For the average golfer 20 years ago, finding your yardage to the pin was all about the “feel”. Just eye up the nearest yardage marker and make a gut call on distance and club. This was fine for a tour pro with an intimate understanding of their iron distances; but for us regular joes, we were missing the green more often than not.
Thankfully for us, golf rangefinders were invented, allowing us to unleash the tour pro inside of us. It’s time to banish any misconceptions that rangefinders are too expensive- here are 5 of the best for under $200:
1: TecTecTec! VPRO 500: $149.99 (Sale)
TecTecTec! are well known for their advanced cameras and drones, but their rangefinders are hitting a sweet spot with golfers across the globe. The VPRO 500 is essentially instantaneous with it’s yardage reading, but the best feature is the crystal clear 6x magnification, ensuring you get a great view of the flag from as far as 540 yards out. Pinsensor technology accurately measures overlapping areas ensuring you’re able to measure bunkers, water hazards and trees. The VPRO500 is extremely lightweight and will simply slip into most pockets while their 24/7 customer service is second to none.
2: Breaking 80 Golf Rangefinder: $129.99 (Sale)
Breaking 80 specialise in rangefinders, so it’s unsurprising that they make our list. With two separate modes, this rangefinder has you covered across the whole course. ‘Scan’ mode is perfect for identifying the pin and any potential hazards, while ‘open’ mode gives you continuous yardages for 8 seconds, which comes in handy when you want front, back and centre green readings simultaneously. It’s the only rangefinder on our list with a lifetime replacement plan as well. That’s right- lifetime. The only thing this rangefinder doesn’t do is actually help you break 80.
3: Nikon Coolshot 20: $176.95
Japanese powerhouse Nikon delivers the smallest, lightest rangefinder on the market with the Coolshot 20. As you would expect with one of the worlds leading camera manufacturers, images come across extremely sharp and clear even at 6 x zoom. First target priority mode comes in handy for greens that are surrounded by hazards, allowing you to get accurate distance readings on your actual target and not the background. Perfect for golfers that love to golf throughout the year, this rangefinder is completely waterproof.
4: Callaway Golf 200 Laser Finder: $176.55
For the golfers that love to stay loyal to golf brands, the Callaway Golf 200 Laser Finder is all that you need in a rangefinder. Incredibly clear optics work well with the easy to read LCD display, allowing you to instantly lock onto targets. Callaway’s exclusive Pin Acquisition Technology provides instant readings from up to 275 yards away with accuracy to +/- 1 yard which is as good as rangefinders twice their price. Extremely lightweight and compact, the rangefinder is also waterproof and includes a long lasting CR2 3V lithium battery which easily lasts multiple rounds.
5. Caddytek- CaddyView V2 + Slope: $162.27
Golf Cart experts Caddytek have burst onto the rangefinder market with their CaddyView V2. What sets this product apart is the fact it has a fully patented slope compensation mode which accurately accounts for slopes across the course, often dramatically changing your club selection and taking strokes off your game. Flag seeking technology automatically ignores hazards around the green and the IPX4 waterproof design ensures you can use it across all 4 seasons. The rangefinder also conforms to USGA, R&A Rules of Golf and USGA Handicap Guidelines- the ideal product for the golfer that still may feel a little guilty about using a rangefinder.
From an illegal device, to fancy gimmick, to must have accessory- rangefinders have evolved dramatically over the last few years. Once only a tool for the rich, there are rangefinders that fit every budget and need. Take a look at each of the above, choose your weapon of choice and in no time you’ll be hitting more greens and lowering your score.
The original, and still the best. Game Golf is a digital shot tracking system that tracks and records every single shot during your round. The product comes with Game Golf tags that are ‘pinned’ into the butt of every club. You wear a small device on the waist and proceed to ‘tag’ each club before your shot. The technology then picks up that shot and registers all vital stats. At the end of the round, you download all the round information onto your computer for full analysis. Analysis includes total score, fairway accuracy, GIR, approach shot percentages, average club distances and more, all presented in an attractive and easy to understand format. If you’re addicted to golf statistics, this is the most essential tech purchase of 2017.