Gps / Geocaching And Golf

[Roomie92]

OK...... VERY new to the whole GPS/Geocaching, etc...

 

I bought a Garmin 60CS for my company, which I just happen to keep in my possetion at almost all times

 

I bought it for the typical Civil Engineering application, but then started playing.... ran across geocaching and am intrigued to say the least.

 

Couple of questions:

 

1) Would it be bad idea to hide a cache on a public golf course? Would make the hunter have to be a golfer and then hunt it out when he got to that hole..... Assuming he was fast, seems like it would be cool. Thoughts?

 

2) Sortof related question, has anyone used a 60CS or equiv to map out there favorite golf course?.... is the best way just to mark waypoints at tee boxes, centers of greens, etc...?? Looking for the best ideas to do this. I know several Palm programs can do this, but I want to do it with the 60CS.

 

Thanks........

And GREAT SITE!!

 

Roomie92

[+Binrat]

1) Would it be bad idea to hide a cache on a public golf course? Would make the hunter have to be a golfer and then hunt it out when he got to that hole..... Assuming he was fast, seems like it would be cool. Thoughts?

 

This wiould probably be a bad idea in my book, I don't like to interupt golfers during a crucial shot. I would just lay a cache close to the couse like in a city park nearby, that way as he heads to the course he can snag a cache before he begins.

 

2) Sortof related question, has anyone used a 60CS or equiv to map out there favorite golf course?.... is the best way just to mark waypoints at tee boxes, centers of greens, etc...?? Looking for the best ideas to do this. I know several Palm programs can do this, but I want to do it with the 60CS.

 

The next time you golf at your favorite golf course, set the holes as a waypoint. You can name the holes with a short version of the course and hole number. The next time you are out with your buddies and you are on the fairway you can easily tell how far from the hole you are. But don't tell your buddies, let it be your little secret.

 

Welcome to the sport.

 

Binrat

[+Tzoid]

Remember that most greenkeepers tend to move the holes regularly, so your waypoint might not be where the hole is. But I guess it would bee within the accuracy of the GPSr most of the time (5-15 feet).

 

I am also not sure if using a GPS is within the rules of golf, I certainly would'nt use one in a tournament.

Edited October 27, 2004 by Tzoid

[+Gaddiel]

2) Sortof related question, has anyone used a 60CS or equiv to map out there favorite golf course?.... is the best way just to mark waypoints at tee boxes, centers of greens, etc...?? Looking for the best ideas to do this.

I've waypointed the holes on a couple of local courses. It really helps to give you a good estimate of how far you are from the green. Be sure to change your GPSr to give the reading in yards.

 

I don't understand why this isn't more popular. Of course, in my opinion, there should be a web site where you can see hole coordinates for every golf course in the nation! Hey, that sounds like a project for someone... (not me, though! )

[+Alibags]

Golf - "a good walk ruined", wasn't it called? My colleague thinks I am 'sad' because I enjoy geocaching and yet HE is a golfer. Hmm. I love the idea of using the gps to know how far from the hole you are though. Excellent idea!

 

It's a shame that holes are moved regularly as I instantly thought ah MICRO hidden under a false bottom (circle of board and a layer of sand) in a hole

 

Drat, back to the drawing board!

 

There are several public bridleways (horses, walkers and bicycles) which cross the local golf courses locally, so you can be sure I exercise my right to use them whenever I am near!

 

There is a theory that all tapes left in cars will, over time, turn into the Greatest Hits of Queen. I wonder if the same is true, in that in time all cache contents will turn into used golf balls? I wonder if it's feasible to scoop one out, turn it into a micro and leave it in the rough to the side of a golf course? Bet it's already been done (but not near me!!). Time for a new cache, methinks. perhaps if I put a false dog poo nearby nobody will interfere with it?

