GPS vs Laser Rangefinder

[cristphoto]

I have a Bushnell gps watch and a Bushnell laser. I tend to use the laser more. I can measure anything where the gps only shows (at most) two items per hole.

[Fourputt]

I have a Bushnell gps watch and a Bushnell laser. I tend to use the laser more. I can measure anything where the gps only shows (at most) two items per hole.

You just stated why I would have no use for the watch.  It's simply too one dimensional.  It gives green distances and pretty much nothing else.  My Garmin Approach G5 gives me everything I need to play the entire hole.  I can get distance to front and back of all bunkers and hazards and trees, and then when I get within reach of the green, I can put the flag wherever the daily pin sheet or flag color says it is, and my distance will be within a yard or 2 of a laser.

I have owned 2 lasers in the past, the last one being a Bushnell Tour V2, and they were okay, but a full featured GPS is just as accurate for the typical golfer's purposes, and actually gives information that a laser can't touch.   Try shooting the near side of a water hazard or the near side of a bunker with one.  Or shooting over a hill.  I'll take my GPS any day.  No fees or subscriptions either.  Free course database updates quarterly.  If they don't have a course you want, just ask.  Find an error?  Just post on their website for a fix.

[billchao]

You just stated why I would have no use for the watch.  It's simply too one dimensional.  It gives green distances and pretty much nothing else.  My Garmin Approach G5 gives me everything I need to play the entire hole.  I can get distance to front and back of all bunkers and hazards and trees, and then when I get within reach of the green, I can put the flag wherever the daily pin sheet or flag color says it is, and my distance will be within a yard or 2 of a laser.   I have owned 2 lasers in the past, the last one being a Bushnell Tour V2, and they were okay, but a full featured GPS is just as accurate for the typical golfer's purposes, and actually gives information that a laser can't touch.   Try shooting the near side of a water hazard or the near side of a bunker with one.  Or shooting over a hill.  I'll take my GPS any day.  No fees or subscriptions either.  Free course database updates quarterly.  If they don't have a course you want, just ask.  Find an error?  Just post on their website for a fix.

That's awesome! I own a rangefinder and one of the reasons was that, at the time, GPS units didn't give you much information, unless you bought a premium one that requires a subscription. It's good to know that there's something out there that gives you additional features without fees. I'll have to look into the G5 more.

[Ferguson]

Re: GPS or RANGE FINDER My son and I want to buy one or the other. Any suggestions?

[dkolo]

Re: GPS or RANGE FINDER

My son and I want to buy one or the other.

Any suggestions?

I prefer GPS, but there are times I wish I had a laser. GPS is good when you don't have line of sight, and you can, depending on model, like the touchscreen I have, do things like figure out doglegs and layup. It also tends to be much cheaper. The Garmin G3 is what I have, and it can be had for about $100-150. Rechargeable batteries like eneloops are recommended.

[Lihu]

Re: GPS or RANGE FINDER

My son and I want to buy one or the other.

Any suggestions?

Rangefinder, but that's from someone who dead reckons everything.

[Yukari]

You can get free GPS apps for golf on your phone.  No need to buy one.

But I prefer a range finder.  I have one and it's a lot better than GPS to pick out distances to a particular target.

[Golfingdad]

I prefer GPS, but there are times I wish I had a laser. GPS is good when you don't have line of sight, and you can, depending on model, like the touchscreen I have, do things like figure out doglegs and layup. It also tends to be much cheaper. The Garmin G3 is what I have, and it can be had for about $100-150. Rechargeable batteries like eneloops are recommended

LOL, and I'm the exact opposite.  I prefer a laser (have a Leupold Gxi-1 and love it) but there are times when I wish I had a GPS.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either.  They're both very helpful.

[saevel25]

LOL, and I'm the exact opposite.  I prefer a laser (have a Leupold Gxi-1 and love it) but there are times when I wish I had a GPS.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either.  They're both very helpful.

Same Here,

The only time I have trouble with the laser is when a tee shot goes way off course on a course that is very hilly. Then you have to do some hiking, shoot a point and pace off. Still, I prefer a laser just because I can get distances to anything on the course. I've had GPS before and half the bunkers on a course wouldn't even be marked.

I would say 95% of the time Laser is the way to go.

