Range Finders

benny79

Any of you guys recommend any good Range finders? I would like the pin seeker thing as my hands seem to shake when I use one 😂 The slope function be good too as I never take this into the equation so be nice to know difference. Tried a mates one on with this and surprised its only 2 to 4 yards. Taught it be more! considering I usually allow about 10! 😂 But a good mate told me I definitely should get one as it will save me 4/5 shots a round. I have been using a Garmin gps for years you can manually move flag etc but have noticed when I used my mates laser just because flag is at back can be 10 yards in difference compared to my GPS!

Budget wise suppose middle of the road not a cheap one but not mad money either! Theres so many on the market hard to choose!

SEORG

Is it still a rule that you can't use range finders with the slope function in competition?

There are usually a few going on adverts for good value.

Russman

Anecdotally I've heard that Shotscope's stand alone range finders are very good (think they've at least 3 different models) and the online reviews seem to say that as well. Good bang for buck given they're probably half the price of a Bushnell.

Just had a look and the Pro LX is €219 in McGuirks and the Pro L2 is €179. Actually they're the same on Shotscope's own website too.

Slope must be turned off in competition but most rangefinders with it have a very visible button to show whether its on or off - easy for your playing partners to know 😁😁!!

paulos53

It is something that I have been looking into as well. The Bushnell models come with and without slope. The ones without slope are around 80 euro cheaper. We can't turn on slope in competition so that is an easy decision for me.

Shotscope released a new model last week. Pro ZR for €349. That might result in a price reduction of their older models but I haven't seen that yet.

It should also be noted that there is no way that a rangefinder will save 4/5 shots a round over a GPS. In reality the gains are marginal unless somebody is hitting their irons at PGA Tour level.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121796352#Comment_121796352

(Seemingly) Significant reduction on this one. €139 for trusted brand and online retailer, seems a good deal.

https://www.clubhousegolf.co.uk/acatalog/Shot-Scope-Pro-L1-Laser-Golf-Rangefinder-Black-Blue.html#SID=9395

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121796352#Comment_121796352

Yeah, i tend to agree with your last paragraph. For joe bloggs amateur, IMHO having front, middle and back yardages is enough 95% of the time. If he's hitting to the middle of the green all the time he's certainly not wasting too many shots.

There might be a gain using a rangefinder over nothing at all, but even then, 4 or 5 shots a round is a bit of a stretch. Having used GPS for the last few years I've found the benefit to be over time, learning how far I hit (or don't hit !) the different clubs rather than being able to say in a given situation that the GPS saved me a shot - which can of course happen, say if you're way offline and don't have to guess the distance etc.

benny79

Where I see the Range finder saves you shots if the flag is at back you click or take back distance on GPS but if you have laser and laser it even though its at the back there could be 10/15 yard difference.. Probably wont make a difference to me 😂😂 But all the low guys I know are using both and keep telling me I need to get a range finder 🤷‍♂️ Kinda want a new driver more though 😂

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121796118#Comment_121796118

I think as long as you can turn the slope function off you are ok

waterwelly

Amazon have cheap ones that are fine, around €70 maybe.

No need to spend money on anything fancy.

It's a basic laser.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121799737#Comment_121799737

I can somewhat understand their occasional use on a course the user is unacquainted with, but they make me want to take out every club in my bag and beat the user with them when someone I’m playing with uses rangefinders all the time on our home course. I agree with you, they slow play and few golfers above low single figure handicaps can hit the ball a certain distance at will.

I hate them.

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800185#Comment_121800185

Are you supposed to know the exact distance to everything from every spot in your own course?

Realistically they don't slow anything down. Most people will whip it out and zap the flag or whatever while their playing partner is taking their shot. Takes 5 seconds. It's just another thing people like to whinge about and blame on slow play.

dan_ep82

Ah lads, pins move and unless your playing on tiny greens it can be at least a club difference.

If done correctly it takes about 10 seconds to take the rangefinder out,get the yardage and put it back in your bag, and it's usually done when others are hitting their shots.

