Best Golf Rangefinder

What is a Rangefinder?

To find the rangefinder that’s the right fit for you, you need to first understand what they are and how they work. Understanding these basics will give you insight into what features are available as well as what constitutes good value.

A rangefinder uses a process called ranging to measure the distance from the observer to target.

I know what you’re thinking, is that legal?

Since 2016, GPS and golf laser rangefinders have been given more allowance in many tournament events.

We’re going to help you understand the rules and find the option for you.

Technology has advanced over the last decade allowing golfers to use specially designed rangefinders to judge the distance to the green of any given hole. The breadth of knowledge a rangefinder can offer typically depends on the price point however you can use almost any to help you on the course.

Golfers use rangefinders to enable them to make accurate shots and get more insight into a course. Given the knowledge and data that a good rangefinder can provide a golfer, it is unsurprising that many players attest to getting better results from their shots while using one.

Different Types of Rangefinders

When it comes to rangefinders, there are two basic types available on the market. The first type works on GPS technology, and the second type uses lasers.

Both can be used on a golf course, but golfers typically play better with one or the other. They also each carry particular benefits, which we will discuss.

If you’ve decided it’s time to purchase a rangefinder to assist you on the golf course, you’re going to need to know which type of rangefinder is going to suit your needs best. Here’s a brief rundown of both kinds of rangefinder and what their known attributes are.

Laser Rangefinders

Laser rangefinders determine the distance between the observer and the target by sending a beam of light to the selected object. The object must be in the observer’s field of view and this is activated by pulling a trigger on the rangefinder.

The distance is then presented on the rangefinder display. If you haven’t locked on to the target successfully you’ll receive an error message and will need to try again.

Laser rangefinders can take a longer time to get an accurate measurement than a GPS rangefinder because they don’t contain any preloaded data about the course. They also are only as accurate as of the person using the device.

GPS Rangefinders

GPS rangefinders require less effort and time to determine the distance between the observer and target because they already have the measurements and course map loaded onto its system. This information is useful because it provides the player with the number to the front, middle and back of the green.

Also, the GPS rangefinder will identify your GPS location, providing you with a flyover map and yardages to hazards.

Drawbacks to GPS rangefinders are that they are dependent on whether the course you’re playing has been mapped and they might also require a monthly subscription fee in some cases.

Which is Best?

Now for the tricky part, which rangefinder will you go for?

The right answer depends on personal preference and technological understanding. 

Both a GPS and a laser rangefinder can effectively find the distance to the green on a golf course. The advantage that laser rangefinders have over GPS rangefinders is that they are simple, affordable and don’t require a subscription fee.

 GPS rangefinders have more features and higher accuracy but they require routine maintenance to remain up-to-date. If updates don’t phase you, here are some perks;

GPS devices are attractive to professional golfers because they provide modern-day convenience. For example, although the handheld device is still popular, you can get yardages on your watch or phone. This is an attractive feature to golfers as they can determine information by glancing at their wrist.

Generally, laser rangefinders are versatile and easy to use.  So, if you’re a casual or beginner seeking a rangefinder to help you become a more effective golfer, we recommend that you start with a laser rangefinder.

Laser rangefinders are battery-ran therefore providing a stress-free option in comparison to GPS devices that require charging.  Although they are less accurate than GPS finders generally, this is only because they are often used incorrectly which is expected for beginners. 

In addition, you won’t have to pay a monthly subscription fee or worry about updating maps or downloading courses. You can simply bring it to any course that you’re playing on and have near-instant distance information just by pointing the laser and pulling the trigger.

Are Rangefinders Allowed in Major Tournaments?

Earlier we touched upon the legalities of rangefinders, a natural concern to any golfer.

The last thing you want is to be thrown out of a tournament for using a piece of illegal equipment, we’re going to help you make sure that doesn’t happen.

For most professional tournaments, including major events, the use of a basic rangefinder is permitted. Something to remember is that devices that determine wind speed or ground slope are still not allowed.