[+AtoZ]

There are golfing applications for a PDA and GPS conbination. So I guess you could use your GPSr for golf if you want to waste the time golfing and not caching.

cheers

[+The Puzzler]

1) Would it be bad idea to hide a cache on a public golf course? Would make the hunter have to be a golfer and then hunt it out when he got to that hole..... Assuming he was fast, seems like it would be cool.

In my opinion, a very bad idea. Assuming that it would even get approved, the majority of geocachers are not golfers and they would either resent being expected to pay green fees to cache or they just go find the cache even though they were not playing - regardless of the rules. And, most caches take more time to find and log well than would be at all courteous to either your golf partners or other golfers on the course waiting for you. I see no up side unless there is a place to hide the cache that the public has free and open access to along the edge or overlooking the golf course.

[Roomie92]

Definately see the down sides...... probably a BAD idea.... thanks for the insight.... I am sortof an overachiever and plan to make my first cache a memorable one. I plan to get several more finds under my belt before making the attempt, but the idea of others looking for my cache intrigues me to say the least.

 

As for the golf, waypointing the tee box and the center of the green seems like the way to go. Most decent courses will have a pin placement sheet that tells you where the pin is on that day in regards to the center of the green. Plus if you waypoint the tee box, then you can puff your chest when you know you hit a 300 yard drive!

 

Anyone happen to waypoint some TX courses?

 

Roomie

[+Always & Forever 5]

You said, "...the majority of geocachers are not golfers..."

 

And you know this to be true because...how? Is that a statistic somewhere?

 

I'm both a cacher and a golfer, and enjoy both sports equally. Personally, I doubt if I would cache while out golfing, but I might come back later to find it...

Edited October 27, 2004 by Always & Forever 5

[+Olar]

2) Sortof related question, has anyone used a 60CS or equiv to map out there favorite golf course?.... is the best way just to mark waypoints at tee boxes, centers of greens, etc...?? Looking for the best ideas to do this. I know several Palm programs can do this, but I want to do it with the 60CS.

 

I did it a couple of years ago by marking tee, centre of green and elbow of dog-legs. Didn't really do much for my game.

The other thing I did was scanned an artist's drawing of the golf course (very roughly to scale) into Fugawi mapping software. It displayed the waypoints fairly accurately so the next time out I recorded a track of the 18 hole game. After downloading and getting a real good laugh at what it looked like I immediately quit the game and took up geocaching full-time.

 

Cheers, Olar

[+TotemLake]

OK...... VERY new to the whole GPS/Geocaching, etc...

 

I bought a Garmin 60CS for my company, which I just happen to keep in my possetion at almost all times

 

I bought it for the typical Civil Engineering application, but then started playing.... ran across geocaching and am intrigued to say the least.

 

Couple of questions:

 

1) Would it be bad idea to hide a cache on a public golf course? Would make the hunter have to be a golfer and then hunt it out when he got to that hole..... Assuming he was fast, seems like it would be cool. Thoughts?

 

2) Sortof related question, has anyone used a 60CS or equiv to map out there favorite golf course?.... is the best way just to mark waypoints at tee boxes, centers of greens, etc...?? Looking for the best ideas to do this. I know several Palm programs can do this, but I want to do it with the 60CS.

 

Thanks........

And GREAT SITE!!

 

Roomie92

Most golf courses are private property. You would have to gain permission to do it, and it would have to be in such a way it doesn't interfere with the flow of the game. Remember, there are course marshalls out there to ensure you're not slowing down the people behind you. 15-20 minutes to play each fairway is about normal. Go beyond that time, and you'll be raising the ire of the folks behind you as well as the marshalls.

 

As far as using a GPS to map the course... it's done all the time. Big money tournaments not only use GPS data, they also laser sight the entire course, and the entire golfing data and stats are input by PDA on site for each golfer.

 

I seem to recall there are programs out there that will work with some of the Garmin receivers that will allow you to load the map of the golf course so that you can see the layout. What's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. It is, afterall, a paperless version of the map layout you receive at the club house, but it gives you a live update of where you are (within reasonable position error), and where you need to go. It's just another way of playing the game.