I've noticed a difference in clarity and time to get a yardage between cheap to the more expensive rangefinders. The Inesis one from Decathalon is a great middle ground.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800210#Comment_121800210

Can you hit a ball an exact distance?

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800280#Comment_121800280

Absolutely not. Nor can most amateurs. But it's roughly around the same yardage and as mentioned above, a pin in a front position vs back can be a full club difference on some greens.

Not only that, but rangefinders aren't just used for zapping pins. They can be used to find the distance to a dogleg, or a particular bunker etc. An invaluable piece of kit especially when used in conjunction with a gps watch or similar.

As I said, people just like to overstate the problem of slow play and see something anecdotal that they can shake their fist at.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800357#Comment_121800357

Most players keep their RFs in their bags, taking it out, pressing the button to wake it up, zero in on what you are aiming at, some will press the button a second time, put the cover back on the lens, put it back in the bag, all in 5 secs? No, people who use them a lot will use it on every shot so you are talking about at least a minute per hole, if 2 use it, that could be 40 mins extra per round, more if everyone uses one, it seems even the high handicappers use them now, more shots, more time. The biggest complaint people have about the game right now is the time it takes to play a round, slowing down play even more just adds to that.

If you need to use a rangefinder a lot on your home course, you either have memory issues or you are taking the game more seriously than your talent should warrant. I dread to think how much weather conditions, course firmness and the shape of the greens must mess with your game.

Seve OB

It’s makes no difference what so ever as long as you keep pace with the group in front

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800464#Comment_121800464

What if the group in front is 4 x El Guapo!? We have all been there.

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800534#Comment_121800534

😂😂

Get a grip man. I've been stuck behind slow groups plenty of times and I can tell you it has never once been because someone is using a rangefinder. It's usually because people are strolling down the fairway having a yap and spending 10 mins trying to find their ball, calling their mates over to help with the search.

Forgive me if I don't trust your highly scientific analysis of how 2 people using rangefinders adds up to 40 mins extra per round. Your breakdown of the process feels like getting shafted by a dodgy tradesman adding up the bill. As I said, it only takes a few seconds and is usually done while your playing partner is hitting their shot.

Russman

Wait til the fecker with the laser starts doing aimpoint on the greens.........😁

All joking aside though, I can see how they'd be perceived to be slowing play up but most times I'm playing with someone using one, they've been pretty on the ball and you don't even notice them taking a quick yardage. You do get the odd gobsh1te zapping a flag from 40 yards but thankfully not that often. IMHO there's definitely lower hanging fruit in the battle with slow play.

WRT lasers, I'm certainly not anti technology or progress, I have a Bushnell (long story, it was a voucher I had to use up) but have never used it in competition, mostly use it for doing gapping on a quiet summer evening. I honestly think, in Irish conditions they're a lot less valuable than somewhere with a consisent climate. I play a fairly hilly course and there's huge variance in how it plays. We've a little par 3 thats about 125 yards, it can be anything from a wedge to a 5 iron depending on the wind - knowing that the pin is 126 or 123 isn't going to make a jot of difference.

We all like shiny new things and I wouldn't tell anyone not to get one, but if I'm looking to improve and I already have a gps, I think 3 lessons is a better investment. If every club golfer played the back yardage of every green, they'd score an awful lot lower IMHO.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800280#Comment_121800280

This argument against them is a pet peeve of mine. It's a really stupid one. No club golfer is so in control of his game that he will be able to hit exact distances. They also can't hit it perfectly straight. But if you're starting by aiming for the right place in terms of distance and direction you'll end up closer to it.

I'd like a rangefinder, but rarely for the pin. My approach for the greens is pretty much to aim for the centre. I'll adjust by a few yards if the flag is left, right, front, back and I'm close enough, but the distance to the centre is a better starting point for me more often than not. However, particularly on new courses they'd be great from the tee. I've lost too many balls from running out of room after a dog leg. You think you can just go straight down the fairway, but actually needed to cut the corner by 50 yards or take an iron from the tee. Knowing some distances from the tee would be great.

