When a golfer hits a ball and it lands and settles down, how do the announcers know how far the ball landed from the hole so quickly?Are there spotters or markers along the course?
l am talking about the first stroke on a Par 4 hole.

l think they use computer technology. Or maybe they've just been doing it that long.

when we have watched golf they use 2 things to help them.
1.markers on the course
2. a range finder

there really smart

They use a program called ShotLink which measures everything down to the inch. That is how they know if a guy is 18 feet away or 17 feet away. Sometimes, if they do not get any info from ShotLink in time, they fake it, or basically make up how far they think the ball is from the hole.

They will also have a strokesaver with them in the booth. A strokesaver is a detailed yardage chart of the course, which the players also use alongside any additional charts that their own caddie might have made themselves. If u go to a PGA event as a spectator, u will be able to buy one of these strokesavers. They r good to have as they give u more of an idea of the yardage that a player has left, & as a spectator u wo not be able to see the yardage discs that r placed in the centre of the fairways.

The announcers will consult these strokesavers & be able to work out the yardage of a drive in a couple of seconds. Or, more to the point, somebody else in the booth will work it out & whisper it in their earpiece.

The answer is the shotlink. If you ever go to a PGA stop, you will see Shotlink towers near all the back nine holes. They have a calibrated camera centered on every green. When a ball stops, they instantly know how far it is from the hole.

the announcers play the course during the pro am the two days before the the tournament tuesday & wednesday. on monday they walk the course & make notes on how far out this tree is how much carry the water is & so on. they also get details from the course groundskeeper & manager to help them do this. when the yardage is on the screen & their hitting their second shot then they use the satellite system l dont know which type they use. this is usually on the caddy or the scorer. so they know exactly how far out