OT - GPS/Rangefinder

[wheelerdog]

I’ve started playing more golf, and am realizing that I need something to help me with yardages. Any suggestions on what I should be looking for? One option I’m not interested in is phone apps. Thanks

 

[BNich]

Sent you a PM. I can help you out.

 

[Giddyup5]

Sent you a PM. I can help you out.

Can you please share with the rest of us?

 

[BNich]

Can you please share with the rest of us?

What would you like. to know? I work in the golf business. I. was just trying. to share some information with. a fellow Boneyarder. Shall. I PM you too?

 

[Fishy]

What would you like. to know? I work in the golf business. I. was just trying. to share some information with. a fellow Boneyarder. Shall. I PM you too?

 

[uconnfan68]

What would you like. to know? I work in the golf business. I. was just trying. to share some information with. a fellow Boneyarder. Shall. I PM you too?

Have a gps, and its usually close, but definitely not as accurate as a rangefinder. I’m waiting for a good rangefinder at a cheap gps price. Its getting close.
Gps just gives yardage to front, middle, and back of green, and then my terrible depth perception needs to narrow it down.

 

[polycom]

What do you want to know I have a bushnell? There is no secret you are either good enough for a range finder or you’re not...

 

[LIuconn]

A rangefinder will instantly take 2-3 shots off your score

 

[2north]

I’m of the school that most golfers should not be aiming at the flag. Get a pin sheet or quadrant number to understand where the flag is, front/middle/back, and play to that yardage.

But if you’re consistently accurate enough to hit to specific yardages then a rangefinder will help, especially for scoring clubs.

I have a Bushell Pro XE that has never let me down but regularly use front/middle/back yardages for difficult greens/shots. It’s $$$ though.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

What do you want to know I have a bushnell? There is no secret you are either good enough for a range finder or you’re not...

I have a bushnell watch, perfect for what it does.

 

[polycom]

I have a bushnell watch, perfect for what it does.

I have a pro v4 it’s nice but once you get it I feel as though I don’t really use it as much as I thought I would

 

[HuskylnSC]

I use Garmin s-10 watch and really enjoy it. Simple or yo can have extra functionality of tracking clubs, keeping score, etc. But I jut use it for ranges to front center and back

 

[Chin Diesel]

I’m of the school that most golfers should not be aiming at the flag. Get a pin sheet or quadrant number to understand where the flag is, front/middle/back, and play to that yardage.

But if you’re consistently accurate enough to hit to specific yardages then a rangefinder will help, especially for scoring clubs.

I have a Bushell Pro XE that has never let me down but regularly use front/middle/back yardages for difficult greens/shots. It’s $$$ though.

This. x10000.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I bought a Garmin S10 golf watch/band a few years ago. It works well most of the time, but GPS is finicky and heavy tree cover can interfere. Also, it requires that you remember to tell it when you complete the hole. Otherwise it thinks you are still on #3 when you are taking your second shot on #4. Pros: Fast, works everywhere on the course. Cons: gives you mid green distance (mostly), can be off, may lose track of where you are.

Got a Nikon rangefinder (20 year work anniversary gift) in July. Much slower to use than the GPS watch. You need to pull it out, line up the flag, hope the flag isn't on the green (group in front of you) or not visible (hills, dogleg). Sometimes it latches on to something other than the flag. Pros: accurate when clear line of sight to flag, nothing on wrist, simple. Cons: requires line of sight, can miss the flag, mine is small and so is shaky.

 

[EROCK CONN]

I’m of the school that most golfers should not be aiming at the flag. Get a pin sheet or quadrant number to understand where the flag is, front/middle/back, and play to that yardage.

But if you’re consistently accurate enough to hit to specific yardages then a rangefinder will help, especially for scoring clubs.

I have a Bushell Pro XE that has never let me down but regularly use front/middle/back yardages for difficult greens/shots. It’s $$$ though.

This is correct. I have a garmen which works great - never had an issue with it in four years. But when I’m playing, I still use my swing u gps app which gives approximate yardages to front middle back. You also want to always have a general idea where you are on the course. Rangefinder and GPS are great, but they’ll occasionally give you the wrong number — I’ve seen rangefinders hit something other than the pin and yardages be off by 10-20ish yards.

 

[Chin Diesel]

No problem with range finders but they should only need to be used a few times a round.
Very frustrating when a partner or group in front uses it every shot.

Most shot you need a front, middle, back distance for tee shots or approach shots. Figure out if you'd rather be long or short and figure out which club you need to do that.

Range finder does you no good on uphill or downhill shots unless you know how change of elevation will affect shot trajectory when it hits green.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I have a 10 year old Garmin Approach
Which still works.
In fact the durability of that device was the reason I went to a Garmin Vivo wearable plus at the time it was also the only one waterproof to 50m.
I don’t use its golf features seems a little weak.
Some guys Swore that the optical ones were a lot more accurate than the GPS style. The Garmin was certainly more user friendly and in AZ tree cover really isn’t an issue.

 

[ZenConn]

I've been using this for the past 3-4 years.

GX-4i2 Rangefinder | Leupold

 

[DonaldDraper]

Range finder does you no good on uphill or downhill shots unless you know how change of elevation will affect shot trajectory when it hits green.

This is an odd statement cause you need to judge slope and wind against something, like a number. To get that number you need a range finder of some sort. I agree that using pin distance for every shot is a bad idea but I shoot way more than pins with my gun.

I have an Approach S60 watch and a gun. My watch gets more use for front green (carry) numbers on a full iron shot. Inside 125 use the gun and watch to understand front green and pin #s. I use a push cart and find that the gun is quicker than a pin sheet.

Also when I’m playing a new course I use the gun a lot off the tee box to play distances that keep me out of trouble. There is no question that if I had to choose 1 I'd pick the gun over the watch every day. The watch works a lot better when you're in another fairway and can't shoot the stick because there are trees in the way, but I hope that isn't a frequent use case. Its also more casual and can calculate shot distances of your last shot. If you play the same course most of the time then the watch may be a more convenient path, but if you play a lot of different courses then you'll want the gun to help you off the tee when you don't know how far away the penalties are.

If you get a major brand it won’t treat you poorly and work OK. I got one of the Amazon range finders for 120 and the battery compartment corroded after a month, so it is a paperweight now.

Cost 250-300 and you bite the bullet but it’s money well spent if you play a reasonable amount. There are a lot of new features and shiny things, but the underlying technology is that you need to have a number and get used to how you use it. Having something factor in the slope may help or not depending on ball flight.

 

[HuskylnSC]

heavy tree cover can interfere.

Sorry, I can't comment on tree cover

 

[Yankees32123]

Save your money on a rangefinder. Use the app Hole 19. It has most courses in its database and uses GPS to give flag/green distance. I've compared it to buddies of mine with rangefinders, and it's just as good. Hole19 Golf GPS App

 

[UConnJim]

I find a range finder much better for me than GPS as I measure multiple things on a golf course, especially off the tee, and I don't have to scroll through multiple screens on a hole. Also, it can save time when you use the range finder to measure the distance to the group in from of you so you know when you can hit your shot safely. Besides, I don't like to wear a watch when I play golf.

 

[tentoes4rings]

I have a Garmin S20 which does what i need perfectly fine. With today’s technology, i think anyone not using a gps or rangefinder is doing their game a serious disservice. I say start with one of these for less than $200 and when your game warrants it, invest in something with more features.

 

[Zanzman]

Sounds like cheating to me just go and rip it every time

 

[Jaker]

What do you need a range finder for if you can't hit the green?