The Best RangefindersFor Golf
If you are looking to take your golf swing to the next level, a range finder is a sure-fire way to do so. This tool enables you to determine the appropriate club for your shot, no matter your location. Range finders use a high-powered laser to measure the distance from the optic lens to your target (which will usually be the hole's flag pole). Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned vet on the green, the range finders we've selected as our favorites all perform admirably in adverse conditions and will improve your game with every trip to the green.
What to Look For
We wanted to find rangefinders that would serve us well, so we searched with three questions in our scopes: Does it come at a fair price? Is it durable and weather-ready? Is it compact and handy to save room in our bag? Our top pick comes from Gogogo Sport, as their rangefinder proves that superior hardware makes for superior precision and measurements. But if you can’t swing the premium price, we recommend checking out Callaway’s array of models, which offer professional designs at budget-friendly prices. Read on for more of our in-depth reviews.
Gogogo Sport VPro Rangefinder
Measurements with meaning
If you’re looking to pick up a fully-loaded range finder that’s guaranteed to perform from the first hole all the way through the back nine, you’ll struggle to do better than The Gogogo Sport VPro GS24. The GS24 is an inexpensive yet high-performing device that comes with or without slope-detecting features (depending on your tournament rules). For the ambitious golfer just starting off, the slope switch will give you a feel for the effect of terrain on distance and allow you to plan your shots quickly and accurately. In addition, the optic lens can lock onto flag polls from a distance of 250 yards and even includes nifty features to track your ball speed mid-flight.
Pros:
- Includes a lanyard and microfiber cloth for easy access and cleaning
- It uses AAA batteries, taking the hassle out of charging
- Maximum effective distance of 650 yards covers almost all ranges
Cons:
- The accuracy decreases noticeably in wooded areas
Callaway 300 Pro Rangefinder
Lock in and swing
From golf bags to drivers and putters, Callaway is ubiquitous in the world of everything golf-related. The 300 Pro is precisely what you’d expect from a manufacturer like Callaway. It touts superior software to navigate around obstacles, a vibrant heads-up display, and a solid frame that won’t get ruffled by a couple of drops. The stand-out feature on the 300 Pro is the company’s proprietary Pin Acquisition Technology (or PAT). Combined with the scanning feature, a golfer can lock on to landmarks in the distance before zeroing in on the pin for a reading that ignores leaves and branches. On top of that, the 300 Pro gives you the distance both with and without slope, in addition to the angle of the landscape — all invaluable information for true students of the game.
Pros:
- Offers 6x magnification for sights as far as 1,000 yards away
- Fog doesn’t noticeably diminish the model’s accuracy
- Long-lasting CR2 battery included
- Audible ‘chirp’ when lock-on has been achieved
Cons:
- Shaky hands may have difficulty locking on to very distant points
Precision Pro NX9 Laser Rangefinder
The long lasting
Most golfers aren’t looking for an electronic Swiss army knife when picking their range finder of choice. So long as the product quickly returns distance with little effort while ignoring foliage, a range finder can be deemed a success. Precision Pro’s NX9 is capable of accurate readouts in all but monsoon conditions, and it won’t require a bulky case to ward off light precipitation. Once the unit has powered on, simply aim at your landscape of choice, hold down the power button, and watch as the wonder of laser technology works its magic.
Pros:
- It’s less than the size of three golf balls, taking up little space in your golf bag
- The quality hardware is durable and reliable
Cons:
- The smaller eyepiece may prove tricky for those with glasses
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a range finder work?
While there are several varieties of range finders, our products are focused primarily on the laser-guided variation. While the technology may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, the mechanics behind it are actually relatively straightforward. Once the device is powered on, hundreds of laser beams are emitted through the center lens. These beams bounce off your intended target, and the aperture-receiving lens collects the data. Using the speed of light as a constant, the unit calculates an average distance while discarding wild outliers that occur due to fog or background vegetation.
What determines the effective distance of a range finder?
The three most important components which determine the effectiveness of a range finder at distance are aperture size, beam divergence, and the unit’s sheer computing capability.
A larger aperture lens collects a wider cross-section of the rangefinder’s laser bursts, giving the computer a larger sample size to work with. The degree to which a laser diverges or disperses is directly correlated with the unit’s cost, as stronger lasers have a tighter wavelength that tends to stay close to your crosshairs as they travel. That’s where the on-board computing comes in.
For example, suppose you’re far away from the green but have accurately centered your range finder on the pole. In that case, a smarter computer will be able to understand that the divergence to the left and right of your target is unusual. It will then toss out that data and rely solely on the center sliver that constitutes the pole.
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With the constantly shifting landscape in the world of technology, GameRevolution seeks to provide gamers and tech-enthusiasts with the information they need to select the right products for their needs. Since 1996, our experts have used their knowledge on all the latest gadgets – everything from headphones to standing desks – to help millions of people navigate specs and answer common questions.