How many of you use laser rangefinders?

I use the Nikon 500G. I went with it for several reasons...

Can be had for about $200.

Small (not much bigger than a pack of smokes).

I like Nikon.

I have a Leica Pinmaster and love it. Superb German optics with rugged construction; thus far I have been able to laser any target I want with no issues. Nice heft to the unit and I really love the red LED readout. While a bit more expensive than the Bushnell Pinseeker, you can find some deals on Ebay and through various internet retailers. For warranty reasons, I opted for an authorized retailer, so I paid close to full price...with no complaints.

I use the Nikon 500G. I went with it for several reasons...

 

Can be had for about $200.

 

Small (not much bigger than a pack of smokes).

 

I like Nikon.

I use the 500G as well for pretty much the same reasons and I love it!

I use the hunters model that is used for deer hunting. Its a bushnell, if it works to tell you how far a deer is. Then it works fine to play golf with also. I am not going to take a shot much over two hundreds with a rifle and it works just fine from about 250 in. Any more than that and its a 3 wood or a driver to start with. Plus it was a lot cheaper at walmart, than the models for sale on TGW, Edwin Watts or even some chain golf stores.

Just picked up the Pinseeker 1500 Tourney. I wanted Bushnell because in my large hands it felt easier to hold steady than the Nikon/Callaway units. I didn't want the one with slope and the Medalist was not waterproof. All will do a fine job but like clubs...it comes down to personal preference.

Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Tournament Edition. This has to be one my best golf purchases ever.

Scott

My wife got me the Pinseeker 1500 for an anniversary gift a few years ago. It's a great product, very good at picking up the flag compared to other rangefinders I tried.

The only downside is the batter door comes off very easily. I lost mine on the course one day and Bushnell says they are out of stock and it'll be 3-4 months before I can get another one... ;)

Pinseeker 1500 TE... almost like having a caddy in your bag!

Quick question, do you guys use these while playing? I have no experience using them but it seems like it could really slow your round down trying to get yardage on every shot. Are they even legal to play with during a round and if so why don't we see every caddie on tour using them during each round? These seem pretty interesting...I may have to look into getting one if they are beneficial.

I use a Bushnell Yardage Pro Tour; love it. I really like being able to hit a drive; walk to it and shoot back at the teebox for drive distance.

Approx. 5 yrs old, no problems.

I also have the Pinseeker 1500 TE and love it. It wasn't cheap, but it has certainly helped my game. To answer jakkim's questions:

-This model is legal for setting handicaps and for tournament play. (Unless prohibited by local rules at the particular course.) Rangefinders which compensate for elevational changes (slope) are not legal for tournament play.

-Rather than slow down play, I think a rangefinder speeds up play. No more hunting for a 100 or 150 yard marker and then counting the paces to your ball. After doing that, no more looking to the green to try and assess whether the pin is in the front, back or center of the green and adjusting the yardage accordingly.

Now I go to my ball, remove the rangefinder from its carrying case, shoot the distance, then return it to the case. All of this takes 5-10 seconds, and club selection is "automatic" unless the slope is severe and/or it is very windy.

Quick question, do you guys use these while playing? I have no experience using them but it seems like it could really slow your round down trying to get yardage on every shot. Are they even legal to play with during a round and if so why don't we see every caddie on tour using them during each round? These seem pretty interesting...I may have to look into getting one if they are beneficial.

Think about it for a moment. How do you figure out how far you are away from your target? Do you use the sprinkler heads? A yardage book? Do you walk off the yardage from the nearest sprinkler head? Or do you just guess? If you choose the last option, you are probably way wrong more often than not!

Using a range finder, laser or GPS based, will speed up your play because you will quickly know how far various objects are from your ball position.

Range finders, that only calculate actual distance, are legal for handicap rounds and are legal to use in non-professional tournaments that choose to allow them. The PGA does not allow them in tournament play.

Scott

Quick question, do you guys use these while playing? I have no experience using them but it seems like it could really slow your round down trying to get yardage on every shot. Are they even legal to play with during a round and if so why don't we see every caddie on tour using them during each round? These seem pretty interesting...I may have to look into getting one if they are beneficial.

Think about it for a moment. How do you figure out how far you are away from your target? Do you use the sprinkler heads? A yardage book? Do you walk off the yardage from the nearest sprinkler head? Or do you just guess? If you choose the last option, you are probably way wrong more often than not!

 

Using a range finder, laser or GPS based, will speed up your play because you will quickly know how far various objects are from your ball position.

 

Range finders, that only calculate actual distance, are legal for handicap rounds and are legal to use in non-professional tournaments that choose to allow them. The PGA does not allow them in tournament play.

 

Scott

I'm some what of a gadget kind of guy as it is. I would be the dude lasering everything with the 1500 yards and pacing it off to see if it accurate...I am easily distracted. Sounds like a great tool. Do you guys clip these to your bags when walking or just throw them in a pocket. Personally I think a clip would be nice.

I'm some what of a gadget kind of guy as it is. I would be the dude lasering everything with the 1500 yards and pacing it off to see if it accurate...I am easily distracted. Sounds like a great tool. Do you guys clip these to your bags when walking or just throw them in a pocket. Personally I think a clip would be nice.

