The competition season should start slowly thanks to the reduction of health restrictions. Hello Birdie’s Smart Caddie will even accompany you during an official competition on over 40,000 courses.
Nevertheless, the use of aids during competitions is quite delicate… Some tools are allowed and others are strictly forbidden. In the case of Hello Birdie, we have to look at the rules. According to the article 10.3b, it is allowed for a cadet to “Give information, advice or any other help before a stroke is played” (see official guide).
So, in order to respect the rules as much as possible and to be totally legal, Hello Birdie has set up a “competition” mode.
What is the competition mode?
In comparison with the training mode, the competition mode is feature limited. Indeed, this mode allows the player to have a rangefinder and to point any obstacle thanks to the GPS application. You have the distances to target or to avoid. In addition, you can get information about the game conditions: temperature, humidity…
The major difference remains the unavailability of the “Plays Like” which allows players to have the distances corrected for the playing conditions (elevation, weather), as well as the recommendation of the club related to this distance. This tool is considered by the rules as an external help to the game.
What does the competition mode offer?
To make up for this lack, Hello Birdie still offers the initial game plan. However, it will not evolve according to your previous strokes or weather changes, and this is perfectly allowed!
Also, to show that you are using the “competition” version, a red banner appears at the top of your screen.
You can, if you wish, print your game plan beforehand to concentrate on your game. Hello Birdie will always be with you in case you don’t want to bother your golf partner with your smartphone or your connected watch.
From now on, the only point that differentiates the use of a professional caddy from Hello Birdie is the weight of your bag 😉