The use of high-tech yardage devices is slowly finding its way into pro golf

The USGA’s ruling last month allowing range finders to be used by local rule clearly will help everyday golfers. Because they won’t have to rely on yardage disks or stakes, weekend warriors could slash both strokes and minutes off their rounds.

But what about the pros? Will there be a day the pro tours allow these devices during tournament play? It might not be as outlandish as it sounds.

Joe Messner, president and CEO of Bushnell, said he thought it would be a while before the PGA Tour allowed rangefinders, but added, “In the end, are we really giving golfers anything they don’t already have?”

In the case of the Tight Lies Tour, allowing rangefinders truly would not be giving players anything they didn’t already have. That’s because the mini-tour already allows their use. The majority of players on the Texas-based tour use SkyGolf’s SkyCaddie hand-held GPS system — much to the delight of SkyGolf CEO Richard Edmondson.

“These players don’t have the benefit of a detailed and professionally prepared yardage book that measures every yardage from every angle,” said Edmondson. “The tour has seen an average decrease of 15 minutes in pace of play. It really is a win-win.”

Players in last week’s Florida Open also got a taste of competition with rangefinders as competitors were provided with LaserLink’s Quick Shot device. “I’m anxious to see how these laser guns improve the pace of play,” tournament director Rick Whitfield told the Palm Beach Post.

Still, Edmondson feels rangefinders will experience a logical progression when it comes to professional golf.

“I think several mini-tours will be open to it,” he said. “Then it might find its way onto the Champions or LPGA tours. My expectation is that the PGA Tour has a $20 million system in ShotLink, and they would use that system to provide the information to the players. But it will eventually get there, too. The pace of play benefit [alone] is worth it.”

Not all that outlandish at all, is it?