COMMUNITY

I'd also be interested if people have done any comparisons between the pin range finders (Bushnell) vs. the golf-specific GPS devices (Garmin watches, etc) vs. the phone apps that use phone GPS capabilities.

I'm using an iPhone app called Swing by Swing and it's pretty good. Overall, I find that courses are marked well enough for my level of game that I am usually close enough with my guess to pick the correct club. My app is mainly for recording the shots played (it tracks yardages of each club). But as I improve and hopefully play other new courses, I think having good yardage to the flag/bunkers/doglegs/etc would be helpful. For some reason, the watches appeal to me most since they are the least intrusive on your game. Do they work well?

Randy

I currently use a Bushnell 450 and it is ok but it will probably go with my hunting gear later this year. I have really come to like the V2s and the pin seeker feature that they have. It makes it so much easier to hit my desired target and get my yardage.

I have a Leupold GX-2. It is very small and can easily fit in the palm of your hand. It also calculates the distance while taking the elevation into consideration. This feature is illegal for tournament play but can be turned off. The bad news is it is expensive.

I have a Leupold GX-1. I love it, and couldn't live without it. It is small easily fits in my pocket. If you look on eBay and are patient, you can find good prices. I think I paid $200 for mine. If your courses pins have the prisms you will get an audible feedback (beeps). It does not calculate slope so it is conforming. Which is important if you want to use it for any official rounds. Range finder with that feature are prohibited even if you can turn them off.

I have the original Bushnell pin seeker. I really like it. Still going strong after 4+ years.

I have the same one as Tim, the Leopold GX1. I would not be without it. I have found at many times that the measurements in the fairways can be of as much as 10 yards off yet the GX1 is always within 1 yard. I have several friends with the GX1 and we are always identical in distances. They do conform to tournament standards. One warning, get ready for everyone golfing with you that does not have one to be asking for measurements on their shots. I got mine on sale brand new through Amazon for $223 two years ago. Batteries last a long time (second season on current battery), but are pricey to buy.

http://www.amazon.com/Leupold-..

I have a Bushnell GPS watch. $150 for it new on E Bay. I wouldn't golf without it! Love it, simple and easy operation. Distance to front, middle and rear of green. It's a great product. and I don't have to set anything down or put it my bag or in the cart! Just look down and swing.

I have the same watch. I totally agree with you . I couldn't see playing without it now that I'm used to it.
One BIG problem though. Here it is. Most courses use flagsticks colored red-white-yellow, or blue, to indicate front-middle-back. Most courses on their scorecards have a graphic that shows the greens of each hole numbered, and they post "Today's pin location".
Some courses have none of the above. I have been playing Inverrary lately. a very nice course. Has a lot of history. But, all the flags are yellow. Nothing on the scorecard to indicate pin position. and the flags are not in sequence, front, middle, back, repeat...., like a lot of courses. and here is the kicker, the greens are as such that you can't always see the base of the flagstick from your approach. so you have NO clue where the flag is. the GPS system in the carts is wrong on at least half of the holes. It literally costs you 4-5 strokes a round because you have no clue what club to hit into the greens.
This is where a Rangefinder would pay for itself! I love my Garmin watch, but I am either going to buy a Rangefinder to add to it, or I am going to pack a pair of small binoculars in my golf bag just for when I play Inverrary.

Let's start at the top and work our way down. You mentioned three major categories of products. So, here is how I see them at the category level based on my experience and what many people here have said.

RANGE FINDERS
- Advocates love the simplicity. Point and shoot. Some models can readily shoot just about any line-of-sight target.
- The negatives are the cost, you can't get distances to things you can see because of a hill or other obstructions, and you won't get other features available in the other two categories.
- Price: Low to mid three figures

GPS SMARTPHONE APPS
- Free to low cost apps with tons of features, distances to all manner of course features, graphic and satalite maps, scoring and stat options, and more. If you don't like something about the app you are using it is easy and inexpensive to switch
- The negatives are because it depends on and must run on a smartphone, it must fit a wide variety of display sizes and formats, not all smartphones have the display brightness necessary for outdoor viewing or the display size to make everything readable, and battery life is often an issue. Accuracy may also suffer as many of the courses are user mapped, or based on the variable accuracy of the devices and software in this class.
- Price: Free to under $20

GPS DEVICES
- We're talking dedicated devices here. Today people choose them because they don't own a smartphone, like the idea of a dedicated app, and/or want more than the point and shoot distance informaiton provided by a rangefinder.
- They ruled until the smartphone apps and latest generation rangefinders came out. Recently their marketshare has dropped dramatically.
- Price: Low to mid three figures, plus some require an annual subscription service in two figures.

They are all just as good as the other. I have a Red Hot Laser Link, One guy I play with has the wrist watch Golf Buddy thing, another a Bushnell, Another a GPS. They are all within 2-3 yards of each other. Some have features the others don't. Some laser's can zoom in on the flag, some GPS's can give you distance to carry something. I have never had a problem hitting flags and I can hit hazards with mine. Tree on the other side of bunker? Hit the tree there is your carry. Hit the back side of the pond, there is your carry. The only advantage I have found is when I have a obstruction blocking my line of site to the pin. I may have to step out a few yards or or squat down to shoot under a tree in order to get a clear line to the pin.

Thank all of you for your comments. Now I can go into this without appearing to be a complete klutz. Thanks again. I know the pone app is out for me. I do not like to fool with my phone at the course, besides the screen is not easy to read in the bright sunlight.

I have all of those mentioned above, but actually use my Garmin wrist GPS. So does my wife and her women friends also. The lasers and membership things stay home. We have golfed with another couple and all 4 of us have GPS wrist watches. The girls wear white ones, the guys wear the black ones. It does everything you need, both on and off the course. It gives accurate distance to front, middle, and back of the greens, whether you have line-of-sight or not. For walking or jogging, it will measure your distance traveled. On the course it will measure the distance you hit it. Just set it to zero and walk to your ball. Also nice if you hit your drive into the deep rough--IF you know about how far your typical shot goes, go to that distance out, look down, and there it is!

It is also an extremely accurate digital watch.

And they are getting cheaper as more and more are out there.

Larry

Thanks for the comments, everyone (Mark- great comparison). Much appreciated! If my season goes well and my game becomes worthy of such technology, I may invest in one of these options!