Game Golf vs. Rangefinder

[DustinB812]

Hello TST!

My first thread here, exciting.  I have a quick question as a bogey golfer my budget currently allows me to afford either Game Golf or a range finder.  Yes I realize there is a $100 difference but I plan on buying a new wedge if I chose Game Golf instead of the range finder.  I've recently finished LSW so a rangefinder would be very helpful in creating range charts/shot zones.  But I think there is also a lot of value added via Game Golf.  Bottomline, just like everyone else I'm just trying to improve my game and want to get the right product that will help the most.  What are your suggestions? Thanks!

[canth]

Rangefinder for me. This helps during a round. Misses right/left, fairways and number of puts I register using Golfshot and I somehow don't see myself spending time after the round to correct my game golf round.

I do know a few people that are quite happy with their game golf though, perhaps I'm being too sceptic.

[DustinB812]

Canth, one pro for the rangefinder I've thought of so far is that I play a lot of different courses in Europe.  Most of all of the ones I go to the yardage markers aren't bountiful, and when found they are in meters!

[MacDutch]

Game golf is to analyse rounds afterwards. This wil help you to focus on better strategy and choise of clubs after the round(s). A rangefinder gives instant info on distance to flag, trees, swamps and bunkers. So you need them both. :-)

[DustinB812]

Could you please email my wife with these thoughts!? haha!

[Dave2512]

Rangefinder is essential at some point because as you improve you will want to know exact approach yardages. Not just to the flag but how far to carry obstacles. Game Golf is cool but even what it does leaves at lot to be desired. Just a so-so stat tracker. I could live without it.

[boogielicious]

I would recommend a rangefinder to start. It will help you right away. Budget Game Golf for next year.

[upndown21]

I recently bought the Seeking80 rangefinder with pensensor3. Was like $160 and just as good as the $400 Bushnell rf.

[Cupcakus]

I'm the only one in my regular group with a range finder, everyone else uses phone GPS apps, which are accurate to my laser range finder by +/- 4 yards usually and give information my range finder usually cant such as yardages to hazards, back of green, etc...  I agree that you really need both here, but if you can only get one, maybe a Golf GPS App first, w/ Game Golf.  The Game Golf classic has really helped me improve my game.

[David in FL]

Rangefinder

[Lihu]

I voted rangefinder this morning. It's a pretty important tool, even though I've done more dead reckoning lately. It's more fun to me.

[DrvFrShow]

Rangefinder. Get a good one. I have a Bushnell Jolt Z6. Has a nice hard case that clips to your bag or cart.

While Game Golf can help you relive the agony post round, gadgets can be distracting during a round. This one can help with stat keeping which takes a lot of time during a round. There's a free app for your phone, but if you're over 45 yrs old and need reading glasses it's useless on the course. In this case, you'd want the physical one for about $200. You'll have to remember to tag your clubs before each shot. One more thing to remember to do. But it does keep statistics.

Like a HC, number of putts per  round, average FW hit, average GIRs, sand saves, etc. Club distances? Since it takes all of your mishits and calculates those into the averages, you probably won't use those for your approach shot. You'll use that distance where you flush the shot. Like I'm not taking my "average" 8 iron distance of 124 yds when I could carry it 145 yds and end up in the next county. This is because it factored in a few "fat" shots. So take these with a grain of salt. It will display all your shots with each club so you can do some mental filtering and figure out what you need to know. Computers aren't that smart.... yet.

So my recommendation is a Bushnell Jolt Z6 and a copy of Lowest Score Wins .

[billchao]

Hello TST!

My first thread here, exciting.  I have a quick question as a bogey golfer my budget currently allows me to afford either Game Golf or a range finder.  Yes I realize there is a $100 difference but I plan on buying a new wedge if I chose Game Golf instead of the range finder.  I've recently finished LSW so a rangefinder would be very helpful in creating range charts/shot zones.  But I think there is also a lot of value added via Game Golf.  Bottomline, just like everyone else I'm just trying to improve my game and want to get the right product that will help the most.  What are your suggestions? Thanks!

Rangefinder, especially if you're considering between that and the Game Golf belt unit. You can use the rangefinder to map your shot zones, help you make decisions on the course, etc. It is an invaluable tool. Game Golf is more for long term analysis of your game.

[DustinB812]

Very impressed by the overall suggestions leaning in the way of the rangefinder.  Really appreciate everyone's input, currently doing a lot of research trying to find the best one for me so any suggestions in that manner would be appreciated.

[Cupcakus]

Very impressed by the overall suggestions leaning in the way of the rangefinder.  Really appreciate everyone's input, currently doing a lot of research trying to find the best one for me so any suggestions in that manner would be appreciated.

I use the Bushnell Tour v3 without the slope option, and while the vibration feature is neat, it's also a bunch of hooey, it will "Lock" onto a pin that is actually a tree behind the green, It's a solid range finder, but I think a less expensive one would have been just as good.

[colin007]

I use the Bushnell Tour v3 without the slope option, and while the vibration feature is neat, it's also a bunch of hooey, it will "Lock" onto a pin that is actually a tree behind the green, It's a solid range finder, but I think a less expensive one would have been just as good.

I don't think so....I've used a cheaper range finder and returned it for the V3 because it was inferior to the V3 in every way. I haven't had any issues with it locking on to a tree behind the green instead of the pin.

[Cupcakus]

I don't think so....I've used a cheaper range finder and returned it for the V3 because it was inferior to the V3 in every way. I haven't had any issues with it locking on to a tree behind the green instead of the pin.

Quite regularly it will vibrate, the flag icon will get a circle around it, and it will read 170 yards and then a few moments later change to 148 without vibrating again.  If I'm the only one this happens to maybe I'll go exchange it.  I never trust it until I get two of the same readings from it.

[colin007]

The flag means it's in pin seeker mode. So you just scan and it'll give you the closest reading as you scan. It's doing what it's supposed to do.