A rangefinder is one of the quickest and most efficient ways to get a yardage when out on the golf course. In the amateur game, they are completely legal but, when it comes to the professional game, they aren't allowed... sort of!
In 2021, The PGA of America announced that rangefinders would be allowed at the PGA Championship, claiming that they were being introduced to help with the 'flow of play' during the events. Along with the PGA Championship, The PGA of America also allows the use of rangefinders in its other Majors, including the Women's PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship.
So, what is the ruling that allows players and caddies to use rangefinders in the PGA Championship? Well, devices that conform to Rule 4.3a (1) are allowed during the Major, with 'Rule 4.3a (1) - Distance and Directional Information' listed below.
- Allowed: Getting information on distance or direction (such as from a distance-measuring device or compass).
- Not Allowed: Measuring elevation changes, or Interpreting distance or directional information (such as using a device to get a recommended line of play or club selection based on the location of the player's ball).
Adding further to the rule above, players and caddies are allowed to get yardages with the rangefinder, but aren't allowed to use Slope Functionality to gauge distances. For those wondering, Slope Functionality calculates the distance to a target whilst taking into account the terrain's angle between the golfer and the target.
Even though rangefinders are technically permitted in competition play there is a reference to “Committee Procedures, Section 8; Model Local Rule G-5.” Essentially, the use of rangefinders is still at the discretion of a tournament’s organising committee, which explains why you see pros using rangefinders at certain tournaments, but not at others.
Speaking about rangefinders being allowed, Jim Richerson, President of PGA of America stated at the time: “We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our championships. The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf. Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”
Although rangefinders aren't used on the PGA Tour, we do see them used on the LIV Golf circuit, as well as on various women's Tours. After the Epson Tour and LET Access Series allowed rangefinders in competition in 2020, the LET and LPGA Tour followed suit the year after.
The news of rangefinders being used in tournament play has, somewhat, split opinion but, one player who agrees with the matter is Padraig Harrington, who stated in 2023 that: "After using a rangefinder for the last 2 weeks [at the] PGA Championship and the Senior PGA Championship, I’ve come round to believing that we should use them in all tournaments." His words were also echoed by Thomas Bjorn, who commented: "I agree with this. I was sceptical but it works…"
