RANGEFINDER-- Yay or Nay?

[mcdanrl]

I've been looking into whether a range finder would be beneficial to my game or not. Can anyone tell me if they are worth the $200 bucks or so? And is there a go to brand?

[inthehole]

I have a  Bushnell V2 lazer - it's fabulous for determining distances from 200 yards an in.    I'd be lost without it ...

[boogielicious]

I have a Leupold GX-1 and like it a lot.  I recommend going to a store and seeing which one feels better in your hand and which view finder suits you best.  They are both reliable rangefinders.

[Jmdmbike]

They are absolutely worth it. Helps you to know how far you really hit your clubs. And not just how far it is to the flag (I'm not even close to being that precise) but more importantly the distances you need to avoid hazards so you can lay up with proper club, for example. I have a Bushnell V2 and it's great. It's a yay from me!

[lipout]

Nikon 350G, works great.

[dustyshelf]

Smartphone + GPS app is what I use.

[BuckeyeNut]

A laser is a great tool......

[TourSpoon]

Bushnell V2 is the best thing I have ever bought for golf. It works great, better than any driver or putter I have ever purchased.

[ronbo25]

Once you have a rangefinder, you won't want to play without it.  In the past couple of years, for one reason or another, I have been without my Bushnell for a couple of rounds.  Felt like I was missing part of my equipment.  I love when I play with someone that doesn't have a rangefinder and I ask them how far they think they are from the flag and I get to tell them how far off they are.  This is a long term investment that you will have for years.

[mdl]

Originally Posted by ronbo25

I love when I play with someone that doesn't have a rangefinder and I ask them how far they think they are from the flag and I get to tell them how far off they are.  This is a long term investment that you will have for years.

Are there just lots of laser users who are bad at using them?  I can't tell you how many times, when at courses I know well, I've had a lie near a guy with a range finder, he's told me a number at least a club off the distance I thought I was at, I used the club that was right for my estimate of the distance rather than his, and that ended up being the right club.

Just this past weekend I was in the fairway nearby a (random) playing partner with a laser.  I was estimating low 170s, maybe 170-172, which means a stock 7i for me.  He was at most a yard behind me and said his reading was 179 to the flag.  I hit my 7i with a slight fade on it (not on purpose), and still ended up pin high about 18 feet from the hole.  If I'd tried to hit a not quite full 6i, which would be my shot from 178, I would have air mailed the green.

[mdl]

Note the above is not to say I don't believe that having a range finder could be quite useful.  I guess I'm just saying that they must be harder to use than people often say.  Either that or I'm a subconscious golf prodigy and when I hear that the range finder says I should be using one club more or less I subconsciously hit a club more or less than normal distance with the club I actually use :)

[RPMPIRE]

I can't think of anything how a rangefinder can be detrimental to your game. There's nothing wrong with getting accurate distances. I currently have the Leupold GX-1 and it's worked very well. I think basic is all you need in terms of a rangefinder.

Originally Posted by mcdanrl

I've been looking into whether a range finder would be beneficial to my game or not. Can anyone tell me if they are worth the $200 bucks or so? And is there a go to brand?

[Turt]

Got a Leupold gx-1 for Christmas. For a couple years I used a gps app on my phone. But it was always a bit slow to get out of my pocket, and sometimes took too long to get a lock on my location. Plus I don't like carrying my phone in my pocket while I golf. I am LOVING the range finder. It's quicker, more accurate, and easier to use. I think it's often faster than finding a sprinkler head and pacing distance. Especially when I'm off the fairway, which is too often. And I never doubt myself which is a mental advantage. Sent from my HTC Evo 3D using Tapatalk

[srjorion]

I won a Leupold GX-1 here on The Sandtrap during a contest two to three years ago.  I wouldn't have bought one on my own, but now that I have one I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I lost the one I have.  They are very easy to use and accurate.  I've also found using it speeds up my round by a few minutes since I don't have to search for yardage markers.  Having said that, if I'm not in a hurry and not slowing anyone behind me down I'll try to get a yardage to the middle of the green using markers as well as a distance to the pin.  This helps in figuring out if I should just shoot for the middle of the green or whether there is enough room to go for the pin.  On very deep greens it really helps as the difference between a front pin to the middle can be two to three clubs vs. just one for a normal green.  As someone else has already said, using it to nail down your club distances is a plus as well.  Get a distance to the pin, hit the shot, note the difference.  Compare a few shots and you can tell pretty much how far you are hitting a particular club.

I also use mine on the range frequently.  While I don't focus on distances too often due to the differences in range balls, I will use it for shorter shots as the difference isn't as much.  I'll pick a targets between 40 and 120 yds and work on getting as close as possible.

Overall, I'd say a laser range finder is a great investment for someone who is serious about improving their game.