I just picked up a 1500 TE. It comes with a nice fanny pack type case that I clip around my bag for now. Anyone come up with a better solution?

My vote is for the Nikon 500G. Small and easy to use. I've had one now for about 18 months and love it. Had a Bushnell prior (got stolen). Glad I bought the Nikon over the Bushnell. But that's me.

Oddly enough when I guess what the yardage is prior to shooting the laser I'm pretty accurate on my own.

Bushnell 1500TE...definitely speeds up play rather than slow it down. No more guesswork--shoot the yardage, trust the swing!

I keep mine in my pocket. Takes about 5 seconds to remove it, get the distance and replace it. Compared to looking for a sprinkler it is a nooooooooo - brainer. ;)

I've had my Nikon 500g for a couple of years. I like that it fits in the cart's cupholder for quick access. It is snug enough that it doesn't bounce around. Very accurate and I haven't had to replace the battery yet. Good price too. I would not consider another if I had to replace it.

Also, after playing with a rangefinder, no way can I play without one. It's amazing to see how far off the yardage makers are, especially when the pin is forward/back.

I may not make the shot, but I always pick the right club.

I have a pinseeker 1500 with slope and love it. I also have a brand new pinseeker 1500 tournament edition that I won in a tournament. PM me if your interested!

I have a pinseeker 1500 with slope and love it. I also have a brand new pinseeker 1500 tournament edition that I won in a tournament. PM me if your interested!

When are you using that 1500 with slope? Do you use it in rounds that you post on the GHIN server? In tournaments? Or are all your rounds just practice rounds?

Scott

Bushnell 1500 T/E for me.

It fits in the glovebox of my ClicGear pushcart. Less than 5 seconds for me to get a yardage. I know I couldn't pace off from a sprinkler head that fast.

Before I had the ClicGear, I used the case it came with and strapped it to my bag. Worked well.

I've noticed rangefinders look to be more convenient for people with a Push Cart or riding. Carry bags tend to have to put them in a pocket. My friend carries and he sold his rangefinder because it was a pain to put in and out of the bag pocket. A carry bag with a built in, easily accessible rangefinder pocket would probably sell well.

.. not only does it speed up finding your distance considerably, it makes up for that math you paid no attention to in high school. evidently the hypotenuse of the triangle IS much longer than the equal sides. i was amazed at the distance the first time i used my monarch 800. i was in the light rough just off the fairway on the left side, about 5 yards behind the 150 marker. pin was back right. figure 10 yds for a back pin and a maybe 5 extra yards more than 155 for being left of center, making it about 170. rangefinder says 189!!! if that is a front pin, i'd be in the bunker. no wonder i came up short way to often. i think if you are accurate within 5 yards + or - with your irons a rangefinder is a must. unless you have a math Ph.D...

Bushnell 1500 T/E for me, like fyrmng i use the fanny pack to clip it around my bag, my C130 has the strap pocket along the front of the bag i slide through there and away i go, at the end of the round its slides right back in the front of the bag no worries, and i can say it has sped up play considerably on those courses that only seem to have their 150 and 200 marks as the ground level colored markers that are hard to see unless you drive right across them. Finding your makers then walking off the distance takes much more time than even shooting twice because of picking up something in the background accidentally first.

sanddog,

When you play do you leave the case unzipped and just use the magnetic snap? I have been looking for a camera style case that I could clip to my bag. My Ogio bag's pockets are somewhat obstructed by the Bushnell case. My wife will kill me if I say I need a new bag.

The few times i've played with someone using a rangefinder, it unquestionably slowed down the round. It was quite annoying, to be honest, and wouldn't be accepted among my group of friends, who like to keep a reasonable pace during a round. The yardages read by the finder were often times way off, to boot.

The few times i've played with someone using a rangefinder, it unquestionably slowed down the round. It was quite annoying, to be honest, and wouldn't be accepted among my group of friends, who like to keep a reasonable pace during a round. The yardages read by the finder were often times way off, to boot.

What range finder was used? Laser? GPS? Brand and model?

Unless no one in your group of friends actually checks yardages, there is no way a properly used and appropriate laser range finder is going to slow things down. Nor would it be off on yardages.

Scott

It was a Bushnell. No idea on the specifics. Maybe he was still getting used to it, who knows. Guess i'm a traditionalist, i'll stick with counting off yardages with markers.

I don't even think it is possible to be slower with a rangefinder then someone counting yards from a marker. Also, could it be possible that you were off and that the rangefinder was dead on?

I have been considering getting a range finder for quite some time now. It seems that all I hear is how accurate they are. I'm so sick and tired of the courses I play not marking yardages acurately or, in some cases, not at all.

It was a Bushnell. No idea on the specifics. Maybe he was still getting used to it, who knows. Guess i'm a traditionalist, i'll stick with counting off yardages with markers.

A traditionalist???? Have you looked in your bag?? Here it is:

R7 Superquad 10.5 Reax 65 S

X-Hot 3 wd Fuji Banzaii S

Heavenwood 3h Uniflex S

rac LT 3-pw

CG12 Black Pearl 56*

588 Gunmetal 60*

Yes! Tracy 33"

NXT Tour

Where are the woods made out of wood? A hybrid??

You "traditionalist" guys are funny....

;)

Scott