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A new green-reading formula is catching on with pros. Here's how it works

If you've read anything that I've written before, you'll probably know I'm always interested in the areas of the game that pros think a lot about but amateurs don't. Green reading is one of those areas—if not the biggest areas of all.

Yes, pro golfers work hard on the mechanics of their putting stroke. But often, they see that stroke as something of a means to an end—not particularly difficult, but rather a problem solved with a little hard work and repetition.

Green reading is where they make their money.

Judging what the green around you is doing—and how best to navigate along it—is the essential ingredient for good putting. It's why good players sweat over it—and recently, a new system has emerged on tour that is helping players do it.

A green-reading formula

Over the years, Ralph Bauer, a Canada-based putting coach who works with multiple PGA Tour players, spotted a problem.

"So many golfers miss a putt and they don't know why. They don't know if they misread it or pushed or pulled it or mis-judged the speed," he says. "My focus has been on trying to remove as many of those variables as possible."

When the world locked down during COVID in 2020, and with more time on his hands, Bauer paired with an app engineer and developed the Tour Read app.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ralph Bauer (@ralphbauergolf)

The app uses the gyroscope within the iPhone to measure the exact slope on the green once you lay it down on the greens. Then, Bauer's app pairs that data, along with information about the speed of the green itself, to feed a green-reading algorithm that instantly spits out the exact read of the putt.

"It's a system I developed over years with real golfers, through trial-and-error," Bauer says.

The app is, of course, illegal to use in competitions, but it's also not designed to be used that way. The app itself is a practice tool to help players work on their green-reading on the practice green. The goal for players is to be matching what the app is measuring with what they feel in their feet. Players have to make a judgement call on the degree of slope, and once they do that, the formula within the app will measure the exact break. Players can then apply that formula in their heads when they’re out on the course.

To give you an idea of what the end result looks like, here's an example of a few reads the app will generate, based on a green that's running about 10 on the Stimpmeter.

It’s a different approach—a deeply formulaic one—but one that’s gaining traction on tour with a growing number of success stories.

Marcus Potter, a fellow putting coach who uses the Tour Read app with many of his players, including recent PGA Tour winner Lee Hodges, is a fan.

"It helps quantify a lot of things, which is really helpful to guys who may struggle reading greens," Potter says.

If nothing else, it helps provide players an alternative method to give them more confidence in their reads.

I've actually started using the method myself recently and found it really helpful. If you're interested, you can hear me break it down in the most recent episode of the Golf IQ podcast below.

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Anyone use or try Tour Read Golf

By mulliganman30 October 5, 2021 in GPS/Range Finders/Mobile Apps

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Mulliganman30.

Title says it all.  Martin Chuck sent out a video series on it and wondering others thoughts on it 

https://tourreadgolf.com/

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CardsChamps11

Bumping this. I saw this today and looks really interesting. I’m going to try the two week trial once it’s nice enough to go outside 

• 3 months later...

Bringing it up again...

@CardsChamps11  How did your trial go? I have a Samsung phone and the app is only available on iOS but would still love a quick review.

I like golf. A lot.

Seamus_McDuff

I used it for the two week trial and have now paid for a month. It’s pretty accurate on single-breaking putts inside 20’. Wish it had better tutorials. 

• 2 weeks later...

They had a 90 day trial offer through Foresight's email list - but they never actually followed through.  They just collected everyones information and then didn't actually provide the trial.  😕

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Digital Green Reading

Times have changed and I think for the better when it comes to finding the slope on greens using digital green reading devices.

My interest in these devices peaked after joining golf club I belong to which has championship style bent grass greens with considerable slope.

The truth is, I needed to improve my game and eliminate 3 putts. Every hole at my home course could be 3 putted easily depending on the pin location.

I wanted to change the way I think on the green.

You can go to the course on a slow day and walk around each green and write down where the breaks are and where there are clear ridges in the green.

Instead of saying to yourself “Ok…this one breaks left to right” you will be thinking “Ok…this one breaks left to right 1 degree and I need to play it 4-6 inches outside right.”

(See the putting resources page for break charts)

I started looking into green mapping as a personal project. There weren’t any maps to purchase so I made green maps. That’s when I discovered the 3 types of digital green reading options described below.

Note: After measuring the slope on the greens at my local course, I can see slope in degrees without the device. That is a great goal to achieve and you can take that to other courses. They are nice to have when visiting other courses. I do use them prior to a round on the practice green just to get dialed in.

BreakMaster App ★★★★

First, I downloaded an app called “BreakMaster” which is available at online apps stores.

The app needs to be calibrated on a flat surface before use.

It can show you degrees of or percentage of slope.

I like this app, but I don’t like carrying my phone around in my pocket and put it in my bag when I’m playing. Also, you are constantly laying your phone on the green which could be damp or have debris on it.

It is accurate when calibrated.

BreakMaster by Exelys ★★★★★

The second option I picked up was the real “ BreakMaster ” digital green reading device.

I waited a long time to buy this after using a free app to make my green maps, I had to ponder the cost of this purchase versus the amount I would be using the device.

As it turns out, I use it because it’s handy to take up to the green and measures slope in one or two directions if appropriate.

It comes calibrated with a soft case you could wear on your belt. Pro caddies can use this before rounds to make green maps.

This only measures in degrees of slope.

Click here for our article on the newer version BreakMaster+

DIY -JEK digtal level ★★★

Then, I came across what quite a few pros use and that is reading slope in percentages.

You see them holding fingers up to measure the break. I won’t go into that system, but a lot of pros carry a digital level.

The level I purchased measures in degrees or percent of slope. It comes calibrated and has a soft case.

Even though I bought the small size, it is a bit much to take with you on the course. It’s good for practicing on the putting green.

Readings may vary slightly from the other two options when placed right next to each other. However, we are talking tenths of a degree or less difference for all three options.

This was an off brand. There are many choices online.

Tour Read App (New 4th Option) ★★★★

The “Tour Read” app is the real deal when it comes to digital green reading. I don’t say that lightly. I have devices that measure slope, but this “app” gives you the actual break and pace for putts.

Would I recommend it? Yes. ( Read our review )

Why am I confident in saying it’s the real deal?

I have two putting mats set up right now and know the stimp reading or green speed on both. I know the break without any doubt and I measured both with my iPad. This app gave me the correct read. It was right on the money.

In fact, I put a ruler down adjacent to the hole and putted right at the suggested aim line and made the putt on the first try from 6 feet.

Pros are using this on tour. It will be very helpful for golfers at any level.

For me it expedites the setup of putting drills. Use it in practice rounds to help you verify your reads. You can use it as a stimp meter also.

The one downside is there is a monthly fee.

• Slopegraide and Roll Maps

Original Review ( see note below on upgrade from 2023)

Slopegraide and Roll Maps can be your personal putting trainer. I see these products as the future of putting and green reading practice. Take your game to the next level.

Let’s take a look at their green reading app, green reading ball marker and roll maps.

I bought this during the winter time and the products are hard to use indoors. Yesterday, I took them to the course and they made a real difference in helping with my green reading.

Not e: There has been a great upgrade since this article was posted.  Click here for our article on the upgrade.

