Blue Tees Ringer Life-Tested Review
This handheld GPS is a powerhouse if you want accurate yardages without the hassle of a rangefinder
Some golfers don’t mind reaching for a rangefinder 40 times per round, and others do. If you fall into the second category, check out the Blue Tees Ringer, a handheld (or magnet-mounted) GPS that gives you all the information you need without lifting a finger.
I must admit, I’m a GPS watch guy. I love the convenience of having the important distances on my wrist at all times, with access to a little more on the few occasions I need it. That’s essentially what the Ringer offers, but without having to wear a bulky GPS watch. That’s what attracted me to this handheld GPS from Blue Tees.
I stuck the Blue Tees Ringer to the magnetic mount on my push cart for a few rounds to check it out, and my overarching takeaway is this: There are a lot of players who would really enjoy having the Ringer as their on-course sidekick, and if you don’t want to hassle with a rangefinder on every hole, this is one device you should seriously consider.
So let’s jump into my complete Blue Tees Ringer review and find out more.
Blue Tees Ringer GPS Overview
With the magnetic backing, it's easy to attach the Ringer to a golf cart or magnetic mount
Pros:
- Effortlessly get updated GPS distances
- Since it’s magnetized, it easily attaches to a golf cart bar or a push cart magnetic mount
- Optional scorecard, stat-tracking, and shot-measuring
- Touch screen for easy access to more features like green view, hazards and shot-measuring
- Overall it’s very easy to use
- Perfect size, which is an underrated benefit
Cons:
- Stat-tracking is basic
- Premium version of the app/stats dashboard eventually requires a subscription
- Keeping score/stats requires a little more engagement with the device
The thing that stands out to me the most about the Ringer is that it’s easy, effortless, hassle-free, or whatever other synonym for untroublesome you want to use. I fired it up on the practice green, and in just a few clicks, I had GPS distances on the touch screen.
The Ringer is magnetic, so I stuck it to the magnetic mount on my push cart, and off I went. If you want a magnetic mount built for golf push carts, I linked the one I use from Stripebird above.
Yes, the Ringer offers a whole suite of features that are pretty cool and very easy to use, but comparing it to the dozen or so other distance-measuring devices I’ve used, tested, and reviewed, the biggest differentiating feature is that you literally have to do nothing to get 95 percent of what you need.
If you stick yours on your golf cart or push cart, you just always have accurate GPS distances without reaching into your pocket or bag, pressing a button, or interacting with a device.
Of course, the other features, which I’ll get to soon, are nice. But for players who don’t want to deal with a rangefinder but still want distances to the target whenever they need it, the Ringer immediately separates itself from the pack as a go-to device.
Blue Tees Ringer Features
How often do you need something more from your distance-measuring device? I’m talking about those occasions where a distance to the front/center/back of the green isn’t enough. It may be a distance to a dogleg or hazard, or scorecard and stat-tracking functionality. For me it’s a few times per round, but not nearly every hole. I also like to keep score and stats digitally as well. All of this can easily be done on the Ringer.
Dynamic Hazards
Assuming that during your round, your default screen is the GPS Distances screen, which gives front/middle/back GPS distances in your choice of yards or meters, you swipe from that screen to find the Dynamic Hazards screen. There, you get distances to up to four hazards on the hole.
Like everything else in this unit, this feature is easy to use. I will say, however, that it might be worth familiarizing yourself with what each of the four icons means. There are icons for water, sand, creek, and end of the fairway, with an arrow that indicates whether you’re looking at the distance to the hazard, carry distance, or if the trouble is on your left or right.
Scorecard & Stat Tracker
After each hole, you can swipe to enter the digital scorecard and stat tracker. On the scorecard screen, you’re prompted to enter your score and the number of putts. If you’re keeping advanced stats, like where your tee shot went (fairway, miss left, or miss right) and where your approach shot went (green in regulation, long, short, left or right), you can do that next.
The process of entering your score is, again, quick and easy. As I mentioned, I like using a digital scorecard, so I was curious to see use this function. While overall I’m pleased with the digital scorecard and stats, I was a little surprised that the scorecard doesn’t default to par. Instead, you have to hit the + button for every stroke. It’s a small thing, but when the score defaults to par, and you only have to adjust your score by a stroke or two if at all, things just seem smoother. Tapping the + button eight times to record making a snowman just seems like cruel and unusual punishment, even if it was self-inflicted. I digress.
After your round, you can sync the Ringer to the Blue Tees app to view your scorecard, stats and history. Eventually, however, a subscription is required to unlock all the premium features.
While you get a nice view of your stats in the Blue Tees app, it comes up short of providing your strokes-gained stats, which you can get with some other game-tracking devices. The Ringer shouldn’t be confused with a game-tracking device, one with the primary function of tracking every shot. Instead, the Ringer’s stat-tracking feature is a nice add-on to a GPS device.
Dynamic Green View
One of the biggest reasons that some golfers prefer a rangefinder over a GPS unit is that they can measure distances to anywhere on the course that they want. Of course, that is often the flag, which a GPS device can’t pinpoint.
While the Ringer can’t pinpoint a flag, you do have a Dynamic Green view. This allows you to set the hole location on the Ringer to get more accurate distances.
Driving Distance
One last nifty feature I want to highlight is the Diving Distance screen. Did you just smash your drive of the day? Or do you want to track how far you hit your clubs? With shot-tracking turned on, go to the shot-tracking screen and simply hit “start” from where you hit your shot, then hit “track” when you get to your ball. The Ringer will keep track of the distance of all the shots you track, and you can use that information to help your decision-making, or just brag to your friends.
Go the Distance
At the end of the day, I believe most golfers naturally fall into one distance-measuring device category. You either want all the information at all times and don’t mind shooting targets with a rangefinder on every shot, or you don’t want to hassle with reaching for a rangefinder 40 times per round, but still want reliable distance information.
If you want an effortless way to get all the distance information you need, with access to some pretty cool features that are also easy to use, the Ringer handheld GPS from Blue Tees is an exceptional device.