Played golf for 12 years without a range finder and was fine. Just recently started playing with a coworker who has a Bushnell laser range finder. It is awesome. Dont have to drive or walk all over looking for yardage markers, overall just seems like a useful item. Everyone i have talked to since that has one says they will never go without.

My question to you.... Is it worth paying the big bucks the first time for a Bushnell or Leupold which start at $275 and go up to $500? At that price point, it seems like a tough pill to swallow regardless of the convenience. Or do you think a more affordable version would suffice? For example, a "Breaking 80" range finder is $160 and Leupold just came out with a model called the PinCaddie 2 which runs you $199 at Dicks.

4/14/2015 12:16:41 PM

I don't play with one, however, I did research them to get my dad one for Father's Day a while back.

Here's what I learned, though I don't intend to represent it as encompassing.

Essentially, there are two kinds. Cheaper versions will use a laser to deliver distance readings just like expensive ones will. Perhaps the laser is more powerful ina more expensive version, but functionally, they do the same thing. The more expensive models, however, will also account for elevation, which is something the cheaper ones will not do. I don't really understand the "how" of that technology, but that seemed to be the preponderance of the price diff between the good ones and the cheap ones.

4/14/2015 12:23:18 PM

True. For this scenario, I will say that I am not looking at ones that account for slope. For this comparison, my question was really around the fact that there are Bushnell and other top name brands that sell their NON-slope versions for $275-350 and then there are those other brands that sell the same technology for $150-200. Just trying to justify whether or not it is worth the extra $100 for proven name brand.

4/14/2015 12:32:06 PM

cheaters

4/14/2015 1:18:18 PM

I have a non slope. I think its legal to have the non sloped in play, but not legal is they have slope (correct me if I am wrong). I am not a good golfer, but I am a true try hard. I really like mine. But my boss got a Garmin GPS watch which I suspect is a LOT better. You won't have the exact yardage to the stick, but yardage to the front/center/back. The problem with scopes is they are EASILY lost. You have to make sure to put it back each time you use it.

4/14/2015 1:57:28 PM

[quote]cheaters

4/14/2015 1:18:18 PM


Haha, yes I have gotten that a couple times. At least give me a shot at defending myself. I currently reside in Birmingham, AL. They're are generally 2 classifications of golf courses here. High end pristine courses that will run you $70+ and the "poor mans courses" which run you $15-20. The problem is the 2 or 3 "poor man courses" near my house that i enjoy playing to get a quick round in have very few to no yardage markers at all.

Fantastic courses here especially the Robert Trent Jones trail. Just looking for a reliable solution when playing the goat tracks. Pretty sure even Magellan couldnt get the yardage right on some of these courses

4/14/2015 2:53:10 PM

Aren't there golf apps that have course layouts built in where you can just indicate the location of the pin and then get yardage from the GPS?

4/14/2015 5:18:59 PM

Yup

thats what i use, its not as exact but unless you are PGA level the difference in 2 yards isn't going to matter.



I use Swing x Swing

4/15/2015 9:07:35 PM

I use a hunting range finder on the golf course (I think it was $70), and it works fine. You learn to take multiple readings, and verify readings by using trees and other markers. Mine just tells me distance, and that works great for me. It is awesome never having to find a yardage marker. You can also shoot to get an idea of distance to water, distance over water, distance to front of green, etc.

I've used the more expensive ones, and as far as I can tell, they can utilize the reflective parts they put in the pin so it is a little easier to find the pin. When I was doing my research I read a rumor that hunting laser finders are use a different type of beam to account for shooting through leaves and brush, but if that is true I haven't found it to impact its use for golf.

4/17/2015 8:11:39 AM