The image below is from the Course Mode upgrade.

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Tour Read Golf Software

Company name: tourreadgolf.com, tour read golf overview.

The Tour Read Golf app accurately measures the slope of the green and translates this into a precise Tour Read break and pace for any putt.

Tour tested by the best players and caddies in the world, the app includes the Tour Read Green Reading charts like the pros are carrying in their yardage books.

-Non-measurement Play Mode allows you to turn off measuring and access Tour Read Green Reading Charts while you are playing.

Calculate the precise Tour Read™ break and pace based on the slope, distance, and green speed of any putt.

PAID SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED: The patent pending Tour Read Golf app subscription is available with both monthly and annual renewal options.

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Product Details and Description of

[PAID SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED] Calculate the precise Tour Read™ break and pace based on the slope, distance, and green speed of any putt. Train yourself to read putts just like the pros do. The Tour Read Golf app accurately measures the slope of the green and translates this into a precise Tour Read break and pace for any putt. The ability to determine the amount of break in a putt before you hit it is one of the most important and up until now elusive skills in golf. In just a few seconds, the Tour Read Golf app will give you an accurate read every time. NOTE: To maximize measurement accuracy, this app has been designed to work in LANDSCAPE orientation only. Tour tested by the best players and caddies in the world, the app includes the Tour Read Green Reading charts like the pros are carrying in their yardage books. Eliminate the biggest variable in putting by reading greens like a tour pro. Match your speed to your line. Start your putts on line every time. Confidently make more putts! -Read greens with ease using the exact same method used by tour pros and eliminate the biggest variable in putting (green reading). -Practice your green reading (something up until now was reserved for tour players with full time coaches). -Using the app to practice will help you read greens better and reduce your scores almost immediately. -Calibrate your speed with your line to confidently make more putts. -Adjust the length of any putt to see how the break varies. -Adjust and calibrate the green speed for any course or conditions you are playing. -Accurately determine the break before you hit the putt in practice or casual rounds of golf. -Check your read to help you gain confidence and understanding. -Learn exactly how slope affects break. Visualize putts in multiple ways. -Adjust your pace accurately for up and downhill putts. -Precisely set up practice drills so that you can accurately assess your improvement over time. -Train at Home mode allows you to practice reading putts even when you aren't at the course. -Average multiple reads to improve accuracy. -Non-measurement Play Mode allows you to turn off measuring and access Tour Read Green Reading Charts while you are playing. -Quickly make adjustments for all course conditions – Grain, weather, time of day, bumpy vs. smooth and more. PAID SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED: The patent pending Tour Read Golf app subscription is available with both monthly and annual renewal options. Local currency may vary. Some media content in the app is viewable without a subscription. Subscription payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. You can cancel/turn off auto-renew at any time from your account Settings after purchase, but refunds will not be provided for any unused portion of the term. Privacy Policy: https://this app.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://this app.com/eula

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Putt Line: New golf app reads your putt correctly every time

By kathlene bissell | apr 26, 2019.

Putt Line is a brand new golf app that promises something that every golfer is looking for: it reads your putts on every green for just about any course you could think of playing. Sounds too good to be true…but it is.

Putt Line, a new golf app for both Apple and Android, can now read your putts. Honest. It’s all thanks to GolfLogix, the company that was first to provide handheld GPS to the golf industry.

A few years after their GPS introduction, GolfLogix unveiled Putt Breaks , which is basically similar to the StrackaLine putting books that PGA Tour pros use, but it’s on your phone. It shows arrows all over each green and the arrows point the direction the ball will go any place on the putting surface. In other words, it shows the break. It was a great leap forward. But people wanted more.

“One of the challenges we had (with Putt Breaks) and user feedback was that when you went to your hole, you had to orient yourself,” Pete Charleston, GolfLogix president, said in a phone interview. “We watched, and people would turn their phone and turn the screen so they could understand where they were and where the cup was in relation to the ball.”

Golfers knew where they were, and they could see the ball and see the hole, but many couldn’t make the arrows make sense as far as what they needed to do to make the putt. In other words, golfers were bad map readers. Some people are. What they needed was Garmin for their putts.

Enter the next step up from Putt Breaks:  Putt Line.    Putt Line reads your putts. It tells you where to hit them and how much break to play. Eureka!

It was the answer to the Putt Break user who asked, “How come you can’t just tell me what my putt does?”

“Having all the data, we were able to build a simple physics engine and predict the perfect putt,” Charleston said.

When I accused Charleston of being a genius to come up with Putt Line, he deflected and said it was the smart guys on his team that did it. But when you see how it works, you won’t care who thought of it or who wrote the code. You’ll just want it.

With Putt Line, each green still has a series of arrows that shows which direction a ball will roll and where it changes direction. But on Putt Line, the app sees the green from where you are located.  Then, when you tell it where the hole is and where your ball is, it makes an actual putting line, like the ones we see on TV to show where somebody is supposed to hit their putt to make it go into the hole. Putt Line gives you that for every putt and tells you how to get there.

To get the right line for your putt, you put your finger on the screen of the phone app where the hole is and then draw a line to where the ball is on the green. Couldn’t be easier.  Then the Putt Line app reads the putt and generates a line to show you where to hit the ball to get it into the hole.  It shows you how far the putt is. It tells you how hard to hit it compared to a flat putt and how much break to play.

When it draws the line for you, and it also spits out directions and graphics that say something like: Hit putt 22 feet and aim 22 inches right of the target.  Then it’s up to you.

It’s extraordinary, really. And you can try it for free.

The color-coded putting line shows you if the putt picks up speed close to the hole or if it slows down.

The app tells you the elevation change from ball to hole.

In addition, you can also set the Stimpmeter reading of the greens you are playing for even more accurate Putt Line readings.

With Putt Line, there’s no confusion about where you are and what the app is looking at.

“Wherever you’re pointing the phone, if you’re looking behind the ball toward the cup, our app knows it, and it rotates the green,” he said. “Literally whatever direction you’re looking is what you see on the screen.”

The first thing that comes to mind is the legality of using one of these apps in a professional event or in a USGA event.  You know the “rules authorities” are going to say no, no, no. And they have. The Putt Line app can’t be used in a USGA event and, therefore, in any PGA Tour event.

However, GolfLogix is working on a USGA compliant mode for the app which will be called tournament mode. Charleston said it is similar to a range finder that has slope where you click it off.

“You wouldn’t get the Putt Line, but you’d get the green contours, exactly what the PGA Tour pros are using,” he noted.

It would look like the StrackaLine books but for any one of 12,000 courses in the Putt Line system.

However, while the technology can’t currently be used in tournament play for the PGA Tour or many tournaments, there’s nothing to stop it being used during practice rounds.  If a tournament tends to put a hole in a similar location every year, then practicing to that location will help show the break and length of a putt that should be hit.

“When my partner and I started this company in 1999, you couldn’t use a laser range finder or a GPS watch. None of that stuff was legal.  That didn’t change until 2006,” Charleston said. “This will be legal.  I just don’t know when.”

Most golfers aren’t playing in a USGA or PGA Tour event. They are playing recreational golf.  For that, Charleston thinks Putt Line can shave putts off your score and add enjoyment to playing.

