• Equipment

  • What's your choice- GPS or Rangefinder

My advice to anyone considering a rangefinder it to try a bud's first. For old dudes like me they are hard to got on target. And they seem to be a pain for people who wear glasses. Over the years I have had 5 GPS handhelds and five GPS watches. My watch just croaked so getting ready to get my 6th one. I never used all of the bells and whistles on my fanciest handheld. A GPS watch works best for me. I like one that just does F-C-B on the green and has basic hazard info. There are some new models available now that are listed as GPS golf bands that are stand alone GPS units or link to a smart phone. I am leaning toward this one. https://www.precisionprogolf.com/products/gps-golf-band

I have seen a bazillion people post about having concerns about having a GPS watch on their wrist who don't normally wear a watch. I have never seen a post that said it bothered them. They say that they don't even notice it which includes one of my golf buds who complains about everything.

I wear no jewelry at all the the watch was only noticable at first. As soon as u are focused on your game u foeget u have it on.

Mine is the FCB readings as well...and its a big one from 3 years ago. The new ones are smaller and nicer.

I use a Garmin G5, tried a laser & had difficulty holding it steady enough to get a reliable reading. Also my game doesn't demand laser accuracy, the Garmin gives me front-middle-back yardage that works for me.

I'm a laser convert after using a couple of different GPS units/services. I have the Bushnell Tour V.3 with the jolt technology that vibrates when it is locked on or near the flag. SWEET.

I still have a golf GPS (skydroid) on my phone that does not take long to load and be ready to use as a backup, if ever needed. I sold both of my hand held gps units (Ebay and FGI) because I'll never be using them again.

    I use my phone, it's as good as I need it to be. I prefer gps because I found range finders to be a PITA to focus on a target, but if your course has targets on the flag it's cool. I like the look down, yep we are X yards away and I can do my best to match that. In reality, if I know the course, I don't often look at it. This probably explains my GiR issues some haha.

    I have an original Nikon Rangefinder which still works great. This past year I was given a Garmin S2 watch. I use both, but more and more I use the watch because of the convenience. I keep the rangefinder in the bag because I occasionally forget to return the watch to my golf bag after charging.

    When I first saw the watch I wondered if it would affect my play as I always removed my regular watch when I played golf. I thought about it for the first two or three holes and that was it.

    The problem I have with laser range finders is I'm often in a position where I can't see the flag. 🙂

    I use a Bushnell geo xs. I've had a laser rangefinder and hand held gps units. In those cases I sold/gave them way as I tended not to use them. They were a PITA to use unless play was slow.

    The watch is the easiest and fastest by far. Just glance a it while you are putting your hand in the bag to get a club. If you want to get the distance to the hazards it displays you have to hit a button. It has something like 30K courses built in and you can download any updates/new courses for free. I've used it without problems all over the USA and Caribbean.

    As to wearing a watch, unless you have the lightest hands in the universe the weight of a Garmin is negligible in increasing joint loading. It also lasts three rounds unless you are a real slowpoke and can be charged from any USB port and/or a plug in the wall USB power supply. I often charge it from the USB port in the car on the way to and from the course.

    My experience says range finder users can be some of the slowest golfers on the course. I know the range finder users will dispute this but I do not like playing with those using range finders. I say a worn on the wrist GPS is the way to go or a voice one clipped on to your hat.

      Always used a GPS, did not like range finder plus I play a course with quite a few doglegs with a lot of tree lined fairways.

      I use a Bushnell Neo Ghost gps unit and I like it alot. I get all of the major numbers I need, front, middle, back, as well as a few hazards. Plus, it is small enough to fit in my pocket but I wear it on my belt for easier access and I can get 2 full rounds of 18 on 1 charge without any problems.

      I use a Bushnell laser and love it.

      I'm still pretty good at judging distances by sight, usually within 5 yards from within 200 so don't use it for every shot especially if I know the course well or the course is well marked with sprinkler heads.

      I find I use it most for:
      1. shots under 80 yards
      2. to determine distances to landmarks for lay up shots on par 5's
      3. measure how far hazards are off the tee for club selection
      4. as a telescope to check out female golfers

      I have a bushnell, hand-held laser finder and I love it. I would never play without a rangefinder again.

      I like the fact that the laser shoots to the pin, rather than just giving me distances to different points on the green. I know my club distances well enough that I do want to know exact numbers.

      As for lasers slowing down the game, I completely disagree. It doesn't take long AT ALL to reach down into an open pouch and shoot the distance. The Bushnells have a feature on them that pick up the object in the foreground (i.e., the pin), so you don't have to be really steady with it. I've usually shot the distance before the group in front of me has pulled the pin and even if I haven't, I can shoot it after they put the flag back in and be ready for my shot even before they cleared the green. And this is a whole lot quicker than looking for a sprinkler head!

      The thing that has surprised me about these things is how often they have saved me from about 70 yards and in. It is surprising how many times you are off by more than a few yards when gauging a short shot. This is particularly true when there is undulation on or in front of the green, or when pins are tucked in at the back of deep green. I can't tell you the number times I would take a reading when I first got this thing and think, "There's no way that's 65 yards to that pin," and then hit it short. I have learned to trust it.

        Lasering to hazards like Weirfan said is great. I like to use it to measure at the range as well. Another thing is after i hit a drive ill laser it baxk at the guys on the tee to see how far i hit it.

        One of the things with the watch that helpedy game alot was knowing the distance to the baxk of the green...knowing what i could hit without going over.

        kelco9 ,

        Re rangefinders impacting pace of play. I agree , when I use mine it's while we are on the tee waiting for the group in front to clear or when I am beside my ball waiting for a playing partner to hit. Mine stays in the pouch on my push cart so when I do take a measurement from the fairway, it literally takes 5 seconds to get the yardage . I would even say that they can help to speed up play versus players who have to find a marker or sprinkler head then pace off their yardage from that. If I am walking past their bal to mine I will usually laser a yardage for them to save time.

          I prefer a rangefinder because:
          1) I can zap anything I want
          2) A battery lasts months and I can just leave it in my bag

          I had a GPS years ago and I loved it, but I had to charge it after every round. That's been quite a few years and tech has gotten better. I will probably switch back to GPS someday and hang onto my laser for zapping the unmarked targets I'm interested in. For now, I'll remain cheap and replace a $6 battery once or twice a year.

          Love my original Bushnell range finder. Been using it for ~7-8 years. Easy access when I am using my push cart. I do find it beneficial to track laser to target when I am wearing a hat and using the brim to stabilize.

          Laser range finder here, also. For all the good reasons mentioned above. My most usual playing partner and I both have one. When we're cart mates, he often shoots the yardage when it's my turn to play and vice versa. By the time I'm out of the cart and standing by my bag, I know the yardage. No time lost and certainly faster than wandering around looking for sprinkler heads. I also have a Bushnell Neo XS watch but never liked it very much. It's for sale if anyone is interested. email me at bobmorris64 at gmail.com