RoadRunner

Knowing distance to target sets a clear goal allowing you to refine your accuracy over time. Each shot, whether 2 meters long /short is valuable in honing distance control. If someone takes a laser out on day 1, they might not gain too much immediately, the difference between 141 and 148metres is likely insignificant to that person as they'd be just hitting the exact same shot for both of those situations and be happy if they manage to finish on the green. Gain comes in the form of knowledge and consistency over a longer period of time in my view.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800431#Comment_121800431

Complete and utter nonsense.

benny79

The lads I have played with that have used them I barely even noticed.. One of my playing partners had one weeks before I copped it. As said above most zap while playing partners are hitting and most dont use it for every hole.

@Dav010 How do you work out your distances?

spacecoyote

I have both in the bag. Generally my approach is...zap the pin while someone hitting. Open the green view on my GPS and move the pin on the green to the zapped distance.

From there I won't have to zap again on the hole as my GPS will be showing me the right distance to the pin from wherever I end up.

I don't think it really adds any time overall to my round.

Sure, let's go back to the days of no tech and have lads pacing off their distances from the markers. I've played in that style of golf with societies many years ago, and it was the slowest era of golf I ever played in.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121803535#Comment_121803535

As I said in my first post, I understand their use on course you are unfamiliar with, on home courses though, that’s bollox.

How do I work out distances, I really don’t need to on my home course. There are only a few places where the pins are moved around on each green and thankfully, I have a reasonable memory. So I know which club to use depending on weather conditions. I despair when I see guys who play a couple of times a week, having to take out a RF and then not putting the ball anywhere near the hole, sometimes not even hitting the green.

They are just for show, they don’t improve your game to any extent comparable to lessons, practice or regular play. Few people that I have seen actually gain benefit from them by hitting the ball anywhere near the hole/pin high.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121803720#Comment_121803720

Do you impress your playing partners by regularly hitting the ball pin high, or are you like most amateurs, happy to aim for the middle of the green and take whatever roll/bounce/spin takes it closer to the hole?

The Big Easy

Space is impressive in everything he does tbf!

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121803768#Comment_121803768

Well actually my strategy in general is in the ballpark of flag +5 yards is my distance, or in many cases, from further out I work on the basis of just take distance to back of green, as I know I'll, on average, hit more GIR with that approach, from further out. If I've got the scoring clubs in hand, then I'm looking for a more accurate number.

I don't use laser on every approach, sometimes I'll manage with GPS. But if I have the time to zap it, I'm happy to take more accurate measures.

I've done gap testing sessions on launch monitors so have reasonably good ideas on my carry through my bag (I know that's very changeable based on conditions, but gives me a baseline to work with)

I play golf to a reasonable decent level, I'm nowhere near a pro obviously, im another weekend warrior like most on here, but have gotten within range of level par rounds a couple of times in my life. Would shoot sub 80 multiple times a year at this point.

I'm never out on the course trying to impress anyone with a shot, I'm trying to shoot my best score, and I'll take advantage of anything I think will help me to do that.

Your tone of message is pretty poor I must say, bordering on rude.

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804009#Comment_121804009

Cheers Big Easy, appreciate the complement

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800431#Comment_121800431

On a par 3 one member of a group would usually be enough to validate whatever the scorecards / watches show.

Overall they take the mystery out of the whole thing. Saves time if people are even only a tiny bit more accurate.

Any blind green the flag could be 30 yards from front to back.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804009#Comment_121804009

I second that.

@Dav010 have to say you are entitled to your opinion, but you are wrong

ever hear the phrase “guns don’t kill people, people do”. Well range finders don’t slow up play, slow players slow up play

as I’ve already said, as long as players keep pace with the group in front they can do whatever they like. You had no reply to that apart from a smart unfair comment about El Guapo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804718#Comment_121804718

Guns don’t kill people, people do.