“You eliminate four or five three-putts a round and you eliminate – and we all have  played with those people – that have to walk each side of the hole, the back side of the hole — I mean they have this two-minute routine,” he noted about the length of time it can take some golfers to get ready to hit the ball. “(But with Putt Line) you literally draw a line with your finger from the ball to the cup. And it goes [buzz]. And you say read my putt.”

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So, it seems that Putt Line may actually shave time off a round of golf because it reads the putt and eliminates the need for all the walking and plumb-bobbing and other crazy, green-reading techniques.

Charleston said the most important thing it does is give golfers more confidence in putting because they know they have the right read.

In addition to the Putt Line app on phones – both Apple and Android – the app communicates with your Apple watch, if you have one.

“It will give you front, middle and back distances,” Charleston said about the watch app.

But there’s more when you get to the green.

“When you are on the green, mark your ball. Get the read with Putt Line.  Put the phone back in your pocket,” he explained.  “In case you forget, glance at your putt. Then look at your watch.”

The app sends a text to the watch with the directions how and where to hit the ball, as so many inches left or right of the hole and so many inches short of or beyond a certain distance to hit the putt.

Putt Line is free to try, and if you want the full version, it’s 49.99 a year.  If you don’t want it after the trial, you still have the 3-D yardage book image of every hole, score keeping and distance to center of each green.

However, if you play 25 rounds of golf a year, that’s a paltry $2 a round to beat your friends at golf.

“You’ll win that betting the first time out,” Charleston joked.

But of course, gambling is illegal at Bushwood , as we all know.

Next. Masters bettor wins enormous payout on Tiger Woods win. dark

Now will you actually make more putts?  That’s up to you.

As Charleston said, “We can’t teach people how to putt, but we can at least line them up the right way.”

Michigan Central Station’s renovation: Before-and-after photos show dramatic change

We went back through the Free Press' photo archives to unearth old photos of Michigan Central Station — many of them showing a seriously decayed interior and exterior after years of abandonment. Then, staff photographer Mandi Wright headed inside to photograph the newly restored Detroit landmark. This series of Before and After images shows the breadth and detail of Ford's $950 million restoration that included restoration of the 30-acre campus that transformed multiple properties in and around the Corktown neighborhood.

Ceiling detail

LEFT: Ceiling detail in the Great Hall in 2015. (Jessica J. Trevino, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: Ceiling detail in the Great Hall in 2024. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

Cornice and arch

LEFT: An archway and cornice detail in 2018 shortly after Ford bought the abandoned station. (Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: The same archway and cornice detail in 2024. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The Grand Hall

LEFT: The Grand Hall with its soaring ceilings and massive marble columns in 1999. (John Collier, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: The newly restored Grand Hall with its Guastavino tile vaulted ceiling with more than 29,000 tiles and recreated chandeliers in 2024. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

Wall graffiti

LEFT: Years of abandonment left the train station open to urban explorers who painted graffiti on interior walls of Michigan Central Station. This image is from 2018 shortly after Ford bought the building. (Ryan Garza, , Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: Ford chose to leave some of the urban art as a nod to the station's history. This corridor was photographed in May 2024. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The concourse

LEFT: Travelers would catch the train at Michigan Central Station in the concourse before the building was closed in 1988. In 2018, the ceiling was devoid of glass. (Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: The concourse area in 2024 has a newly restored steel and glass ceiling and the graffiti was cleared from the walls. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The carriage house

LEFT: The carriage house inside Michigan Central Station in 2018 showing the area where the train clock used to hang. (Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: In 2024, the stolen, but returned clock is now a fully restored clock and back over the ticket counter adjacent to the carriage house. An anonymous person returned the clock in 2018 shortly after Ford bought the iconic Detroit landmark. Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

Columns adjacent to the concourse

LEFT: Columns flanking the area near the concourse area inside Michigan Central Station in 2015 were covered and graffiti and sections of the ceiling were missing. (Jessica J. Trevino, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: In 2024, fresh light fixtures, clean columns and a repaired ceiling lead into the concourse area which has a newly restored steel and glass ceiling. Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

Michigan Central Station entrance

LEFT: In 2009, more than 20 years after Michigan Central station had closed, weather and vandals had taken its toll on the exterior of the Detroit landmark. (Susan Tusa, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: Today, the exterior of the 640,000-square-foot train station is clean and the towers' 1,184 windows restored to preserve the station’s historic appearance. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The ticket counter

LEFT: In its heyday, millions of visitors passed through Michigan Central Station, the Beaux Arts-style building which opened in Detroit in 1913. In this photo from 1966, passengers line up at the ticket office. (Ed Haun, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: The ticket counter in 2024. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

Wall detail

LEFT: In 2018, much of the plaster work and Guastavino tiled vaulted ceiling in the Grand Hall was in serious disrepair. (Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press) RIGHT: In 2024, the vaulted ceiling containing 29,000 along with decorative plaster work has been meticulously restored or recreated. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

How much does it cost to create a professional tour guide app?

15 March 2021

A complete breakdown based on your budget

Tour guide apps are valuable digital resources that enhance the visitor experience in multiple sectors. Organizations from museums and cultural institutions, to tour guide operators, conferences and even municipal organizations can benefit from a comprehensive, professional tour guide app as part of their on-site customer experiences.

However, many organizations aren’t sure where to start when budgeting for a tour guide app. Pricing for this kind of service can range from a modest monthly service fee to upwards of $100,000 for a custom build with a private developer.

These costs are based on many different variables which we’ll detail below. STQRY offers a wide range of cost effective solutions for many different industries based on your unique needs and budget. Let’s break it down based on each component of building a beautiful, effective, and immersive tour guide app.

Initial Costs

Content creation.

Content is the most important part of your app, as it’s the primary element that your visitors will be interacting with. “Content” refers to any audio, video, or visual components of the digital tour. In other words, the elements of your app that inform users about your site or event. 

Making sure that your content is as accessible and interactive as possible is imperative to a professional and immersive digital tour guide app experience. Because of this, it can also be the most expensive initial cost of your app build, but there are ways to save.

If you need your content created from scratch, STQRY works with content specialists such as script writers, voice over experts, audio editors, and more to create custom, accurate, engaging content. These services can vary in cost based on the amount of content, but can range on average $3,000 to $8,000 per tour.

“Going to an outside organization versus creating audio content internally is going to create a more immersive experience, especially if have the budget to add background sounds, different accents, etc.,” said Genevieve Hauck, Marketing Communications Manager at STQRY. “So spending more on the audio can help, but if your organization is really only using this for basic touring and, let’s say, you don’t want to add audio, but you want to do images and video, you can do that yourself for free.”

Josh Gilbert, Director of Customer Experience at STQRY, added that if you’re creating an audio tour, you can also get a $50 microphone, plug it into your computer, and record the tour yourself for a decent high quality result. 

Accessibility

While outsourcing that content creation is convenient and adds to the quality of your tour, it may not be the most budget-friendly option – especially if you’re looking to include multiple languages.

