I have thought about getting a rangefinder for awhile now. I’ve been using a golf app on my phone and in general I’m satisfied with it. It is an accurate gps app that has most of the courses I play on it. What I really need a rangefinder for is for the driving range. The tee boxes move around daily to accommodate keeping the grass growing. In addition, the range has a down slope so it makes it difficult to know what yardage you really are targeting. That is why we will examine the best golf rangefinder reviews.
Golf distance can be measured in three ways. There are golf GPS apps for your phone, golf watches or rangefinders. Rangefinders have been quickly increasing in their popularity due to their accuracy, ease of use and the wide array of product availability.
The reason for their rise in popularity is that they provide golfers with the most accurate reading to the flag or the desired target. If you have been golfing for a while you remember looking for the yardage markers for 200 yards and then every 50 yards on the way to the green. You then had to estimate how far from one of those markers your ball was at. Another method if marked was finding a sprinkler head that was marked and then you estimated from there. Well no more, now they can simply pick up their rangefinder, scope out the target and the yardage is displayed. You don’t have to use them just for identifying the yardage of just the flag either. You can use a rangefinder to get the carry of hazards like ditches and bunkers. If you know how far the targets are, it will help you avoid mistakes and lower your scores out on the golf course. However, it’s not just accuracy where a rangefinder must perform, they must also have ease of use, waterproof protection, longevity, durability and some degree of value too.
There are many reasons as to why many golfers favor rangefinders over the golf watches and golf GPS devices. Players prefer the convenience and speed you find in the rangefinder. In addition, rangefinders run on batteries, which means they can be left in your golf bag between rounds and therefore provide a much more hassle-free user experience compared to GPS units, which often need regular charging.
What Should You Consider When Looking At Rangefinders
What’s your budget?
Rangefinder pricing really comes down to quality and features that create a large spread in prices between the units. If you are looking for one of the best devices that most of the pros use look no further than the Bushnell Pro X3 or the V6 SHIFT. The prices are high but you can feel the quality that these units are built with when you sample one of these.
There are a few rangefinders in the “mid-market” that have emerged lately like Blue Tees and Calloway offer most of the features you would want for a lower price than the Bushnell units. The optical field is bright, not overly crowded with needless information and they provide two forms of lock on notification with vibration and a flashing indication.
What do you “want” out of your golf range finder?
I have never been that good at judging distances. So for people like me or if you haven’t been playing the game for a while it makes sense to get a rangefinder with the slope option. The confidence knowing what the slope adjusted distance is playing at will take the question off of your mind about guessing the distance on up or downhill shots.
If you play in particularly wet areas or know you’re rough on your equipment, you might want to lean toward more robust and durable options with heavier builds and more substantial cases. (Bushnell and Precision selections are heavily protected through their build quality.)
Do you plan to use it during tournament play?
The rules of golf do allow players to use a slope-adjusted rangefinder for practice, and golfers can use the same rangefinder during tournament play if the slope mode can be turned off. There are rangefinder brands that are less expensive that are very good for your basic needs but you cannot turn off the slope feature making then non-compliant.
If you’re an aspiring pro golfer or plan on playing any amateur tournaments, you cannot use the slope mode on a range finder. This is seen as an unfair advantage and results in a rule violation.
Do you plan on using it for a long time?
If you are a regular golfer and plan on using your rangefinder for every round for many years to come, you want to invest in a high end higher quality higher quality rangefinder like an option from Bushnell or Garmin. Yes the upfront cost is more significant, but these upper-tier rangefinder manufacturers take their build quality very seriously. The manufacturers also back their products with extended warranties so you can get replacements or have your product repaired for free.
If you are a newer golfer and aren’t looking to spend much money, you can look at an option like PEAKPULSE LC600AG.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are cheap rangefinders?
Most of the less expensive rangefinders provide fairly accurate distances. It’s more a matter of if you are comfortable at plus or minus a yard or two. I know the golf watch I was using seemed to plus or minus up to 4 yards. My current app on my phone seems to be plus or minus 2 yards. You can expect even the more inexpensive rangefinders to be very accurate.
Is a rangefinder with slope worth it?
In short, yes it is. If you play on a perfectly flat course you will not need this feature but when was the last time you played on that kind of course. Most courses have some form of hills that make the slope feature very useful. Having a rangefinder with slope is definitely worth it. This will save you from overestimating or underestimating your yardages.
Is a GPS or rangefinder better?
It really depends on how much accuracy you desire. GPS units generally just give you distances for the front, middle and back of the green. The rangefinder will give you the distance to where the pin is today. That can influence your choice of club or shot you want to hit.
Conclusion
If you want to increase your chances to hit accurate golf shots you will want to get a rangefinder. With a good rangefinder you will know the accurate distance to the flag allowing you to hit a good shot. The pros use rangefinders now. I’m sure after playing a few rounds with one you will never want to play without one.
But with so many for sale, which one should you choose? Here are some options to consider from expensive to less expensive:
Bushnell Pro X3 Laser Golf Rangefinder | TGW.com
Bushnell Tour V6 Shift Golf Rangefinder Patriot Pack | TGW.com
Buy Precision Pro NX10 Rangefinder | Golf Discount
Amazon.com : Callaway Golf 300 Pro Slope Laser Rangefinder : Sports & Outdoors
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