There is a subject I never thought I would see associated with slow play on a golf course. What thought process could you possibly have to make that leap?

Anything that causes play to slow to 4 or 5 hours a round should be addressed, including repeatedly using RF on your home course. Slow play is the scourge of the game at all levels. If you are playing a round with mates, or a weekend comp on a course you know better than any other and you need a RF to take a shot, that RF can’t help you.

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804828#Comment_121804828

I'm baffled as to why you think it's completely unnecessary on your home course. Just because it's your home course doesn't mean you become some sort of savant who can eyeball distances and pull out the right club every time. I'm not rain man. If you are, fair play to you. But I guarantee you the lad in front of you using a rangefinder isn't holding you up. It's the lad in the bushes searching for his TopFlite like his life depends on it.

Anyway, judging by the tone of your replies to people here, it gives off the impression that you've no interest in any sort of civil discussion and anyone who disagrees with your view is immediately dismissed. It's a bad look tbh so I'll leave you to it.

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804828#Comment_121804828

If it keeps one shot on the green instead of searching in the rough out the back it saves time.

If it stops people needing to walk back and forward looking for distance markers in the turf, it saves time.

It takes human error out of figuring out the distance between ball and pin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804911#Comment_121804911

Most golfers may not know the exact yardage to the green, but seriously, you don’t need to be rain man to know what club you need to hit the green, or the turn on a dog leg, on the course you play every week.

Again, on your home course where factors such as weather conditions, slopes up or down, hardness of the green etc, render range finders virtually useless, I just don’t see the point. They just seem an obligatory piece of kit for those who want to show off that they have it, and it makes people look like a tit when having taken out their RF, made sure everyone has seen them use it, then scutter the ball, miss the green either side, leave it 20 yards short or fly the green.

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804958#Comment_121804958

You are talking bo**ox now at this point.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804933#Comment_121804933

Actually that is an interesting point. Unless you have a slope function on your RF, if you rely on distance, you would be more likely to fly a down hill green, and come up short on an uphill, add wind to that and the results can be worse.

plumber77

It's a bit like aim point on the greens. Some people just take the hump with a certain groups of golfers without any stats/evidence to back it up. By the way I don't use either.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804828#Comment_121804828

I was using a metaphor FFS🤦

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121804978#Comment_121804978

Well I'm lucky in that I can see with my eyes if a green is up or down hillfrom where my ball is lying.

If it's uphill I club up a bit and downhill club down a bit.

Again with the wind I have this amazing ability to tell if the wind is from behind me or into my face and adjust my club based on that.

At least with my RF I know the exact distance to the flag as my reference point, rather than guesstimate that as well.

Incidentally I've played a bit over the winter but not used my RF once, fingers are already too cold.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121805129#Comment_121805129

Fair enough, gun violence is a weird analogy to use in relation to slow play though.

blue note

I see nothing strange about the thought of shooting people coming to mind when talking about slow golfers.

slave1

Okay folks, there was no negative intention meant so ease off the drama please and back to topic

bakerbhoy

Well i have gone from being a sceptic to a convert.

The gps is not always accuarate as it depends on which sats it can triangulate from at any given moment. I will zap a flag from 20/30 yds if i cant see the bottom of said flag. I have enough skill to at least be consistantly pin high from 150 and at this stage i am beating my index at short game scoring 100 yds and in. I use any club from 6i down in this area. So yes i want to know my yardage. I am aware of pace of play and have my calc's done before it's my turn to play if possible. ie I am at my ball without interfering with my playing partners.

I play middle/back yardages as the norm so from distance the flag position decides . At my home course we use small slider flags to indicate position, and sometimes they are not where they should be.

I use the shotscope PRO L1 which is budget priced, needs a battery replacement instead of charge , slope on/off function. Decent unit.

While slow play is a pain at times, it's not always seniors , who don't wait to try hit the par 5 in two and then Arthur Scargill the fairway.