So, if you are a high-level or professional golfer who is interested in using a rangefinder and recognizes the technological benefits, you are permitted to use one in major tournaments.

The USGA allows laser and GPS rangefinders in both hand-held and watch form.

Once you’ve made your purchase, the USGA gives you the green light to access benefits such as measuring the distance to your target and recording the distance of shots. During tournaments, you must not use your device to measure weather conditions or calculate distances for slope.

Benefits of Using

Rangefinders to Golfers
There are several benefits to using a rangefinder while golfing. They can make you more accurate and provide you with additional critical data that you need to make the most efficient and effective shots possible.

Precise Measurements

The most prominent feature that rangefinders are known for is providing golfers with precise measurements while they are out on the course. This is their primary purpose, and they tend to be very good at fulfilling it.

With advancing technology, it is possible for a golfer to get an extremely accurate distance to the target on the course that they are golfing on.

Golf has a reputation for being a game of inches. Thus, accuracy is everything.

The newest laser rangefinders on the market today are the most accurate rangefinders we’ve ever seen when pointed correctly. Accuracy is vital in golf because it can be the difference between a top 5 finish and a bottom 5 finish.

With a rangefinder, you won’t ever find yourself guessing at a distance again. You don’t have to use it just to find the range to the tee, either.

You can also find the difference to a water hazard, bunker, or tree line. If you’re tired of guessing and want accurate, near-instant measurements while you are out on the course, a rangefinder might be the way to go.

User-Friendly

The fear that most people have when they consider integrating new technology into their game is that it’s going to be challenging to use. For some products, this is sadly true.

Technology is a great thing that has helped many people in sports. However, for others, it has made things more complicated.

Where some gain an edge, others lose one based on their apprehension or inability to use new tools and advance with technology.

Fortunately, rangefinders are very easy to use. Whether you use a GPS or laser rangefinder, it will be straightforward to determine the distance that you are trying to identify.

They are straightforward machines with only a few buttons and a clear objective. Most will also be shipped with manuals that teach you how to operate them.

Rangefinders are a valuable tool on the course, and they don’t alienate anyone, even those who aren’t known for their prowess when using technology.

Affordable

Another common misconception about modern technology is that it always has to cost a pretty penny. This isn’t necessarily the case.

While higher-quality and professional-grade machines do exist and naturally cost more money, entry-level rangefinders are just fine for a day out on the course. They are accurate, and you won’t need to part with too much money to get hold of one.

Most entry-level rangefinders can be purchased for short of $200. If you feel that you need a better one with more features, you can always increase your budget and invest a little more.

Convenience

Once renown for how heavy and difficult they were to carry around, rangefinders are now one of the most convenient and easy-to-carry pieces of equipment that a golfer can own. They are compact, lightweight, and have never been easier to bring out with you on the course.

If you’re worried about a rangefinder slowing you down, you shouldn’t be! You can often fit them in your pocket, keep them in your bag, or set them in the cart when you’re not using them.

Pace of Play

While some traditionalists complain that new technology intrudes on the game and makes things slower due to more players practicing situational golfing, studies have shown that rangefinders actually help to increase the pace of play.
We know that sounds counterintuitive because more people will be taking more measurements. However, there is some sound logic behind this.

The old way of finding measurements included caddies trying to figure it out using books that they were provided. They would then provide estimates or do some quick math and provide the golfer with insight.

This entire process took much longer than what it takes to simply take out a rangefinder, point it at your target, and shoot the laser.

Alternatively, if there was no caddy present, the golfer would be left to mull over the options themselves without the assistance. This kept the game at an extremely slow pace.

Therefore, having a rangefinder to quickly give you accurate measurements on the course will actually speed up the pace of play and make it more enjoyable for players and spectators alike. It also helps other players behind you on the course because they’ll be able to proceed and minimize the amount of time that they’ll have to wait at holes.

Not everyone has a full day to spend out on the course. If that’s the case for you, you might want to consider investing in a rangefinder to quicken your game.

