Random Golf Thoughts

copacetic · 03-03-2026 01:45PM

hole19 is the way to go, can pay for it also to get it working on smartwatch, I use it 90% of the time, us rangefinder only if it’s hard to judge where the flag is relative to front/middle/back of green.

As it happens I also have one of those yardage books for my course, it’s really good quality, but I never use it. It’s a bit of a faf to be honest compared to the other tools and you would want to be very accurate for it to make a difference.

Russman · 03-03-2026 01:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124279759#Comment_124279759

Not the question you asked and I've no affiliation with them, but if you're not into any of the GPS and extra features, you might find a Golf Glider to suit what you want. Bulletproof and great company to deal with.

awec · 03-03-2026 02:29PM

Yardage books work based off points of reference and I am not sure how detailed a yardage book would be for your average golf course in Ireland, is it just going to have distance markers on it or will it include things like sprinklers?

Either way, I think they are likely to be a bit of a pain in the bollocks to use if you're not playing the majority of your golf from the fairway or close to the fairway. Your playing partners won't want to wait on you walking around trying to find whatever it is you are trying to base your distances from.

Sorbet · 03-03-2026 02:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124280971#Comment_124280971

+1 for GolfGlider - you can pick them up on Adverts pretty cheap and as said above, bulletproof. Only thing to note is that I heard recently that they’ve closed the shop. There are others who can do repairs etc.

pointer28 · 03-03-2026 03:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124280837#Comment_124280837

Didn't realise there was a temu option, thanks for that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124280951#Comment_124280951

Wasn't aware of those apps until now, they sound like a great help.

big_drive · 03-03-2026 04:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124281323#Comment_124281323

Google the temu options, it's very possible to get something at great value that's rated highly, some of them get brilliant reviews. Don't look at the ones on temu itself as they'll tell you everything is great. Find ones from independent reviewers.

https://youtu.be/ZCDniDKgyXI?is=1TCgmqzmUSHo3sG8

Dexters Bow Tie · 03-03-2026 06:01PM

I got one from Temu for €35. Never had a rangefinder before to compare it against, but it does the job.

pointer28 · 03-03-2026 07:16PM

Thanks all

I installed the Hole19 app and it seems perfect for what I need.

I've been a big fan of Garmin running watches for years and a huge data and stats guy so I think I'll go that direction further down the road.

Haven't even got a handicap yet so don't want to go mad spending.

Mantis Toboggan · 03-03-2026 07:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124280971#Comment_124280971

Cheers, looked them up but they're €690.00

bobster453 · 03-03-2026 10:17PM

I use the motocaddy app, find it very good and best of all its free and you dont need a motocaddy trolley

benny79 · 04-03-2026 11:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124279759#Comment_124279759

Look on Mcguirks website for ex displays. I got mine for €250 cheaper.

billy3sheets · 04-03-2026 05:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124279759#Comment_124279759

I bought a Motocaddy M5 ex-rental from our pro-shop end of 2024. Cost 650 which was around 500 less than new one. Has 36 hole battery and 1 year guarantee. Very happy with it so far. Gave a bit of money back to the pro-shop too.

I believe they sell them off after 1 year of rental.

Seve OB · 06-03-2026 09:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124246334#Comment_124246334

wtf is that?

Seve OB · 06-03-2026 09:22AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124281939#Comment_124281939

what Garmin running watch have you got?

It probably has golf on it, i use a Fenix now and it’s great for the golf. Had cheaper garmins before and they both had golf on them also

BoardsMember · 06-03-2026 10:09AM

Speaking of gadgets, I do a good bit of indoor chipping. Off a mat, into the good curtains! Anyway. I'm vaguely interested in some sort of launch monitor to help me start to understand carry and roll out distances with different clubs. As it is, I'm purely focused on contact and hitting high/low variations, but I've no real build up of data of how far each would carry/roll out to.

Does anyone use any tech to help with this? A full on bells and whistles launch monitor with visualisation tech etc doesn't really interest me. This is for chipping and pitching only, I'd be happy to read the data off a screen, so maybe even a phone based app would be good enough.

facehugger99 · 06-03-2026 11:56AM

A friend of mine recently got a rangefinder - I figure it's added about a minute extra time to every shot he takes and he wasn't the quickest player to start with.

spacecoyote · 06-03-2026 12:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124290027#Comment_124290027

Then hes probably not doing it right. If someone is well prepped in general, theres no reason it should add time to a routine/round.

I know that's not the case for a lot of people, so I get your pain

Bahanaman · 06-03-2026 01:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124290027#Comment_124290027

That was one of the reasons I had for not getting one but when I found out about the great value for the ones on Temu I decided to take a chance. I found it has had no negative impact on my pace of play. If anything, it has helped speed things up as the more precise distance measurement helps make up the mind re club selection.

benny79 · 06-03-2026 02:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124289725#Comment_124289725

most launch moniters wont pick up chip shots. Even the very dear ones..

