A British businessman with a passion for golf has created a new gadget that is designed to help players use the full three minutes allowed under the Rules of Golf when searching for a lost ball.
Richard Longhurst has invented Pocket Timer, an easy-to-use golf gadget that could save players’ scores and is already a hit on courses across the UK.
Shaped like a coin and roughly the size of a poker chip, golfers simply click the timer in their pocket and it buzzes every 30 seconds, ending with a double buzz when the three minutes have elapsed.
Longhurst, who is a member at Bath Golf Club, said: “I first had the idea when the rules changed in 2019 and you went from having five minutes to find a lost ball to three, incurring a one-shot penalty if you cannot locate it.
“Not everybody likes wearing a watch when they play golf, so the only other way you’d be able to keep time is by using your phone. But most golfers keep that in their golf bag and it’s unlikely anybody is going to pull it out before they go traipsing off into the rough to look for their ball.
“I figured having a little thing in your pocket that keeps time and vibrates – of course – when your three minutes is up would be a simple, efficient solution. Most golfers were giving up too soon because they were worried about holding up play and needlessly conceding a shot.”
Using his ecommerce experience, Longhurst has set up a website selling the gadget, which is now being sold across the world, and has an RRP of £14.99.
Before launching Pocket Timer, Longhurst co-founded the sex toy company Lovehoney, which has been valued at £1 billion following its merger with German giant WOW Tech. Longhurst started the company with £4,500 savings after leaving his job as the editor of Future Publishing’s .net magazine in 2002, and he still has a 10% share in the business.