Binoculars

[57Driver]

For those of you working as rules officials, I am looking for recommendations for binoculars for use when working events. Would something like a set of non-focus adjustable 4x30's such as the Bushnell Xtra-Wides be sufficient or would something stronger be better. My eyesight is good but has begun to fade with age. These would mainly be used when spotting balls that are hit towards my position if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance.

[sui generis]

2 hours ago, 57Driver said:

For those of you working as rules officials, I am looking for recommendations for binoculars for use when working events. Would something like a set of non-focus adjustable 4x30's such as the Bushnell Xtra-Wides be sufficient or would something stronger be better. My eyesight is good but has begun to fade with age. These would mainly be used when spotting balls that are hit towards my position if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I've had this Nikon 8x23, 6.3* for years. It suits me for seeing balls in the air, and it's fairly light and compact.

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124906833265?hash=item1d15070571:g:zcgAAOSw3ANhRQYH

 

 

[david.c.w]

 

@sui generisI must admit, I was expecting the rules gurus to shun the use of binoculars.  My expectation was there to be a comment on how officials were there to provide rulings, not track balls in the air.  Seems like there could be a time when an official is covering several holes, and a competitor might say "you watched his ball off the tee, why did you not watch mine".  

 

 

[sui generis]

6 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

 

@sui generisI must admit, I was expecting the rules gurus to shun the use of binoculars.  My expectation was there to be a comment on how officials were there to provide rulings, not track balls in the air.  Seems like there could be a time when an official is covering several holes, and a competitor might say "you watched his ball off the tee, why did you not watch mine".  

 

 

 

Most referees that I know always carry binoculars. Their use certainly depends on what our assignments are. If I'm in the landing area of a par 4 or 5 seeing a ball off the tee is so dependent on the light and sky conditions and any background.

 

I know that I don't want to get hit, so if I'm in a spot that's risky, if I can't see the balls off the tee, then I'm behind a tree until all have hit. 😉

 

 

[Colin L]

I always carry binoculars except when assigned to a match.

[TerpFangolfer]

On 9/28/2021 at 4:57 PM, Colin L said:

I always carry binoculars except when assigned to a match.

As do I, nothing fancy - Tasco 7x25. Work most of the time, but there are definitely times I get at either a bad angle, or bad light and can't follow the ball no matter how hard I try. Have had players get upset if I say "no, sorry I lost it in flight".

Oh well, yes I'm trying to help (mostly in interest of pace-of-play), but it's not my responsibility to track your ball

[rogolf]

6 hours ago, TerpFangolfer said:

As do I, nothing fancy - Tasco 7x25. Work most of the time, but there are definitely times I get at either a bad angle, or bad light and can't follow the ball no matter how hard I try. Have had players get upset if I say "no, sorry I lost it in flight".

Oh well, yes I'm trying to help (mostly in interest of pace-of-play), but it's not my responsibility to track your ball

Agree, referees are not to be confused with ball spotters.

[Newby]

4 hours ago, rogolf said:

Agree, referees are not to be confused with ball spotters.

I don't carry them nor do I deliberately spot. I watch the players not the ball, unless it is at rest and the player is in close proximity.

[Schulzmc]

6 hours ago, Newby said:

I don't carry them nor do I deliberately spot. I watch the players not the ball, unless it is at rest and the player is in close proximity.

Are officials there to watch/police the players, or to be available to help if a rules question/dispute arises? Genuinely curious...

[Newby]

1 hour ago, Schulzmc said:

Are officials there to watch/police the players, or to be available to help if a rules question/dispute arises? Genuinely curious...

The exact role depends on the format. Match or Stroke play. Roving or designated.

But none involves a requirement to 'ball spot'.

 

See Committee Procedures, Section 6C (explaining the responsibilities and authority of a referee).

Edited September 30, 2021 by Newby

[Colin L]

1 hour ago, Schulzmc said:

Are officials there to watch/police the players, or to be available to help if a rules question/dispute arises? Genuinely curious...

