| Member |
Post |
Eagan, MN
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 2
|
Posted: May/05/2008 2:03 PM PST
hello all-
I am new to the forum, and thought this would be a great place to ask what you think the best laser range finder is...
thanks in advance.
|
Santa Cruz ca.
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 317
|
Posted: May/05/2008 9:24 PM PST
I have the Bushnell Yardage Pro Tour
Anyone who can't use the Tour Pro is a lugnut. This is a great
rangefinder that's easily used and the battery will last at least
a year or more. Just put it in scanner mode and shoot flags,
bunkers, trees, you name it. Many tour pro caddies use this unit.
It's great...
price is about 200.00
PS..
why I like these over a skycaddy, is I don't have to make sure
I have the download in, and I play some courses that are in trees
and the hills so cell signals and reception is not so good.
and some courses like par 3's dont have skycaddy info....
plus I'm not tempted to play with it to see more info than I need.
I just point my rangefinder and make the shot....
|
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 125
|
Posted: May/07/2008 12:37 PM PST
I have the Bushnell Medalist with Pinseeker mode and I love it. I had a Skycaddie, and it's great, but there are some drawbacks. Battery life is short. Mine usually got me 3 rounds or so, but if the battery goes in the middle of a round, you're screwed. Also, some courses had so-so reception. It's not a cell system, but gps with line-of sight access to satellites. There are some places where it's just darn hard if not impossible to acquire a signal.
The laser finder gives you the exact yardage to the pin or any other target, the batteries last a year or two and it's just quicker. I'm not knocking the GPS units, but I just prefer the laser, having had both.
If you are getting a laser though, be aware that the ones that give you elevation information are not legal in any competition. Some units will take into account elevation change between you and the pin and give you adjusted yardages. This is pretty neat, but if you play in tournaments or leagues, you cannot use it. The ones that just give yardage, like the Medalist, is ok to use. This is a somewhat recent rules change and it's still handled locally, but all events I've played in have allowed them. (as well as the GPS)
I would add that if you are going to get a laser finder, get one with the Pinseeker mode. The first one I tried diod not have this and it was a pain in the butt to get the accurate yardage at most places. The pinseeker will isolate the flag and zero in MUCH easier.
|
Eagan, MN
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 2
|
Posted: May/07/2008 1:06 PM PST
thanks for the info!
|
Joined: 11/27/2007
Posts: 1
|
Posted: May/10/2008 6:47 PM PST
I have a Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Tournament Edition.
Pros:
1. Extremely accurate and easy to use.
2. Standalone unit. Can be used on any golf course. Can measure distance to the pin or any spot you aim it at. (Unlike GPS units that require downloads, annual subscription fees, limited no. of courses that can be downloaded to GPS based on model and annual subscription. Many courses are also not in GPS companies’ databases.)
3. Rangefinder is legal for establishing handicap and tournament use. Slope edition is illegal.
4. If you have good control over your clubs’ aim and distance, rangefinder will help your game immensely since you won’t be guessing distance and club to use. I was surprised to discover how inaccurate many fairway distance markers are. Also, many golf courses don’t tell you the position of the pin (front, middle or back), which can make a huge difference on large greens.
Cons:
1. If you carry a stand bag, this unit may be bulky and inconvenient. If you use a pull cart, it would be best to buy a special pouch that straps to your cart bag so you can easily and quickly slip it in and out. Golfsmith sells a pouch specially made to hold this unit. The carrying case that comes with the rangefinder is sturdy and protects the unit well, but cannot be used while on the golf course – too hard to pull the unit in and out. This may not be an issue if your bag has built in pouches that can hold the rangefinder.
2. 9V battery runs out after a few weeks, even if the unit is not used. It’s best to remove the battery when not in use.
3. It’s expensive.
4. Rangefinder will not help your game if you do not have good control over your clubs’ aim and distance. You’ll have one less excuse for playing poorly.
I strongly recommend the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Tournament Edition.
|
Joined: 9/21/2007
Posts: 8
|
Posted: Jun/05/2008 5:56 PM PST
I have used the Pinseeker 1500, too. I was lucky enough to have 2 friends who have a rangefinder, and a skycaddie gps.
The rangefinder worked great. Easy to use, light, compact.
But, a few of the courses I play have hidden greens (elevated). So, for me - the skycaddie was the better option.
I know a lot of people are very dedicated to their device - but no matter what you choose - you'll improve your game.
Good luck
|
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 2
|
Posted: Jun/12/2008 7:35 PM PST
The Bushnell Tour edition is the best of the bunch and of course doesn't have to have courses downloaded.
Rangefinder or GPS seems to be the raging discussions. The answer is probably to carry both.
|
Santa Cruz ca.
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 317
|
Posted: Jun/17/2008 1:33 AM PST
OK, for what its worth...
I used a skycaddie SG3 for the last couple of weeks. WOW
its data is there all the time, I walk to my ball and look
at my cart, bingo 175 to the pin, push one button,
155 to the front and 177 to the back. easy....
I have gotten spoiled for sure and ordered mine last week.
the one thing that was holding my back was at the range
not knowing where the pins were and if they were right.
so after they closed the range we walked out and marked them
on the skycaddie and now there on a screen which I can see
and know exactly where each pin is. that ability to mark out
your own course or even range is great...
I'm still going to keep my rangefinder for awhile, but I think
I have a new buddy on the course.
|
Joined: 12/05/2007
Posts: 484
|
Posted: Jun/17/2008 10:31 AM PST
i had an annoying gps conundrum on saturday. playing a course with gps in the cart and i drove the cart to the 150 marker on the course and it would be off by 5 or more yards. Park the cart at the tee box next to the metal plate that is supposed to be the yardage to the middle of the green and again, off by as much as 10 yards. Who do I believe????
|
West Lothian
Joined: 11/08/2007
Posts: 119
|
Posted: Jun/17/2008 1:50 PM PST
I would believe the GPS. Measuring a course with a wheel etc. includes all the little slopes up and down which can add to the 'distance'.
|
