GPS or Laser Range Finder

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d1217

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I am looking at both of these, but not sure which one will be more accurate, this is the range finder,
Range Finder

or i get a bluetooth gps receiver to connect to my phone and i get gps software to use on the course, this will cost about £40-£50, and the rangefinder is 25. the gps software is caddyaid.

any help will be much appreciated,
thanks in advance
 
In a straight fight between a GPS and Rangefinder I'd take the GPS - mainly because you don't need to rely on line of sight. If you can't see the pin/hazard then with a rangefinder you're guessing. The GPS will give you the yardage.
 
The optical Rangefinder looks too cheap to be any good, The decent ones range from £150 to well over £300.

My only issue with an optical/laser rangefinder is that you have a problem on a dogleg or if you cant see the flag.

I am aware that some phone apps are very slow. Dont buy anything until you have read and digested several reviews.

Generally a dedicated GPS based system like sky caddy will do a fast accurate job, but the cost is much greater than you quote
 
I am looking at both of these, but not sure which one will be more accurate, this is the range finder,
Range Finder

or i get a bluetooth gps receiver to connect to my phone and i get gps software to use on the course, this will cost about £40-£50, and the rangefinder is 25. the gps software is caddyaid.

any help will be much appreciated,
thanks in advance
Click to expand...

You ask which is more accurate?
If its a properly constructed lazer range finder then this is the most accurate by far. They have their h/caps though, for example, you need to have clear line of sight of the intended distance you wish to measure and they dont give any other information other than distance. Other than this, they are IMO the best value for money. You dont need to update, there are no added, top up or hidden charges, you can use them on any golf course anywhere and they are far cheaper than most gps systems.

It all boils down to what you want, how often you will use it and how often you may actually use or benefit from the additional info offered by gps systems is worth considering. ;)
 
The laserfinder will undoubtedly be more accurate but how easy it is to get a reading if you a being buffeted in a wind and the flag is moving around is another matter. Similarly if like me yo spend a lot of time in the wrong par of the course or the woods then your laser finder won't help. For those reasons GPS all the way.

I understand the concept of mobile phone apps but I'm not convinced how quick many of them are and you have to bear in mind your phone won't be waterproof or as robust as the purpose built gadgets and that battery life may also be an issue unless you charge it fully beforehand
 
I think that the "range finder" you have been looking at works on triangulation. As far as I can see it measures the height of the flag stick and converts that into a distance from the flag. That's fine as long as every flag stick is the same length, the bottom of it is visible, and the user can accurately line up the bottom and top of the stick. Not really a very satisfactory solution.

As for apps for mobile phones - I don't think I'd bother. From previous comment on here, the view seems to be that they are probably very slow in updating the yardages, eat up battery power, and are not waterproof.

Dedicated GPS devices such as Skycaddie should be accurate to within a yard or so. Bushnell (laser rangefinders) quote an accuracy of +/- 1 yard although that is probably really +/- 1%. So both are as accurate or more so than even the best golfers in the world.

As in all things - you get what you pay for.

BTW I notice that Bushnell are now selling GPS devices. What are they not telling us about laser rangefinders??
 
BTW I notice that Bushnell are now selling GPS devices. What are they not telling us about laser rangefinders??
Click to expand...

It's a logical step for Bushnell and they are simply applying Ansoffs Matrix to develop a business growth strategy to introduce new products (for them) into an existing market.
I think they will be very succesful in the GPS market.
 
I use a SkyCaddy and recently played with a guy who had a laser rangefinder. The main differences have already been stated, line of sight, doglegs etc. but the biggest difference I could see was the time taken in using a laser. With GPS you get a constant reading as you walk up the fairway or to the tee. with the laser they guy had to walk to his ball, take his laser out of his bag, stand and look through his device and take a reading then put the thing back in his bag before selecting his club. If there was someone on the green in front he waited until the pin was back in before selecting his measurement and then club. This all took an inordinate amount of time, where as with the GPS you have an instant readout and takes a lot less time. (Incidentally, he kept checking his laser against my GPS!)
 
I use a SkyCaddy and recently played with a guy who had a laser rangefinder. The main differences have already been stated, line of sight, doglegs etc. but the biggest difference I could see was the time taken in using a laser. With GPS you get a constant reading as you walk up the fairway or to the tee. with the laser they guy had to walk to his ball, take his laser out of his bag, stand and look through his device and take a reading then put the thing back in his bag before selecting his club. If there was someone on the green in front he waited until the pin was back in before selecting his measurement and then club. This all took an inordinate amount of time, where as with the GPS you have an instant readout and takes a lot less time. (Incidentally, he kept checking his laser against my GPS!)
Click to expand...

The time taken is hardly a major issue. If the group in front are still on the green when you are at your ball, the 'delay' with the rangefinder is irrelevant.

My misses bought me the skycaddie for a WA present. Unfortunately I hadnt told her Id already splashed out on the laser range finder, so I now have both. The sky caddie is OK, but you still have to guess the disance the flag is from front middle or back of green. The laser is bang on.
I only use the skycaddie if Im off the fairway or in the trees. The other 5% of the time its the laser for me.
 
[quote
The time taken is hardly a major issue. If the group in front are still on the green when you are at your ball, the 'delay' with the rangefinder is irrelevant.

My misses bought me the skycaddie for a WA present. Unfortunately I hadnt told her Id already splashed out on the laser range finder, so I now have both. The sky caddie is OK, but you still have to guess the disance the flag is from front middle or back of green. The laser is bang on.
I only use the skycaddie if Im off the fairway or in the trees. The other 5% of the time its the laser for me.

[/QUOTE]

I wish I was that accurate with my approach shots. If my SkyCaddie is accurate to within 5 yards, it is more accurate than I can hit my irons from 100+ yards.
 
Look at something else and save your money. I've tried skycaddie, freecaddie/phone and lasers. They all have their advantages/disadvantages and unless you play loads of golf on courses you don't know that don't have distance markers then I simply don't think they are worth the considerable outlay. If money's no object then that's different because there are times when they do help but on your own course, where most players play 90% of their golf, a complete waste of time.
 
I dunno, I use my GPS all the time, even on my home track. Didn't think I would, but I do. Saves me pacing out from the markers, and tells me where the front / back of the green is, rather than aiming at the middle all the time. Been a member there for 10 years, and I reckon it is really useful about 4 times a round. The rest of the time I could do without it at a pinch.

Each to their own, some people find them useful, others less so.
 
I have a skycaddy and use it all the time home and away.
Much prefer it to the hassle of sighting with a laser. GPS gives instant readings and I use it to measure distances to lay up points to avoid bunkers or to hit to dog leg turns. Not so easy to do with a laser.
 
I thought by now I'd not be bothered with my SC especially on my home track but its still brilliant especially from 100 yards and in to give an accurate figure to make sure I hit the right wedge. Its really helped my club selection through the bag though especially when flags are at the back of greens
 
I use mine a lot, if only to confirm a yardage that I think I know.
Unless you're a low single figure player, knowing the distance to the front, middle and back is enough. I tend to play for the middle yardage - if I hit the green I'll generally get down in 2. I'm not good enough to hit to a specific yardage.
 
GPS is the way forward ....
Click to expand...

That is the point I was suggesting when I pointed out that Bushnell were actively getting into the GPS market.

I'll try not to be so subtle in future :p :p
 
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