If you need your audio tour translated into multiple languages to increase accessibility and international appeal, you can expect to budget about $2,000-$4,000 on average for the cost of adding one language. On average, industry standards price out translation services at around 25 cents per word depending on the language.

You can also go the extra mile and have an accessibility audit performed to make sure your app meets both your visitors' needs and official guidelines. 

App Set Up and Content Loading

Once you have the content of the tour ready to go, you can use a DIY platform like STQRY’s to build the entire app yourself just by purchasing a subscription package. Alternatively, if you’d rather outsource the process of uploading your content, you can choose STQRY’s Quick Start plan, which involves an hourly fee for uploading the content and building the tour. This option is perfect for anyone with tour-ready content, but may be lacking organizational bandwidth.

“If you’re someone with very little technical skills and you’d rather not work with the builder, we have a Quick Start program where we upload your content for you as fast as possible,” said Hauck. “Many clients with little to no technical experience do learn to navigate our simple-to-use platform pretty quickly though.”

Gilbert says you can budget anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 for the Quick Start services based on the amount of content you need uploaded and the number of stops in the tour that you’d like to include, but you can easily avoid this initial fee with STQRY’s builder tool.

“The builder is completely do-it-yourself, so we have that Quick Start option, but probably 80% of our clients do it themselves,” added Gilbert.

“It’s not something where you need to be an app developer. You don’t need to have specific skills because [STQRY] provides so many different options,” said STQRY client Jennifer Hatton, Director of Marketing and Programming at the St. Louis Public Library.

No matter how your content is produced, it’s important to note that you have full ownership and control over all of the content that lives on your app during setup and even once the app goes live. STQRY clients have full access to the builder at any time to make any changes or updates.

“Our builder gives clients full control over their content, which works particularly well for museums and cultural organizations. Having ownership and control of their content that is copyrighted and intellectual property sensitive in these types of institutions is very important for them,” said Hauck.

Tour Distribution

App sellers.

Once your custom app is built and all of the content of the tour is finalized, you’ll need to make sure that your visitors can access the app.

If you’re creating a web application, it can go live right when the content is finalized and you’re ready to present it to visitors at no additional cost (this is suggested especially if you’re creating the app for a single one-time event such as a conference).

If you’d like to create an app available on mobile devices, that will cost an additional $2,000 to build and submit to the Apple and Google Play stores. With this one time fee, you also get a free web version of the app that’s available to your users if for any reason they choose not to download the iOS or Android versions of your tour guide app.

It’s also important to note in terms of cost that Apple and Google Play stores take a percentage of all sales made from your app distribution on their platforms, and you should allow about two weeks before your tour or event goes live to make sure the app submission is approved and live in the app stores.

STQRY can customize your pricing plan based on your app sales, # of tours and quantity of content to ensure that your budget stays consistent. “We have a tiered plan for people selling their app that allows them to start at a low cost and the subscription increases as their sales increase,” said Gilbert.

While you can try out the STQRY builder tool for free to explore the platform and make sure it’s a good fit for your needs, you’ll need to be on a monthly plan in order for the tour guide app to go live either as a web page or a full mobile app.

On-Site Signage/Marketing

Once your content is optimized and your app is approved, you’re ready to welcome users into this digital experience. However, you’ll need to make sure that your visitors know to download your app to have the most immersive experience on site. 

STQRY provides on-site signage at an additional cost of $30-$50 per sign, depending on the size you’d like. These on-site signs are also branded to match your organization to create a seamlessly integrated experience.

One mistake we often see people make is overlooking the most important part of creating a tour guide app, which is letting visitors know the product exists! Although marketing can be an unforeseen cost when starting the budgeting process, with a little creativity, you may not need to spend thousands of dollars.

For example, some app sellers and tour operators have promotional networks already in place including social media, newsletter lists and more. While larger institutions, much like a museum can use their current marketing team to spread the word. However, when budgeting it’s important to know whether you will need to augment current signage, print new brochures, hand out promotional cards or spend additional money on SEO/SEM. Although these costs can vary, it’s all about knowing ahead of time what your marketing plan will entail.

Monthly Support

As time goes on, your tour guide app will likely need updates. You might want to create new content, or new compatibility measures might be put in place for different mobile operating systems. Small bugs may come up, or you may find a typo in your app copy that you’d like to fix.

With an outsourced, privately custom-created app, these types of updates and edits can cost up to $15,000 each and take weeks or even months to implement.

This type of ongoing support is available with any STQRY monthly support plan. Your subscription includes 24/7 access to a Customer Success Manager, as well as full access to the builder for real-time edits/updates that you can publish yourself.

“They have access to the builder at any time, so they can make those changes or additions and we’re here to provide ongoing support if they have questions,” said Gilbert. “Or maybe a new person is joining the team and they need a full tutorial on how the builder works – we can do that, too.”

This kind of real-time access and control is particularly important for conferences and events according to Hauck. “You can update events and even send out push notifications with the STQRY platforms. You control all of the content all of the time. That’s also why we work with so many conferences because in those settings, things can change rapidly. All they have to do is go into the builder, make that change, hit publish, and it’s live immediately on every conference-goer’s phone.”

Jennifer Brook, Program Manager Humanities at Museum Victoria, cites this as one of her favorite features of the STQRY platform. "The great thing for us is that the app is easily updatable. We can adjust the user experience as we go."

In addition to this support and the fully customizable builder, all monthly STQRY subscription plans also include multi-platform compatibility, rich media support, up to 27 language translations, geofenced alerts and beacons, calendar and quiz features, along with bug fixes, upgrades, and more at no additional cost.

Custom Plans for Every Need

The most popular STQRY client plan is the Standard Plan ($199 per month or $2,295 annually), which includes 10 tours per app and unlimited downloads. For an extra $100 per month, the Pro Plan includes 25 tours per app and custom integrations. The most comprehensive plan, the Enterprise Plan, includes unlimited tours per app, advanced user permissions, and can support multiple organizations. Check out full features and pricing here.

In terms of tour guide apps specifically, if you’re a tour guide operator with a minimal budget looking for basic audio features to enhance your on-site experience, you can spend minimally to get that up and running. 

If you’re a cultural institution such as a museum that needs more multimedia features in the app, and multiple on-site tours, you can upgrade your STQRY plan to the Standard or Pro Plan to meet those needs. If you’re a large government organization with multiple sites managing various events at any given moment, an enterprise plan may suit you well.

“We’re open to discussing projects with organizations with anywhere from one employee to thousands, so we’re open to working with any amount of bandwidth and budget the team has.” said Hauck. “We’re also sensitive to what’s happening with COVID in these organizations, so we’re trying to work with people to help them launch these experiences. We don't want to sell people a tool. We want to sell them a solution.”

The Bottom Line: What Should I Budget For A Tour Guide App?

While a private app developer may cost upwards of $100,000 for initial setup plus additional costs in the thousands for edits or updates, you can easily create your own engaging digital tour guide app for under $10,000, especially with support from STQRY. A custom STQRY digital experience app or tour guide can easily fit into your organization’s budget.

__________________

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Money blog: 27 areas where Aldi wants to open new stores as a 'priority'

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and advice. Let us know your thoughts on any of the topics we're covering using the comments box below.