[Roomie92]

I seem to recall there are programs out there that will work with some of the Garmin receivers that will allow you to load the map of the golf course so that you can see the layout.

Anyone know of any Garmin software for golf course mapping?... I know alot of PDA's do it, but that doesn't help me! :-)

 

Roomie

[+TotemLake]

I seem to recall there are programs out there that will work with some of the Garmin receivers that will allow you to load the map of the golf course so that you can see the layout.

Anyone know of any Garmin software for golf course mapping?... I know alot of PDA's do it, but that doesn't help me! :-)

 

Roomie

I just looked at some old links I had on this and none of them worked anymore. With a web search, I did find something similar and it looks like the program that was developed about 18 months or so ago is now a viable product being marketed to the golf courses as another way to rake in the $$$.

 

GolfLogix.

 

Originally, this software was a kludge to work with and uploaded mapped golf courses to the GPS as a map image specific to the area you would be in. As you will see with the provided link, this has been refined quite a bit.

 

Otherwise, you'll need to hook up with the few software vendors who have made the PDA versions of this software that will work with your GPS.

[+Prof_Fate]

If you want to combine golfing and GPSr...try http://www.gpsgames.org/index.php?option=c...er&wrap=GeoGolf

 

chris

[gm100guy]

1) Would it be bad idea to hide a cache on a public golf course? Would make the hunter have to be a golfer and then hunt it out when he got to that hole..... Assuming he was fast, seems like it would be cool. Thoughts?

 

Would that have to be 5/5 cache as you might require some type of helmet to protect your head from getting hit by a golf ball?

 

[+JohnnyVegas]

I remember getting some golflogix info when I was a GPS buyer at my last job. At that time the equipmant was leased to the golf course. I appears to be a way to get lots of money for a cheap GPS.

[+The Puzzler]

You said, "...the majority of geocachers are not golfers..."

 

And you know this to be true because...how?  Is that a statistic somewhere?

Actually, I thought it was a pretty common sense statement that was so obvious that it didn't require any detailed analysis. Kinda like saying the majority of 4x4s are not yellow jeeps. Would you need a statistic to convince you of that as well? Maybe the myopic owner of a yellow jeep would?

 

If we assume there is not a direct correlation between people that play golf and people that geocache (i.e., being a golfer does not predispose someone to being a geocacher), then aproximately 1% of the world (60 M golfers / 6,000 M people) population and about 10% of North Americans (30 M golfers / 300 M people) play golf. Even if you manipulate the statistics (with age data etc) to increast the golfers by a factor of two or three, you're still not close to a majority!

 

If you need to verify my popluation figures, I'll let you do the searching. If you want golf numbers, try these:

 

Worldwide, are an estimated 50 to 61 million golfers. In the United

States, there are an estimated 26 to 37 million golfers.

 

"According to Sports Marketing Surveys, there are 61.1 million golfers

worldwide; 6.9 million in Europe, 13.6 million in Asia, 1.7 million in

Australasia, 1 million in South America and 500 000 in South Africa.

There are 37.1 million in the US alone."

source: Business Report, 9/28/2003

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=244889

 

"...the world's 57 million golfers."

source: Knight Ridder, 9/12/2004

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9647048.htm

 

"About 50 million people play golf worldwide."

source: technodesigninc.com

http://www.technodesigninc.com/td/market/market.htm

 

"...America's 27 million golfers"

source: PGA

http://www.pgalinks.com/holeinone/

 

"How many golfers are there in the U.S.?

There are 26.2 million golfers in the United States. A golfer is

defined as anyone ages 18 and above who played at least one regulation

round of golf in the past 12 months. 36.7 million Americans are golf

participants, defined as anyone ages 5 and above who either played a

round of golf or visited a golf practice facility."

source: National Golf Foundation

http://www.ngf.org/cgi/whofaq.asp