Golf has always been a game of skill, strategy, and the occasional creative excuse for a bad shot. But now, thanks to an influx of smart golf accessories, members of Willow Dunes Country Club may soon find themselves running out of reasons for poor performance.
Sterling Whitmore, Director of Athletics & Prestige Training, has seen it all—players blaming the wind, the slope, the dimples on their ball, and even “a distracting bird” for their misfires. Now, with the rise of rangefinders, GPS watches, and putting aids that track every movement, he asks a pointed question:
“At what point does the technology stop helping and start proving you’re the problem?”
Today’s golf tech is designed to make you better. But for some members, it simply makes it harder to pretend they’re better than they are.
Take the latest GPS-enabled rangefinders. Once, a golfer could confidently step up to their ball and declare:
"Feels like about 155 yards—probably an 8-iron."
Now, a laser rangefinder instantly corrects them.
"Nope. It’s 137 yards. And playing 132 downhill."
Suddenly, the shot they thought was “just a little long” is revealed to be a full club selection error.
Meanwhile, high-tech putting aids are exposing putting strokes that have been questionable for decades.
Sterling recalls watching one particular member test out a putting alignment trainer on the practice green.
"It’s broken," the member muttered after three straight misses.
Sterling took the putter, stroked one into the cup, and handed it back.
"No, it’s not."
Of course, there’s a divide in the club over whether technology is making golf better or turning it into an overanalyzed math equation.
Lord Worthington, unsurprisingly, remains unmoved by the technological revolution.
"My caddie tells me the distance. If I miss, he tells me whose fault it was. What else do I need?"
With technology improving every year, smart golf accessories are here to stay.
Sterling believes members have two choices:
Either way, Willow Dunes will continue to be a place where the latest innovations meet unwavering tradition—and where excuses, no matter how creative, will always be part of the game.
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