Thursday 27 June 2024 17:15, UK

• Warning 400,000 homes face jump of more than 50% in mortgage costs
• 'New normal' for mortgage rates won't be below 3.5%, lender boss says
• The cheapest London musicals to see this summer
• Free £25 Tesco voucher for energy supplier's customers
• The products you should never buy at full price
• Popular brand explains customer ban after angry backlash

Essential reads

• Savings Guide: What to look for with 5% rates still available on easy access accounts
• Cheap Eats:  Great British Menu legend outlines his top picks in North Yorkshire
• Women in Business : How accident in cafe and £400 turned into a genius business idea that's about to go global
• Money Problem : 'I bought a new car but it's been back to dealership six times with same fault - what can I do?'
• Basically... Guarantors
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

Is your area crying out for a new supermarket to broaden your options and push prices down with a bit of competition?

Last month, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket - Aldi - asked shoppers to get in touch with their views on where it should open new stores.

The discount chain says it received thousands of replies, which it has used to hone its search for new store sites.

At the moment, Aldi has more than 1,020 stores. It says it wants more than 1,500 stores across the UK in the long run.

The 27 areas of priority to Aldi are:

• Woodford, London
• Surbiton, London
• South Croydon, London
• Notting Hill, London
• Walthamstow, London
• Beckenham, London
• Bromley, London
• Barnet, London
• Redhill, Surrey
• Aldershot, Hampshire
• Haywards Heath, West Sussex
• Burgess Hill, West Sussex
• Chatham, Kent
• Cheadle, Greater Manchester
• Chorlton, Manchester
• Formby, Liverpool
• Newark, Nottinghamshire
• Chesterfield, Derbyshire
• Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
• Rayleigh, Essex
• Brentwood, Essex
• Dorchester, Dorset
• Clarkston, Scotland
• Cathcart, Scotland
• Penzance, Cornwall
• Warwick, Warwickshire
• Bath, Somerset

Jonathan Neale, managing director of national real estate at Aldi UK, said: "We want to make high quality food accessible to all, but we can’t do that while there are still some towns and areas that either don’t have an Aldi or have capacity for additional stores.

"We recognise there is huge demand in certain regions for more stores, which is why we decided to get the public’s input on our latest list of priority locations."

Which?, the consumer website and magazine, has ranked Aldi as the cheapest supermarket in the UK consistently this year.

Using a typical list of popular items, Which? ranked Aldi as the cheapest place to shop from January to May - with rivals Lidl coming in second.

However, for a longer list of items and a bigger shop, Asda and Morrisons have typically been the top two for Which? this year.

The government has accredited three new forms of ID for purchasing restricted goods and services.

Lloyds Bank Smart ID, Post Office EasyID and Yoti ID can now be used to watch age-restricted films in cinemas, enter gambling premises, or pay for tattoos and tanning salons.

They cannot be used to buy alcoholic drinks in pubs and shops, but are recognised when buying alcohol online, along with tobacco, vapes, lottery tickets and fireworks.

"More UK businesses can now accept our Digital IDs to reduce the risk of fake IDs, increase compliance and improve the customer experience," said Robin Tombs, CEO of Yoti.

He said more than four million people have already downloaded a Digital ID app. 

"This is a strong sign that people are ready to embrace reusable Digital IDs and want a more secure, private and convenient way to prove who they are."

Each of the Digital ID apps includes the approved PASS hologram.

Most of us know the feeling of rushing back to your car when you realise your ticket is about to run out.

The good news is, new rules mean you won't have to race back quite as breathlessly in future.

Drivers are to get a 10-minute grace period when their time runs out at private car parks.

The changes are coming in after industry bodies the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC) published a new code of conduct.

However, the AA said it still leaves room for drivers to be ripped off because it misses out "desperately needed" measures such as a cap on charges.

Read the full story below...

The electric carmaker Tesla is recalling more than 11,000 of its new Cybertruck vehicles after safety regulators found a potentially dangerous fault with its giant windscreen wiper. 

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also said a trim in the boot may be improperly attached. 

"Excessive electrical current can cause the front windshield wiper motor controller to fail," the safety administration said in a recall acknowledgement letter. 

Tesla said it would replace the wiper motor at no cost to owners. 

It comes after nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks were recalled in April to fix an accelerator pedal pad that could come loose. 

Mass production of the vehicle, which starts at a price of $79,990 (£63,130), is expected to start next year. 

It's not yet known how many trucks have gone to consumers, but the Blade Runner-inspired car has been plagued by problems. 

Customers of both Tesco and OVO Energy are entitled to 2,500 free Clubcard points, the supermarket has announced.

The points can be redeemed as a £25 voucher or at double their value with Clubcard reward partners.

Customers can unlock the points by linking their accounts with both companies.

"The cost of living remains a key challenge for households and our partnership with Tesco is one of the many ways in which we are giving back to our customers with rewards that they can spend how they choose," said Mat Moakes, chief commercial officer at OVO.

New customers can link their Tesco Clubcard account when they sign up as an OVO customer, while existing OVO customers can log into their account, go to their profile, click "our partners", and select the Tesco Clubcard logo.

Want to see a show in London this summer without breaking the bank? 

You're in luck - as new data has revealed the most affordable musicals to see in the capital right now. 

The data, collated by theatre ticket site SeatPlan , shows the most affordable musical to see in London right now is Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York), with the average cheapest ticket price at £17.90. 

The rom-com musical follows a British boy (Dougal), who lands in New York for his dad's second wedding. 

At the airport, he meets the bride's sister, and a quirky, offbeat love story ensues.

Also in the top 10 are Marie Curie The Musical (£20), Guys And Dolls (£23.90) and Sister Act (£26.40). 

Shows are ranked by the average price of the cheapest ticket, with the top ranked show having the lowest price.

On the flip side, the data also revealed the most expensive tickets, by analysing internal pricing data for musicals from SeatPlan.com. 

Musicals including Cabaret (£85.10), Mean Girls (£64.60) and Starlight Express (£43.70) make up this list...

If you've been reassured by positive recent news on inflation and a widely-anticipated cut in interest rates later this year, unfortunately the Bank of England has a worrying update for mortgage payers.

About three million UK households are still set to witness hikes in their mortgage repayments over the next two years, the Bank has said.

Its Financial Policy Committee (FPC) added there are likely to be "very large increases" of more than 50% for the mortgages of around 400,000 households.

But the central bank stressed that UK lenders are still in a strong position to support households and businesses, even if the economic backdrop worsens.

The concerning update is in the Bank's latest Financial Stability Report.

It also showed that most households have already had an increase in their mortgage rates since borrowing costs began rising substantially in 2022.

Why is the outlook so bad if interest rates are expected to fall?

Interest rates are at a 16-year-high of 5.25%, with the central bank voting to maintain the figure for a seventh consecutive meeting earlier this month.

But many economists have predicted the base rate could be reduced at the Bank's next vote in August.

However, at the moment, around 35% of households with mortgages, or more than three million, are paying below 3% for a range of reasons - like existing deals which pre-dated the recent crisis - and are expected to see an increase between now and the end of 2026.

