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Do you use a rangefinder?


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75 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you use a rangefinder?

    • Yes
      31
    • No
      38


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There is no need to pace anything off. I know before I even walk up to the ball which club I am using.

Perhaps that contributes to you being a 20 handicap? Not actually knowing how far your clubs go, just guessing. Maybe a bit more certainty could help your game, but I guess some people like to have their pride, even though all their arguments are wrong.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
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oh yeah balls do not always travel the same distance with the same club and swing. It also depends on the weather and the condition of the course. Golf is not a science and should be played that way.

The pros don't use all these gadgets. I doubt they would even if they could!!

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Pro's don't because they can't. Though their caddies do use range finders to set up their yardage books. It is a completely different scenario. Also the USGA recently allowed the use of range finders for amateur events. So you are wrong once again.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

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I have played golf for over 20 years. I am not a pro or close to

Scratch but I do know one thing. It does not take a gadget to see figure how far it is to the flag. It's pretty obvious that if your drive is 200 yards on a 375 yard hole you still have 175 yards left.


First of all, how do you know you hit it 200 yards? Secondly, how do you know the tee position was at that location? Thirdly, how do you know you hit the ball in a straight line according to how the hole was measured up?


Professionals and their caddies got all the necessary distances written down. They can use any gadget they want when mapping out a course before a tournament.


It's fine that you don't want to use a rangefinder, but what you're posting here must be either trolling or severe ignorance.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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Knowing how far I hit my clubs doesn't matter what club I use. It's the lie, the weather and course conditions that determine which club to use. If I hit my wedge 100 yards in good weather from the fairway then that's what I use from 100 yards. If I have a 25 mile wind in my face I might use an easy 8.
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If you are a 20 handicap, I can understand that it doesn't make much of a difference.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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I find them useful for determining how far away the beer cart is ... As secondary use, I use them to determine distance to a flag or object ... Which that little bit of "411" is handy in this game of golf ... On occasion that is :-D

Ken Proud member of the iSuk Golf Association ... Sponsored by roofing companies across the US, Canada, and the UK

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Quote:

Originally Posted by rnotestine

I have played golf for over 20 years. I am not a pro or close to

Scratch but I do know one thing. It does not take a gadget to see figure how far it is to the flag. It's pretty obvious that if your drive is 200 yards on a 375 yard hole you still have 175 yards left.

oh yeah balls do not always travel the same distance with the same club and swing. It also depends on the weather and the condition of the course. Golf is not a science and should be played that way. The pros don't use all these gadgets. I doubt they would even if they could!!

Really?  And just where did you get that idea?  How do you think they make up those yardage book that they use?  The caddie walks the course, usually in the morning on Monday of tournament week, and he uses the best rangefinder on the market.  He generally uses one that also measures slope, when would be prohibited during play iven if the Tour allowed it.  All of the information that he gets is marked in the book.  Even then, since they aren't allowed to use them during play, they have to walk off the yardage from the nearest point that they measured.  Then they stand there and look at the book, look at the breeze, look at the lie, discuss 3 or 4 options, and finally pick a club.  When I do it, I get to my ball, look at my GPS grab a club and hit.  I'm probably 30 seconds to a minute per shot faster than the typical Tour pro.

And by the way, I've been playing for 40 years and I still find a GPS useful.  So get off your high horse and use some sense.

Knowing how far I hit my clubs doesn't matter what club I use. It's the lie, the weather and course conditions that determine which club to use. If I hit my wedge 100 yards in good weather from the fairway then that's what I use from 100 yards. If I have a 25 mile wind in my face I might use an easy 8.

Me too, but I know that I actually have 100 yards, I'm not just guessing.  Using the card yardage to figure your distances is perhaps the worst way I know to get accurate numbers.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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I don't use a rangefinder and I don't like the people I play with who do giving me numbers for my shots. I don't pace off yardages, either.

I don't like to get caught up in precise numbers. I like to take an estimate from a landmark, take the other environmental factors into consideration and then grab the club that the shot "looks" or "feels" like.

Does that approach cost me strokes? I don't know for sure, but I don't think so. Either way, I'm not changing. It's the way I like to play.

John

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Knowing how far I hit my clubs doesn't matter what club I use. It's the lie, the weather and course conditions that determine which club to use. If I hit my wedge 100 yards in good weather from the fairway then that's what I use from 100 yards. If I have a 25 mile wind in my face I might use an easy 8.

