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New GPS Golf Distance Measuring Software Launched for BlackberryMobile...

Golfing enthusiasts have scored a hole-in-one after turning wayward shots into a potential money-spinner.

Leyland businessman Stephen Ward and friend, Peter Rackham, an experienced IT professional, have launched mobile phone software which uses GPS to work out where you are on the course.

PinPointGPS works like a handheld caddie, telling the golfer how many yards they are from the hole and where the hazards are. Such devices have been banned in previous years but the Rules of Golf have been changed for all EGU affiliated competitions in 2009. This includes the majority of events for both professional and club golfers. The English Golf Union have published the following guidelines on their website http://www.englishgolfunion.org

Distance Measuring Devices (DMD)

The English Golf Union (EGU) has taken the decision to allow Distance-Measuring Devices (DMD) to be used in all its championships in 2009.

The Specimen Local Rule on page 140 of the Rules of Golf book will be in place:

For each and every Competition run by or for The English Golf Union Ltd and for each days play a player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. If, during a stipulated round a player uses a distance measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other Conditions that might affect his play (e.g. gradient, wind speed, temperature etc.) the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, for which the Penalty is disqualification, regardless of whether any such additional function is actually used.

Stephen Ward advised that, following changes to the rules of golf to allow use of such technology to calculate golf distance measuring to the pin, the golf-mad pals plan to exploit a niche in the market.

Stephen said There are other products on the market that can map out an entire course, but they are a lot more expensive. This is an easy to use, text based, low cost solution designed by golfers for golfers. It'ss very simple to use and will speed up play by instantly showing the yardage to the pin to help select the right club.

The first time you visit a course, you can plot each hole using the programme, and a database of course layouts is being developed on the website. It can be used on any course in the world.

It was a wayward shot last summer which was the inspiration for the device as Peter, 53, explained. I was playing Leyland Golf Course and shot wildly into the rough. I was standing there wondering how far I was from the green when my phone, which should have been turned off, rang. I reached to switch it off and realised my GPS was on and that, with the right software, it could have told me how far I was from the pin.

The Leyland Golf Club members meet up weekly for a round. Stephen plays off 19, Peter off 11. They dispute claims that it takes the fun out of golf. Stephen said There can be frustration on a busy golf course when someone is standing over the ball weighing up their next shot. This can remove that indecision.

I am sure Peter developed this to try and help him beat me said Stephen and when I saw it in use, I said I wanted one and so would a lot of other people.

The company website http://www.PinPointgps.co.uk , which offers a free six-hole trial, is now live. To download the trial utility costs nothing and the full license is a very reasonable 's163;19.95. Initially the programme is limited to the Blackberry family of devices, but later in 2009 the developers hope it will become available for all GPS enabled phones.

The free trial version of PinPointGPS can be downloaded from http://www.pinpointgps.co.uk/downloads

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