etc.
It's big business and if the players were talking about legal proceedings re the anchor, then I'd say some similar conversations may have been had.

mike12

Think they had to do this because if you took out your phone 90% of them have the weather on the home page so you could have been DQed for look at that.

Wombatman

I guess we should now push for local rules allowing us to use our smartphones as DMDs so we don't have to piss money away on dedidicated DMDs.

FixdePitchmark

I honestly think in the future there will be no laser or gps - just phone.

The end of many companies who have been in this area for so long.

Same thing happened with MP3 players - etc.

Makes sense.

Russman

Serious question, what about clubs that don't allow mobile phones on the course or in the clubhouse ? Which I totally agree with by the way, nothing worse than playing with some pr1ck who's constantly checking mails and texts while on the course.

FixdePitchmark

Russman wrote: »

Serious question, what about clubs that don't allow mobile phones on the course or in the clubhouse ? Which I totally agree with by the way, nothing worse than playing with some pr1ck who's constantly checking mails and texts while on the course.

There will be no such thing as a mobile phone ban anywhere.

It will just become the social norm. Almost there.

searay

Bobby_Kennedy wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/25006871

The R&A and USGA have ruled that players will no longer be penalised if slow-motion video or high-definition replays show a ball moved when at rest but was not obvious to the naked eye.

The other one that catches my eye is that players will now be able to access weather reports on a smartphone during a round without breaching the rules.

Does that mean that it is OK to use a GPS app on a smartphone AND another app on the smarrtphone such as a weather app during a round?

14-3/4
[FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans]Use of Compass During Round
[/FONT][/FONT]Q.

[FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans]A player uses a compass during a stipulated round to help determine the direction of the wind or the direction of the grain in the greens. Is the player in breach of Rule 14-3? [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans] [/FONT][/FONT]A.

[FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans]No. A compass only provides directional information and does not gauge or measure variable conditions or assist the player in his play. (Revised) [/FONT][/FONT]

As I understood it, Iphones couldn't be used as they featured an inbuilt compass. The above change to the decision seems to me to be a change and the iphones will be allowed as distance measuring devices from 1 January.
[FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][/FONT][/FONT]

SnowDrifts

searay wrote: »

As I understood it, Iphones couldn't be used as they featured an inbuilt compass. The above change to the decision seems to me to be a change and the iphones will be allowed as distance measuring devices from 1 January. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][FONT=Gill Sans MT,Gill Sans][/FONT][/FONT]

Where does it mention anything about smartphones being used as DMDs? It doesn't and as such .. they are still illegal (phones with a compass)

Webbs

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I honestly think in the future there will be no laser or gps - just phone.

The end of many companies who have been in this area for so long.

Same thing happened with MP3 players - etc.

Makes sense.

I personally would rather keep using my GPS than use my phone. With Irish weather I much prefer to have a dedicated GPS that is waterproof and therefore wouldn't have to keep getting phone in and out of bag.
As for Laser there are enough threads on here where opinion is split as to the benefits of laser and they wouldnt use a phone.

As for the change in rules of golf then I certainly think that its a bit daft now that phones cant be used as DMD.

PARlance

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I honestly think in the future there will be no laser or gps - just phone.

Can't wait for the future and the Motocaddy Hover

If I was to guess, I'd say phones will be a thing of the past, we've already seen Samsung release their watch/phone and Apple have one on the sidelines

ssbob

PARlance wrote: »

Can't wait for the future and the Motocaddy Hover

Have you never seen back to the future? Hoverboards don't work over water:D

PARlance

ssbob wrote: »

Have you never seen back to the future? Hoverboards don't work over water:D

pffff, I must have watched that about 10 times when they were rerunning it in 2035 for it's 50th anniversary.
We'll have a 3rd arm in future, a bionic one that is extendable, with an option to install a ball retriever

FixdePitchmark

I know we are joking about the future,

But , I think - it is a reason why you should never allow any electronic aid. Again , no other sport has one.

It becomes the norm, enables the next step.

