Shivas,
The only ad I vaguely remember of Nicklaus and the range finder did not advocate its illegal use. And certainly, they did not suggest their mandatory use.
We will disagree about speed of play issues. I will only say that people who need to know approximate distances before pulling the trigger will normally play faster when the uncertainty is eliminated. If nothing else, it should save the time it takes to make additional strokes.
As to my playing in three hours, please give me a bit of a break. I am just a fat, old fart taking five medications for various things that ail me. BTW, I didn't say I did it as a single, unless you are suggesting that I can't get a game except with my best friend, me. As a matter of fact, we were a threesome yesterday, had to go around a foursome on the front, and waited patiently on the last four or five holes. BTW, I would enjoy watching you play Medinah in 95* heat, carrying. But maybe you're a better physical specimen than what meets the eye.
Ok, I am off to power wash my pool deck after hours of procrastinating. I am playing tomorrow afternoon in the sultry north Texas heat sans range finder, but on my feet. It won't be a three hour round, and nobody will give a damn if I look at the color of the flag (pin position) and step the distance off from the nearest sprinkler head. God, at the risk of having to wear a hard hat always, I so wish everyone would play golf like Shivas claims.