Wanted: Great Rangefinder for Affordable Price

[jcv2110]

I have the SkyCaddie SG5 - no crazy complaints here BUT I am getting tired of:

-paying for the membership every year

-having to load courses constantly

-charging this bad boy after every round

I debated getting the Garmin Approach S1 but didnt really feel like I would be getting much from it I couldn't get from my Sky Caddie ($50 to renew membership vs $150-200 for S1).

But now that I am getting back into golf mode (40*+ here in Richmond), I got on this kick about getting a rangefinder.  The pros I like over a GPS:

-can shoot it at anything to get distance (pin, bunker, tree, etc)

-usability on the range (I never can really trust the distances on the range)

-and all the cons for using a GPS/preloaded device...

With all that said, I am looking for suggestions on rangefinders.  I have read great things about Bushnell Tour V2 (V3 should be sick but out of my price range).  But I am open to suggestions from anyone willing to give it.  A friend also recommended looking at Hunting Rangefinders are they are typically a cheaper than Golf Rangefinders.

I hope that was enough info - and I appreciate any feedback!!

[grubby98]

I have a bushnell tour v2 and love it.  A few people that I play mens league with have them too and love them.  Be careful when you by and look at if they have slope or not.  If rangefinders are alowd in a tourny, they do not allow slope editions.  Short, you cant go wrong with the V2.

[Rick Martin]

Have SkyCaddy SG3 (since 2009) but went to Bushnell V2 recently. Tired of the yearly fee. Found that the rangefinder was much more accurate and helped my game (using a buddy's).

I just picked one up (V2) with $50 rebate that takes forever to get from Bushnell. BTW, the Bushnell that I got didn't work out of the box (the side button was stuck), so I sent it in the first week (another few weeks to get it back).

But it's working well now. Maybe you can get one second-hand. I think they're really helpful to my game.

[jcv2110]

Looks like the V2 gets nothing but good reviews...

Is it worth it to get slope (understanding it may not be allowed in certain tournaments, etc.)?

Is there any comparable that may be more affordable?

[grubby98]

for the money it was the best I could find when I was looking to buy one.  The slope is up to you.  If you played in out foursome ( and we can get up to 10 dollar points) we dont allow slope range finders.

[cooke119]

Nikon LR550 (Waterproof) put out by Callaway, you've probably seen it at Golfsmith. It is yellow so you don't accidently leave it in the golf cart (you can't miss it). Works great, battery lasts forever.

[tristanhilton85]

My recommendation would be the Leupold GX-1. It's a great range finder and is affordable (you can get it right around $200 brand new on eBay). I wouldn't go with a hunting one just because it can be tougher to get a reading on a flag stick, especially if you are a good distance from it.

[BuckeyeNut]

This is all you need.......

Raw yardage is all I want................

[Gaber]

Hey guys with the version with the slope could you just turn it off? And let your playing partners check to make sure it's off... Or the risk of having the slope version would undermine your score (in the eyes of your playing partners) - im looking to play in some club tournaments this year that's why I ask. Thanks

[superfly777]

That's like having a doping test an hour before your round but then obviously having time to pop some focus pills before play actually starts. Or having clubs with illegal groves but promising not to use them in the rough. Sorry but if you want to use a gentleman's agreement in a friendly game with your mates then that's up to you all to decide, but the Slope editions of rangefinders are illegal in competitions. I'm afraid using them at all is cheating. On a lighter note, you'll be a better player in competitions if you play your friendly rounds without a slope edition and learn to compensate yourself. More consistent.

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by Gaber

Hey guys with the version with the slope could you just turn it off? And let your playing partners check to make sure it's off... Or the risk of having the slope version would undermine your score (in the eyes of your playing partners) - im looking to play in some club tournaments this year that's why I ask.

Thanks

The R&A; and USGA have ruled that it doesn't matter if you can turn the feature off or not, those range finders do not conform with the rules. It doesn't matter what your playing partners say, nor if they check you're not using it, you can't use a range finder with slope in a tournament or other round played under the Rules of Golf.

[Na5carr3]

Don't get me wrong, I love all the new GPS models that are out, just didn't wanna spend the scratch for one. I ended up getting SkyGolf on my smartphone ($4.99) and when I stand on the box of a par 3 and all my fellow hackers stand there with me with their $300 GPS's there is VERY little to no difference on the yardage. Has been very accurate for me. Absolutely the best bang for the buck. Hands down!

[Gaber]

Thanks Mordan - I was leaning towards the one without the slope - thanks again

[MoTheDuckHooker]

I use a the Swami 3000 by Izzo Golf, I picked it from my local golf shop for $100. It has preloaded courses on it and does not require any kind of membership. It's basic, it has options to show you the distance from where you are to the front, center and back of the green. Plain and simple, no shot keeper, no green slant or any thing like the high dollar subscription ones. It meets my needs just to put another option out there if you don't like the monocular range finders as a alternative.

[tristanhilton85]

As far as slope goes, I have a question as I've read conflicting reports.

Are lasers like the Leupold GX-4 legal when the "non-slope" face plate is being used?

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by tristanhilton85

As far as slope goes, I have a question as I've read conflicting reports.

Are lasers like the Leupold GX-4 legal when the "non-slope" face plate is being used?

No they're not, Leupold hoped they would be but the ruling was that just disabling an illegal feature doesn't make the device legal. The same issue as with smart phones with a compass and GPS.

[BBailey]

+1  Nikon LR550. easy to use, accurate, durable and because it is a model that is a few years old it can be found relatively cheap. It has everything I need in a rangefinder. I have been using mine for 3 seasons and have yet to change the battery.