If time is an issue with some , manage it better. If you want to jog/run go running . Don't be expecting everyone to travel at the pace you want.

blackbox

I use a GPS and find it's accuracy is fine after the first few minutes it takes to acquire enough satellites.

It definitely helps my golf as I will have a much better shot if I am confident that I have the right club for the distance rather than second guessing as I am swinging. Undoubtedly, some people are better at judging distances.

It is also very useful in learning how far you can hit each club - winter and summer.

The only time it lets me down is if a course has been changed and the map hasn't been updated - not an issue for range finders.

I'd say it speeds up the game as there is less second guessing about club choice and I'd usually have looked at it while others are taking their shots.

Nothing speeds up the game as much as needing fewer strokes.

slave1

Slow players are slow and paraphernalia are irrelevant, personally I like to get to my ball in good time, quick zap from finder and as I know my distances any distance doubt is gone and I can be ready to take my shot probably quicker than looking around and guessing

VW 1

I've recently added a range finder to compliment my gps watch. As others have stated, more so for checking a bunker, hazards or dog leg from the tee to have a better idea of best club and hit a shot with full commitment.

When checking fairway to greens it's almost certainly quicker than checking for the nearest fairway marker and then trying to approximate distance to green/flag.

Golfgraffix

I would need to dig it out but there was a study done back in about 2015 that was commissioned by Bushnell (I will concede, not a great independent starting point). It was done by a Californian college and showed that among various different handicaps using a Range Finder actually resulted in fasted rounds of golf.

I am paraphrasing but the actual knowledge of real distance resulted in faster shots. So while there was an addition of extra time in taking out the RF and zapping, it was a net gain against the time it took to actually select and commit to a club.

So the scenario without RF is, eyeball flag, look at ball location in relation to a location on the hole that you know. Make best guess at distance, factor in wind, slope etc. Pull out club, at this point in nearly all shots there was a second assessment of all the parameters again and in a large proportion of the shots a second club or even a third club would be pulled out. For players playing in a buggy, there was an additional walk time at this stage.

The scenario with the RF, was almost identical but the club selection was almost immediate and did not change anywhere near as much.

There are summaries of the report online, I have the full one somewhere on an old drive, I'll see if i cam find it.

coillcam

Slow play has nothing to do with rangefinders. It's always the same things:

• Talking too much.
• Not being ready when it's your shot and not paying attention.
• Leaving trolleys on the wrong side of holes and tee boxes.
• Moving too slow.
• Searching for stray balls or someone who hits too many shots.
• Long pre-shot or putting routines.

Searching for balls is the biggest issue in my experience. Especially during winter and majors/medals. Three minutes per search and it could be on half of the holes. Generally slow players do most of the first four things in every round. If someone is slow without a rangefinder they'll be still slow with it, the same goes for any other gadget they can fumble around.

A rangefinder makes the game faster. Instant distance calculation and no trying to add/remove yards vs a distance marker. With a GPS, just pick the centre of the green and you'll be fine the majority of the time. I have both but if I had to only have one, I'd pick the rangefinder.

The fastest players I've come across are low-index or older gents who are short-hitters and physically can't spray it. Both groups rarely need to look for a stray ball and 95% of the time know what club they'll hit next. When it's their turn they are ready to go and then move on briskly.

go1f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806127#Comment_121806127

I'd second this. I haven't played enough golf, yet, to purchase a range finder or gps watch but I tried the 18birdies app at the weekend and a couple of times I asked one of my playing partners, who had a range finder, what distance they were getting and the app was pretty much spot on. Will continue to try it for the moment.

Also, I had the same issue, there were a couple of temporary greens in play which I couldn't get an accurate reading from the app.

RoadRunner

re: "18birdies app" (on phone?)

I believe you can't (or in the past couldn't) use a phone app as a rangefinder in competition, as it's technically capable of providing weather conditions such as wind direction etc. Perhaps an old rule? Anyone have anything on this nowadays?