OK, persuade me! GPS vs. Rangefinder

[avidshotmaker]

OK so I am making a 2013 list of things I want to buy over the course of the year whether I get to use it this season or not. I am now at the point where I'm trying to decide whether I want a GPS or rangefinder. I use my phone from time to time but it's not really battery efficient. I want a separate device, so I'm seeing what you guys think is the better type of device. To up the challenge I would prefer specifics of you can, device model also price is a biggie. I want something $150 or less,I don't care if it's brand new or some place I can buy used.

Thanks

[OldGolfer87]

I prefer GPS because it's just much easier to use and yardages are straight forward .....I have a Sky caddie from 5 years or so ago and thinking about buying another one .. I tried laser and found ,without reflectors on pins yardages are sometimes difficult to find , laser work poorly or not at all when it's foggy and they are more time consuming then a GPS , i tried a few lasers and was not impressed at all and probably will use a GPS for the rest of the time i play golf , i thought some of the GPS machines now have pre-loaded courses with no fee's and average price was between 150 and 300 , where laser i no longer know because i have no interest in one

[Gbyeball]

With a price limit of only $150.00 you are seriously hurting your options. I don't think you can get a descent golf specific range finder for that price.

I will play along because I own and use both devices. For the record I have a Skycaddie SGX ( came from an older G 2.5) and a Callaway Nikon LR 550 range finder. You have used the phone with GPS app so you understand that system. The GPS advantange is using it on courses you are not familiar with and when you are way out of position and can't shoot the flag. All the distances to hazards and front middle back of greens I find very usefull. That being said since I got my laser the GPS has gone from little to absolutely zero usage. As a matter of fact I let the subscripition expire and am thinking of selling it.

It really comes down to personal preferance but for me the laser does everything I need , is just as fast and easy, is more accurate and more convienient. Yes you have to point it and shoot it but I have no trouble doing this. The GPS was like watching TV or surfing the internet. I would get caught in looking at all the stuff on the screen I felt it was slowing down my pace of play and taking me out of the proper mind set. Again all of this stuff is personal likes and dislikes..........but you asked so there it is.

[gr8blueheronbird]

Went from a skycaddie SG5 to a Leupold GX-1. I bought the Leupold for $167.00 on ebay brand new. I like it much better than the Skycaddie SG5. I can get exact yardages to the pin. With Skycaddie, you are guessing. With the laser, I have no yearly fees, no downloads, but I lose the ability to keep score and track my stats. I have let my subscription with Skycaddie end so it looks like I will be selling it in the near future.

[Desert Golf]

I also have a Skycaddie SG5 and a Leopold GX-1. Used a skycaddie for years and really liked it: can keep score/stats with it, gives you layup distances, distances to hazards and front,middle, and back distances on the green.

However, since I purchased the Leopold, the Skycaddie doesn't get very much use.

Both GPS and rangefinders can help your game and it is a matter of personal preference. My entry level Leopold was $250 so your limit of $150 will probably get you a used unit.

[oldpalchamp]

Have had both and currently use a Bushnell 1600. I got very frustrated with Sky Caddie and their system. Downloads were frustrating and if you went to a course you hadn't loaded, you were SOL! I really like the laser, however, there are times I wish I had a GPS system.

As a previous poster mentioned, you will be somewhat limited with a $150 budget.

[highergr0und]

My Bushnell 1500 is without a doubt the single piece of equipment that has had the greatest impact on my game. I even used a GPS for a few years prior to the laser, but after I got the Bushnell I started getting pin high WAY more often knowing the exact distance to the pin. I mean you can have a difference of 3 clubs on some greens. Now yes, GPS gives you front, middle, and back, and you can use a pin sheet, but I did that for a few years and I still improved a few shots with the laser.

The pitfalls of the laser are playing courses without prisms on the flags and not having as good of knowledge of hazards, although you can still work with both. Having both is a pretty good solution, but if you play the same courses a lot you'll drop the GPS in no time since you'll know the layups.

Your budget is a bit low. You can probably hold out and find a deal though. Maybe an older bushnell or gx1

[edub72]

I just found a bushnell v2 on CL for 100. Works great. I will say this it was nice to have both this weekend, my partner in a tournament had a GPS and I had the laser, see if you can get lucky and find both. It was very windy and sometimes we benefitted with knowing the to the front and to the back along with the exact.

[baseballfrk8998]

Having owned both, I believe that the RF is absolutely the way to go. There is never any question about distance when using a RF because you have the exact distance to whatever you aim at.

Lets say you're around the 150 marker looking at a red flag (front). If the green is 25-30 yards deep, that flag could be 10 yards on the green and still be red. It could also be 2 yards on and be red as well. That's 8 yards difference, which is almost an entire club for most folks. With most GPS devices you'll have the distance to each part of the green (Front, Middle, Back) but your exact distance to the flag could still be off by as much as 8-10 yards. That's why I prefer the RF. There is never any question how far from the flag you are.

The times when I do prefer the GPS are times when there is severe elevation change. I don't use a RF with slope so those times can be somewhat difficult if it's a significant change in elevation.

