Choosing the Right Golf Rangefinder

Almost the same way that cell phones came on to the scene, golf rangefinders have gone from being used by professionals and a few rich guys, to being found in most foursomes. Laser rangefinders started becoming popular with professional golfers in the mid 1990s. Today, the best players and their caddies are still using laser rangefinders in their pre-tournament preparation, rather than GPS, which is more popular with recreational golfers. As they have become more popular, more products have come to market, with more features at lower prices. So now that it's time to join in the fun, how do you make sure you choose the right golf rangefinder? Here are some important factors to consider:

BUDGET

If budget is an issue, start here. If you are looking to spend less than 0, you have narrowed the field down to GPS units or if you have a smartphone, an app. There aren't many GPS units to choose from at that price, but still you can get in the game with a basic GPS rangefinder. Smartphone apps on the other hand are quite reasonably priced and often have a large feature set.

Choosing the Right Golf Rangefinder

PROS AND CONS FOR DIFFERENT DEVICE TYPES

Laser Rangefinder - Pros

Extremely accurate - the reason laser rangefinders are more common with professionals is that they are accurate to within a yard, two at the most. Works on every golf course - no membership fees or computer hookup. Out of the box all you need is a battery.

Laser Rangefinder - Cons

A steady hand is required. Even though these devices have gotten easier to use, you still have to be able to steady it enough to line up that flag in your viewfinder. A little practice and most people can get it with no problem. Hills - If you can't see the target, you can't get the distance. When professionals are preparing for a tournament, they overcome this by using intermediate points, but for you and I during our Saturday game, there won't be time for that. Limited features - all you get on most models is distance to the target at which you are aiming. Some models now include "slope" which also measures elevation, but that's all you get with laser. (Slope is not USGA approved on these devices if you are playing in an event where they are allowed.)

GPS Rangefinder Pros

Features - a wide variety of features are available depending on the model you choose. To name a few:

Distance to front, middle and back of the green Ability to get distance to any target Hole view - an overhead view of the hole Score keeping and stat tracking Ability to measure how far you hit your clubs

GPS Rangefinder Cons

Accuracy - GPS tends to be less reliable from an accuracy standpoint. Although most users are happy with their GPS units, with just about every unit, there are some users on some courses that report major inaccuracies. Our suggestion is to talk to others who are using GPS at your home course to make sure they are happy with the accuracy. Also, GPS sometimes has trouble picking up satellites in wooded areas. Subscription or membership fees - many, but not all of these devices require an annual membership that gives you the ability to download courses. This is on top of the cost of the device itself, so factor that into your budget. Course Availability - not every course is available on GPS devices. Some devices have more courses available than others. Make sure that the courses you play most often are available on the device you are thinking of purchasing. Technical Issues - Many GPS rangefinders require hooking up to a computer to download or update courses. As with all things computer, the more technically challenged you are, the more this will try your patience. Overall, we think most people can handle it.

Smartphone Apps Pros

Inexpensive - some of these apps have a one-time download fee and that's it - usually - 40. Others have an annual fee and the highest we know of is for the GolfLogix app. (By the way, it has a free 24-hour trial.) ViewTi for iPhone gets good reviews and has a one-time fee for around . Features - all the same features that are available in stand-alone GPS units

Smartphone Apps Cons

Wear and tear on your smartphone - consider how you will use it - do you clip it on or will it be bouncing around in the front of the cart. There are portable mounts for some devices. Smartphone battery life - using the GPS for 4 - 5 hours will drain your smartphone's battery life.

Once you have narrowed down what type of golf rangefinder is right for you, make sure you read user reviews and talk to people at your home course to see what they like and don't like about their devices. If you get a chance to look at one or use one for a round, do it. Make sure you can see the numbers on the screen and figure out at least the basics for using it. Then, save some money and order it online!

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