Is there such a thing as a cheap laser rangefinder?

I think in this case you get what you pay for. Maybe you can snag one on Ebay. I bought my Bushnell V2 about 2 years ago for $299 so it has cost me about 41 cents a day. I have to say that it was the best golf purchase that I have ever made and has saved me more strokes than any driver, putter, or hybrid.

Those are probably "scopes." They're just a monocular that has lines a specified distance apart, and you estimate the distance based on the perceived size of the flagstick. I'd doubt you could find a $50 laser.

This. They work under the assumption that a flag is 7 feet high. They are far from accurate, and do not read distances in any way aside from lining up the marks.

Scopes are worthless. Put a dollar a day in a jar and before you know it, hello range finder.

Define cheap; Or do you mean inexpensive (define that, too)?

I meant inexpensive, as in less than a pair of shoes.

Thanks for all the replies guys, for now I think I'll stick with the gps on my phone and be on the lookout for good sales on quality rangefinders

Funny story about flag height......

A couple rounds into my comeback to the game, my third shot into a par five sits inside the 100 yard marker by about 10-15 yards. Looking at the green though made it look farther away so I choke down on a PW playing it at about 100 yards. I flew the green and into the woods. I get to the green and stomp passed the flag only to see it's about 5' tall. Threw off my perception really bad. I'll never trust that the flags are standard again.

To answer the OP, no. You might be able to get lucky enough to get one cheap on eBay or something like that but under $50, I doubt it. I picked up my Leopold GX-I for $200 on eBay (new, in box) right after Christmas and feel like I got a great deal ($299 in stores). They aren't cheap by any means but it is worth the money in my opinion.

I'm looking to purchase a range aid device, however, I can't decide whether to purchase a laser ranger finder or one of the mapping devices such as sky caddie. Any suggestions or comments?

ebay or craigslist. Maybe a pawn shop?

Personally, I prefer my laser over any GPS... I very rarely need to know a distance to something I can't see and I know that it's accurate and fast. GPS rangefinders can be a bit more inaccurate and that could cause you to pull a wrong club, but they give the advantage of having distances to many different targets at a single glance.

Laser.... Super accurate and fast. Also can zap yardage to most things a mapping device would tell you.

Thoughts on the Bushnell V2 vs. the Bushnell Medalist?  Or general impressions of either model in general?   Thank you

I have the Bushnell Tour V2....it is excellent. Fits in one hand, reading yardage takes less than a second, etc. Highly recommend. Haven't seen or used the Medalist....although I know it's a two-handed operation and slightly larger. The Tour Z6 is supposed to be pretty slick as well.

I never thought of a pawn shop, but if you call around you could probably find one and try it out before you bought it.