[mad max]

I have said this before but i think for higher HC's gps is the way to go.  If you chunk a shot that goes 30 yards are you really going to reshoot your target?  Will you be comfortable lasering from 240 out knowing you will be lucky to get within 40 yards of the green?  You can look at gps discreetly.

Its all personal preference but i like gps but 5 yards doesn't matter to me.  As others have said you can try gps with your phone for free and see how it works for you.  To each their own but thats my 2 cents.

[dkolo]

LOL, and I'm the exact opposite.  I prefer a laser (have a Leupold Gxi-1 and love it) but there are times when I wish I had a GPS. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either.  They're both very helpful.

He should get a laser / GPS combo then haha I like about the GPS that I keep it in my push cart and just glance at it for the yardage. If the pin is out on an approach while the group ahead putts, you're guesstimating while you're waiting instead of knowing, so that's one advantage I think. Having a laser that did slope would be huge though. My courses are very hilly and clubbing is an issue

[Ferguson]

thank you for the enormous amount of information from a previous thread. LASER it is.

[jamesdav12]

Greetings all,

So.....Rangefinder or GPS?

Now that I am actually thinking about purchasing one, I'm kinda stuck.

Check these tech specs out and tell me what you think

http://amzn.to/2j3Bwou

or 

http://amzn.to/2iUO989

Thanks!!

 

[b101]

To be honest, I've always used my Bushnell Neo XS watch and never really felt the need for anything more. My club has pin positions, so you can work out a pretty close yardage and it's always within a yard of every yardage marker on a sprinkler head. I know a lot of better players prefer the range finder for perfect yardages, but I doubt I'd get any more out of it than my watch. Depends what you want though and whether the visuals of the GPS you're looking at are a big draw. 

[woodzie264]

4 hours ago, jamesdav12 said:

Greetings all,

So.....Rangefinder or GPS?

Now that I am actually thinking about purchasing one, I'm kinda stuck.

 

Several good threads on this already. Rather than reinventing the wheel, go to the search bar and type it in. There are a lot of responses that you can already read regarding the merits of each without waiting on new responses  to this thread.

[WUTiger]

I have ended up with both.

Got Callaway Razr rangefinder a couple of years ago. It's useful for ranging clubs and course-measurement shots when working with USGA course ratings team.  Also, it's useful if the greens crew seriously moves the tee boxes on a hole to see how far you have to hit a certain spot in fairway.

At Thanksgiving, I got a Garmin Approach S2 GPS watch. I'll be using this for most on-course play: You wear it on your wrist, don't have to carry it, and back-middle-front distance to green is all I need for most rounds. The S2 has been around awhile, has all the basic features one needs, and lately has been selling for under $100.

[Denny Bang Bang]

Well, since this has been bumped, I'll share my two cents (the perspective may have already been shared, but I didn't take the time to read every post).

I have owned both, and find different advantages to each.  The laser is nice because it pretty much always works as long as the battery is charged, it is more accurate, and no need to worry if the flags are not colored correctly (pin placement colors) for some reason.  The GPS is nice because you can see the hole layout, hazards, etc. that you might otherwise be blind to... especially on a course you're not familiar with.  Although not as accurate as a laser, I'm not really concerned with +/- 2 yards variance.

My laser (Leupold GX-3i) was nice, but when it was stolen I replaced it with a much cheaper Garmin G6.

[Single Length Irons Guy]

On 1/8/2017 at 10:04 PM, Denny Bang Bang said:

Well, since this has been bumped, I'll share my two cents (the perspective may have already been shared, but I didn't take the time to read every post).

I have owned both, and find different advantages to each.  The laser is nice because it pretty much always works as long as the battery is charged, it is more accurate, and no need to worry if the flags are not colored correctly (pin placement colors) for some reason.  The GPS is nice because you can see the hole layout, hazards, etc. that you might otherwise be blind to... especially on a course you're not familiar with.  Although not as accurate as a laser, I'm not really concerned with +/- 2 yards variance.

My laser (Leupold GX-3i) was nice, but when it was stolen I replaced it with a much cheaper Garmin G6.

Since you've owned both a more expensive and a less expensive laser unit, do you think that it makes sense to invest in a more expensive unit or do the cheaper units work just as well?