I watch players less in order to "police"  them although that can occasionally be necessary than to intervene to prevent them inadvertently breaching a rule    Mostly, I reckon I'm there to help and keep things fair for everyone.  Mostly players are looking for help when they call you in.  It's always good when you get a pleasant "thank you",  rather than Mr Koepka's menacing  "if I break my wrist its effing on you" type of thing. 🙂  I remember being particularly taken by a young guy's attitude after we had both studied and discussed the hole his ball was in at the base of a tree.  "I don't see that as an animal hole," said I finally.  "Nah, neither do I," he said, '`but that's golf."

 

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Colin L

[sui generis]

1 hour ago, Schulzmc said:

Are officials there to watch/police the players, or to be available to help if a rules question/dispute arises? Genuinely curious...

 

Watch/police? A little, but so much depends on the skill level and experience of the players. Sometimes we are busy ball-spotting on holes with trouble or blind shots. There the goal is to keep 'em moving so that we finish before the pubs close.

 

Help if a rules question/dispute arises? That's what most of us do best. And, it is genuine help (but, never advice) that we provide. Much depends on the form of play and our assignments, however.

 

The third area is pace-of-play management. That's my least favorite chore. No one is happy when the stopwatch comes out.

[rogolf]

On 9/30/2021 at 9:15 AM, sui generis said:

 

Watch/police? A little, but so much depends on the skill level and experience of the players. Sometimes we are busy ball-spotting on holes with trouble or blind shots. There the goal is to keep 'em moving so that we finish before the pubs close.

 

Help if a rules question/dispute arises? That's what most of us do best. And, it is genuine help (but, never advice) that we provide. Much depends on the form of play and our assignments, however.

 

The third area is pace-of-play management. That's my least favorite chore. No one is happy when the stopwatch comes out.

Refereed two events on the Mackenzie Tour (PGATour Canada) in the last month.  Pace of play discussion and management consumed most of our time.  Wish they would go to the group pace of play where the responsibility is on the players (where it should be) not on the referees.  It's like herding cats.  I think that (at least) one player's group was given a warning (and timed) in seven of the eight rounds.  A true waste of a referee's time and experience.

We had the final group on the clock twice during the final round!

 

[antip]

5 hours ago, rogolf said:

Refereed two events on the Mackenzie Tour (PGATour Canada) in the last month.  Pace of play discussion and management consumed most of our time.  Wish they would go to the group pace of play where the responsibility is on the players (where it should be) not on the referees.  It's like herding cats.  I think that (at least) one player's group was given a warning (and timed) in seven of the eight rounds.  A true waste of a referee's time and experience.

We had the final group on the clock twice during the final round!

 

Yep, traffic cop gets a bit wearing and the toolkit is rather limp. Any interesting rulings to share?

[rogolf]

7 hours ago, antip said:

Yep, traffic cop gets a bit wearing and the toolkit is rather limp. Any interesting rulings to share?

Probably the most interesting was on a par 5.  Player hit his second shot left of the green, nearly hole high, but towards a grove of coniferous trees.  He hit a provisional onto the green about 20 feet from the hole.  He went to search for the first ball and it was located, in undergrowth under a spruce tree.  One of his fellow players immediately appraised the situation, "he'll get relief because his foot will be on the cart path".  I replied that we would wait and see what shot the player would attempt and, if there was interference, whether or not that shot was reasonable (I had made my assessment that it was unlikely that a reasonable stroke was possible).  In any case, the nearest point of complete relief from the cart path would have been about six inches further into the brush.  The player fiddled around a bit trying to find a stroke, eventually gave up and asked me, "What are my options?" (I knew the player as he had been part of our junior development program and we taught them to ask referees that question.)  We went through the unplayable options - going out sideways with lateral relief would have put the ball on the cart path.  I told him that we would have to drop the ball on the cart path and likely eventually place it after the second drop.  We looked at the tee marking the extent of the relief area and it appeared that the npcr would be back towards the original spot.  He then took lateral relief into the rough further back and dropped into long grass.  His stance for his next stroke was on the cart path, so he assessed his relief options, finally deciding to play the ball with his foot on the path.  Hit it to about 30 feet from the hole and two putted for 6 (same score he would likely have made with is provisional if the original ball was not found).  I jokingly told told the player and his two fellow players that it was a bit of a Rules clinic - they agreed.  BTW, it did nothing to help the pace of play!!