The United States Golf Association and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews permitted the use of electronic measuring devices to aid golfers last year. That decision has come to revolutionize the way most tournaments are being played in Wisconsin, including with the Three Rivers Golf Association.

Bill Pearse, course pro at Trempealeau and a Holmen resident, said when EMDs are permitted, a large majority of the seriously competitive players put them to use. Pearse said about the only place they’re not in wide use is in high school play.

“Coaches can use them to help players, but they’re not used in high school because of a fairness issue,” Pearse said. “But they’re a long time in coming and good for the game.”

The TRGA began allowing for use of EMDs last year, after the decision of the USGA/RNA. They essentially followed the lead of the USGA, with EMDs also allowed in nearly all Wisconsin PGA and Wisconsin State Golf Association events.

“Yardage is considered universally available information, much like a rule book, and is allowed to be shared,” TRGA executive director Margaret “Squib” Olsen said.

“If the device is mounted on a golf cart, it is not considered part of a player’s equipment, and is available to be shared with any player in a field.”

Pearse said most courses offer two options to get distance information to players, either by downloading the information to a global positioning system, or in a motorized cart.

“It’s not just something you use when you’re playing competitive round,” Pearse said. “It is a very, very useful tool for game management and for becoming really clear on your distance control.”

Pearse said companies such as SkyCaddie, which is the EMD of choice at Trempealeau, actually measure the course on-site. Pearse said the cost for Trempealeau Mountain to install the color GPS in each cart is $760, which is down from as much as $4,000 when the technology first became applied to golf.

“They get players to use strategy like the Tour players use,” Pearse said.

“Players can think now about how far their ball will roll in addition to just how far it travels in the air. People used to think one number for distance, but they’re thinking two numbers now.

“When the ball rolls the green shrinks. If you can get the ball to stop, that expands the greens. That’s why a GPS for strategy, equipment and shot selection is such an incredible tool.”

Pearse said EMDs are an extremely useful tool for anyone who makes a big financial investment into the game, regardless of their level of skill.

“I invest a lot of time into club-fitting with players,” Pearse said. “Once you have that equipment, you may as well make a more educated decision when you’re playing, too.”

Pearse said the next level of technology beyond an EMD like SkyCaddie is Intelligreen. That technology can determine your distance to the front, center and back of a green from anywhere on the course. Prior to the explosion of EMDs, yardage markings at the edges of fairways or on sprinkler heads usually only measured the distance from the center of a fairway to the center of a green.

“It’s improved the speed of play and enjoyment of the game for our players,” Pearse said. “It takes the big guesses out of the game. You still have wind, elevation changes and lies to deal with, which is plenty.”

Players on the WPGA, WSGA and TRGA aren’t even allowed to carry an EMD that helps with wind and gradient, even if that portion of the EMD is disabled. Pearse said he sees the argument of a traditionalist who thinks an EMD may be against the spirit of intent of the rules of the game. But ...

“I have great respect for the traditionalist,” Pearse said. “But when you bought a driver years ago you didn’t know the loft, either. It’s advanced the game and led to a better skill level.”

Pearse said advances such as Intelligreen could be just the first step for EMDs.

“It will be amazing to see where this technology goes in five years,” Pearse said. “I would think you’ll be able to store shot data and use that to your advantage, too.”