A typical household rolling off a fixed-rate mortgage before the end of 2026 is due to face a jump of around £180 a month, the report said.

It highlighted that an "increasing proportion" of households have been choosing to borrow over a longer period of time, reducing monthly repayments but leaving them with more debt to service over time.

Higher mortgage rates have resulted in many households and renters reducing their savings, the Bank also found.

PrettyLittleThing is facing more criticism after announcing it would issue refunds on delivery subscriptions for accounts it has banned for returning too many items.

The online fashion giant says it will refund outstanding gift cards and store credit, as well as £9.99 to closed accounts which had already purchased its royalty service entitling them to unlimited next day delivery for a year.

The company said: "We have noticed an extremely high returns rate from a small pool of customers who have demonstrated behaviours that were inconsistent with what we experience with the rest of our customer base.

"The actions taken are not designed to limit our customers who do need to return or deter them from returning, it was taken to address a small proportion of customers who have a high returns rate."

PrettyLittleThing added it does not plan to close any further accounts.

Some customers were not happy with the response, with one posting on X: "This is bullshit my last return was December 2023... and of course you turned off the comments."

Another wrote: "PrettyLittleThing expects us to order our clothes twice because their sizing is off and is closing people's accounts because of frequent returns. What a way to ruin your own business."

By  James Sillars , business reporter

Amazon was grabbing attention overnight.

It's become the fifth US company to reach a $2trn market value milestone.

Can you name the others? Answers below!

Analysts are crediting strong demand for technology-related stocks amid the rush for AI.

They also point to the growing hope among investors for a late summer/early autumn interest rate cut by the US central bank.

Amazon's shares ended the session on Wall St almost 4% up at $193 apiece.

The FTSE 100 has had a fairly muted start after falling almost 0.3% yesterday.

The index was one point up at 8,226 in early dealing.

In the wider market, Halfords stock was trading 6% lower.

The cycle sales and motor-focused retailer had earlier reported a fall in annual profits of almost a fifth and said that trading remained "soft".

The message to the market from Currys, the electricals chain, was more upbeat.

It revealed a 10% lift to its bottom line in the year to 27 April and said it was more confident about demand ahead.

Currys shares were 1% down, however, potentially reflecting concerns that its profit performance was not driven by higher sales.

Before I go... the answers to the $2trn+ club question above, as promised - the other members of this elite grouping are: Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia and Alphabet.

More than half of councils are not confident their area is prepared to roll out the next phase of free childcare, a report has found.

From September, 15 hours of free childcare a week will be available to working parents of all children aged over nine months old - expanding the policy from working parents of two-year-olds.

But 59% of local authorities say they are unsure if they will have enough places, citing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining staff, according to research by Coram Family and Childcare.

"For this policy to be a success, it is essential that all families can take up their entitlements, and the next few months will be a crucial time in making sure they can," said Ellen Broome, managing director of Coram.

The childcare changes coming in September are the penultimate phase of a policy introduced by the chancellor at the budget last year.

In September 2025, all working parents of children aged over nine months olds will be eligible for 30 hours free childcare per week.

Coram found only 11% of councils were confident there will be enough places to meet demand - a figure almost unchanged since January.

At present, 52% of councils say all or almost all eligible parents seeking 15 hours of free childcare have been able to.

But Ms Broome added: "We are concerned there may be further issues not only this September, but further down the line for families in getting the childcare they need." 

Beyond workforce challenges, 36% of councils identified local buildings and space as barriers to delivering the service.

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Karen Read murder trial jury begins deliberations after attorneys present vastly different closing arguments

By Matt Schooley , Kristina Rex

Updated on: June 26, 2024 / 6:49 AM EDT / CBS Boston

DEDHAM – Deliberations began Tuesday in  Karen Read's ' high-profile  murder trial  at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Defense attorneys argued during closing statements that Read is the victim of an elaborate coverup, while the prosecution urged jurors to follow the evidence and Read's own words.

Both sides were given one hour to present their final arguments. 

Once the judge gave instructions Tuesday afternoon, the jury was given the case for deliberations around 1 p.m. after nearly two months of testimony. Jurors left for the day just before 4:30 p.m. with no verdict reached after about three hours of deliberations. 

Read was asked outside court if she has any nerves while waiting for the veridct.

"I don't know if nerves are the right word. Anticipation and…." Read said, before being cut off by her attorney amid a massive crowd of media and supporters.

The jury consists of six men and six women, with two women serving as alternates. 

Read is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer  John O'Keefe , on January 29, 2022. She has  pleaded not guilty .

Prosecution opens with Karen Read's alleged "I hit him" statements

Just before 11:15 a.m., prosecutor Adam Lally opened his closing argument by quoting witness testimony of what the state says Read said the morning O'Keefe's body was found .

"'I hit him, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.' Those are the words of the defendant. Four times," Lally said. "You heard testimony from four different witnesses who overheard and observed those statements from the defendant on January 29, 2022."

Lally pointed out Read's behavior in the early morning hours after O'Keefe's death. He noted that Read made dozens of phone calls and text messages, but did not call police when she discovered O'Keefe was missing.

"No calls to 911 from the defendant while John O'Keefe is laying, freezing and dying from a brain injury and skull fracture, on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road," Lally said.

Trooper Michael Proctor's text messages

Lally addressed the conduct of Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, who was the lead investigator in the case.

When Proctor was on the stand, he had to read derogatory text messages he sent to friends and family about Read. In one message, Proctor said "She's a whackjob [expletive]" and in another said "hopefully she kills herself."

"Let me first just address Trooper Proctor. The text messages from Trooper Proctor are unprofessional, they're indefensible, they're inexcusable," Lally said. "However, as distasteful as those messages are and their contents, I submit they have no bearing whatsoever or impact whatsoever on the integrity of the entirety of the investigation that Massachusetts State Police collectively conducted into John O'Keefe's death."

Proctor is under internal investigation, but remains on full duty. He called the text messages "regrettable."

Lally highlights "The little things"

Lally referenced one of the first witnesses in the trial, John O'Keefe's sister-in-law Erin O'Keefe.

Erin O'Keefe called Read the morning of January 29, 2022, after learning John O'Keefe was dead.

"Erin O'Keefe again calls back later because she's concerned for someone that she considered her friend. How does the defendant respond? These are some of the little things," Lally said. "The defendant indicates to Ms. O'Keefe that she just has to remember the bad times, and indicates to her 'I don't think I'll ever see you guys again.'"

Throughout his closing argument, Lally urged jurors to consider "the little things" as he did in recalling Erin O'Keefe's testimony.

Lally used all of his allotted time. Initially the judge cut him off before Lally concluded his remarks, but he was allowed to finish his final sentence, asking the jury to find Read guilty.

Karen Read's defense makes final case

Defense attorney Alan Jackson began his closing argument just after 10 a.m. and took the full one hour of allotted time. 

At the close of his argument, he issued a final plea to the jurors.

"When you stare the truth down, you'll see that the Commonwealth has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty. Not even close. Ladies and gentlemen, Karen Read is innocent. Do justice and find her not guilty,"

Defense says "There was a coverup in this case, plain and simple"

Earlier, Jackson began by laying out what he called a clear coverup.

