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Contest - Bushnell Tour V4 Rangefinder - TWO Winners

 
My question is, when you turn the slope off, is there some "tournament ready" indicator that shows up, preferably externally? I guess I'm thinking of a round loaded indicator on a pistol, just something that can easily demonstrate that it's ready for tournament rather than casual use.
 
I am a fan of the rule change. The game has evolved to the point where each player who is competing at tournament levels is typically good enough to hit the ball within a 4 foot radius. Having the "slope" function on a device is good for the game and they should be allowed to use that feature during play. It will allow them to speed the game up that much more. In an era where 370 yard par 4's are being driven by a good majority of the field knowing elevation change isn't going to separate the pack.
 
I made the choice to get a v3 with the slope function because of yardage issues. I had an idea of what my yardages were, but would be lost on any kind of severe uphill or downhill.

I have recently signed up for my first few tournaments and would hate to have to buy another $250+ device just for tournament use. I have to do a lot of fiddling to turn the slope function back on after turning it off. I'm in favor of the rule change from a buyer standpoint.
 
I think the rule change was a positive one. I am one that believes these devices do speed up play and the inclusion of the slope function only benefits the average golfer. I would hope that the rule continues to move forward and eventually the rules allow the slope function to be on during tournaments.
 
My son has a Bushnell with slope and I've used it occasionally during my rounds. This rule is much needed for junior golfers- they can't have caddies and they sometimes play so fast they don't consider uphill or downhill lies when choosing clubs.
 
Tons of great entries. It's a good conversation too, in regards to the new rule.
 
The rule change is a good thing. Its not any different than using a GPS that gives you even more information like wind speed/direction and front middle back distances, though I am not familiar with the rules of use on these. However I am glad they are keeping the rule it must be turned off during tournament play, it keeps some element of thought and creativity.
 
I love the rule change. Golf is hard enough for the average player. I would appear that it would make practice rounds prior to a tournament more valuable to the everyday golfer as well, because now, with slope, the can get true adjusted distances - just like they would with a caddie. They can then learn those adjustments, and shoot lower scores, if they can remember or write down those adjustments. I'm all for helping golfers play better. Thanks THP and Bushnell!


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mtiger10 said:
My son has a Bushnell with slope and I've used it occasionally during my rounds. This rule is much needed for junior golfers- they can't have caddies and they sometimes play so fast they don't consider uphill or downhill lies when choosing clubs.
Click to expand...

Totally agree- it's almost not optional for them.


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Love seeing my email blow up with the comments. Kind of fun.
 
Big fan of the change. Golf really needs to pay attention to how demographics are changing. With the next generation coming on board, they have grown up with technology at hand constantly and I believe have no tolerance, or even concept that you would not use something that gives you no real advantage, just faster and more accurate data.
This should help pace of play as well.
Bring in the next generation of golfers while possibly speeding up pace of play? Sounds like a win/win to me.
 
I'm all for the change and I hope it's just the beginning of other much needed rule changes. But those are for another thread. Pace of play could be much improved and who doesn't want to see that. For the regular Joe knowing the distance to within a yard with slope factored in can give greater confidence and remove doubts. Slope IMO should be allowed all the time whether it's practice or competition.

The golfer still has to hit the ball.
 
 
It's about time! I can't really say I "like" the change in rules since it is something that I believe is way overdue.
How many tournaments are played on a completely unknown course for the player? Usually one would at least play a practice round so even for understanding the exact playing yardages for an unfamiliar course, I think allowing slope function makes perfect sense. What is the difference between having a caddie and a yardage book with full knowledge of the course (including slope and all) vs having slope to aid your club decisions? As an amateur, I need all the help I can get, and I will be using the slope feature all the time when I am playing with my buddies.
 
As an amateur golfer I am constantly learning the game of golf and its many challenging aspects. The rangefinder is a tool that I would consider as something that helps me gauge distances and understand how slope effects distance gained or lossed. I would not even consider buying one without the slope feature. I feel that the option to turn it on or off is a must for me so when/if I ever do play in a tournament that does not allow it I can easily turn the feature off and still be able to use it. As the video stated... This device would give me "confidence" which is what we all need right?
 
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Official Entry:

1. I think this is a great rule change. I have a Bushnell 1600 Pro with slope that cannot be turned off. I love the slope feature and think it is very valuable to an amateur like me. However, I always wish I could turn slope off and have a tournament legal rangefinder. I don't think it's necessary to force the consumer to buy a separate rangefinder without slope if a rangefinder like the V4 can turn it on and off. As long as the slope feature is visible and easy to determine if it's on or off (like the V4 is) then I see no problem with it. I think the slope feature is great for practice rounds to help amateurs on courses they've never played before. At the end of the day we want golfers to enjoy their round more and this rule is a great step in the right direction.

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3. Comment left

Thanks for the amazing contest THP and Bushnell Golf! The Tour V4 is by far the best rangefinder on the market and love the slope on/off feature. Plus, this has created some great discussion on a rule change.
 
The change in the rule pushes the pro side of list to a must have device. I stayed away from laser only due to size and actual reasons to use for weekend play. I don't play many tournaments, but knowing I could use device prior and turning off slope option makes it a lot more usable function for avg golfer. I have used gps devices and on smart phones for a little while now, but can never get the exact numbers I am looking for. Doesn't matter how much I play a course, there's always a guessing factor applied. Using laser, specifically this new v4 line from Bushnell, puts a exact science to it. I want this Bushnell Laser!!!!!
 
It is good that range finders can be used in comps at least without slope. I think the rule should be changed to use Slope in any round. Give us our best opp to shoot our best round possible. I am in the market for a good DMD with slope. Thanks for the great review.
 
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I honestly thought that you could previously use rangefinders with the slope feature if they could be turned off. Since I have never owned one and play in few tournaments I was ignorant of the rules. So it would be fair to say that I agree with the rule change since it makes sense. Let players use all the tools at their disposal to play better. Also, rangefinders speed up pace of play as it makes club selection quicker.

 
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It should not matter during tournament play whether you have the Bushnell Slope Edition or Tournament Edition.

You have to still hit the shot. You still have the opportunity of hitting thin shots or chunking it or even shank it, even with the most accurate of distances in your arsenal! Any golfer who is semi-accurate will know they have to add yardage for greens that are elevated and subtract yardage for green that are downhill, and this is a result of experience.

Another factor besides human inconsistency is the wind. Bushnell does not have a rangefinder that accounts for the wind. That is probably a bigger factor on most courses than the adding or subtracting of two or three yards.
 
I think there should remain a little room for the art of the game and the skill needed to judge true distances. Leave the technology for the clubs and the balls.


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This rule really wouldn't effect me since I haven't and won't be entering any tournaments that require slope be turned off. But I do think for those that do the rule makes a ton of sense. If they really wanted to take advantage of the slope feature before they would have to buy two devices, one for tournament play and one for other.

I haven't bought a range finder before, but if I did I think I would want one with slope. Even if I wouldn't use it that often, it would give me peace of mind for those holes where you're really not sure if it's enough slope or not to club up or down.
 
I love this contest. Not only has it sprung some great conversation, it gives me an opportunity to game something I would never buy for myself. I am a mobile GPS/watch GPS player. I would love to have a laser rangefinder but the cost is just too much for me. I would love to put this through its paces.

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To me living in Florida the rule change is not the biggest deal as there's not a whole lot of elevation changes, and if you're allowed to use it as long as it is turned off, how much does the rule change really affect you in a tournament? I see slope being really useful in pre rounds at the course to gather distances to be able to right down however.


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