Leagues in muddle over range finders

Apr 29 2009 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

THE league season begins in golf this evening with two of the four competitions in Northumberland and Durham County snubbing the English Golf Union over their experimental decision to allow range finders in EGU events during 2009.

The Newcastle and District League and the Hadrian League have banned the distance measuring devices, despite the Northumberland Union of Golf Clubs, the county body, following the EGU’s lead and allowing them in their tournaments.

But the North Northumberland League and the North Durham Union will allow the use of DMDs, which are banned in all events run by the R&A, the governing body of the game. Range finders cost a golfer in the region of £170 and £300 for one of the legal versions. They may only be able to use them in competition for a year, because the EGU are reviewing the rule after 12 months.

Despite banning them in their own events, the R&A permit the use of certain distance measuring devices, provided a club passes a local rule and the DMDs conform to the letter of that club rule.

The problem for the leagues is that some clubs have a rule and some don’t.

There is a further complication. The EGU, who have a sponsorship agreement with a manufacturer, have not issued a list of makes and models of legal range finders.

Newcastle and District are the second of the four leagues in action – they play tomorrow evening – and their secretary, Ray Whiteman, said: “The rules are ambiguous and there is at least one firm who make range finders which are both legal and illegal. Who can police that?

“In our league we have eight clubs who allow them and eight clubs who don’t. So we don’t really have any choice but to ban them anyway. Even so, until the R&A change the rule barring them in their tournaments, they will stay banned by the Newcastle & District League.”

The Hadrian League fixtures start on Tuesday. At their annual meeting, there was a powerful lobby in favour of DMDs to speed up play, led by the Northumberland captain, Kevin Cademy-Taylor, also the league captain.

But secretary Colin Mussett said: “Six of our 15 clubs do not have a rule permitting DMDs.

“The committee decided that, until such time all clubs in the Hadrian League approve the use of the equipment, or the R&A change the rule, distance measuring devices will not be allowed.”

The North Northumberland League get the ball rolling tonight and their secretary, Malcolm Lynch, said: “We are allowing them because speeding up golf makes it more enjoyable and the rules allow them. Only one of our clubs voted against using them.”

The North Durham Union tee off on Tuesday and secretary Ian Wilson said: “We are following Durham County’s lead and allowing them, but the EGU should issue a list of the approved makes and models that measure distance only and not wind speed, temperature and elevation.

“The way it stands now puts the league in a difficult position if there is a challenge. The EGU should tell us all what is legal, the same way the R&A do with golf balls and drivers.”

ALL Newcastle and District League and North Durham Union teams are reminded they need to liaise with their club secretaries in order to email in this season’s results to The Journal. The Newcastle and District results will appear in Saturday’s paper.