Do Rangefinders really make a huge difference?

[ExRidd]

[quote name='phillypete' timestamp='1280669183' post='2611170']
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.
[/quote]



I still use teedroid on my iphone over the bushnell i bought and sold!

[basshuntermd]

I think if you start using them, it is hard to be without....

[Jer-Jer]

No need to pay $300 or $400 for one. I got my 1600 TE for $210 slightly used.

[Jdavenp3]

Where I live I can never really trust the sprinklers that have the yardages on them- tee boxes are constantly moved up or back and the scorecard hasn't been updated since the dark ages so a range finder is a great thing to have in my eyes. Even if you don't necessarily know the exact yardages of your clubs you still have the confidence in knowing the exact yardage to the pin (or if you have a nicer rangefinder lips of bunkers, trees, hills, etc.). And on top of all of that it helps with my pace of play since I am not running around looking for distances. Mine has lasted forever and I use it for hunting as well so I have definitely gotten my money out of it.

[Guest]

i've been thinking of getting a laser range finder. can anyone suggest which one would be good to get? i wouldn't mind getting one at around $200, but might be able to be convinced to spend more

[iamhuey]

love my laser rangefinder, invaluable in my opinion, i got a bushnell 1500 with slope. i would say worth every penny to get exact distances. you can laser trees, edges of bunkers, stakes, things that gps may or may not provide. if i lose it or it breaks i will definitely buy another laser hands down.

i played with gps the other day 2 gps that were exactly the same standing side by side gave me 2 different reading of 12 yards, crazy, i knew from there that gps was not worth it to me.

[ChipDriver]

[quote name='unvmyset' timestamp='1280808956' post='2614731']
i've been thinking of getting a laser range finder. can anyone suggest which one would be good to get? i wouldn't mind getting one at around $200, but might be able to be convinced to spend more
[/quote]

I've used 3 that I found nice:

Bushnell 1500 (great if you can find on Ebay for $200 or less) - it's larger, bigger/easier viewfinder and you can hold it steady.
Nikon Monarch 800 - same as the Callaway/Nikon 800 range finders - on Ebay they are about $150-200. Slightly smaller, but the button is easy to push and you can hold it steady. Viewfinder is smaller, and so is the magnification. I tried the Bushnell V1 - but I liked the Monarch better. The V1 that I had was difficult to press the button down so I had trouble holding it steady. The size of both the Monarch and V1 is nice - but for some odd reason I kept forgetting and losing them in the cart....too many trips back to the golf course to look for the rangefinder that I'd left in the dark cubby of the cart. LOL

Currently I have a Bushnell 1600 - same as the 1500 with some slight improvements - battery door doesn't fall off/battery doesn't fall out/rubberized - but probably more than $200.


FWIW - I like Bushnell too b/c they have very good customer service. You call them they answer and they provide a decent way to keep your rangefinder in good shape. Rangefinders DO go out of whack occasionally....Nikon CS is not as responsive or helpful as Bushnell IMO.

[SpongeBob]

I'm using GolfShot on my iPhone ($30 one time) and a Leupold GX-4. I'm never lacking course/shot info. The skill to execute on it, however, is a horse of a different color.

[nmk]

For sure, laser or GPS, makes no sense for some people if their 5i and 9i goes about the same distance, depending on how the stars line up.


My Leupold GX-I has shaved off a few strokes for me by giving me a sense of confidence when I am standing over the ball. Sure, I may not be able to hit it to exactly 152 meters but hell, for sure I think I am closer with the laser than not because club selection is a no brainer. Confidence is a big part of the game, IMO. When I forget my laser, I don't even feel like playing....

If you are low hcp, I think the laser is the better choice, if you are mid hcp, then the GPS might be better. If you are 36 hcp, then spend the money on some lessons.

If you buy GPS, then make sure the GPS hardware is by Garmin otherwise you will get all sorts of readings and best is if the course has been "walked off". If you buy laser, get a good one from Leupold or Buschnell, fast and accurate.

[milzy]

I have a Golf Buddy Tour and like it. I find that the yardages are off at times and I have to wait for it. It doesn't happen often though. I have matched it with one of my buddies who has laser rangefinder and the yardages were very close. I determine my club of choice by the color of the pins. Most courses have the red white and blue pin flags and I go from there. I am a 6 handicap and was higher before I got one. I would like rangefinder though. Sometimes I just want to know exactly how far it really is.

[Shooter McGavin]

I've been using a buddy's rangefinder and I've started growing attached to it. I've previously used the skycaddie which is very good and for the most part very spot on but there's nothing like a rangefinder. I never second guess it.

[alldaygolferpar]

huge difference if a person who knows your yardages im lost without mine!

[nitram]

Yes they make a difference for all of the reasons previously mentioned. But beware, you'll lose the wrong yardage excuse.

[Hateto3Putt]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who once used a rangefinder then later decided he didn't like it and went back to playing without one...

