Golfmosis

Technology, technology, technology.  It’s all over courses and carts these days.  It never ceases to amaze me what those little engineers will come up with next.  Seems like each time I play a new course, I run across some new gadget designed to speed up play or encourage playing by the local rules.  GPS in golf carts is something that has obviously been around for quite some time.  Some golf purists don’t like it, but those folks are usually walking anyway so it doesn’t affect them.  I personally appreciate having the information that a decent caddie would provide readily available anywhere on the course.  I do believe it has sped up play for the most part both by supplying accurate yardages and showing an accurate graphic representation of all the hazards you’d be wise to avoid between your ball and the green.  I think golfers overall make less risky, more efficient decisions based on this handy intel.  And nowadays, there always seems to be that little timer in the bottom right hand corner.  It’s a constant reminder that you are either ahead of or behind the suggested playing time for a round of golf at a particular establishment.  I’m a firm believer that a round of golf with a foursome should take no longer than 3 and a half hours.  The guys I typically play with may have spoiled me as they are fairly fast golfers.  It doesn’t matter if you play badly, as long as you play quickly.  Obviously, the course is busy sometimes so our speed is almost always dictated by the group ahead.  Even if we’re on top of the guys in front of us, it always stresses me a bit to be “behind” on the clock. 

You can also order food from the clubhouse via most GPS devices.  No more wasting time at the turn.  Order on #7, pick up after #9 and off you go.  I’ve always been happy to see the GPS screen in my golf cart before the round, but I recently had an experience that was a little eerie that makes me think twice about them.

I was playing a new course in Erie (how ironic), Colorado about a month ago and had a minor run in with my golf cart.  The cart won as you will soon see.  The course is called Vista Ridge.  It’s a beautiful course with a great layout.  I highly recommend it if you’re ever in the area.  It’s a little pricey ($78 is what I paid) but you can probably get a better rate for a twilight round.  Since I had never played the course before and it was quite hilly, I wasn’t surprised to drive up over a mound and see that I was closer than I should have been to the green.  I got out to hit my ball and noticed that the cart was beeping at me.  At first I thought I hadn’t set the parking break and it might be rolling a bit.  Nope.  Cart stationary.  Break engaged.  The cart was still beeping.  I blocked out the noise and hit my shot.  It was a good one as I recall.  I then wiped the turf from my wedge, stuck it back in my bag and boarded the still beeping cart.  I pressed the accelerator to remove myself from this “no cart zone” and nothing happened.  I double checked the fwd – rev button and found no problem.  I checked the key to make sure I hadn’t bumped it off.  Nope, that’s not it.  At this point, I’m thinking that the battery must be dead so I look to the video monitor to see if there is a way to contact the clubhouse.  Now I notice that there is a warning on the screen telling me that I am not allowed to drive the cart in this area.  I am instructed to press the glowing green button to reactivate my cart and proceed to any position on the course outside the restricted area.  I pressed said button and pushed on the foot feed.  The cart at full throttle proceeded at the blazing rate of about 2 mph.  As I drove back up the fairway past the no carts sign, my cart accelerated to normal speed and I resumed play.  This same scenario occurred once more during my round and from there I had this very strange feeling I was being watched……and somewhat controlled. Very discomforting.  As I approached the clubhouse at the turn, my cart automatically slowed to 10 mph and the screen flashed “Clubhouse Speed Limit 10”.  Once again, I was a little uncomfortable at how someone or something else was calling the shots.  I had no incidences of this kind on the back 9.  In fewer than nine holes, I had been conditioned to be extremely vigilant regarding where I was allowed to go and how fast I could go there.  I followed the arbitrary rules imposed by the Vista Ridge Golf Club because they had deployed technology that gave me no choice.  There’s something inherently wrong with that sort of thing…and not just at the golf course.