Choosing Between GPS and Rangefinder – What's Better for a New Golfer?

[BogeyMan7]

Hey everyone!
I’m a fairly new golfer—been playing for about a year now—and I’ve been trying to figure out what works best for me on the course. Just curious: do you find yourself using a GPS or a rangefinder more often?

I’ve noticed both have their pros and cons. GPS seems super convenient, especially for quick yardages and hole overviews, but rangefinders feel more precise when it comes to dialing in distances to the pin or hazards.

Would love to hear what others prefer and why!  #GreenSideTalk

[Shindig]

If I had to choose, I'd get a rangefinder.  However, I caution you, as a fairly new golfer, you should take care to prioritize getting on the green on approach shots;  a 40 foot putt is preferable to almost any chip or pitch.  

I'm also a bit worried lately that my GPS isn't accurate on every course, and I trust its distances a bit less lately.  If I trusted it, I'd probably prefer it for every shot outside of 80 yards or so (and for many within 80 yards).   It also has a nice feature where I can see the distance from my last shot -- useful if I hit my tee shot a bit into the rough, as I can prioritize looking for it about my typical distance from the tee instead. 

[dennyjones]

If I had to choose, (I don't, I have both), I'd definitely choose a GPS.   You can get a free version on your phone for a trial to see if you like it.  Most GPS apps have most courses mapped and are fairly accurate for most golfers.

It's nice to walk up to your ball and know it's in the area +/- a free yards.  Most GPS apps will give not only distances front/center/back but also to most hazards. 

Before you buy a range finder (notice I didn't say don't), test a good GPS like 18 birdies or another that has a free option.  

[iacas]

Ooh, I go rangefinder (laser) every time. Not a big GPS guy. Too inaccurate, too tough to get the yardage to "that tree" or "the back lip of that bunker" or the flag or shoot backward to the tee sign, etc.

[saevel25]

If I need GPS, I just pull my phone out. I prefer a range finder. I would say I use a rangefinder 99% of the time. There are some niche cases, like if you have no clear sight of the green, and walking to the point to get a line of sight would be unreasonable. 

Rangefinder is way more versatile. Let's say you are in the trees, no shot at the green, and you need to pitch out back into the fairway. You can hit a tree through the fairway to make sure you don't hit it too far. 

[boogielicious]

Rangefinder. GPS doesn’t do a lot of on course obstacles and hazards well enough. If you want to know how much to carry the pond, the rangefinder will do it.

[Ty_Webb]

I generally play with both. The combination can be useful if you can't see the bottom of the flag, because you can get front of green yardage off the gps and the flag off the laser, then the difference tells you how much room there is in front. That said, for a relative newcomer to the sport, I would probably suggest sticking with the gps, picking off the back of the green yardage and hitting to that. You're going to miss short a whole heap more than you miss long and now those short misses are going to wind up on the green. The better you get the more useful the specific yardage becomes. 

As others noted, you can get gps on your phone for free and lasers can be had pretty inexpensively these days, so I'd get both since both have their uses.

[TN94z]

Laser range finder hands down for me. I've tried GPS and just didn't seem that great for the same reasons @iacas mentioned. I like shooting objects rather than just getting a distance. I also find it very valuable on the range for my practice sessions.  With the variance of range yardages day to day (on the courses I play anyway), you cannot trust the designated yardage signs that they post and never change.  And I pitch around in the yard as well and like shooting a distance for consistency. 

[woodzie264]

Laser better, GPS as backup when the laser battery is low.  Sometimes I can’t hit the broad side of the barn with the laser, much less that fly blowing in the wind. GPS is good to have with you

[Shindig]

19 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Rangefinder is way more versatile. Let's say you are in the trees, no shot at the green, and you need to pitch out back into the fairway. You can hit a tree through the fairway to make sure you don't hit it too far. 

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who does this!  I get asked a lot when I pull out a rangefinder for a pitch back to the fairway what I'm doing with my laser.  I was starting to think no one else figured out this use case!

[RickK]

I have both but if I needed to choose one or the other, I would go with GPS.  My reasoning...I play a lot of different courses during the year.  If pins are set front/middle/back, a GPS will generally give you fairly accurate distances.  As a new golfer, you would be better served playing to the middle of the green and not trying to go pin hunting until you have your distances down pretty good.  The main reason I like GPS on courses I have either never played or play infrequently is I like to know the distance to the very back of the green.  In most cases, you can usually see what is right in front of you between you and the green.  You do not always know what over the green is going to be like.  

Now, all that said, when I play my home course, I rarely use my GPS.  I know where the trouble is all too well.  I know what lies beyond the greens, I know the distances I hit my clubs (most of the time) so familiarity with the course is why I use my rangefinder.  

Edited October 4 by RickK

[billchao]

I mostly use a rangefinder and occasionally the gps from the GHIN app. Using a rangefinder well is a bit of a skill but worth developing. The GPS only matters when the laser can’t shoot through trees or something.

On 10/3/2025 at 5:19 PM, woodzie264 said:

GPS as backup when the laser battery is low

I carry a spare battery.

[Ty_Webb]

4 hours ago, billchao said:

I mostly use a rangefinder and occasionally the gps from the GHIN app. Using a rangefinder well is a bit of a skill but worth developing. The GPS only matters when the laser can’t shoot through trees or something.

I carry a spare battery.

Light drizzle and fog can also cause problems with the laser.

[billchao]

3 hours ago, Ty_Webb said:

Light drizzle and fog can also cause problems with the laser.

Yup both true.

[GolfLug]

Download one of them free GPS apps like Golfshot or 18birdies (which I have.. works great, uses very little phone battery compared to a dedicated $$$ GPS unit). You can upgrade to a membership if you want more fancy features that most golfers do fine without. In my experience the free version does the job and I have been playing for 20+ years. Like any GPS you can run into an occasional issue. Eventually get you a $200 rangefinder once you decide you want to become a more serious golfer. 

[Darkfrog]

I carry both, but default to my GPS watch most often, because I am lazy and looking at the watch is fast and gives me the information I need most of the time.

For courses with large, irregular greens, I pull out the rangefinder since F/M/B yardages on the GPS are not always useful.

If I want to know an exact distance to an object/hazard, I use the rangefinder.

If there is a group in the fairway and I want to make sure I am not coming close to hitting into anyone, I'll laser the person or cart closest to me.

[ChetlovesMer]

I like Shotscope a lot and I use either the little do-dad on my hip or the watch for much of the majority of my needs. I do like the range finder on par 3's. And on shots inside 100, for punching out, etc... 

If I was going to suggest one or the other to somebody brand new to golf, I'd suggest GPS. Simply because there are so many free aps out there. If you know you are going to really "get into" golf, then of course, get a range finder. 

[BirdsAndEagles]

If you're new, use your phone's GPS and invest your money from the rangefinder into a lesson or two.