Over the years, tour caddies have developed into much more then just bag carriers. The modern tour caddy will give his player accurate yardages on all their shots and also suggest what club to use. That comes from hours of measuring their player’s shots and measuring golf courses. Every last inch of a course will be measured and mapped on their course notes, so whatever the circumstances, accurate yardages will be at hand. The pros still need to hit their shots, but they know exactly how far they need to go.

For the average club golfer, caddies are probably a rare luxury. For most of us, getting an idea of yardages comes from course knowledge and walking off distances to fairway markers and sprinkler heads. Well that’s what it used to be like. Modern technology comes to the rescue once again in the form of golf GPS units. These have been around for a few years now, but recent changes to the rules of golf now allow the use of a GPS device in competition play. Subject to a local rule being in place, you can use your GPS and have all the course information available to you at a glance.

Golf GPS units today are much more accurate than even a few years ago. Modern devices will be accurate to within +/-2 yards, which is more then sufficient for most golfers. I reckon to be within +/-5 yards with my mid and short irons, so the accuracy of my GPS is plenty good enough for me. Using a GPS unit gives you much more than simple distances though. All devices will measure to the front, middle and back of the greens, but most modern devices will give you a whole wealth of additional information:

• Distances to Hazards


• Shape of the Greens


• Shape of the Fairways


• Major Contours on Greens


• Ability to add Custom Markers

Modern golf GPS units can also function as fully featured digital scorecards, tracking your scores for the round. Some devices even allow you to keep a record of your stats, so you’ll know at a glance your fairways hit, GIR, putts, to name but a few.

Golf GPS units come in all shapes and sizes. Color, Black & White, even Touchscreen. Some can store thousands of courses and some will require annual membership plans to access new courses. Some will have more features than others, so here’s a quick check-list to consider when shopping for a device:

• Screen Type


• Course Capacity


• Available Courses


• Battery Type


• Membership Types

A competent golf GPS really is like having your own tour caddy on the bag. Accurate information at your finger tips. No more pacing off sprinkler heads to work out how far away the green is or what the green will look like once you get there.

Like the pros, you’ll still need to hit your shots, but your golf GPS will tell you exactly how far you need to go and even give you a graphic of the green. Fire up and fire away.
How using a golf gps you can improve your game