If you shop around, I bet you can find a GX-1 or Bushnell Tour V2 in your price range. The V2 is the way to go IMO.

[pingeye]

I picked up a Callaway Upro a couple years ago because it had all that I wanted at the time and it wasn't very expensive. It holds all the courses in my area, over 18k world wide. I've traveled state to state in the US and every course I've played has been available. Distance to the front, middle and back of green is all I get with it though. You still have some estimating but the pin colors help with that. It's the size of a cell phone and I am able to carry it in a clip on my belt. The only thing it's lacking is distance to layup areas, sand traps, doglegs, etc. But again, I can estimate that.

I had a Bushnell Sport RF. It was small however I could not carry it in a case on my belt. It just became bothersome to have to grab it when I walked out to my ball from the cart. It worked well but I ended up leaving it in the cart more than using it

I'll stick with the GPS and probably upgrade to one that has more distance features other than just front, middle, and back of green in the future.

[alfie]

I have both... My preference is the gps, but I have the 1st version of the Callaway uPro & it's a PAIN to get it to sync up to my pc to adjust/download courses, so, if there's a course I won't play again & it's not on my list, I'll just use the Bushnell v2.
I see myself getting (in the very far away future, or whenever my current gps gives out on me) a VERY low cost gps with as many golf courses pre-loaded on the device as possible. Currently considering the little white/box golf buddy voice gps (I think that's what it's called)... I just need the measurements for ft., middle & back of the green (ok, maybe also the distance of how far I may have hit a shot).

[RRFireblade]

If you want specifics I'll need specifics....

Whats your handicap and/or game strengths and weakness' ?

How often do you play ?

How many different tracks do you play regularly ?

How much do you travelling around the country do you do to play golf ?

My personal preference is a range finder but there are occasions where a GPS offers more important info depending on certain specific scenerios.

[alfie]

By the way... I hope u realize the $150 budget is gonna limit you to the entry level gps and rangefinders.
With the newer Bushnell v3 being released, u should be able to find a v2 somewhere at the before mention price.
On the rangefinder front, only lower or entry level (ft., middle & back of green measurements) are what's gona be given to u at the $150 price. Besides the voice gps I mentioned on my previous post, I've also seen an Izzo device for less than $100 at Sports Authority and other brands can be found doing online searches. From reviews read on the internet, lots of people seem satisfied with the golf buddy voice gps.

[Hateto3Putt]

It's about time someone posted this topic........

[avidshotmaker]

Yea I'm not really a stat tracker although I probably should be.

[HiSpeed48]

I recently bought a Callaway Nikon LR550 rangefinder (used off eBay for about $100). I've used it twice so far and I really like it. When I was comparing GPS vs. RF, I thought it might be difficult shooting the flag from far out, but it's actually pretty easy. Since the RF gives you a distance to the nearest target I can get a yardage, even if I'm a bit twitchy, just by hovering over the flag in scan mode and the shortest measurement I get must be the flag. I can also shoot bunkers, and if the green has a false front or a big slope in the back I will shoot that too.

The only obvious disadvantage to a rangefinder is if you are facing a blind shot and can't see the flag or the hazards. A GPS is also better if you are on an unfamiliar course with a lot of elevation change and blind shots.

[avgjoe]

depends on what info you want/need

[avidshotmaker]

How does an RF work with doglegs or hazards, cuz I like to know the reach and carry of them.

[golfdad907]

Both, GPS are cheap, SG5 is about $100. GPS and Lasers have respective advantages and disadvantages, I use both to overcome them.

[duffer888]

As avgjoe says, depends on what you want. If you absolutely need to know the exact distance to the flag and visible hazards, then get the rangefinder. But the $150 PP is pretty tough.

If approximate (center, front and back) and simple are your priorities, then I would suggest a Golfbuddy Voice. What is nice about this is that it has both voice and a small LCD number display. I found one of these new from Kingdom59 for $109. I've used it 3 rounds so far and it is good enough for me. Only real downside so far is that it doesn't look like a single charge will last 2 rounds and there is no single display that shows front, back and center all at once. You have to click through.

If I had to have one, I think the laser is more versatile. Resorts have GPS in the carts. And the laser also can serve as a monocular, which comes in handy at times. Plus, it's usable if you hunt.

[Dpavs]

Bump for RF being more versatile. Yardages to the flag are not available via GPS and you can target nearly anything meaningful that you would want to know the distance to. For example how far on a dog leg to the trees bordering the far side, etc.

[baseballfrk8998]

[quote name='avidshotmaker' timestamp='1361467450' post='6472487']
How does an RF work with doglegs or hazards, cuz I like to know the reach and carry of them.
[/quote]

On doglegs, I always shoot the trees, bunker, etc. that I don't want to hit into. If I shoot the trees at 265, I know I need a 240-250 yard shot.

A hazard is essentially the same. It's not hard to shoot where the hazard begins or ends. Basically, if you can see it through the RF, you can get a distance to it.

