GPS vs. Rangefinder

[spcdon20]

preferences?

as a prospective buyer of one of thes products, i'd like to know how you all feel about your rangefinder or gps. specifically, which is more effective and do u prefer a bushnell/rangefinder type product or a skycaddie/gps type product. thanks for all your help.

[JMG_02]

As you will probably get, there are numerous posts/topics about this. Do a little search on it and you'll get alot of info.

 

I was in your shoes just about a week ago and from what all I read, I decided to go w/ the GPS. Biggest reasons, I don't feel like whipping out the rangefinder and shooting a laser everytime I want a distance, with a GPS I just look down, also when you have hills/trees blocking your view of the flag, you are out of luck w/ a rangefinder.

 

Anyway, do a search and you'll get a ton of info.

 

By the way, if you go w/ a GPS...i highly recommend the Golf Guru (www.gpsgolfguru.com)...

[h2ohzrd]

I have the Bushnell 1500 and I'm in the market for a GPS. While I like the rangefinder, it's line of site only, so on a dog leg, hidden bunker, etc. it's pretty useless. I will get the GPS since I moved to a new location and have no idea what courses in the area are like. I do plan on using both, however.....like "how far is that guy in the fairway and is he/she hittable?".

 

:lol:

[schlebrock]

About the only time I bring out the rangefinder is to measure distances at the range or to check out the cart girl. Other than that, I use my skycaddie exclusively on the course because of the ease of use.

 

Hope that helps.

[venturagolfer87]

About the only time I bring out the rangefinder is to measure distances at the range or to check out the cart girl. Other than that, I use my skycaddie exclusively on the course because of the ease of use.

 

Hope that helps.

 

hahahahaha check out the cart girl, i'm gonna have to try that out. i currently have a bushnell tour v2 and i love it, it's so simple and easy to use, and you don't just have to use it to point out the flag, if you turn off the pinseeker you can just scan around the hole/fairway, you can get yardages to bunkers, trees, and other stuff around the green/hole. but, as has been mentioned before, if your line of sight is blocked, you do have a hard time. gps systems can be a little complex to operate, which is why i ended up buying the rangefinder, but, through good fortune, i've just come into possession of a skycaddie, but i have yet to take it onto the course, so i'll have to take it out to see how it performs out on the course. whichever route you go, it'll make your round a hell of a lot easier that's for sure.

[Eddie]

I had a SG4 skycaddie for a year and enjoyed using it. I play on the same 5-6 courses year round so I am used to them.

 

One thing I realized is that pacing off from the yardage markers on the ground are nearly the same measurements with the skycaddie. I suppose that is a good thing, but come to think of it, the skycaddie did not really give me a huge jump in information. It is good for figuring out how far it is before the fairway runs out etc..

 

I thought I had lost my sky caddie, so I got a Bushnell 1500 TE. Being able to find out exactly what the distance is to the flag is knowledge that I previously could not calculate. It is debatable if I will hit to my yardage everytime, but it is good to be able to focus and be confident in the distance ahead. Also, I have learned to measure off intermediate targets like bunkers and trees, so in effect it can help me move around the course.

 

I have gotten good enough with it that I get a measure quickly.

 

I experienced the merits of both and think they are different, I prefer the rangefinder now.

 

This past weekend, we were stuck behind a really slow group. I was using the binoculars to see how slowly they were playing. I saw more than I bargained for LOL.

[spcdon20]

thanks for all the input. i think i'm gonna go with the rangefinder, just because i do appreciate the simplicity. i've tried a skycaddie and ive found that they're a bit inconsistent and complicated. so a bushnell pinseeker will do fine. thanks fellas

[v205]

After owning both, my findings:

 

GPS

-----

GOOD: Convenient, look at the side of the bag and know your distance to the pin / hazards / dog leg. Some GPS lets you keep score and stats too.

 

BAD: No exact distance to the pin due to only Front, Back, Middle. Not convenient if you play a lot of different courses, needing to suscribe and swap courses in and out etc.

 

Laser

-------

Good: Exact distance to pins, hazards etc. No need to subscribe, take it anywhere.

 

Bad: You need to whip it out everytime you need a distance which can get tedious.

 

Verdict

---------

I like both and will keep both. GPS is good enough for general use for the convenience. Laser is a must for the serious golfer who wants to work on improving their consistency to get closer to the pin.

 

* They need to come out with a device which has both. :lol: