Sports Fitness (979)

Leica Pinmaster aims to make golf easier

How far to the hole?

27 July 2009 18:15 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Measuring the distance to the golf pin could be about to get a whole lot easier with a bit of technological help via Leica.

The company, famous for cameras, has turned its hand to helping out the golfer with a new gadget called the Pinmaster rangefinder.

According to Leica, the user simply aims the Pinmaster at the pin, and at the press of a button, the eye-safe laser beam – coupled with "first target logic" technology – will measure the exact distance with ease.

The Pinmaster is good up to distances 820 yards, which is supposedly longer than any hole in the UK and the distance is shown on the LED display so all golfers have to do is choose which club to opt for.

Furthermore, the Leica Pinmaster offers a 7x magnification and a large field of view of 347 feet at a distance of 1000 yards - ideal for peeping.

And for those rule sticklers worried this is cheating, don't, the device is allowed under standard golf rules (R&A rule 14.3 for the geeky).

Getting that distance will set you back £469 from the end of July.