Do Rangefinders really make a huge difference?

[Guest]

I've never had a rangefinder but often play with people that do. Of course they are getting exact yardage numbers, but they aren't good enough to hit the ball 147 yards as opposed to 150.

 

Is it worth the $300 or $400 that these things cost? Do they really make a difference for your game?

 

I was looking at the Leupold GX-4 with the slope factor and some of the Bushnell's.

 

Please persuade me to buy it or continue without them.

[jaycajun]

They are worthless for people that do not know how far they hit their clubs. However, if you know how far you hit your clubs, they are invaluable. Sure you can pace off a sprinkler head to get a general distance, but unless you have a pin sheet you still don't know exactly how far it is to the pin even if the flags are multicolred (front, center, back). My range finder battery ran out a few months back during a rouand and I can tell you that I was waaaay off on guessing the distances that day and it made a huge difference for me.

[Dizz]

I'm definitely more confident when using a range finder. Example, today playing I had 186 yards and I knew the pin was back and how the green is pretty deep. Anything behind the hole is dead, I hit my 7 iron 180 yards but hitting it 186 is a stretch without sitting up in the rough or having a little help from the wind. I also knew anything over 160 yards will be on the green somewhere. I made a nice aggressive swing with the 7 and left myself 15 feet below the hole. I guess its really just confidence and being able to trust where it will go. 6 iron was the club I needed if I needed to get it close but also brought bogey into play. I think even if you aren't consistent day to day that a range finder will help you learn your yardages on good days and when you aren't striking it as well.

[masterli]

i use a gps unit and it has no doubt improved my play and sped it up. first off, take stepping off yardages. this is great if you're next to a sprinkler head or yardage marker. of course, this doesn't work if the course doesn't mark yardages on sprinkler heads, can't find one close, or in the rough where it's even harder to find, etc... plus, even if you do find one it takes time to step off. as someone who usually walks, this saves me lot of time. the second thing i love is having yardages to hazards when laying up. if you're way off line and you're just trying to get back in a play a pin sheet and yardage marking isn't going to tell you what it is to the creek or bunker. lastly, you'll be surprised how the course layout will play tricks on you. sometimes the pin looks closer and sometimes it looks farther than it really is. sometimes the green is a lot deeper than it looks so that back pin is an extra club to reach. basically you can erase all of these problems and be more confident on your club selection. that confidence and increased speed of play make it a must have in my opinion. I know some clubs will offer very detailed distances in a yardage book but that's not the norm for the public courses I play. plus, even w/ a yardage book you're still calculating and possibly stepping off which takes time.

[remlapr]

Buying a skycaddie about three years ago took 5 shots off my game in about two months and probably 2-3 more since then. As they say, knowledge is power. In my opinion, if you aren't playing with anything, go GPS. Lasers are for low caps and some probably even use both together. I know I've wished I had a laser many times when it was hard to tell how deep a pin was, but being able to move the cursor around on the green on the skycaddie get's me close enough for my skill level.

[offapex]

"worth" is hard to say ($300-$400 is a lot of money) but I love my rangefinder.

1. speeds up play. no need trying to find yardage markers.
2. improved accuracy (over markers/GPS) has helped me on plenty of occasions, and I'm not even that good. GPS might be off by 5 yards...that's the difference between being on the green and a really tough chip. am I always 5 yards accurate with my irons/wedges? nope, but it gives me the confidence to focus on the swing and not on second guessing distance.

[SCameron009]

One of the better investments I have made, while I am a very big feel player and grew up without the use of distance measuring devices, I was shocked how many times when I first got a rangefinder how many times I would be standing say 5 yards in front of the 150 marker (for example) and have 162 or even 133 to the pin. It always used to be a -10/+10 change, really allows me to get a more exact yardage with my irons.