"Ladies and gentlemen there was a coverup in this case, plain and simple," Jackson said.

Jackson began to lay out the allegedly elaborate coverup, referencing what he described as destroyed evidence, compromised investigators and planted evidence.

"It's not that it could happen. It's that every single one of those things that I just mentioned did happen, right in front of you," Jackson said.

John O'Keefe's injuries

According to Jackson, the evidence presented by the prosecution is "laughable."

"It should be relatively simple, right? The Commonwealth claims that Karen Read pulled up to 34 Fairview, John got out of the car, she reversed into him, and then she drove home. That's four facts. Just four facts, that's all it is. What evidence do they actually have to prove that that SUV ever hit John?" Jackson said. "The answer is none. They don't have any. There's no evidence whatsoever that Karen Read's vehicle ever struck John O'Keefe or that Karen Read ever wanted to strike John O'Keefe."

Jackson also claimed that O'Keefe's injuries do not match a vehicle strike, and instead are consistent with a fight. He noted that the lack of significant injuries like broken bones or bruising show that O'Keefe was not hit by Read's SUV.

"John got into an altercation. He was punched. He tried to defend himself by putting his hands up. He may have even scratched his own nose by putting his hands in front of his face to defend himself. His hands were bruised in covering up. As he continued, he got hit and fell to ground, fracturing his skull," Jackson said.

Alan Jackson blames Brian Albert, Brian Higgins

Jackson zeroed in on  Brian Albert  and Brian Higgins as two men who he says killed O'Keefe. 

Albert, a retired Boston police officer, owned the Canton home where O'Keefe's body was found and was hosting an afterparty that night. Higgins, an ATF agent who exchanged flirty text messages with Read, was at the party after drinking with the group that included Albert, O'Keefe, and Read earlier in the evening.

The defense has said throughout the case that O'Keefe was killed during a fight and bitten by Albert's German shepherd Chloe. O'Keefe's arm had scratch marks that the prosecution said was caused by Read's broken taillight. 

"How long does it take to have a cross word? How long does it take to have a fight? How long would it take for Brian Higgins to say to John, 'You know your girl has been texting me?' A push, a punch, a fall, pull Chloe off his arm and now it's done," Jackson said in his closing. "What is it? Five seconds? Ten? It doesn't take long at all. And then the panic sets in. It wasn't intended to go that far. But what's done is done. And then some very, very odd things start happening at the Albert household."

Later in the morning, Lally attempted to counter Jackson's accusations. Multiple prosecution witnesses testified that O'Keefe never went inside the house.

Lally noted that the day before O'Keefe's body was found, Higgins and Albert were in New York City for the funeral of a police officer they did not know. 

Lally said that, according to the defense theory, the men returned home "only to ... come back to Mr. Albert's house, to then murder another police officer who they did know, who worked for the same department as them."

"And then criminal mastermind genius that Brian Albert is, 28 years on the Boston Police Department, he's then going to just leave Mr. O'Keefe's body on his front lawn? Really? That's the conspiracy? What evidence do you have of that?" Lally said.   

Brian Albert  walked into the courtroom with the O'Keefe family and several other witnesses in the case at the start of proceedings.

Juror dismissed before closing arguments

The start of closing arguments was delayed as a juror was dismissed following several sidebar discussions. 

Before the full jury was brought into the courtroom, attorneys met at sidebar with Judge Beverly Cannone and the female juror. 

Seventeen jurors were initially sworn in after lengthy jury selection. Two jurors were excused during the trial and the female juror on Tuesday became the third to be excused. That left the panel with eight women and six men.   

John O'Keefe's family arrives for closing arguments

Members of the O'Keefe family arrived for Tuesday's closing statements and sat with several people who were key witnesses in the trial.

Jennifer McCabe , Colin Albert , and Kerry Roberts, who all testified for the prosecution, sat with the O'Keefe family along with Brian Albert.

With McCabe sitting just feet away, Jackson said during his closing argument that she was "blatantly lying" during her testimony.

After court ended for the day, Jackson was asked about their presence in the courtroom.

"I think it's a joke. I think they were doing it for some sort of intimidation factor, probably for the jurors. It just plays into their countenance as bullies. That's all that was about," Jackson said.

"Free Karen Read" supporters outside court

According to WBZ-TV's Penny Kmitt, at least 250 people were outside the court Tuesday morning when Read arrived, many of them chanting "Free Karen Read."

Karen Read walks into court today with hundreds of supporters chanting “FREE KAREN READ!” The movement continues growing day by day — I’d estimate 250+ people today, all hoping to hear a not guilty verdict. @wbz @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/8cry7mOhyf — Penny Kmitt (@pennylikeacoin) June 25, 2024

Throughout the trial, supporters have been kept back from the courthouse by a "buffer zone" put in place in an effort to maintain an unbiased jury.

What is Karen Read accused of?

The prosecution says Read hit O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV outside a home in Canton and left him to die during snowstorm. Read's defense attorneys say she's being framed. They claim O'Keefe was beaten to death inside the home, bitten by a dog, then dumped in the front yard by the men involved in the alleged fight.

After calling 68 witnesses over the course of nearly two months, prosecutors rested their case on Friday. The defense completed its list of six witnesses on Monday and then  rested its case .

Who are the attorneys in the Karen Read trial?

Lally is the prosecutor from the Norfolk Count District Attorney's office. He presented the state's case along with Assistant District Attorney Laura McLaughlin during the trial.

Jackson and David Yannetti are Read's lead attorneys. Elizabeth Little also questioned several witnesses during the trial for the defense. Yannetti handled the defense's opening statements in April while Jackson was tasked with closing arguments.

Jackson represented Kevin Spacey on Nantucket in 2016 when the actor was accused of sexually assaulting a young man. Prosecutors later  dropped the case against Spacey .

Karen Read murder trial jury deliberations

The jury of 14 was trimmed to 12 for deliberations. Judge Cannone picked a man seated in seat No. 1 as the foreperson.

Two women were selected as alternates using a bingo cage with wooden number blocks in it. 

Who is Karen Read?

Read, 44, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, is charged with three felonies - second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.

She and O'Keefe were dating at the time he died, though witnesses testified that their relationship was strained.

Prosecutors say Read had been drinking for hours with O'Keefe in Canton before she hit him with her Lexus SUV after dropping him off an an after-party at 34 Fairview Road.

• Canton News
• Dedham News

Matt Schooley is a digital producer at CBS Boston. He has been a member of the WBZ news team for the last decade.

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17 Ways To Use The Tour Read™ Golf App

Become a great putter.

The Tour Read™ System is an easy to use and precise green reading method and app proven to immediately lower the scores of players at all levels, including Tour pros, top amateurs, weekend golfers and beginners.

The Tour Read™ System Green Reading Method is a scientific, step-by-step approach to green reading, without any voodoo, that you can teach to players of all abilities. Golfers get accurate reads quickly, consistently, and repeatably, even while under the pressures of competition at the highest levels (or when playing for a few bucks with your buddies).

At the heart of the system is the patent-pending Tour Read™ Golf app which helps students learn and practice the Tour Read green reading method.

If you share our passion for helping golfers of all abilities improve, you’ll love what the Tour Read ™  Golf Certification Program can do for you. Best of all, your students will love you for showing them something that will improve their games and lower their handicaps almost immediately.

Here is what you have to do to become a great putter...

Read the green accurately: Properly reading the green is by far the most important factor in putting. You need to understand how the length of the putt, the speed of the green and the slope of the green all affect your reads. 

Focus on aim: Focus on your aim, and make sure you are aiming accurately. You can use alignment aids or aim lines to help with this.

Develop a consistent stroke: Consistent and repeatable putting strokes are key to making putts. Focus on developing a smooth, steady, and consistent stroke.

Work on speed control: Speed control is crucial in putting. Make sure to hit the ball at the right speed, so it reaches the hole.

Use visualization techniques: Visualization can help you to better focus and improve your putting. Imagine making a successful putt, and picture the ball rolling smoothly into the hole.

Practice regularly: Regular practice is essential to improve your putting skills. Set aside time each day or week to work on your putting.

1. Learn the Tour Read™ Green Reading Method

The Tour Read™ Green Reading Method is a scientific, step-by-step approach to green reading that you can teach to players of all abilities. It is designed to be simple and easy to understand, so that most players can learn it in about 30 minutes using the instruction and videos included in the app.

2. Master the science of green reading

The more you practice with the Tour Read™ Golf app, the better you will get at green reading. Regular practice will help you master the science of green reading, giving you the ability to make accurate reads quickly, consistently, and repeatably.

3. Determine today's green speed BEFORE every round

To determine today’s green speed, all it takes is a few putts and the Tour Read™ Golf app. The app will help you get an accurate reading of the green speed, so that your reads are deadly accurate.

4. Use the Tour Read Pre-Round Warm Up to calibrate your eye for slopes and feel for green speed.

The Tour Read Pre-Round Warm Up is a quick and effective way to calibrate your eye for slopes and feel for green speed. In as little as 5 minutes, you’ll be ready to go. By using the pre-round warm up, you’ll start making putts on the first hole.

5. Learn how to determine the length of your putts

The instruction in the app will show you how to quickly and accurately measure the length of your putts which is critical to getting a good read.

6. Learn how to visualize adjustments to the amount of break so you don't have to do any tricky math.

The Tour Read™ Golf app will help you learn how to visualize adjustments to the amount of break. You won’t have to do any tricky math – all it takes is a few putts and the app. You’ll learn how to make accurate predictions of the break, helping you make better putts.

7. Perfect your pre-putt routine

A good pre-putt routine is crucial to making successful putts. The Tour Read™ Golf app will help you perfect your pre-putt routine, making it quick, repeatable, and most importantly, reliable under pressure.

8. Dial in your speed control

Once you know the break, it is much easier to focus on speed. The Tour Read™ Golf app will help you dial in your speed control, giving you the ability to make accurate putts every time.

9. Use the app to give you the read BEFORE you putt

The Tour Read™ Golf app will give you the read before you putt. This is really useful when you are first learning the method, as it helps you get a better understanding of how to make accurate reads.

10. After your putt, confirm your reads

Getting accurate feedback is one of the best ways to learn. By measuring the actual slope and getting the read you’ll improve more quickly. If possible, measure the actual break with the Tour Read ™ Golf App and compare it with your read.

11. Learn from the other players in your group

Watching other players putt can be a great way to learn and improve your own green reading skills. You can get immediate feedback on the slope of the green around the hole by paying close attention to your group on the green. The more accurate your slope estimate, the more accurate will be your read.

12. Use the Tour Read™ Drills

The app includes a variety of drills designed to help you master the green reading method and improve your accuracy.

13. Use the Tour Read™ Practice Plans

The app provides different practice plans to help you progress in your green reading skills, from beginner to advanced.

14. Test yourself with the Hide Tour Read setting in the app

The app has a setting that allows you to hide the Tour Read readings to test your ability to read the green without the app’s assistance.

15. Use Training Mode when you're not at the course

The app has a training mode that you can use when you’re not at the course to continue practicing and honing your green reading skills. It’s also a fun way to challenge your friends at the 19th hole or online.

16. Use the Green Charts

When you really want to get dialed in on your reads, use the Tour Read Green Charts in the app. The charts are automatically shown in the app for any green speed you set. These charts are legal to use in most competitions.  Please confirm with your rules official prior to use.  You can lock the app in Chart mode with a time stamp to confirm that the app was locked before you started your round. 

17. Calculate the break for any putt

The Slope Override feature of the app allows you to calculate the break and pace for any putt without physically measuring it.

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Kristi Noem won't say if story about shooting her dog cost her Donald Trump running mate spot

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said former President Donald Trump's campaign is not formally vetting her to be his vice presidential pick, but she wouldn't say whether the outcry prompted by a story about shooting her dog was to blame.

Noem in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday told guest moderator Peter Alexander that she has not received paperwork from Trump's campaign as the former president considers his options for his 2024 running mate. The Trump campaign has requested detailed information from at least four of the top contenders: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

"I've had conversations with the president, and I know that he is the only one who will be making the decisions on who will be his vice president," Noem said Sunday.

Noem and Trump both spoke at a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference  in Washington on Saturday. When she took the stage, some in the crowd chanted "VP."

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However, Noem received widespread criticism earlier this year when she detailed how she put an "untrainable" dog down in her 2024 book "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward." When the story broke, Trump said Noem " had a bad week."

Noem defended her decision to include the anecdote in her book but did not answer Alexander's question about whether it affected her chances of being picked by Trump.

"I would encourage people to read the book and to really find out the truth on why that story is in there and read the other parts of the story about how we're not going back to politics the way that it used to be," Noem said. "Donald Trump changed politics because we're having much more honest and genuine conversations about the challenges people face."

Noem also did not give a direct response when Alexander asked if Trump would be making a mistake if he does not pick a woman to join him on the Republican ticket. The former president last year said he liked the "concept" of choosing a woman as his running mate.

"He needs to pick the best person for the job. He needs to pick someone that will help him win," Noem said.

Alexander also asked Noem if she is considering a presidential run of her own 2028 and she said she was "not even thinking about it right now."

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_

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Nate Lashley cards 217-yard hole-in-one at Rocket Mortgage Classic

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Nate Lashley isn't new to the magic of Detroit Golf Club. He went on to capture his first PGA TOUR victory at the inaugural 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic after entering as the last man in the field and sitting at 323rd in the Official World Golf Rankings, a feat that jump-started his career and continues to be his lone win on TOUR.

Currently sitting at 92nd in the FedExCup and 123rd in the OWGR, Lashley is continuing to make history in Detroit, and this time it only took him two holes to do so.

Part of the sixth group to go off in the morning alongside Kevin Tway and Jason Dufner at 7:07 a.m. ET, Lashley's tee shot on the 217-yard par-3 11th, his second hole of the day, barely missed the greenside bunker before rolling all the way into the hole for an ace.

Nate Lashley makes a hole-in-one with lucky bounce at Rocket Mortgage

It's early in the morning, but Lashley's electrifying start suggests the potential for another memorable chapter in his career at Detroit.