Gps or Laser

[rapper]

Hi can anyone advise me which is the best system to use ,and which would be the best model for me to buy?i feel my game is now ready to take advantage of this new techknowledy,i do understand the basic difference from GPS to laser ,i would like the most cost effective system ,i am not lookking for an APP for my mobile....help please

 

[Robobum]

Neither they are cheating.

 

[thecraw]

Both if you can afford it. Laser is great for spot on distances, GPS is great for blind holes and doglegs.

I have a GPS and I like it very much. Mine is the basic SC 2.5 which is ideal for my needs.

Surely one of your mates has a GPS which you can borrow and see how you get on?

 

[Losttheplot]

I've never tried a laser but the GPS is a great device to use. Of you know how far you hit your clubs (roughly) then knowing the exact distances to the pin is always going to help you.

 

[Fyldewhite]

This has been done before (a lot) and there is a search function for previous threads. However, I haven't got either so feel I can be fairly objective:

GPS are accurate enough but you need to estimate pin position, usually have some sort of subscription and are "always on" so can be clipped to bag and just a glance is then needed from anywhere on course, including over hills or from behind trees.

Lasers are more accurate and give an exact distance to the pin, There is no ongoing cost and work anywhere you go. The downside is that you have to get it out of bag every time to point and shoot and it can't see round corners etc.

Personally, unless you play away courses a lot or have cash burning a hole in your pocket, I wouldn't bother. If you do then they both have advantages over the other so you will have to decide which best suits you. We are all different.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I use a laser and as the craw says it's great for pinpoint distances to the flag or trees but you have to have line of sight and you don't get bunkers or ditches. My Bushnell Tour v2 has scan mode which is supposed to allow you to scan to a bunker or ditch but it is difficult to get accurate. I also use mine on the practice ground for wedge distances. I'll hit some of shots, say 3/4 SW, go and stand in the middle of the balls and laser the distance back to my bag.

GPS may not get exact distance to the flag but it gives you everything else.

If you can afford both, great, if you want distances to bunkers etc, go for GPS. If like me you like exact yardage to flags and want good feedback on practice, go for laser.

 

[USER1999]

As an aside, I had a go with a lazer for the first time on Saturday. I normally use GPS. Quite impressed with it, except for one thing. I had a monster hang over, and couldn't stop my hands shaking. This made getting a reading difficult.

We have coloured flags, blue at the back, yellow middle, and red at the front. I had guessed the pin position from the GPS as half way between the back and middle of the green, blue flag, about 195. Lazered it at 192. Accurate enough for me then. Especially as I blocked it right, and missed the green by 20 yards.

I did feel a bit of a spanner peering through the range finder though. Prefer the subtlety of using the GPS.

Battery life is better in the lazer, as it doesn't need charging before every other round, and no course downloading or subscription.

You need to decide what you want from the unit, and then make a choice. Either one will do a job.

 

[JustOne]

I'd rather know the yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, GPS for me.

 

[Aztecs27]

GPS if you want to look like an explorer.

Laser if you want to look like a pirate.

Simples.

Serious answer: I've not used a Laser Range Finder but very happy with the GPS app on my phone that I use.

 

[CliveW]

One feature of GPS that hasn't been mentioned, and is available on my SG5, is the "View" application. It gives you the distance to hazards such as bunkers, ditches the green and also distances to carry them.
One of the best features is the "Lay-up" distances. This is a feature that I use a lot especially on long par 4s and par 5s. It gives you yardages which leaves you wedge distances to the centre of the green. Great if you are playing percentages.

 

[USER1999]

I'd rather know the yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, GPS for me.

To an extend it depends if you are a 'pin seeker' or zonal player. Me, I like to hit the zone, so front / middle/ back is fine. Some guys like to think they are firing at the pin. For these, nothing other than the exact will do. Me, I'm crap at iron play, so the idea of firing at the pin is a dream. Often just hitting the green seems like a miracle.

 

[Robobum]

.....
One of the best features is the "Lay-up" distances. This is a feature that I use a lot especially on long par 4s and par 5s. It gives you yardages which leaves you wedge distances to the centre of the green. Great if you are playing percentages.

Can you alter this function to give you your preferred lay up yardages?? Say 85yds??

When I look at mine it often says 50yds leaves a lay up of 110yds. I change to green view and it's only 60yds to the green!!

I question the logic in hitting it backwards unless you absolutely have to!!

 

[jeardley]

I'm happy with Skydroid on my HTC desire. find it very accurate to front, middle and back of the greens. Its only a couple of quid aswell.
Also enjoyed mapping the courses myself through google earth (cus i'm sad like that ) which means I can personalise it by adding points of interest like f/w bunkers, apex of a dogleg and ditches etc.
Also has satalite view if you cant see the green

 

[Aztecs27]

I'm happy with Skydroid on my HTC desire. find it very accurate to front, middle and back of the greens. Its only a couple of quid aswell.
Also enjoyed mapping the courses myself through google earth (cus i'm sad like that ) which means I can personalise it by adding points of interest like f/w bunkers, apex of a dogleg and ditches etc.
Also has satalite view if you cant see the green

Yep. That about sums it up.

 

[CliveW]

Can you alter this function to give you your preferred lay up yardages?? Say 85yds??

When I look at mine it often says 50yds leaves a lay up of 110yds. I change to green view and it's only 60yds to the green!!

I question the logic in hitting it backwards unless you absolutely have to!!

I don't think you can change the lay-up yardages as they aren't always 100yds, they are ideal yardages for that particular hole. If it was constantly 100 yds then I know a few holes that you would be in the middle of a hazard.

Re the point of hitting backwards, this confused me at first and I contacted SkyCaddie as I thought my machine was on the blink, or they had mis-mapped the course, but once you realise it is simple.

 

[viscount17]

Can you alter this function to give you your preferred lay up yardages?? Say 85yds??

When I look at mine it often says 50yds leaves a lay up of 110yds. I change to green view and it's only 60yds to the green!!

I question the logic in hitting it backwards unless you absolutely have to!!

I don't think you can change the lay-up yardages as they aren't always 100yds, they are ideal yardages for that particular hole. If it was constantly 100 yds then I know a few holes that you would be in the middle of a hazard.

Re the point of hitting backwards, this confused me at first and I contacted SkyCaddie as I thought my machine was on the blink, or they had mis-mapped the course, but once you realise it is simple.

depends on your GPS. I'm fairly sure SC have a preferences 'page' where you can input a few details. I think Lay Up distance was one of them.

Biggest choice with GPS is how much detail you want; for accurate mapping it's SkyCaddie but not all models have an overhead view. Many of those that have an overhead use data from the same source as Google Maps and may be out of date.

 

[Billysboots]

I use Golfshot on my iPhone and it is an excellent package, especially as I paid less than £15 for it with no annual fee.

With the satelite image you can measure to any point on the course so lay-ups which are not pre-measured are simple to work out.

And as others have said, a laser is nob all use to you if you are not in sight of the green.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I need GPS more than laser guidance as I am often in positions where there is no sign of the fairway let alone a flag to aim at. My SC5 is great despite the annual cost although AG had a Garmin on display which did look very good.

 

[richart]

I am still undecided between a Bushnell V2 and a Shotmiser GPS. Keep changing my mind when i read threads on here .

 

[Leftie]

If money were no object and you carried both a Skycaddie (other makes are available but not necessarily so good) and a laser rangefinder, my guess would be that after the honeymoon period you would use the gps more often.