[masterli]

[quote name='shift' timestamp='1280375822' post='2605533']
"worth" is hard to say ($300-$400 is a lot of money) but I love my rangefinder.
[/quote]

i know the OP originally referred to lasers but if you already have an iPhone there are apps for 30 bucks which are quite capable. I use one now as i lost my gps unit . it doesn't lock on gps as fast but when it does lock it's just as accurate. I'm sure there are apps for other phones like androids and blackberries. Not sure of prices as I don't have one.

[Golfwolf]

I have had a Bushnell 1500 Pinseeker for 4 years, it does help to know the accurate yardage. I agree with the comment above about knowing your own personal yardages, this is important! I play different courses within 30 minutes to 90 minutes of my home, one in particular has huge greens, it is very useful to know exactly how far away it is to the pin. The first green is 61 yards from front to back, for many of us that is a 6 club difference, while I know my yardages I cannot be as precise as tour pros who can dial in a number and hit it that exact distance but knowing a distance is better than being unaware.

[Buddyjay]

I have had my rangefinder for almost a year and, to me, it is in-valuable!
i.e. - I will play with guys that do NOT have a rangefinder and they are trying to figure out the yardage (on a par 3) using the scorecard. Rarely are they even close to being correct. They will figure, by the card, that the yardage is 160 and the laser tells me 145 yards. Without the laser, I probably would have figured incorrectly also. That could be a 2 club difference.

I can't tell you how many times I quessed the yardage, from the fairway, and the laser verified that I was off by at least 15+ yards. The ranfefinder has definately lowered my handi-cap.

[williamo]

I am very comfortable with my yardages and hit my wedges very good. Almost always pin high or one yard +/-. You don't need to hit it like me to take advantage of a pinseeker. I love mine.

[ChipDriver]

[quote name='snaggletooth' timestamp='1280369781' post='2605319']
I've never had a rangefinder but often play with people that do. Of course they are getting exact yardage numbers, but they aren't good enough to hit the ball 147 yards as opposed to 150.

Is it worth the $300 or $400 that these things cost? Do they really make a difference for your game?

I was looking at the Leupold GX-4 with the slope factor and some of the Bushnell's.

Please persuade me to buy it or continue without them.
[/quote]

I am a big laser fan, and have had several. They are a luxury though, and not entirely "critical" to enjoying the game of golf.

My suggestion - buy a used one off of ebay and try it out....b/c if you don't like it, you can easily resell it on Ebay and get most/all of your money again.

Having said that - it is very useful to do 2 things: 1) give you a distance to a specific target; and 2) to help you to improve your ability to hit your distances.

If those things are important to your game - then it can be very useful.

But people have played very very well for years and years without such things.

[atlanta golfer]

Rangefinders are invaluable, although I think if you shop around you can find a decent one at the very low end of the price range you cited. Not only do they help you get the correct yardage, but they also help you learn how far you hit each club under various conditions. And they greatly speed up play.

My gps (skycaddie) has not left a shelf in my house for the past year. Go rangefinder.

[varsityhacker]

A laser rangefinder is IMO has become the best tool for speeding up play and lowering your HC. My buddy recently lost his and we have been miserable without it. Can't tell you how many times I have come up short or long without it in play, it has cost me a few strokes. I just bought a GX1 and can't wait to put it in action.

Spend the money on a laser and not GPS have used both and the laser kicks the poop out of a GPS unit.

[muxi87]

I can't play without one...battery died and I didn't have a replacement once--I flat out drove in...seriously...

[Guest]

I have a Bushnell 1600 Tournament Edition, and like some posters I can't play without it. I have a hard time going to the range without it. I originally had a SkyCaddie SG5 and put it on ebay 3 months later, too much doubt can creep in when it could be anywhere from 120-128 when you are guessing on where the pin is. Laser it then you're done.

[mike03a3]

In a word - YES!

