Do you use a rangefinder?

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by iacas

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacm3bill

On the contrary, they definitely do give you the distance to the pin - and as I said above, that's their main advantage over rangefinders.

Huh? GPS doesn't give you distance to the pin. Laser rangefinders do.

Oh, good catch. I was responding to a comment about rangefinders not giving distance to the pin. Meant to say "that's their main advantage over GPS".

[Old1964]

I admit that there are a few times when I would love to have a gps unit - when I am way out of position and coming out of trouble on a course with which I am not familar. On every other shot, the laser is the way to go.

Funny story - I play with a fellow from Scotland who has imigrated to the states and has Golflogix (sp?) unit.  He has distance to the front, middle, and back of the greens, but often asks me to shoot the flag for him. Why? Cause the course manager doesn't set the pin in the front, middle, or back of the green.  On the really deep greens, it makes a noticeable difference to me.

Question - what's the accuracy of the gps measurements anyway?

I tried a smartphone app and the distances were off by almost 5 yards either way on average compared to the laser.

[LBlack14]

I use a simple Izzo Swami GPS that gives me front, middle and back distances and that's all I want or need.

[tristanhilton85]

I've used both GPS and a range finder and the laser is far and away superior.  GPS always got me pretty close but the laser is exact.  The one downfall of the laser is that you have to be able to see your target but 99% of the time for me I'm not interested in hitting to somewhere I can't see so it really doesn't matter to me.

[lumpuckeroo]

I had a first generation Bushnell laser range finder, while it was decent, it wasn't great at picking up smaller objects, like the flag.  I know the newer ones are much better, but what I have found it that I like GPS better.  I play on a lot of older courses, and middle of the green is the prudent play, so GPS works best for me on those courses.

[Stevedore]

All you people that use Bushnell's be careful, don't drop the thing.  I did 4 years ago on a cart path after only owning it 6 months and Bushnell basically told me to take a hike.

I then purchased a Sky Caddie but paying $30 a year started getting old.  Currently, I just bought a Callaway Diablo Octane Rangefinder and love it; it's more accurate then the Sky Caddie I have.  After my experience with Bushnell's customer service, I'd never buy a thing from them ever again.

[binga7]

So if i were to point the rangefinder at the front of the green it will give a distance, or does it need something physical like a pin, or a tree to lock onto?

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by binga7

So if i were to point the rangefinder at the front of the green it will give a distance, or does it need something physical like a pin, or a tree to lock onto?

It needs something somewhat vertical in order to bounce back to you. Not going to work by just lasing the front of the green, but the face of a nearby greenside bunker can sometimes be used.... in general though you're only going to get accurate front/back of the green readings with a GPS (assuming the greens were accurately mapped).

[jhwmusic]

I always used a rangefinder until I got a sky caddie SGX...it is unbelievable how accurate and how many options it offers. I still keep the laser in my bag for certain pins and if the course doesn't have a pin placement diagram. I know the SGX isn't exact to pins but you can get it pretty close. The laser doesn't help you when you need to know how far it is over a bunker or through a fairway. Sometimes you can get a bunker lip but then you have to guess how much room is on the other side. I use both but I rarely take it out of the bag these days. So basically you have to do some guessing with both. Pins when using gps and hazards, carries etc. With lasers. I would rather keep my ball in bounds than know the pin distance to the exact yard. Plus if the course you are playing doesn't have reflectors on flags or you have a cheap laser, good luck locking that thing in.

[dsc123]

I use a GPS on my phone.  You can get the pin location because it shows you a map of the course and you just touch a spot (like where the pin is) to get the distance to that spot.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by dsc123

I use a GPS on my phone.  You can get the pin location because it shows you a map of the course and you just touch a spot (like where the pin is) to get the distance to that spot.

I used that argument once but it was countered with skepticism that you could eyeball the location of the pin from wherever you're hitting your approach shot from to an accurate enough degree. I think you'd have to be *really* good at getting close to pins for that kind of accuracy to matter, but just some food for thought.

[Topper]

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

I do and in general I believe they speed the game up.  But there are the "fiddlers" that have to use every feature on every shot.  But I don't know that that is slower then looking for markers and stepping off the distance.

I should add the GPS/Laser argument is a Ford/Chevy thing in my opinion.   Both work well,

I'm kind of along this line as well.  I'm very inconsistent so the accuracy of a laser is pretty pointless.  I use yardage markers on the course when feasible.  When I can't find a decent yardage marker, then I'll use a gps.  I find that using a GPS is faster for me than trying to use yardage books and speeds up the game.  But like I said, I do not use a gps for every shot.

[inthehole]

I carry a Bushnell V2 on my left hip in a belt holster - it doesn't affect my swing & it's always there when I need it rather than keeping it in my bag.    I use it for practically EVERY wedge shot.    Would be lost without it ...

[ejimsmith]

i just got a leupold gx-4... i can't wait to try it out!!

of course, i believed the hype i read that removing the yellow face plate makes it usga-regulation, but i think i just figured out that even w/out the faceplate, the rangefinder is not acceptable for amateur tourneys *or* for posting scores.  i find that a bit harsh, so i'll still be posting scores when the faceplate is off.

[newtogolf]

I have the same model and it works great.  You're right about it not being approved by USGA for tournament use or handicap posting.

Originally Posted by ejimsmith

i just got a leupold gx-4... i can't wait to try it out!!

of course, i believed the hype i read that removing the yellow face plate makes it usga-regulation, but i think i just figured out that even w/out the faceplate, the rangefinder is not acceptable for amateur tourneys *or* for posting scores.  i find that a bit harsh, so i'll still be posting scores when the faceplate is off.

[Old1964]

Originally Posted by binga7

So if i were to point the rangefinder at the front of the green it will give a distance, or does it need something physical like a pin, or a tree to lock onto?

My Nikon laser can read the front of the green  - like a scope on a rifle. It measures distance to whatever the laser beam hits on. However,  it doesn't lock onto any object - maybe that's why one person said it needed something vertical.

[Beachcomber]

iPhone + Golfshot GPS app is the best IMO. I have a Bushnell too, but never use it as the GPS is easier for my shaky hands.

[BugDude]

I use neither.  I use yardage markers on the course.  No need to pae anything off.  After 25 years of playing I can look at the 100, 150, and 200 yard markers and tell approximately what I have left.  If you miss a fairway, you lose the advantage of having markers.  There's an art to feeling a distance and knowing what you can and cannot get there with.  As for exact yardages (127.5 yards), anyone that can so precisely hit a yardage such as that needs to be on a tour somewhere.  If I have 120 to the green (center) and the pin is in the back I hit a little harder or more club.  It's more of a feel thing than a numbers thing for me.