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tried a rangefinder ... not too sure about it. what's your experience?

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BuckeyeMark

BuckeyeMark

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I'm in the market for either a rangefinder or a gps. Played Saturday with a guy who had a Bushnell V2 Pinseeker. There were times I really liked it. But there were also times I seemed to get wildly different numbers when I shot stuff. Kinda hard to know when I had the right thing, I guess. I realize the V3 has Jolt technology (maybe to cure that problem) but I just wondered what others experience is with rangefinders vs gps. I just felt like I was fussing with the thing a lot. Find the rf, shoot it, shoot it again, etc. I've looked at those gps watches and just wonder if that wouldn't be a lot less messing with it. I realize gps isn't as close as a rangefinder but as a high handicapper missing the yardage by a yard or two isn't going to make a huge difference.

So how do you use a rangefinder? Saw there's a clamp you can clamp it on the golf cart. Maybe that makes it simpler? Anybody go from a gps to a rangefinder and if so why? Anybody go from a Bushnell v2 or v3 to a gps and why?
 
BuckeyeMark said:
I'm in the market for either a rangefinder or a gps. Played Saturday with a guy who had a Bushnell V2 Pinseeker. There were times I really liked it. But there were also times I seemed to get wildly different numbers when I shot stuff. Kinda hard to know when I had the right thing, I guess. I realize the V3 has Jolt technology (maybe to cure that problem) but I just wondered what others experience is with rangefinders vs gps. I just felt like I was fussing with the thing a lot. Find the rf, shoot it, shoot it again, etc. I've looked at those gps watches and just wonder if that wouldn't be a lot less messing with it. I realize gps isn't as close as a rangefinder but as a high handicapper missing the yardage by a yard or two isn't going to make a huge difference.

So how do you use a rangefinder? Saw there's a clamp you can clamp it on the golf cart. Maybe that makes it simpler? Anybody go from a gps to a rangefinder and if so why? Anybody go from a Bushnell v2 or v3 to a gps and why?
Click to expand...
in my opinion, lasers are the way to go. Gps's can be off by quite a bit, and you can user a rangefinder to shoot anything
 
I love it. I also very much like GPS units especially for ease of use and course management.
As for use, you get use to it. Hold button and scan and it will pick it up in pin seeker mode.
 
I went with the Bushnell hybrid so I could have the best of both. Mine does not have the jolt feature but I don't have any issue getting the right number.
 
I've got a Leupold and love it. Like JB said, it's not a aim, click once, and get your range, you gotta hold he button down for scan mode and it will (should) pick up the prisms and beep at you to let you know you have the pin. Sometimes it is difficult staying steady enough, but from a cart it isn't too bad; and usually if I'm out far enough that I can't get a good read, odds are I'm too far out for it to matter.
 
I've tried lasers, and accuracy aside, my issue is that I just shake too much for them. I get plenty of frustration without seeking new sources.
The GPS units I've had access to with partners and such are accurate "enough" for me, but plenty of them won't help with bunkers, carries, running through doglegs and such. For me, front/back/middle is fine, but if you want more (and can hold the thing steady enough for a reading) I'd think rangefinder is the way to go.

My golf buddy has been through 3 or 4 rangefinders, and he does say look for some sort of pinseeker tech. He'll never buy another without it.
 
I'm a GPS guy now after owning a range finder for a few years. No need to hold and point a GPS.
 
I'm to shaky. . Had one got rid of it in 3 weeks. gps only for me

tappin from my big as note2
 
I love mine and it has really helped me play a better game. I learned yesterday that it does not work in thick fog however which is usually not a big deal.

Edit: I have a Bushnell V3
 
No problems here with my tour V3. I shoot the flag three times to accurately get a number then look around the green thru the view finder for any hazzards.
 
Some people are just "rangefinder challenged." One of my golf buddies always asks me to shoot the pin for him, because he just can't seem to hit the flag with any regularity.
 
Love my V3. JOLT is phenomenal!
 
This is all very helpful. Does everybody leave the rangefinder in the cart? Or does anybody holster the little beastie on your belt and carry it over to your ball? I've seen some "retractors" to chain it to - kind of like the thing that holds your office ID. Also seen a clamp for the cart. Is it just as convenient to dump it in drinkholder?
 
BuckeyeMark said:
This is all very helpful. Does everybody leave the rangefinder in the cart? Or does anybody holster the little beastie on your belt and carry it over to your ball? I've seen some "retractors" to chain it to - kind of like the thing that holds your office ID. Also seen a clamp for the cart. Is it just as convenient to dump it in drinkholder?
Click to expand...

If I am riding and I have to walk over to my ball then more then likely I am taking more then one club with me anyway. SO I shot the pin. pick my club, put oterh club beside me with the rRF beside it. After I hit pick up and proceed to the cart. No need to have a batman belt worth of gadgets hanging off you when you hit.
 