Mobility/Wearability

There is a tendency to conceptualize a rangefinder as a large, clunky machine. However, this isn’t always the case. In fact, a rangefinder can be so convenient that you can even find some that you can wear on your wrist and take everywhere with you! These types of rangefinders might not be the best for extremely long distances, but they can serve you well in a variety of situations and assist you in making accurate and appropriate shots whilst providing ultimate mobility.

Technology has come a long way, and that’s exemplified by the availability of these excellent devices that you can bring to the course in lieu of a standard watch.

Assistance with Club Selection

A huge part of being successful in golf is knowing which clubs to select in certain situations, a decision which almost always comprises the distance you are from your target destination.

As every golfer knows, each club is suited for a different type and distance of a shot. The more you know about the shot you’re trying to make, the better odds you have of selecting the club that is best suited for that shot.

This is where accuracy comes into play. If you can use a laser rangefinder correctly, and you are equipped with the knowledge, you should have no problem at all correctly selecting your clubs based on the data that it gives you.

Avoiding Hazards

A rangefinder doesn’t just help you find the hole and get there in the best way possible. It can also help you avoid undesirable locations on the course, such as hazards.

These take form in the shape of bodies of water, sand bunkers, and out of bounds areas. A good laser rangefinder will help you determine the distance to these areas that you want to avoid and help you decide which clubs to use, as well as how much power to strike with.

When golfing, everyone loves to focus on getting to the tee as quickly as possible, but an equally important skill is learning to avoid areas that are going to cause trouble for your game. By doing both of these things simultaneously, you can effectively optimize your game and deliver consistently better performances each time you play a round.

If you’re going to get a rangefinder, make sure that you train yourself with it by repeatedly using it to select clubs. After repeated use, you should be able to effectively formulate a decision-making process that efficiently uses the data that you gather from the rangefinder.

Hazards can undoubtedly derail your game, as they have done for thousands of golfers before you. Using a rangefinder is one of the best ways to combat this threat and save your game from being negatively affected by hazards.

Get Out of Blind Spots

Another benefit that rangefinders can provide you with is the ability to get out of blind spots. Sometimes on a round, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you can’t even see where your ball is going to land because the destination is around a curve.

If you can’t see what is around the curve, it’s tough to make a decision on which club to use or how much power to put in your shot.

A rangefinder can help with this. You should keep in mind that not all rangefinders will be able to help you in this area: what you need to help you out of blind spots is a GPS rangefinder.

GPS rangefinders are a little less common than laser rangefinders, but they are readily available. If you find yourself getting stuck in a lot of blind spots on your courses that don’t have a typical layout, you might greatly benefit from a GPS rangefinder.

Knowing the Distance

The final and perhaps most obvious benefit to having a rangefinder in your arsenal of golf equipment is that you can know the distance to pretty much any destination on the course (as long as you can see it in the case of a laser rangefinder). This is an invaluable benefit to your game.

Knowing the distance to any given point on the course allows you to make better club selection, select appropriate power, and get a better feel for what’s going on in the game and where you’re at on the course. This information removes the guesswork from many areas of your game.

A great way to capitalize on this knowledge is to practice various types of swings with several different types of clubs and record their distance. Knowing how far your shots go is super important and will help you correctly utilize the information that a rangefinder can give you.

How to Pick a Rangefinder

If you’ve never bought a rangefinder before, you probably have no idea how to shop for one. When it comes to golf, there are literally thousands of products out there to choose from for all types of equipment.

This can prove to be quite overwhelming, and all the distractions can get in the way of efficient and thorough decision-making. Not only are rangefinders a bit confusing to shop for, but they also represent a significant investment.

If you are going to make the investment in a rangefinder, especially an expensive high-quality one, you need to be sure that you’re getting good value for your money.

We’ve done all of the research for you and have compiled a complete buying guide that will show you exactly what features to look for, what functions you might need, and we’ve also compiled some products that have a good reputation on the market.

