D'Amato on Distance Devices In Wisconsin

Gary D'Amato took on the distance measuring device issue, and in particular the Wisconsin State Golf Associations's approval of them for play.  Some borderline LOL funny quotes in this one:

"Absolutely," said Rob O'Loughlin, president of Madison-based Laser Link Golf. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. This is a big problem but if I can take 20 minutes off even a six-hour round I think they should build a monument to us."

And here I was starting to feel sorry for the fact that the devices were unapproved for play by college coaches.

"In the month of April we made deals with Oakland Hills, Oak Hill, Baltusrol and Inverness (to install Laser Link reflectors on flagsticks and provide rangefinders to members)," O'Loughlin said. "We have 31 of the top 100 Golf Digest courses. We're going to get everybody. We're going to get Pine Valley and Augusta National, eventually."

"Jim Reinhart, I have Rob on line 2 again, should I put him through?"

 The image-conscious PGA Tour hasn't approved rangefinders because of the way it would look on TV when Woods or Phil Mickelson used them. Rangefinders also would seemingly diminish the importance of caddies.

"Never say never," O'Loughlin said. "The PGA Tour is not averse to technology."

No argument there.