I'm a high cap player who just took up the game in April 2009. I have practiced enough to know how far I hit my clubs, especially the wedges, when (and if) I hit them well. Once I got to the point where I understood the distances, I bought a GPS (uPro) which helped me quite a bit both with the distances and course management. It also helped me play faster since I wasn't always looking around for stakes or sprinkler heads. This year I bought a rangefinder (Bushnell 1600) which is great on the driving range to let me see exactly how far all the flags are from the spot I hitting from, and I use it for the exact distance to the pin. I usually look at both, since the gps gives me distance to the front and rear, which combined with the exact pin location gives me a much better information to pick a landing spot. Using the GPS took points off my score, and the rangefinder has taken off more points.

Unfortunately, neither can swing the club. I clearly get better results now when I get a good hit, but I'm still not getting enough good hits. But I'm working on it.

[nyusigep]

Can't play without it. My batteries died once in the middle of the round and the scores for each hole after definitely went up. I am TERRIBLE at estimating distances, so my laser rangefinder is invaluable to me when I golf. Definitely speeds up play and builds confidence. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='snaggletooth' timestamp='1280369781' post='2605319']
I've never had a rangefinder but often play with people that do. Of course they are getting exact yardage numbers, but they aren't good enough to hit the ball 147 yards as opposed to 150.

Is it worth the $300 or $400 that these things cost? Do they really make a difference for your game?

I was looking at the Leupold GX-4 with the slope factor and some of the Bushnell's.

Please persuade me to buy it or continue without them.
[/quote]

You should be able to benefit; how much is up to the user. I think they are worth the cost since I use both SG5 and a Pro 1600 Tournament Ed.

I can't count the number of times I've offered yardage to someone and he turns around and pulls a different club. I dont' think it's all that important to be able to vary yardages by five yards, least for most amateurs. Its more about the confidence from knowing the yardage.

[Bogeyman82]

Even the High Handicappers can benefit. Pacing off sprinkler heads doesn't work very well when you are 30 yard in the rough...

I like being able to get an accurate yardage even if I hit my drive into the other fairway!

[oregongolf]

They make a huge difference... some of my best on course meltdowns have come at the hands of my rangefinder batteries dying out on me.

I'm sure it's partially a confidence thing, because I've very good at eyeballing distance now, but having an exact number does wonders. I'd say in the last 4-5 years, it has really enhanced and improved my game from 150 and in, especially so inside 100 yards where I'm hitting touch wedges.

[Mike_C]

I would say they took easily about 2 shots off my handicap.

I first got a Skycaddie in 2006, loved it. For one thing, it speeds up play. It's best when you play courses you are familiar with, and for me could pretty much guess where a pin was on the green (front/middle/back) from the fairway. It really helps aslo when you hit you drive off line and would have to totally guess the distance based off of sprinkler head yardages...

I got a laser in early 2008, and that has helped even more. To know to the yard for me helps alot. Plus, it helps you learn how far you [i]truly[/i] hit your irons.

And there is something to be said for knowing the yardage and just having the confidence in that, you put a better swing on the ball, no second guessing "is this the right club" in the middle of your swing....

Now for somebody who can't break 100, a laser is probably a waste of time, but a GPS might not be, especially if it can help you with distances to bunkers, carries over water, etc....

[boomgoesthedynamite]

[quote name='nyusigep' timestamp='1280421269' post='2606390']
Definitely speeds up play and builds confidence.
[/quote]

[quote name='Bogeyman82' timestamp='1280423596' post='2606479']
Even the High Handicappers can benefit. Pacing off sprinkler heads doesn't work very well when you are 30 yard in the rough...

I like being able to get an accurate yardage even if I hit my drive into the other fairway!
[/quote]

[quote name='Mike_C' timestamp='1280426849' post='2606597']
And there is something to be said for knowing the yardage and just having the confidence in that, you put a better swing on the ball, no second guessing "is this the right club" in the middle of your swing....

Now for somebody who can't break 100, a laser is probably a waste of time, but a GPS might not be, especially if it can help you with distances to bunkers, carries over water, etc....
[/quote]

D. All of the above

[bazinky]

My rangefinder (Bushnell 1500) is of my most useful pieces of golf equipment. Not only for getting yardages to the pin, but figuring out what hazards are in play. I play a lot of different courses, and I can't tell you how useful a rangefinder is on an unfamiliar course.

