Preference for Judging Distance?

[i-Guy]

Bushnell Yardage Pro works great for me. Getting mutliple yardages for bunkers, front of greens, etc is what I like.

How do you get yardage to the front or rear of a bunker with a range finder? What item is the rnage finder locking onto? Just wondering how that works...thanks...

[Fourputt]

How do you get yardage to the front or rear of a bunker with a range finder? What item is the rnage finder locking onto? Just wondering how that works...thanks...

It measures to whatever you aim it at. Bunker lips, trees are especially easy. A golfer in the group ahead of you is also a good target. You can turn Pinseeker mode on and off depending on need, and contrary to joshtpa said, I find it picks up a flag (even just the flagstick) easily against the background clutter with the Pinseeker mode on. I just scan slowly across the pin and it sorts everything out and picks the nearest object. It works best in lower light (cloudy, shady, evening), but all the brighter light does is lessen the distance that it works from. Since it typically picks up what I aim at from 300-500 yards in bright daylight, I'm not too worried about that drop-off.

GPS also works better on a course with small greens. With large greens you are still guessing about he actual location. Figure an average green that's 100 feet deep, and all you have is the front, middle and back. You know it's forward pin, but how forward is it? Most courses I'm familiar with overlap the pinsetting ranges, so that you could easily be off by 20 feet between the front forward and the back forward position, even if you know the general location. Add in that over/under 3 yard error for the unit itself and you could easily be 8 or 9 yards off. In my book, 9 yards is a full one club difference. I don't really want to get into a debate with the GPS guys here though, just answering the specific question I quoted above. There are positives and negatives to both systems... it's just that for me there are fewer negatives with the laser.

[i-Guy]

It measures to whatever you aim it at. Bunker lips, trees are especially easy. A golfer in the group ahead of you is also a good target. You can turn Pinseeker mode on and off depending on need, and contrary to joshtpa said, I find it picks up a flag (even just the flagstick) easily against the background clutter with the Pinseeker mode on. I just scan slowly across the pin and it sorts everything out and picks the nearest object. It works best in lower light (cloudy, shady, evening), but all the brighter light does is lessen the distance that it works from. Since it typically picks up what I aim at from 300-500 yards in bright daylight, I'm not too worried about that drop-off.

Thanks for the quick reply and no debate from me as I own both...Its just that I had never tried to figure out the yardage to a bunker with a range finder...didn't think it would work accurately and is one of the reasons I went to GPS...I use my range finder primarily on the driving range so I can practice to specific yardage targets...thanks again...

[Klean]

" USGA executive director David Fay said. "My personal view is that it enables guys like me to get the type of yardage assistance that (caddie) Steve Williams is providing Tiger Woods."

Agree 100%. Just because I'm not on the tour it doesn't mean I shouldn't have the same/close to same advantage as far as knowing the distances.

I still have to hit the shot and most importantly make the putts. Which a rangefinder/gps won't help you with. To answer the poll, I just bought a GPS should be coming in the mail tomorrow. Can't wait to take the guessing game out of my round.

[jerkeejoe]

I've got both a rangefinder and a GPS. I've used a rangefinder for a while and recently picked up a skycaddie.

I find myself using the rangefinder more frequently just because the skycaddie is a little iffy sometimes. What I mean is that it sometimes fails to pick up satelite signal on the clearest of days for no reason. When it is working, it is great, but the rangefinder always works and only takes about 5 seconds to use.

[iacas]

I've got both a rangefinder and a GPS. I've used a rangefinder for a while and recently picked up a skycaddie.

Ditto the above. Plus, inside of 125 yards, when I want to know the EXACT distance, the rangefinder can't be beat.

[cwcaesar]

I want a Sky Caddie. The wife says that I need to wait though. Maybe for Christmas or Father's Day or something.

[JoeCanuck]

Hands up everybody that plays with bamboo shafts, wound balls and wood drivers. That's real golf tradition.

I think it's just fine for anyone to play or not with any legal piece of equipment, as they choose. Golf tech has come a long way and everybody has benefited.

The average shmoos I play with, don't have a caddie and can't count on the range markers. I don't see why anybody who can get perfect yardage by asking a caddie, would frown on someone asking a gps for the same info.

What's the most common question on the course? I'd say that it's; "how far is that?".

I'm in the market for a gps at this very moment. Lots of folks don't need or want one. That's cool. I think it'll add to my enjoyment. That's cool too, I reckon.

It may not improve my score but it may increase my pleasure. Good enough reason for me.