But you have to know how far you hit your clubs in good conditions before you can factor in the weather and come to a decision, so it is important to know how far you hit it even if it's not a precise average down to the tenth of a yard. I myself use a laser and find it more helpful to me than a gps. My reasoning is that a gps will usually just tell you the distance to the front of a lake, or to the center of a green. With my laser I can tell you the distance to the pin, the distance to carry that bunker off the tee, the distance to a certain layup that gives you a good angle, the distance to a certain tree you might want to hit over etc. It's jus nice because it means you can have the distance to anything instead of a pre-set number of locations. Plus, you can use it for hunting if that's your cup of tea (they're the same as the hunting rangefinders minus the camo paintjob). I feel as though knowing your distances is important for everyone, but a laser rangefinder isn't neccesarily the way for everyone to do it. Different budgets and preferences necessitate different methods, but I feel that the laser is one of the most precise ways to do it.

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Ranger finders are still worthless.

Maybe we have different definitions of the word "worthless?" [quote name="rnotestine" url="/t/55765/do-you-use-a-rangefinder/30#post_1012895"] If you can't play golf without one I feel sorry for you.[/quote] I use a Bushnell Tour V2 when I play, but I can, have, and used to play without one. It's not like I was wandering around the course aimlessly.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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But you have to know how far you hit your clubs in good conditions before you can factor in the weather and come to a decision, so it is important to know how far you hit it even if it's not a precise average down to the tenth of a yard.

I myself use a laser and find it more helpful to me than a gps. My reasoning is that a gps will usually just tell you the distance to the front of a lake, or to the center of a green. With my laser I can tell you the distance to the pin, the distance to carry that bunker off the tee, the distance to a certain layup that gives you a good angle, the distance to a certain tree you might want to hit over etc. It's jus nice because it means you can have the distance to anything instead of a pre-set number of locations. Plus, you can use it for hunting if that's your cup of tea (they're the same as the hunting rangefinders minus the camo paintjob).

I feel as though knowing your distances is important for everyone, but a laser rangefinder isn't neccesarily the way for everyone to do it. Different budgets and preferences necessitate different methods, but I feel that the laser is one of the most precise ways to do it.

Yep 100% agree with this. Even when I use to pace off everything, I would then factor in things like wind, elevation changes, and lie conditions. I still needed a number so I know what range of clubs I need to choose from. If that means clubbing up two clubs if there is wind, or if I want to hit a more controlled lower shot to a tighter green. Maybe I need to club down and hit it harder to get some elevation to land a ball softer on the green. In the end I still need a number.

Also another point is courses can trick a person. If a person played Kittyhawk in Dayton and just tried to visually find out the distance, I would say they would end up short of the green on majority of their shots. They have very high faced bunkers that sit further away from the green than typical bunkers. They make shots look about 15 yards less than they are because you are visually seeing the bunker rather than the green. You actually might see part of the green, but not the rough that sits between the bunker and the green. So a rangefinder would be more beneficial in situations were course design can trick the eye.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

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Quote:

Originally Posted by rnotestine

Knowing how far I hit my clubs doesn't matter what club I use. It's the lie, the weather and course conditions that determine which club to use. If I hit my wedge 100 yards in good weather from the fairway then that's what I use from 100 yards. If I have a 25 mile wind in my face I might use an easy 8.

But you have to know how far you hit your clubs in good conditions before you can factor in the weather and come to a decision, so it is important to know how far you hit it even if it's not a precise average down to the tenth of a yard.

I myself use a laser and find it more helpful to me than a gps. My reasoning is that a gps will usually just tell you the distance to the front of a lake, or to the center of a green. With my laser I can tell you the distance to the pin, the distance to carry that bunker off the tee, the distance to a certain layup that gives you a good angle, the distance to a certain tree you might want to hit over etc. It's jus nice because it means you can have the distance to anything instead of a pre-set number of locations. Plus, you can use it for hunting if that's your cup of tea (they're the same as the hunting rangefinders minus the camo paintjob).

I feel as though knowing your distances is important for everyone, but a laser rangefinder isn't neccesarily the way for everyone to do it. Different budgets and preferences necessitate different methods, but I feel that the laser is one of the most precise ways to do it.

Just a quick comment.  Everything you say  a GPS can't do as well as a laser, my GPS can do, and better, because it can do it when I don't have line of sight to the target.  I can get dead on numbers for every significant feature on the hole from any point.  My GPS has a target that I can drag to any point on the hole to get not only the distance from me to the target, but also from the target to the hole to plan for the next shot, and I can place the hole anywhere on the green, using the pin locator that most courses supply.  It's only the basic GPS units that only give front, middle, back green distances.  I would agree with you on those as being quite useless to me.