 

[oliversax]

can't play w/o mine. Saves time, esp. when your playing partners are wandering all over earth and creation looking for a sprinkler head that's marked... I just pull up to their ball and zap the dist for them. Onto the next shot, bro!

[bermuda]

I have a Skycaddie SG5 and it's a big help, but you have to get used to it and know how to use it. I play one course with greens that can be 40 yards from front to back. Knowing I need a 7-iron to get to the back of the green instead of an 8-iron to the middle can mean the difference between a 15-foot putt and a 50-foot putt, even if I don't hit the 7 exactly 155 every time. I'd rather have a 25-foot chip from off the back of the green than a 50-foot putt from the middle of the green.

The Skycaddie also has a scoring and stat function, which is helpful if you're interested in that.

[Ronzo]

[quote name='unvmyset' timestamp='1280808956' post='2614731']
i've been thinking of getting a laser range finder. can anyone suggest which one would be good to get? i wouldn't mind getting one at around $200, but might be able to be convinced to spend more
[/quote]
I suggest that if you decide to get a laser rangefinder, that you do not go cheap. I bought a Bushnell Yardage Pro 450, and I rarely use it because I can't hold it steady enough to shoot a pin. That model does not have the "Pinseeker" feature to range to the closer target when there are both closer and farther targets in the sensor reticle, so it is useful to determine things like the green's false front or distance to and to clear a bunker.

I find a GPS to be a better tool for my level of play. The uPro go is available on eBay at this writing for $138.00 shipped. I purchased mine from that seller, and I couldn't be more pleased with the transaction. YMMV, of course.

[tesuquegolfer]

I was worried about not being able to see my target (pin) with a Range Finder because of hills or getting a bad reading because I missed the pin and got the tree behind the green... so I got a Sky Caddie. [b]I hate my Sky Caddie!!!! [/b] Mostly I hate that I can only store 10 courses at a time compared to my phone Golf Logix App which shows any course I am standing on. The advantage of the Range Finder (from getting data from my buddies that have one), is that you don't have to guess if the pin is front/middle/back as you do with GPS units. You can also get distances to trees or bunkers that don't show up on GPS units. I am currently in the market for a range finder and especially like the slope data as I have been quite surprised by optical illusions such as down then up which really can mean no elevation change at all. IMO get one!

[DigDugDig]

I also have a Bushnell Medalist and just like the other posters have said, if you know how far you hit your clubs, a rangefinder is invaluable.

I've found that it's the most useful at the range. It's pretty rare that the 150 marker on the range is really 150, or even that close.

Once you have a pretty good idea how far your clubs go using the rangefinder on the range, you'll know what club you need for any yardage on the course.

The Medalist a great rangefinder and can be found for less than $200 on the bay.

[holem]

We have GPS on the carts where I play. I still use a Bushnell 1600 Tournament Edition. Sometimes the GPS is not accurate.

It is also great to take to the driving range to shoot targets to help knowing your club distances when you are practicing.

While I am a low handicapper, I think this is an invaluable tool for anyone who is serious about lowering their scores, regardless of your handicap. I think is a good investment...probably a better one than changing your driver every year for $300 to $400 and thinking it will improve your game.

[dpark]

[quote name='jaycajun' timestamp='1280373672' post='2605453']
They are worthless for people that do not know how far they hit their clubs. [b]However, if you know how far you hit your clubs, they are invaluable.[/b] 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.
[/quote]

100% agree. I can't live without mine anymore. The other big plus for me is when a pin is tucked behind a bunker, I can shoot the top lip of the bunker to know what I have to do to clear it. When I am in-between clubs to the flag, I can then take the longer one and know I am taking bunker out of play even with a less-than-perfect shot. You can't do that by pacing off distances from a sprinkler head.

[teaz01]

Hi,
I would guess that use of a range finder is worth one stroke per round at your home and three at at course that you have not played before. If your not in the fairway, even more.
*Rember that anything with slope as a feature, has been decided to be nonconforming.

[teaz01]

[quote name='tesuquegolfer' timestamp='1288115457' post='2760302']
I was worried about not being able to see my target (pin) with a Range Finder because of hills or getting a bad reading because I missed the pin and got the tree behind the green... so I got a Sky Caddie. [b]I hate my Sky Caddie!!!! [/b] Mostly I hate that I can only store 10 courses at a time compared to my phone Golf Logix App which shows any course I am standing on. The advantage of the Range Finder (from getting data from my buddies that have one), is that you don't have to guess if the pin is front/middle/back as you do with GPS units. You can also get distances to trees or bunkers that don't show up on GPS units. I am currently in the market for a range finder and especially like the slope data as I have been quite surprised by optical illusions such as down then up which really can mean no elevation change at all. IMO get one!
[/quote]

Hi,
Sky Caddie has a 20 course capaticy but I agree with the laser accuracy thing.
Don't get one with slope if you plan to use it for tournament or handicap play.