A couple of years ago I was playing at a friends country club for the first time. Despite never having played the course before, I had a great round going until we got to the 15th hole. It was a dogleg right, with O.B past the dogleg. I was told there was now way I would get to the O.B., so I hit driver. Best drive of the day, straight as an arrow, and of course, O.B.

I bought my rangefinder that afternoon ...

[avgjoe]

good to have it you play different courses. less important (but still nice to have) if you tend to play just 1-2 and know all the approx yardages

[Guest]

rangefinders are good if you know how far you hit every club but a better investment to start is a gps that will tell you how far you hit every club. I just got one and knowing my distances has given me so much confidence besides that I now know Im not driving them as far as i thought. and the gps with front middle back of green is good enough to put it on in 2 and be putting. BTW I got a sonocaddie xv2 on ebay for $120. best deal in my bag besides my cg7 BP's for $400.

[Jockey]

My bushnell broke a few weeks back and I have been lost without it since. But I now have a dilemma do I go with another rangefinder (Bushnell) or get the new Skycaddie or go ahead and get both.

[larrybud]

[quote name='snaggletooth' timestamp='1280369781' post='2605319']
I've never had a rangefinder but often play with people that do. Of course they are getting exact yardage numbers, but they aren't good enough to hit the ball 147 yards as opposed to 150.

Is it worth the $300 or $400 that these things cost? Do they really make a difference for your game?

I was looking at the Leupold GX-4 with the slope factor and some of the Bushnell's.

Please persuade me to buy it or continue without them.
[/quote]
Hit one 80 yards left of the fairway. You're sorta at the 150 mark, best you can tell. But are you 140, 150 or 160? Oh, did I mention there's water in front of the green? ;-)

Now go to another course that you don't know well. The marker in the tee box is mismarked... but you have no idea that it's mismarked. It's off by 8 yards (happens to be a par 3 at my home course). Too bad you came up 8 yards short... that bunker shot is a b!tch!

Your approach to the green has a back pin, and there's water behind the green... I wonder how much room you have? Oh well, it's only a golf ball!!!

You hit a poor tee shot to the right and need to punch out. It's a tough shot because there's a hazard on the left side of the fairway... how far is that hazard?

There are many more uses to a range finder than getting yardage from the middle of the FW to the pin.

NOTE: You mentioned you might get one with slope... those are illegal in tournaments, so if you play competitively, skip the slope and get the tournament edition.

[phillypete]

Prior to getting gps, I had a really detailed yardage book. So I had solid info on my home course, but I was lost when I would travel.

I went cheap and got a gps program for my iPhone.

[Chris_NH]

[quote name='snaggletooth' timestamp='1280369781' post='2605319']
I've never had a rangefinder but often play with people that do. Of course they are getting exact yardage numbers, but they aren't good enough to hit the ball 147 yards as opposed to 150.

Is it worth the $300 or $400 that these things cost? Do they really make a difference for your game?

I was looking at the Leupold GX-4 with the slope factor and some of the Bushnell's.

Please persuade me to buy it or continue without them.
[/quote]

I'd say the differences are significant, but not what I'd term huge. As others have said, it does speed up play, and it does give you full confidence that you know the precise distance, even though very few of us hit our clubs that precisely. However, that precision still is a benefit, for at least two reasons for me: 1) sometimes you're between clubs. 1-3 yards difference might tip you in one direction or another, so the accuracy helps tilt you in the right direction. 2) At most courses on most holes, over the green is death. As a result, I personally have always been very conservative estimating distances to back pins based on yardage markers then adding some yardage for the back pin. Having an exact yardage is eye-opening, sometimes. There are quite a few times I've thought "wow, that's probably 7-8 yards further than I would have estimated by center-plus method". As a result, I get close to back pins a bit more frequently than I used to.

I really like mine a lot, and benefit from it a lot (I'm a 14 handicapper).

Good luck,
Chris