[swizbeatz]

I like my rangefinder better than a GPS, playing partners who aren't as good seem to prefer the GPS though. They like to see everything to avoid, the bunkers around the green, front back and center, where to lay up to after a bad drive on a par 4 etc. I really just care about yardage to flag and go from there. As others have said its easy to shoot trees hazards or bunkers off the tee.

[avgjoe]

[quote name='duffer888' timestamp='1361468566' post='6472595']
If approximate (center, front and back) and simple are your priorities, then I would suggest a Golfbuddy Voice. What is nice about this is that it has both voice and a small LCD number display. I found one of these new from Kingdom59 for $109. I've used it 3 rounds so far and it is good enough for me. Only real downside so far is that it doesn't look like a single charge will last 2 rounds and there is no single display that shows front, back and center all at once. You have to click through.
[/quote]



the new voice+ will have F/M/B on the display... also a watchband, at the same price. when that comes out (next month?) I'd look for prices on the original voice to drop like mario cipollini on a cat3 climb

[_MS22_]

Leupold GX-3i.

You can get distances to anything you so choose, be it the flag, bunker lip, a tree, a marker, the group ahead of you, etc. etc. etc.

Why deal with satellites, possibly bad data files, updates, battery charging (once per season in the Leupold! for $6), subscription fees, and on and on and on......

[torbill]

I think the choice depends on skill level and how you think about the game.

My handicap is 4. The way I think about the game is that I want to get on the green in regulation. I do not normally shoot for pins, per se. I want to know where the trouble around the green is, so that I can have the best strategy for an approach shot that avoids the problems and gets my ball on or very near the green. My priority is, first and foremost, to avoid the trouble. I would be more than happy to be in the middle of every green. If I were able to be dead in the middle of every green on 80% of the greens on the types of courses I play I would be scratch, no question; it wouldn't matter where the pin is.

So, I want a device that gives me the most information about the trouble. I use the SGX. It gives a lot of information about trouble, and I have confidence in it. There might be other units that give equal or better information to the SGX, I don't know. But the SGX tells me reliably where the trouble is, and the distances are as accurate as I need.

The other thing is, when I am shooting for pins, there are normally things that can get me close - flag colors, pin sheets, etc. Or a friend with a rangefinder, grin.

In my world of golf, +/- 1 yard accuracy to the pin is not a priority. I cannot hit my irons to this kind of accuracy on the level, in 70 degree temperature, with no wind, with my favorite ball. I am just not that good. So I play the percentages, and use the best information I can get in order to avoid trouble. And I remember at all times when I am on the course that Jack Nicklaus made a pretty fair living aiming for the middle of the greens.

I am not knocking rangefinders. I am merely explaining how I think about the game of golf, and what kind of device information I can best use to fit my game.

[Vykter]

The use of the RF vs GPS is important. I play in the 90s, so I don't go flag hunting. Some times I push, some times I pull. Because of that I always aim for the middle of the green for the most forgiveness.

My golf buddy gps is perfect for that. It's small (the size of an ipod nano) and is clipped to my belt. It's always on so I just glance at it and I have my distance.

If I was better and could throw darts at the flag, then the exact pin distance would be great. Unfortunately I'm not quite there yet, so the gps is perfect for me.

[detroit59]

I'm a RF user who thought about switching to GPS this year so I've been doing a lot of research on GPS devices. Although I love the accuracy of the RF, I feel like it puts me in bad positions as I'm pin seeking too much. I was hoping the move to GPS would let my brain focus on the center of the greens.

From my research here, it looks like people like the Garmin units (G5 &G6). The little brother (G3) of the line is less than $150 now, so it could be an option.

[torbill]

I haven't used the Garmins. I have te SGX. It at least the fourth GPS I've had. All of the others had distances based on satellite maps, ad I ultimately lost confidence in what they were telling me. Skycaddie walks the courses with backpack transponders, and I have never had a problem with distances. I trust the distances, within the inherent accuracy of the device. The device it'sself, as far as I'm concerned, is completely average. It has glitches, it has failed me and had to be replaced, and I can't give it high marks, per se. But the topological views of each hole, including all hazards, is great. And as I say I trust the distances, and this is primary. If you're going to buy the Garman. I strongly suggest that you make sure I had of time that people trust the mappings, hence thedistances.

Since my previous post, I went out and ordered a laser rangefinder. The rangefinder handles one problem that I cannot solve with a GPS - and which I forgot to mention in my comments - which is knowing distances to markers on a practice range. I need to improve the accuracy and consistency of my iron game if I am going to improve as a player. So, I want better information on the practice range and I don't know any way, other than a laser, to get it.

[Gbyeball]

Hey Torbill.........great call on the use of a RF at the driving range. I do that all the time with mine and completely forgot to mention it. Most everybody says how hard partial wedge shots are , 30 - 60 yards. I practice those all the time on the range. Usually don't have target greens that close but I just look for a group of balls about that distance , shoot them to get exact distance then start practicing.

Same with the false fronts to the closest greens or bunkers in front of the green. Lots of fun to hit different clubs into a 80 yard bunker