Can a Golf Range Finder Be Shared by 2 Competitors?

The Rules of Golf define a distance-measuring device or range finder as "any artificial device or unusual equipment for the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions which might affect (the golfer's) play."

The United States Golf Association and R&A Rules Limited, the governing bodies of golf, revise the rules every four years. In 2008, they permitted a local rule allowing devices that measure distance only--not other conditions such as wind speed or the slope of the ground.

Providing advice to a fellow competitor is not allowed, but information regarding distance between two objects is considered public information, not advice, and is, therefore, permitted.

Borrowing a club from a fellow competitor is prohibited, but the rules do not prevent a player from borrowing other equipment, including range finders.

If a local rule is not in effect, the competitors who use a distance-measuring device would be disqualified.