AJGA
WILL NOT ALLOW DISTANCE-MEASURING DEVICES IN '06
The
two primary factors in the decision revolved around
an unfavorable AJGA membership survey and the AJGA’s
In an e-mail survey of 283 AJGA members, 54 percent
opposed the use of distance-measuring devices during
this “I
think finding your yardage is a skill that every junior
should learn,” said Arnond Vongvanij, a first-team
Rolex
Another
contributing factor involved equity among members. The
AJGA did not want to be put in the position of having
some players with a device and others without. “The
reality is some individuals have the financial means
to afford this piece of technology while others do not,”
said AJGA Assistant Executive Director Peter Ripa. “If
there was a way to provide a range finder to every player
or every group, we would revisit the idea and survey
our members again to see if their opinions change. “We
will closely monitor the impact of distance-measuring
devices at the collegiate level,” he continued.
“At this point, our members have spoken. We will
continue to look to those who make up our Association
to guide us on the issue.” The
AJGA already takes a number of steps to aid competitors
in finding their yardages. At permitting venues, the
AJGA Operations staff paints AJGA-logoed stencils in
fairways at 100, 150, 200 and 250 yards from the front
of the greens. These yardages are measured the days
leading up to an event with a laser range finder to
ensure accuracy. Each player also receives a detailed
hole location sheet prior to the start of their round.
The combination of pre-existing course yardages, AJGA
stencils and AJGA hole location sheets gives all juniors
the ability to determine their yardages. |