Before you begin shopping, you’ll need to know what features you should be on the lookout for. Here’s everything you need to consider when shopping for a rangefinder for your next golf outing.

Type

The type of rangefinder that you select is important because each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. As we covered earlier, there are two basic types of rangefinders: laser and GPS.

To recap, laser rangefinders use a beam of light to determine the distance between the device and your destination while a GPS rangefinder uses GPS technology to map out the course and determine your distance from key points on the course.

We already covered the benefits of each as well as the drawbacks earlier in our comparison, but just to remind you, most people prefer laser rangefinders for their affordability and ease of use. Our rankings of the best golf rangefinders later in the article will reflect a bias towards these machines, which many believe to be superior.

Make sure that you know what type of rangefinder you are buying before you do so. This will allow you some time to analyze the benefits of that type and see if it is a good fit for you.

Brand

While this is a less important factor, many golfers are fiercely loyal to a brand. We can understand why.

Golf equipment is expensive, and when there is often a tendency to attach your success to the equipment you use, it can become very difficult to be willing to try different branded products.

For that reason, the brand is the first factor that some people look at when they are shopping for new equipment. Indeed, there are tons of golfers out there who refuse to use any equipment that isn’t manufactured by their favorite brand.

Though we haven’t seen any glaring issues with any particular brand in our roundup, we will say that the brands we are recommending are some of the most notoriously reliable ones out there. You can be confident that, if you select your next rangefinder from our suggestions, it will be coming from a top-class company.

Range

Obviously, the range that you get with a rangefinder is going to be important. Ideally, you want something as far-reaching as possible to increase your flexibility, but extreme ranges generally aren’t necessary.

If you know that you don’t need the maximum range out there and just want something simple, you can usually get away with spending a little less and getting something more suitable for what you need. Being willing to downgrade can save you a bit of money, but make sure that you don’t neglect your needs if this is your plan.

Having a good rangefinder is a massive asset for a golfer, and if you sacrifice functionality just to save a few bucks, it defeats the purpose of owning one. These tools are meant to be something extra that you can do to increase performance, not add more limitations to your game.

Having a good range on your rangefinder will allow you to see everything that you need to see without having to do any guesswork. As we covered before, this enables you to make better and more informed shots and improve your score.

One thing that you should keep in mind when considering range is that there is a difference here between the two types of rangefinders.

Lasers can have a very long-range, but they aren’t unlimited. GPS devices, on the other hand, are not typically limited by range, allowing you to view anywhere you want to on the course.

If range is a concern and you are golfing on an extremely large course and need to look ahead to future holes, you may want to consider opting for a GPS rangefinder instead of a laser rangefinder.

However, if you know that your rangefinder usage is going to be more pedestrian, you can definitely get by with just a laser rangefinder. You’re also likely to save quite a bit of money by opting for a laser device!

Features

When shopping for a rangefinder, you’re also going to want to decide how much functionality you need. This is largely going to depend on how much you’re looking to spend, as well.

Rangefinders started out as simple devices when they first appeared on the market, but have evolved into significantly more sophisticated devices that can include dozens of additional features besides determining basic distance measurements.

The first thing that we all likely think of when we think about what features a rangefinder has is what kind of data it can show us? Many standard rangefinders will only show you the distance that you want, but there are many more advanced devices out there that can show you more sophisticated data such as terrain slope, wind speed, and more.

One thing that you need to watch out for when using devices like this is the legality of these advanced rangefinders. As we covered earlier, most major tournaments allow the use of a rangefinder to determine distance, but advanced machines that give you more data than that are generally not allowed.

If you are a pro hoping to make money while golfing on tour, you shouldn’t get accustomed to using these advanced devices for this reason. However, if you are going to be using your rangefinder for a casual round of golf, these more advanced machines could be a great tool for you if you’re willing to invest in them.

Other important rangefinder features include adjustability settings. These can make a world of difference and make the unit much easier to use.

