GPS vs Rangefinder in 2020

[Philomathesq]

It is not touchscreen, but you can move the cursor by using the "Menu Up" and "Menu Down" buttons on the lower left of the watch. It's great for figuring out how far away a bunker is, or what distance the ball needs to be hit to carry water, etc. And, when you move the flag, the location is only saved for that round. So, if you go out and play a second round that day, you will need to redo the flag locations.

[Mikey5e]

For some reason I just can't pull the trigger on purchasing a rangefinder. Being a 15 handicap, does it really matter a yard or two either way? Will the difference between a GPS device and a rangefinder really shave any strokes off my score? I have been looking at the nx7 pro and have been reading reviews about it and some people say it's difficult to lock in on the flag stick with that device. I could probably go for a device under $300 but to spend more in that seems unreasonable to me for my game.

[GSDriver]

We use the GPS in the carts the course supplies and a laser. Laser is good for exact to the pin measurements, GPS for general F/M/B of green. I can live without if necessary, it's fun playing old school meaning by sight and feel.

[Dan13]

Yzmerg - Let us know how you get along with it. The Fenix 6X is a serious watch. Right now I’m leaning the other way towards the Vivoactive 4. Music for my runs, only missing a few pretty seldom used golf Features and get to keep $200. I’m going to miss the golf features for new courses. That is the sticking point. Only the S62 has touch targeting.

FWIW I like my $160 TGW slope rangefinder.

[Nels55]

Okay I have a question concerning range finders with slope adjustment. I understand that the slope correction is not allowed in tournaments which it would seem to me means that the slope correction would not be allowed for rounds where the player is posting scores for handicap either?

[lchang]

FWIW: https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/comment/19499284/#Comment_19499284

[kreiniel]

Does GPS show distance to know hazards on courses? Distance to trees, bunkers, etc?

[Philomathesq]

I can't speak for all GPS units, but my Fenix 6 Sapphire DLC does. More than that, though, it will show distances to anywhere on the hole I want. If I want to know if I can carry the corner on a dog leg, I can check that out. If I want to know how far I can hit the ball before the fairway narrows, I can check that out, too.

[Philomathesq]

For example, here are two pictures from my Fenix 6 Sapphire DLC. Both of these distances came from me manually moving the cursor on the hole to determine the max I can hit the ball before I get to the water, and the minimum I need to hit it if I want to carry the water. To be clear, I took these photos from my home office, so the distances are based on where the back tees mapped. When I'm on the course and the watch is actually using GPS, the distances are slightly different based on tee placement. I hope you can understand, and forgive, my transgression. I just didn't feel like driving all the way to the course just to take these two photos.

[Dan13]

The Fenix 6 is about 80 grams. About 30 more than the S62. I take it it’s Size/weight has never bothered you while golfing?

[Philomathesq]

I've never been bothered by it. However, when I wear a "regular" watch, it's usually either an IWC Pilot, Rolex Daytona, or Breitling Navitimer, each of which is much heavier, so I'm used to watches with more weight.

[dcmidnight]

Beat me to it, I was going to post a couple of snaps from the S62. Excuse the quick blurry shots.

My favorite feature is scrolling through hazard distances, its really instantaneous, there is no load time at all. It highlights the hazard and shows the distance. Water is not the best but its great for bunkers.

Second is the point and shoot for target distances. Great feature and again, its super quick, no lag.

[LAslicer]

Yes. I can double-tap the screen on my sx500 and the distances pop up next to all the bunkers/hazards. You can also just move the cursor anywhere on the hole to get a number. I believe most of them have this capability now unless its just a cheap basic GPS. Some of those only show green distances.

[BirdieBob]

Posting scores for handicap purposes is acceptable while using slope correction provided the player does not play in handicap format usga tournaments or other tournaments played under usga rules.....my unofficial decision...lol.

I am going to assume however that as long as one does not use the rangefinder with slope correction during the touranment that will be acceptable....regardless of the type of format.

After all if a players handicap is lower due to the extra precision afforded by the slope correction then the players lower handicap would place the player at a disadvantage in a handicap format!

 

 

 

[Dan13]

After some (over) analysis I bought a Vivo 3 with music. Has everything I want for $180. I will occasionally miss the touch targeting and the course maps but honestly it won’t give me much / if any information I can’t get with my rangefinder. All the info here was really helpful in deciding so thxs.

[KARL M]

On a familiar course I prefer a laser. In this case the only time a GPS is handy is when you have a blind shot. Using the elapsed GPS yardage to tell you how far you have to go till you can expect to find your ball.

On an unfamiliar course a GPS that shows the hole layout, can show you where there are hazards that you can't see. Still would also want a laser as well.

[Dustyc96]

I feel like I have to go to a store and try the watches on, I've never played with a watch before so I would think it would be intrusive to the swing. I only ever had a rangefinder, but don't feel I benefit nearly as much with just a rangefinder as a typical bogey golf weekend golfer.

And being able to accurately know my club distances seem like a major advantage to the watch.

[Mikey5e]

I'm the type of person who hates wearing a watch and probably haven't worn a watch in 30 years. Although, I have no problem at all wearing a watch while I play golf, and it never seems to interfere at all with my swing. In fact, I don't even know I have it on when I swing I'm so used to it. I have been looking at getting a rangefinder as a compliment to the watch but wonder if it's worth the money at my skill level. The watch is so convenient just a quick glance down at it gets me the three distances I really care about, f, c, and b.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Same here. I hadn't worn a watch in decades till I got my Garmin. In fact I was so anti watch that I thought the GPS golf watch was the dumbest product. I thought, "who'd want to wear a watch golfing?" Well fast forward and I can't imagine not having yardage on my wrist :) mmm crow tastes good :)

[8602081]

I've used Laser, GPS devices, and GPS on my phone..

 

Always gone back to GPS app on my phone.

I've had Fungolf GPS app for about 5 years and it seems best for me.

I love the fact that I can get distance to water/fairway bunkers/turns on the fairways/etc just by selecting the area of the map. It might not be dead accurate, but it does the job for me.

 

 

[BirdieBob]

Of course laser and gps is now available in just one handheld unit. Benefits of both!

The Garmin Approach Z82

 

 

[brew4eagle]

True, but for half of the cost you can get a gps unit and a laser.

[BirdieBob]

I don't mind paying more for a single unit.

[dcmidnight]

Yeah its too much hassle for me to be pulling that thing out on every shot, one of the cases where TO ME two units is better than one.

I dont want to be waving a laser around on the tee box of a 450 yard hole either LOL just to find out how far it is to clear a couple of bunkers. I look at the watch and it takes a second or two to get hazard distances.

[BirdieBob]

Luckily for my playing partners, I am not one that needs to pull my laser/gps unit out on the tee of every hole on a familiar course. Rarely do I not know exactly what club to hit and most will agree with that scenario.

When the time comes to decide on the shot to the green then I want the laser with slope corrected distance in my hand.

On an unfamiliar coarse a player will understandably take more time to assess each hole and as a result time savings will not result regardless of what a player uses for distance decisions.

Don't wear a watch...have a phone...and am not going to wear one of those gps watches on my wrist while playing, but to each their own.

 

[jons1]

I feel like without a laser, gps, or app... most people can tell what club to hit. Unless the course is just ridiculous in a lack of markers, the 100/150/200 markers and a few seconds of walking it off, or even just looking at the distance between yourself and the marker, gives me accurate middle yardages. From there, it's not rocket science to figure out front and back if larger greens (which is also usually indicated on the flags). And on better courses, you have sprinkler heads to use to make it even easier.

And sadly, even if you do know the yardage, you might not know how far each club goes, how to compensate for wind, slope, weather. So they tried making it even more idiot proof and give people that too.

All of these devices are basically just to speed up play since most people have no clue what they're doing.

Buy a laser, and during one of those boring 5-6 hour rounds where you wait on every shot, make a yardage book, including entries for the green slopes. You'll have a nice keepsake and you may find it more accurate than GPS and more fun to use. You're just waiting around on most shots these days anyway, so at least you have something to do when getting the yardage.

 

 

 

[Mikey5e]

A lot of valid and interesting points you have made, but when I don't have my GPS watch on when playing a round I feel somewhat set back not knowing the correct distance. Sure I think I could figure things out if I didn't have a GPS watch, and most golfers don't hit their irons consistently in terms of distance, but it's nice to have all the information you can have to give yourself the best chance for success. Also, I may be lined up with the 150-yard marker, but happens if that position is 30 yards to the left or right of the marker? Then you have to add how many yards to your shot? A GPS watch tells you the exact distances to the front middle and back of the green regardless of what angle you're coming in at. It's just the way it is nowadays, every sport has improving technology to use or not, but frankly I think you are better off using it like everybody else.

[cristphoto]

For the people with GPS watches with moveable cursors how do you move it? Is it a touch screen? Do you use a tee or other object. The face seems too small to use your fingertip.

[BirdieBob]

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Simply swipe up or down and it advances to a different pin location with each swipe. There's usually 9 choices on each green.