PinHunter said:
If I am riding and I have to walk over to my ball then more then likely I am taking more then one club with me anyway. SO I shot the pin. pick my club, put oterh club beside me with the rRF beside it. After I hit pick up and proceed to the cart. No need to have a batman belt worth of gadgets hanging off you when you hit.
Click to expand...

Okay, that decides it - if I can't have a batman belt I'll just get a gps and be done with it! :clap:
 
I used a SkyCaddie for about 3 years and got tired of the annual fee. Went to a Leupold for the last 5 years or so and could not be happier. No problem hitting a flag stick and if the course uses prisms it beeps when locked on the flag, this is a nice thing but certainly not necessary.
 
BuckeyeMark said:
I'm in the market for either a rangefinder or a gps. Played Saturday with a guy who had a Bushnell V2 Pinseeker. There were times I really liked it. But there were also times I seemed to get wildly different numbers when I shot stuff. Kinda hard to know when I had the right thing, I guess. I realize the V3 has Jolt technology (maybe to cure that problem) but I just wondered what others experience is with rangefinders vs gps. I just felt like I was fussing with the thing a lot. Find the rf, shoot it, shoot it again, etc. I've looked at those gps watches and just wonder if that wouldn't be a lot less messing with it. I realize gps isn't as close as a rangefinder but as a high handicapper missing the yardage by a yard or two isn't going to make a huge difference.

So how do you use a rangefinder? Saw there's a clamp you can clamp it on the golf cart. Maybe that makes it simpler? Anybody go from a gps to a rangefinder and if so why? Anybody go from a Bushnell v2 or v3 to a gps and why?
Click to expand...

If I were you Id check out the neo x watch. No subscription, extremely convenient, battery lasts 3-4 rounds and is very accurate. No fuss.
 
I keep my rangefinder in one of the outside pockets of my bag. I pull it out when I get to my ball, check the distance, then put it back and pull a club.
 
double-hoo said:
I keep my rangefinder in one of the outside pockets of my bag. I pull it out when I get to my ball, check the distance, then put it back and pull a club.
Click to expand...

+1 to this system.
 
I have considered a GPS, but not a rangefinder for a couple of reasons

1. I am not good enough to pull a club for an exact distance so knowing front/centre/back of the green is fine for me
2. I don't know of any courses that I have played which have prisms on the flag for easy target acquisition so I would always be wondering if I have the right distance??
3. There are courses with blind shots and blind hazards which you would have no way of acquiring a distance to with a rangefinder - how would people deal with this situation


An example of my third reason above is given below

When stood on the tee of this particular hole, the bunkers that cross the fairway are completely invisble - if you have never played here before you have no idea that the bunkers are there and there is nothing to use to get the distance required to lay up to or carry the bunkers

Screenshot_2013-10-21-10-05-38_zps132c3398.png


Without a GPS or course guide, how would people be tempted to deal with this kind of situation?
 
very interested in what rangefinder folks say about this. what do you do on a new course to avoid the hazards? for me, it's very important to know where fairway bunkers are or the odd creek crossing the fairway ... I need to know because I'm sure I'm going to hit it right in there!
 
Big fan of the range finders. At first I very much disliked them, felt like I was cheating. Then I realized how off some of the distances at courses can be. The laser works well from my experience.
 
I have used both and have moved towards using the rangefinder all the time now. I will pull out the gps app on my phone if I'm playing a new course and need information. I purchased a V3 with jolt because I always had trouble locking onto flag sticks and the Jolt tech is a life saver. As to how I use it, I normally just throw it in the cup holder of the cart I'm in and its easy access. If it's raining I just put it in the front compartment of the cart instead.
 
I used to use only a GPS, had a GolfBuddy World for 3 years, and was fairly satisfied with its performance. I found the yardages were very accurate on most courses, and it had a feature that allowed me to drop a mark and measure shot distances or "pace off" those 30-50 yard shots. One thing I didn't like about the GPS is I found that when I would golf in the mountains, the distances would get really dodgy because of the poor reception. Case in point, at one of my tournaments this summer, I was getting a yardage of 49 yds when I was just in front of the 100yd marker. The hole I was on was right at the base of a mountain. This summer I switched to a rangefinder and couldn't be happier. I don't worry about poor reception giving me bad distances anymore and being able to use it for range sessions to get accurate distances to all the targets is a huge bonus. I went with the Bushnell Z6, more compact than the V3 and has better zoom. I also purchased the Golfshot GPS app for my iPhone to help when I have a blind shot that works well enough when I don't have a line to use the laser.
 
I use both, an old Skycaddie 2.5 to keep my score, basic stats and for distances to hazards and end of fairway on doglegs. Inside 200 yards I use my Bushnell Medalist, on my courses at least one pin is never where it is supposed to be. We use a numbering system, not flag color. There is also the battery issue, I often forget to recharge my Skycaddie, my Bushnell goes the entire season one one battery and there is always a spare in my bag just in case.

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk 4
 
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