Adjustability on a rangefinder can come in the form of the viewport zoom, display settings, and laser strength. Having a broad range of settings makes rangefinders much more versatile and suitable for a wider range of needs.

Affordability

The price of any rangefinder will likely weigh heavy on the mind of any golfer who is in the market for one. Affordability is a huge factor in the decision-making process, especially for those who are on a tight budget or want to save money by any means.

The affordability factor will likely be determined by the brand, quality, and features. The more advanced and comprehensive the device is, the higher-priced your rangefinder is likely to be.

If you want to spend as little as possible on a rangefinder, you should be prepared to get something that is less technical but still gets the job done. The key idea to keep in mind when shopping for an affordable rangefinder is actually value, not the total cost: what you really want to get out of any purchase is a feeling of value that is fair for the amount of expenditure.

Generally, a rangefinder provides good value when it meets all the basic criteria (and some peripheral criteria if you desire) to make sure the product is of good quality while also being priced competitively. The dream scenario is to find a rangefinder that offers all the reliable benefits of a higher-priced model while being priced lower.

We’ll point out some affordable options in our guide to give you a good idea of what you can get for your price range.

Durability

Durability is one of those factors in the decision-making process that’s useful to consider no matter the product. This is no different when it comes to rangefinders, which are unlikely to be the most expensive piece of golf equipment in your cart, but still, represent a significant investment.

A good way to determine if a product will be durable and stand the test of time and wear through frequent use is by examining what materials it is constructed from.

If the product is constructed mostly from plastic, you may run the risk of purchasing something that will only last you a couple of years. If you see a lot of metal or composite materials, the product is way more likely to be built for the long haul.

You should weigh what you are looking for in durability against what you are willing to spend. If your budget is very low, the chances are that you’re not going to be able to get the most durable option out there.: these models generally cost the most because they are made of higher-quality, more expensive materials.

However, you should know that spending a little extra when you’re shopping can lead to years of additional productive use of your rangefinder. Often, it is well worth spending a little more to get something of higher quality.

You’ll also tend to receive better access to, and a higher quality level of customer service, as these more expensive products, are generally made by more reputable companies that have the resources to provide good support for customers.

Warranty Offerings

The final factor that you want to look for in a rangefinder is an agreeable warranty policy. As you probably already know, companies put warranties on their products to help customers recoup their money or get another product in the event that the one they purchase turns out to be defective or does not live up to the expectations set forth by the company that sold it.

While you hope never to have to use them since they are notoriously inconvenient to redeem, it’s nice to know that they are there to help if something does go wrong. You should think of a warranty as a form of insurance on your investment into a rangefinder.

Warranties are also a good way to determine how confident a company is in its product. If you see a rangefinder with a 3-month warranty, the chances are that it won’t last as long as a product that has a 2-year full warranty.

Any company that puts an extended warranty on their products is certainly more confident that they will not have to fulfill it within that time. When you buy a product with a warranty, you can be fairly sure that you’ll at least get the warranty’s worth of use out of it.

Best Golf Rangefinder Reviews

Now that you know everything there is to know about rangefinders and what makes a good one, you’re ready to take a look back at our list of some of the best ones out there. We made our judgments based on all of the criteria that we listed here.

Countless hours have been put into our research to locate a variety of products that suit a wide range of needs. Whether you are looking for an affordable rangefinder or a premium one, we have you covered.

Recap

All of these products are extremely reputable, and they were each chosen for a reason, to suit a different type of golfer. However, in our opinion, one product stands above all the rest.

The Bushnell Patriot is the model that we feel meets the broadest range of needs for the average golfer that wants a rangefinder for casual games.

The Bushnell Patriot price is average, offering a lot of great features, including terrain and course layout information.

It’s fast, easy to use, and affordable!

If you’re the average golfer looking for the best value for your money, it’s clear that the Patriot offers everything you would need and more.

Be sure to research all products thoroughly to ensure that you end up with the best golf rangefinder for your own needs!