GPS Tracking and Golf = a Match Made in Heaven?

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/NT0LZ)
Technology has invaded the game of golf; at least for the casual golfer.  Professional golfers do not have the ‘luxury’ of some of the toys that the rest of us can use.  For example; golf carts outfitted with GPS Tracking systems, dedicated hand-held devices that you own and take with you, or an app for your smartphone that will perform all of the same tasks.

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Finding Your Way

Everyone who plays golf gets a score card when they start out on the course.  On that card is a place to keep score, but there is usually a small map that shows the layout of each hole.  The operative word here is ‘small.’  These cards are helpful in that you can at least get an idea if the hole is a dog-leg left or straight away shot with bunkers on either side of the green.  That is, if the course managers haven’t changed anything.  Bunkers don’t move as often, but the hole certainly does.  And that can add yards to the length of the hole.  A major problem for golfers?  No, but there is a better way.

Enter GPS Tracking systems for golfers.  Now you can see the hole on a device that you can zoom in and out of, and get a flyby of the hole as well.  And that is just the start – there’s a lot more that you can do.

Tracking Your Progress

Some of these systems allow you to track your progress throughout the course in real time.  But, even if the device does not have this feature, it still allows you to monitor your game from hole to hole.

Tracking Your Game

Stats are important if you are a serious golfer who wants to see your game improve over time.  And, being able to compare your game on the same course is valuable too.  Never has gathering data about your game been easier.

Tracking Your Score

You can keep score on your device while you golf instead of writing it on a card along with others on your team.  It’s save for future reference, too.

Golfing has captured the attention of weekend amateurs for decades now, but now with the strong technological progress the improvements are too good to ignore.  And, the great thing about it is, if you prefer not to use it, you can play ‘old school’ golf and pretend it doesn’t exist.