The technology is their now, but it is only a matter of time till an electronic alignment and target aid. We have seen club phone interaction, grip computer interaction. I know it is mad stuff , but a headcase will try something. Then young lads with their phones " that is a great idea" - " we have , a laser, a gps, a phone "

On here we have a lad using one from 17 yards, looking at green, magnifying image of green, looking at break.

Call me old school. " pencil and paper". :P

SnowDrifts

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Where does it mention anything about smartphones being used as DMDs? It doesn't and as such .. they are still illegal (phones with a compass)

Above ^^^ is wrong.

Although hidden deep in the list of decisions, they seem to open the door for all smartphones to be used as a DMD device. http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2013/November/~/media/RandA/Related%20Documents/2013/Amendments%20to%20the%202012-2013%20Decisions%20on%20the%20Rules%20of%20Golf_WEB%20POST(2).ashx

I'm surprised the media reports didn't pick up on the following because it's the compass change that is the important part.


Look at the following...

"
14-3/4
Use of Compass During Round

Q. A player uses a compass during a stipulated round to help determine the
direction of the wind or the direction of the grain in the greens. Is the player
in breach of Rule 14-3?

A. No. A compass only provides directional information and does not gauge
or measure variable conditions or assist the player in his play. (Revised)"


So it appears your phone will only be illegal to be used as a DMD if it has the capabilities to measure or gauge. For example, if your phone had an inbuilt thermometer or anemometer.

A very welcome change regarding the compass. Basically, from January - iPhones will be able to be used as a DMD. I'm not sure about other smart phones but I'm guessing most will be now rendered legal to use as a DMD.

Golfgraffix

There is quite a strong lobby for a rules change re phones and DMD's

As for the future these guys go live quite soon http://icaddy.com

J

SnowDrifts

Sigh ... so looking at my iPhone... the new iOS7 includes an inclinometer along with the compass i.e. capable of measuring slope. So that would deem the iPhone to be still illegal. (not sure about other phones)

This is just a big mess easily solved by the R&A and USGA by implementing the following - "Smartphones may be used as a DMD provided that the application only measures distance and no other assisting applications are used"

GreeBo

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Sigh ... so looking at my iPhone... the new iOS7 includes an inclinometer along with the compass i.e. capable of measuring slope. So that would deem the iPhone to be still illegal. (not sure about other phones)

This is just a big mess easily solved by the R&A and USGA by implementing the following - "Smartphones may be used as a DMD provided that the application only measures distance and no other assisting applications are used"

smart phones have been measuring slope for years though...

SnowDrifts

GreeBo wrote: »

smart phones have been measuring slope for years though...

Indeed... and that alone renders them illegal to be used as a DMD. Like I said, it just seems like a big mess. The use of a compass being permitted now will only add to the confusion.

The R&A and USGA just need to expressly state that smartphones can be used and end the mess.

shaneon77

[QUOTE=FixdePitchmark;87616605


On here we have a lad using one from 17 yards, looking at green, magnifying image of green, looking at break.

Call me old school. " pencil and paper". :P[/QUOTE]
jeasus fixde... I'd call you nuts pal. I never mentioned using the laser to read greens. I'm pretty sure that was you. Its a rangefinder not some accessory from the matrix and besides.... I lost the battery clip for my laser so cannot use it till i get a replacement.
How do you work out the break on a green using a pencil and paper?

charlieIRL

I can just picture it if phones are allowed as a dmd....your halfway through your backswing and somes lads phone rings!!

GreeBo

phone makes noise on course?
2 shot penalty.

if they can penalise for being late, this should be simple.

kagni

This is a good link (from the R&A site) with a flow chart showing if your phone is allowed to be used as a DMD -
http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-in-Focus/Archive/2011/March/DMDs.aspx

searay

http://www.usga.org/uploadedFiles/USGAHome/equipment/DMD%20flowchartv1-3.pdf

The US golf association have updated the flowchart to factor in the new rule changes. I think the wording used should be clearer as its still open to interpretation.