My friend and I had a lively discussion the other day about whether GPS systems should be a part of golf. Personally, I love it when a course has carts equipped with GPS systems. It gives you so much information that you would not otherwise have.
His argument is that estimating distance is an integral part of the game. By giving specific yardages to the green or hazards from anywhere on the course, you are removing an integral aspect of the competition. While I agree with him for official competitions, such as the PGA tour, I feel that the GPS can greatly enhance the experience for the casual golfer. Even professionals on tour are given yardage books that show extremely detailed information about each hole. I know that nothing is quite as frustrating as hitting a great shot toward the green, only to discover that I over/underestimated the distance. GPS systems are especially useful at a course that you have never played before, or when there is no coding system to display the pin locations.
On the other side of the argument, golf course designers and architects spend significant amounts of effort to visually confuse golfers about the distance to the green. Having a large, open space with mountains in the background makes the hole look closer, as does a large not-quite-greenside bunker. Using GPS deemphasizes this aspect of the course design.
I don't have enough money to drop on a hand-held system, but anytime the course has the option of a cart with GPS I will always pony up the extra few dollars if necessary.
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