VW 1 · 06-03-2026 02:44PM

Slow players are generally slow in all regards. I use a watch mostly but last week my watch died and was using a rangefinder instead, maybe takes 10secs longer to zap a pin or feature than using the watch.

OEP · 06-03-2026 03:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124290357#Comment_124290357

Do you have issues hitting the flag with the Temu rangefinder? I have a shotscope one and it find it difficult to get the pin, I keep hitting objects behind it.

facehugger99 · 06-03-2026 03:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124290656#Comment_124290656

My friends one seems to have the same issues - not sure of the brand but it's a cheap enough one and seems to give him a different yardage each time he takes a reading - it's probably why it's adding so much time to his shots - I generally end up telling him which of the yardages are correct because I'm pretty good at judging distances by eye, which rather defeats the purpose of the rangefinder. He on the other hand seems to see the world in 2D, hasn't a clue how far away things are.

billy3sheets · 06-03-2026 04:00PM

I bought a cheap rangefinder couple of years ago. I think it's accurate but I find it hard to hold steady. I rarely use as I'm happy enough with the measurements on my Motocaddy trolley GPS. I'm not really accurate enough with my distances to worry about the few yards it might be off. Maybe someday.

bobster453 · 06-03-2026 06:17PM

Apart from low handicappers I think rangefinders are a complete waste of time.

Most mid to high handicappers struggle with consistent distance with a club and generally think they hit the ball further than they actually do.

I use a free app and find distances are grand, an extra few yards if i am off isnt going to make a difference one way or the other.

Makes me laugh when I see people with these gadgets trying to use them and then they pick the wrong club for the distance.

Rant over😁😁😁

spacecoyote · 06-03-2026 06:42PM

To be fair, once you're gone beyond PW distance, the vast majority of Ams would hit more greens and score better if they basically always took their measure to the back of the green on their approach shots.

Hit it perfect, you're on the back of the green.

Hit it well, youre in the middle of the green

Hit it not great, you're on the front of the green.

You'll up your GIR which is probably the most critical stat for lowering scores.

If you take middle of green as your target, hit it perfectly, youre middle of the green.

Hit it well, probably on front of green.

Hit it not great, best case you get a standard pitch/chip, but you're bringing front trouble like water and bunkers.

I'd recommend mid-high handicaps to try it out, you'll be amazed.

You wont be bombing through the back of greens, you'll miss a couple long, but you'll definitely hit more GIR, and every golfer 2-putts more regularly than they get up&down

frisbeeface · 06-03-2026 06:57PM

Most use my rangefinder gets is figuring out if the group in front is out of range yet! I definitely perform worse using it than a GPS app because if I use it to zap a flag it anchors that number in my head and locks it in as my target. Firing at flags tends not to work out well for me...

blue note · 06-03-2026 07:29PM

I agree that GPS is better for the majority of golfers, but not because they're inconsistent with their distances. But because the middle of the green is a better starting point for your target distance than the flag.

All misses are left / right and long /short. If a 20 handicapper (or any other handicapper for that matter) didn't take much care with their target lines, you'd think them an idiot. Whatever about going in a bunker when you're offline - but going into a bunker that you aimed for because you're generally not very accurate is utterly daft. And in my opinion missing a green long or short because you had a bad distance is equally daft. If you're prone to coming up 10 yards short and there's water in front of the green, you need an accurate target distance for at least 11 yards beyond the trouble. Finding the water because of a mishit is just part of golf, especially club golf. People losing the rag over that need to grow up. But a decent hit not clearing trouble should wreck your head. I wouldn't judge someone half as harshly for a childish reaction to that.

Appletart Upsetter · 06-03-2026 08:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124289603#Comment_124289603

AI gibberish!

Again, apologies for posting it!

copacetic · 06-03-2026 08:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124291378#Comment_124291378

you see quite a few greens with say a front coloured flag on the left over water, gps says it’s 150 to the front but the green is angled from front right and the carry is actually 160 on the left and the ‘front flag’ is playing middle yardage. It’s always worth it to have a flag yardage as well as the front/middle/back from gps. It’s doesn’t take more than a few seconds, you wouldn’t even notice it use it on another half the holes. It can be a pain having an already slow player use one as they tend to be slow about absolutely everything and it adds time for them.

Check the trolley gps, park trolley 3 yards from ball, get out laser, walk over to ball, have a look around, try a few goes at laser, walk back to bag, forget yardage, try again, pick a club, walk back to ball, have a practise swing, take a divot, go back to scrub and clean club, duff it 50 yards. Still their shot and by the time you get to your ball 5 mins later you have lost half a hole and are rushed.

Sorbet · 06-03-2026 09:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124291332#Comment_124291332

Such a simple but brilliant way of looking at it. You’re always thinking “must club up” but that’s a really straightforward way of putting a number to it. Never heard of it though - I’ll be aiming back of green next time and see how it works out. Thanks.

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