Menu
One of the challenges of playing golf is accurately assessing distance. Sometimes, a hole can be so distant that simply squinting out towards the horizon might not give you a clear idea of how far it is. However, because the object of the game is to bring the ball into the hole in as few hits as possible, those long distance shots will make or break your game.
Fortunately, you don’t need to keep staring at a hole, going back in forth in your head, trying to make sense of things based on vision alone. There are golf rangefinders to help with that! Designed to give you an accurate measure of the distance of a hole, a rangefinder is a golfer’s essential for those long distance shots.
There are lots of rangefinders on the market, but unlike that distant hole, you won’t need a special gadget to locate the right one for you. Find the best golf rangefinder available and learn a thing or two on how they work with our comprehensive guide.
According to sources, the longest recorded hole-in-one was achieved by Mike Crean in 2002. Amazingly, this golfer was able to hole his drive over a whopping distance of 517 yards on a supposed 5-par hole.
The moment was incredible, and many golfers still wonder whether or not it was actually true. The story doesn’t go as far as talking about whether or not he had a rangefinder though. But if he did, then his majestic feat would be much more believable to sceptical golfers.
Rangefinders are essentially GPS or laser systems that locate a hole and calculate your distance from it. They’re designed to make it easier for players to determine the strength and trajectory of their shot in order to make it as close to their goal as possible.
There are essentially two different kinds of rangefinders. These are GPS rangefinders and laser rangefinders. They’re set apart by the way they work which can affect the accuracy of the measurements they provide.
As the name indicates, a GPS rangefinder works by way of a global position system. The maps can either be pre-loaded or they can be downloaded on the spot with some sort of network connection.
These devices are generally more accurate because they use maps which are plotted out with coordinates, so they can really zero in on your specific location, as well as the location of the hole.
Another thing worth knowing when it comes to GPS variants is that some of them might require monthly subscription payments to stay operational. These payments go into making the maps available to you, as the information may regularly change.
A laser rangefinder basically works by way of, you guessed it, lasers. They don’t come preloaded with maps because they don’t need maps in order to measure distance. Instead, they use laser systems to quantify the distance between the device and the object being focused on – in this case, the hole.
Laser rangefinders can be cheaper simply because they don’t need users to pay monthly fees. On the downside though, they require a bit of skill in order to produce accurate results. So the reliability of the measures they provide depend largely on the user’s skills.
As with anything else, rangefinders have limits. So most designs will only be able to accurately measure around a 1,000 yard radius. Some more advanced models might be able to measure as far 2,000 yards, but they tend to be more expensive than others.
It’s not uncommon for a game of golf to extend hours, or even for a whole day. If you find it more convenient to use a rangefinder for most of your shots, you might end up sapping the life out of it before you’ve gone through the whole course.
Battery power varies from model to model, but laser range finders tend to operate longer on a single charge because they use less energy with each measurement.
This is rarely an issue for GPS rangefinders which usually don’t require much more than the push of a button to produce a measurement. For laser rangefinders though, it’s hard to say the same thing.
Using a laser rangefinder requires manually locking in on a target and then activating the laser in order to measure the distance between the device and the target. If you can’t lock in properly, the laser will come up with an error or will provide you inaccurate readings.
It takes a bit of practice to get used to a laser rangefinder, especially less efficient models. Generally, you’ll want to spend more if you’re getting a laser variation since more expensive choices tend to have much more sensitive lasers that lock in seamlessly to distant targets.
You’d be surprised to know that the best rangefinder on our list also happens to be the best budget golf rangefinder on the market. This tiny little device packs a powerful punch in terms of performance, and definitely wins our bet as the most compact device, too.
The small, sleek device can easily clip on to your cap, belt, or shirt for easy use and concealment. It’s ultra-lightweight, so you won’t have to worry about lugging it around with your equipment everywhere you go. On top of that, it can be fitted with a number of accessories that can turn it into a keychain or a watch, among other things.
In terms of accuracy, it’s definitely up there with the expensive GPS rangefinders. It sports a 14 hour battery life, a water resistant body, automatic course and hole recognition, and a voice feature that tells you the data it collects without you having to take your eyes off the hole.
To top it all off, the Voice 2 is incredibly affordable. This budget rangefinder is definitely worth every penny.
Willing to spend close to $300 USD on a laser rangefinder? We think the Bushnell Tour V4 Jolt Golf Rangefinder is the best laser rangefinder for golf that you’ll find in that steep price range. This professional device is probably the most accurate laser rangefinder currently available, boasting unrivalled precision at up to 1,000 yards.
The device itself is pretty compact and lightweight, so it won’t be a challenge to carry around a course. It can magnify your target up to 5x, and has a vibration feature that lets you know whether the device has accurately laced on to your designated flag.
Accurate, powerful, and reliable, the only issue we have with the Bushnell Tour V4 Jolt is that it might be slightly too expensive for practical players. Had it been priced a few hundred dollars less, it would have been our first pick. Despite that, we think it’s still pretty deserving of a purchase, especially if you’re interested in finding the best golf rangefinder with slope.
The VPRO500 from TecTecTec makes it to our list in last place. This mid-priced rangefinder can provide measurements that have a ±1 yard accuracy, which is definitely better off than many other choices currently available.
It’s relatively compact, durable, and reliable, and it gets the job done. So while it might not come with too many outlandish features, it’s practical. That said, it makes a suitable choice for players who want to do without all the fancy bells and whistles that tend to make other laser rangefinders a bit of a hassle to use or to become accustomed to.
Especially with a laser rangefinder! You’d think that zeroing in on a target is easy, but once you have your device up to maximum zoom, you’d likely find yourself struggling to locate your target.
To practice with your laser rangefinder, make use of designated pins. Before you start a game, consider trying out your rangefinder on nearby pins and find out whether it comes up with an accurate reading. Fortunately, most golf courses indicate the distance of their holes, so it will be easier to countercheck the results you get.
Using a GPS rangefinder? Make sure you turn it on way before you head down and start your game. Most courses usually already have GPS data that your rangefinder can use in order to accurately measure distances. But because it might take some time to load all the information, it needs a few minutes of start-up time to get attuned to the environment.
There have been numerous cases when users didn’t find the need for their GPS rangefinder until the third or fourth hole. Upon turning it on, the device would start off with the first hole despite actually being further along, and thus provide a scramble of measurements that could interfere with your performance.
As a general rule, you should never trust the first reading. Lots of factors could interfere with the way your rangefinder works. So the first reading might not always be accurate.
Before you accept the number on the screen, make sure to check again. For laser rangefinders, that means locking in once more to re-measure the distance between you and your target. To be doubly sure, some golfers even carry one of each kind of rangefinder which they use to cross-check each one’s measurements.
Taking the time to find the best golf rangefinder on the market can be a major investment for you, and a practical way to improve the way you play. It’s no secret though that there are more than a handful of choices available, so which one are you getting?
For us, there’s no better rangefinder than the GolfBuddy Voice 2 Golf GPS Rangefinder which is affordable, reliable, and accurate, providing users precise information through a durable body and a user-friendly interface that makes the device a joy to have.
