GPS And Golf Carts - A Winning Combination

When you think of GPS, or global positioning systems, golf probably doesn’t come to mind. Automobiles, boats, cell phones, etc., are most commonly associated with GPS. But lately, you’re likely to find it installed on the rental carts at some of the more prestigious golf courses. This enables you to know where you are on the map while at the same time being able to determine how far the ball is from the hole you are playing. Selecting the proper club for the next shot is a no brainer. If you were to find a tree or hill in your shot path, the height of it can be determined by the GPS. This will help you calculate how high you will need to hit the ball to clear the obstruction.


Use of this device has been proven to increase the rate of play on the course. The GPS displays the distance to the hole digitally in metric or standard, so no more squinting into a bright sun guessing where you need to hit the ball. Knowing the exact distance will shave time off of pondering which club needs to be used. This will help you play a lot better and quicker, due to the time saved managing the course. Since you’ll know which club to use, this will prevent groups behind you from having to wait. It can be embarrassing and demoralizing to have to let the group behind you play through because of slow play. All you have to do is turn the GPS on, and it will give you the measurements. Using these measurements, simply choose your club, the make the shot. Talk about being simple.


The good thing about this for course owners is there is no cost for the satellite service. Anyone can access the GPS service, because it is owned by the government. There are different types of units, and the one we’re talking about here will provide golfers with the desired information. To get the correct distance from your location to the location of the hole, simply enter the location of the flag. The device needs high speed internet service, usually provided by the course, for its tracking capabilities. The GPS unit receives a signal from a remote modem, which is linked to a mainframe computer, and the information is then delivered by a satellite. This all takes place within a few seconds.


Many golf course owners have purchased GPS for all of their carts mainly due to the extra features that come with the service. From any computer, you’ll be able see the location of all your carts right there on the screen. This will help you evaluate the pace of play for the entire course. So, before a complaint can be called into the club house, you can contact a course ranger to head off the problem before it happens. The price for a GPS device installed on a cart can cost anywhere from six hundred dollars on up. For the individual golfer, this unit can cost between two and four hundred dollars. For course owners installing it on a fleet of golf carts, the cost will be substantially lower.