[bruce]

I use the sg 4 skycaddie,if i left the house for a game and drove 2 miles without it i would turn around and go back for it,they are class.Every week i play a different course,if i played the same course every week i probably would'nt bother with one.

[blue_crush]

I prefer to use course marking simply because I feel they are more accurate.

course marker when you can find them are OK, but a skycaddie or a GPS unit is unbeatable. you know exactly what it is to the pin. pros have caddies to tell them the distance, my caddy is a little black box that never gets a cut of my winnings....lol

rangefinders are OK, it just takes a few seconds more for some to find and see the distances. and as for usga legal, as long as they don't have slope on them there OK... you play with a good GPS or rangefinder and I guarantee your going lower your score at least 3/4 strokes in the 1st couple of rounds. but if you don't know how far each one of your irons carry then these units are of no use to you, cause your just guessing what you can hit anyway... Quote..... I want a Sky Caddie. The wife says that I need to wait though. Maybe for Christmas or Father's Day or something. life is too short to wait, you need to go out and buy one now, everday you play without one is another day you wished you had one and when you look back, you will say I should have bought this a long time ago... life is too short and we work way to hard to not deserve a little something to our selfs once and while.

[iacas]

Hands up everybody that plays with bamboo shafts, wound balls and wood drivers. That's real golf tradition.

I think you meant hickory.

And I prefer laser rangefinders. I've got a review of the SG5 coming up in a few weeks, but it can't beat the trusty Bushnell 1500.

[Klean]

Bought an Igolf Neo last week and got to use it for the first time yesterday.

I was very pleased with the ease of use and the shot distance feature. I wasn't so pleased the course I downloaded was extremely outdated so the distances were way off. But no bigge I remapped as I played and was able to add several custom points.

Overall its a great little gadget and helped me score my 2nd best round ever.

[bprater13]

"Hands up everybody that plays with bamboo shafts, wound balls and wood drivers. That's real golf tradition."

There is an extent to which golf should go however. If there wasn't then there wouldn't be limitations on things like trampoline faces and everybody would be able to hit the ball 400 yards. I am a college golfer and played this past season barely making enough money to pay my rent and bills and couldn't afford to buy one for myself, however at every tournament they were allowed (which is most of them) somebody in my group would always have one and gained a huge advantage over me because I couldn't afford one sad as it is. I have zero problem using them in practice rounds or casual play but don't think they should be allowed in tournament play. Figuring yardages is part of the game, or else golf is just becoming who can hit it closer to the 150 yard flag on the driving range. And there is a reason Steve Williams gets a percentage of Tiger's winnings, because he collects this information for Tiger that actually took work to get. Tiger could do it himself and keep a precise yardage book of a course but he pays Stevie to do it for him, the right way. And though it probably doesn't happen too often Stevie is not 100% accurate all the time, he is human and isn't infallible.

I'm done with my rant now.

[titaniummd]

I use the rangefinder to determine the distance to carry versus lay up. I like to determine how far the group ahead of me is. It also works on the driving range to see how far the flags are.

[joshtpa]

"Hands up everybody that plays with bamboo shafts, wound balls and wood drivers. That's real golf tradition."

THis does not make any sense in reality. According to your logic, everyone should have to play with the same equipment too. Because someone could be playing nicer clubs than you, just because you can't afford it. This would give them an advantage as well.

[Biegoe]

For me, range finders and gps take some of the romance out of the game. I like when I am in between markers, and judging the yardage to the best of my ability. When I put a shot right at the pin then, I feel much more accomplished. I would kind of feel tacky pulling out either device before every shot. Just me though.

[iacas]

And there is a reason Steve Williams gets a percentage of Tiger's winnings, because he collects this information for Tiger that actually took work to get. Tiger could do it himself and keep a precise yardage book of a course but he pays Stevie to do it for him, the right way.

And Stevie pays the same guy every other caddie pays to get a generic course yardage book. During practice rounds, he might add a few notes depending on where his guy tends to hit the ball on that hole, but that's about it. Stevie's not out there creating his own yardage book every week - he just buys it.

You do know you can ask your playing partner/opponent what yardage his range finder measured after he takes a measurement, right? Yardage is considered public knowledge, and he can't lie when he gives you the answer, either.

[MonkeyClaw]

For me, range finders and gps take some of the romance out of the game. I like when I am in between markers, and judging the yardage to the best of my ability. When I put a shot right at the pin then, I feel much more accomplished. I would kind of feel tacky pulling out either device before every shot. Just me though.

What if it helped you get your handicap down to single digits? Guessing right once in a while is great, but it's even better to be right all (or most) of the time.