Oops!

A blow for the distance measuring device in competitive play. This went out to college coaches last week: 

Subject: Division I Golf Committee Range Finders

Coach as you are probably aware, the Division I Men’s Golf Committee subsequent to the GCAA National Convention decided to reverse its position regarding the use of range finders as a local rule for the 2006 Division I regionals and finals.  In a memo received by this office on 2/28 from Mike Hermann, Chair the subject of range finders was addressed.  It is our understanding that this memo was sent by the NCAA to all participating Division I head coaches.  This ruling has no affect on individual tournaments during the 2006 spring regular season adopting the local rule regarding range finding devices.

It is our understanding, per the memo, that this issue will be revisited during the NCAA golf committee’s annual summer meetings.  For coaches who host tournaments that choose to adopt the local rule, I encourage use to provide feedback to Donnie Wagner at the NCAA. We have received positive feedback from some coaches whose events have adopted the local rule.  If you would copy our office on any feedback, positive or negative, we will create a clearinghouse for this information.

Apparently in a straw vote at the coaches convention, there were only a couple of hands raised in support of the devices for NCAA Championship play.

There were a couple hundred coaches in attendance.