Also a golf laser isn't usually the best choice for hunting because it's designed to pick the flagstick from a cluttered background by locking on the closest thing it sees.  That means that it will lock on a branch or the like that's between you and the animal and give you a false reading.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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Just a quick comment.  Everything you say  a GPS can't do as well as a laser, my GPS can do, and better, because it can do it when I don't have line of sight to the target.  I can get dead on numbers for every significant feature on the hole from any point.  My GPS has a target that I can drag to any point on the hole to get not only the distance from me to the target, but also from the target to the hole to plan for the next shot, and I can place the hole anywhere on the green, using the pin locator that most courses supply.  It's only the basic GPS units that only give front, middle, back green distances.  I would agree with you on those as being quite useless to me.

Also a golf laser isn't usually the best choice for hunting because it's designed to pick the flagstick from a cluttered background by locking on the closest thing it sees.  That means that it will lock on a branch or the like that's between you and the animal and give you a false reading.

That is true, I find that an issue with rangefinders, but I find no issue in moving slightly left or right to pick out a number. Rarely do you find yourself in a scenario were you have a totally blind shot due to elevation, but if you are in the woods, then exact numbers might not matter for any shot. Advancing the ball as far as possible would be the correct choice. I think both have their advantages, I prefer lasers because I can do the measurements myself.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

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Just a quick comment.  Everything you say  a GPS can't do as well as a laser, my GPS can do, and better, because it can do it when I don't have line of sight to the target.  I can get dead on numbers for every significant feature on the hole from any point.  My GPS has a target that I can drag to any point on the hole to get not only the distance from me to the target, but also from the target to the hole to plan for the next shot, and I can place the hole anywhere on the green, using the pin locator that most courses supply.  It's only the basic GPS units that only give front, middle, back green distances.  I would agree with you on those as being quite useless to me. Also a golf laser isn't usually the best choice for hunting because it's designed to pick the flagstick from a cluttered background by locking on the closest thing it sees.  That means that it will lock on a branch or the like that's between you and the animal and give you a false reading.

Hunting lasers have the same software in them, minus the "pin seeker" setting which just strobes back and forth to find something thin to lock onto. At least with the bushnell ones, once you take it off the pin setting it will go to a solid object or piece of terrain more frequently than any branches in between, at least for me. Also, I didn't know that any GPSes besides those housed in a cart really gave you the option to drag and drop your target. I could see that making them much more useful to me if I hadn't already purchased a laser. The gps my grandpa had was one of the older sky caddies that showed center green distances and distances to lakes and some hazards only, so that I know probably biased my response. Also, it's fun to say "I can laser that for you" to a playing partner just for the mental image that you can picture. To each his own.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Just a quick comment.  Everything you say  a GPS can't do as well as a laser, my GPS can do, and better, because it can do it when I don't have line of sight to the target.  I can get dead on numbers for every significant feature on the hole from any point.  My GPS has a target that I can drag to any point on the hole to get not only the distance from me to the target, but also from the target to the hole to plan for the next shot, and I can place the hole anywhere on the green, using the pin locator that most courses supply.  It's only the basic GPS units that only give front, middle, back green distances.  I would agree with you on those as being quite useless to me.

Also a golf laser isn't usually the best choice for hunting because it's designed to pick the flagstick from a cluttered background by locking on the closest thing it sees.  That means that it will lock on a branch or the like that's between you and the animal and give you a false reading.

Hunting lasers have the same software in them, minus the "pin seeker" setting which just strobes back and forth to find something thin to lock onto. At least with the bushnell ones, once you take it off the pin setting it will go to a solid object or piece of terrain more frequently than any branches in between, at least for me.

Also, I didn't know that any GPSes besides those housed in a cart really gave you the option to drag and drop your target. I could see that making them much more useful to me if I hadn't already purchased a laser. The gps my grandpa had was one of the older sky caddies that showed center green distances and distances to lakes and some hazards only, so that I know probably biased my response. Also, it's fun to say "I can laser that for you" to a playing partner just for the mental image that you can picture. To each his own.

The one thing that a laser doesn't do that a short knocker like me finds very valuable is finding the distance to the near side of a bunker or hazard.  For me, distance to carry is often not as important to know as distance to hit.  It's rare that there is a surface that you can bounce a laser off of that will give you that information.  Most modern handheld GPS rangefinders will do that, whether with software programmed waypoints or with a movable target like my Garmin has.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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The one thing that a laser doesn't do that a short knocker like me finds very valuable is finding the distance to the near side of a bunker or hazard.  For me, distance to carry is often not as important to know as distance to hit.  It's rare that there is a surface that you can bounce a laser off of that will give you that information.  Most modern handheld GPS rangefinders will do that, whether with software programmed waypoints or with a movable target like my Garmin has.

Yeah ... 'cept that isn't exclusive to short knockers. ;)  I like having a laser, but I see the virtues of both.  When I play with my brother (who has a skycaddie) or on courses with GPS in the cart, I am consulting them often - for exactly the reason you describe.

Neither is better or worse, they are both very useful in slightly different ways.

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