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Deciphering Distance

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henry1302

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For a long time I've not found a need for distance measuring, I was way too inconsistent to reliably hit a number so yardage markers and sprinkler heads was plenty for me.

Thankfully I seemed to have moved past that (touches everything wooden in sight) and could really do with knowing how much I have left rather than guessing (the 12 year old inside also wants to know how far my driver goes after every hit)

This has opened up a can of worms into my options, there are 3 main contenders for me:
  • Bushnell neo ghost - cheap cheerful and appears to do what it says on the tin
  • Some sort of GPS watch (I'm leaning towards an offering from Garmin)
  • Laser range finder

Curve-ball option is Arccos 360 - I love the idea of all the data it can give you, can you use this for distance measuring as well?

I carry so I'm thinking getting a laser rangefinder out of the bag may become annoying after a while.

I'd love to get any opinions on which your preferred measurement method is and which piece of gear is king within a category (Watch, Bag Tag, Laser etc...)

I want to keep it under £350 but the piece of kit has to offer value for money
 
I have a neo ghost and a rangefinder. I use the neo ghost 99% of the time. Fits in my pocket without being bulky and gives me the info I need. The only drawback I can think of is that it doesn't measure front middle and back from the angle you are approaching the green.
 
Each device will have its pros and cons so it is up to you to decide what you want out of it

A GPS device (handheld or watch) will give you distances regardless of whether you have line of sight, but depending on the model you may not have distances to hazards / doglegs etc. A handheld such as the models from Garmin will have a touchscreen that will give you the distance to wherever you touch, and some of the watches also have this ability now so you can get a lot from just one of those

A rangefinder will give you the distance to anything, but only if you can see it, so if you play a course with a lot of blind shots I personally wouldn't choose one - if you hit a wayward drive and can't see the pin for your approach you can't tag it for a distance

I currently have a Garmin watch that gives me F/M/B and layup distances including doglegs which is enough for me, but when I upgrade I will look for something with a few more features and options to give me hazards as well
 
I have a Neo XS. Got it for $99 CDN (about $80 US) on clearance couple years ago. Best thing I ever bought. SO much easier to play the game, faster and no math or guess work. As a side effect, having one speeds everything up, as you are not looking for markers and then pace off to your ball. Just glance at your watch when you're at your ball, pick a club and get on with it :)

IMO, a GPS watch is a must have for every casual golfer

I'm about due for a new one, the older model Neo XS I have is not the prettiest watch I've ever owned and would like something a little more fashionable that I could wear everyday, but otherwise it works absolutely perfectly.
 
Playing with a watch is an acquired taste. I play with my iWatch and it's not so bad, but sometimes the band rubs on my opposite arm during my swing.
 
Making a decision will be tough but you can’t go wrong with range finders or gps. It just depends on what you are more comfortable with.
 
I have Arccos 360 and use it for distance quite a bit. I have an apple watch so I am not having to get my phone out of my pocket to get a number.

Quickly what I will say about Arccos:

Pros - gives you tons of information, and the app layout is fantastic if you want distances to certain landmarks (hazards/bunkers/front of green/back of green/etc).

- will also give you a really good idea of how far you hit your clubs. (not perfect as it can't calculate slope/wind into each shot that you hit, but overall gives a good representation)

Cons - might not be a con (isn't for me) but you will have to have your phone in your pocket when you play. Doesn't bother me, but is a deal breaker for some

- it will use up a lot of your phone battery every round, especially if you are checking your phone for yardage regularly (I use the watch most of the time during a round)

All that said, I had a rangefinder before Arccos came around, I will continue to use it going forward as I like to get flag distances, not just front/middle/back like you get with GPS.
 
Another con for Arccos is the fact you have to be aware of how you are holding your golf clubs in relation to the grip sensors. I had a number of faulty shot registers during my tests that were quite frustrating.
 
I would definitely go GPS (handheld or watch) instead of a rangefinder. IMO, most only need distances for hazards and front/middle/back of greens.
 
grip-N-rip said:
Have you thought about an app on your phone such as 18birdies or another app?
Click to expand...

The only issue for me with mobile phone based apps is that they can be very battery heavy, and rely on having a decent mobile data signal which, for me, is the main reason I don't use one as I have played a number of courses where I have had zero mobile signal and couldn't use an app if I wanted to

If you play regularly using a phone app then you also need to consider how much of your data allowance the app uses as well
 
Deciphering Distance

I decided to buy a Game Golf tracking system last year.
So I have about 2 full seasons now of data.
Love it for distance tracking.
Here are some samples of things you can look at. Great for comparing clubs and checking gaps too.

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I do not use my rangefinder at all. I have a simple Garmin Approach G6 that I use and love it. Tim
 
Thanks for all the input guys, I downloaded the 18 birdies app for my last round and although good I found I was becoming immersed in my phone and inputting all my stats rather than the game and social aspect, this makes me think a simple watch with minimal info is best, I don't need exacting distance to a pin, just middle green distance and I can adjust my clubbing roughly if the pin is front or back.
 
erock9174 said:
I decided to buy a Game Golf tracking system last year.
So I have about 2 full seasons now of data.
Love it for distance tracking.
Here are some samples of things you can look at. Great for comparing clubs and checking gaps too.
Click to expand...

This is an awesome amount of data. Do you have the one where you have to touch it to the receiver on your belt?

Dave
 
dthrog00 said:
This is an awesome amount of data. Do you have the one where you have to touch it to the receiver on your belt?

Dave
Click to expand...

Yeah. You place the tags on the end of the club. They do not contain batteries so they are minimal in weight (2g) unlike the Arccos ones which add like 10+ grams to the butt end of the club.

Then before I start my preshot routine you tap the tag to the receiver.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
erock9174 said:
Yeah. You place the tags on the end of the club. They do not contain batteries so they are minimal in weight (2g) unlike the Arccos ones which add like 10+ grams to the butt end of the club.

Then before I start my preshot routine you tap the tag to the receiver.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Is it a gadget to play with or do you feel this helps your game? Our golf games sound very similar distance wise, etc... except you are better than me by about 10 strokes.

Dave
 
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