Looking for Laser Rangefinder advice & recommendations

Crawfy

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Working with my local pro on my shortgame, particularly on the Pelz wedge system. Got the swings consistent so now in the market for a rangefinder to put it all into practice. I haven't even picked one up so looking for advice, suggestions and recommendations.
Looking for a basic model that won't break the bank
If someone has one for sale...even better.

Fire away

Cheers all
 
I've got the Nikon, been using it for two years now and wouldn't give it up. I haven't used a GPS since I started using this. Whilst I appreciate that on courses I've never played before, the GPS could help me out with hazards and such that I'm not aware of, using the rangefinder has allowed me to dial in on the distances I can hit clubs. On my home course now I just zap the target and pick a club to get me there. The only thing it can't help with is my swing.......
 
Try before you buy, and search on here as loads of threads about them.

Personally, I had skycaddie, it was pretty good but fiddly, tried Nikon laser and if you have any shake in your hands more than a neurosurgeon or wear glasses you might find an S1 or S3 watch easier. I have the S1 (had S3 for 5 mins) as all I want or need is F/M/B distances.
 
Gps will give you distance to cover the whole hole a bit easier than a laser but when it comes to approach shots then although on some you can move the flag around the green it doesn't give you quite the accuracy a laser will to exact flag distance.
There are some decent garmin deals on gps and snooper do a great laser for £150 white or black version that's around the price of a 2nd Bushnell.
 
I've recently got a Nikon CoolShot having previously used a Sky Caddie for many year previous.

Currently i am torn, the Nikon is amazing, and in my opinion considerably better than the bushnell as it scans distances for 8 seconds rather than just locking onto an object.

As an example, on Tuesday my mate was using his new SkyCaddie V3 and it wouldnt lock onto the flag as it was picking up a tree directly behind it, mine would say 175 and then 165, making it obvious the tree was the further distance.

for practice, you just cannot beat a rangefinder.

However, if you are a bit wayward like me and spend a reasonable amount of time on the wrong fairway, the rangefinder is no good.

therefore, i am currently using both!

that probably doesnt help you to be honest does it?!?1 :(
 
I have only one question for the rangefinder/skycaddie debate. What happens to the rangefinder when you cannot see the flag from where you are?
Skycaddie or similar all day for me. I wouldn't be without mine although they do lie as I often come up short or go long, it's not me ;) so somethings wrong somewhere.
 
GPS all day for me as I shake like a jakey without his first drink of the day with a laser. But for me F/M/B yardages are the ones im after, like probably most amatuers im not consistant or accurate enough to worry about wedge distances with a laser.

That said of the lasers I have tried I like both Nikon and the Snooper SLR500 which I tried at a recent golf day.
 
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Been using the Garmin S1 for a year now and it gives me pretty accurate figures and is simple to use. Best thing is that it's on your wrist so no fiddling about with a rangefinder or larger GPS.
It far outweighs my ability in the accuracy stakes.
If you're getting a rangefinder with slope functionality it is illegal in competitions. My mate bought one without realising this.
 
I have only one question for the rangefinder/skycaddie debate. What happens to the rangefinder when you cannot see the flag from where you are?
Skycaddie or similar all day for me. I wouldn't be without mine although they do lie as I often come up short or go long, it's not me ;) so somethings wrong somewhere.


Very good point DB, and I am like mendie in possesion of both at present snooper laser is good at my home course as long as I stay on the right fairway as its fairly flat and has no blind pins. But for a new course or misbehaving driver day skycaddie wins.
 
Working with my local pro on my shortgame, particularly on the Pelz wedge system. Got the swings consistent so now in the market for a rangefinder to put it all into practice. I haven't even picked one up so looking for advice, suggestions and recommendations.
Looking for a basic model that won't break the bank
If someone has one for sale...even better.

Fire away

Cheers all
Thread seems to have morph-ed into a general Laser versus GPS debate!

For what you seem to want, I'd recommend a Laser. You can just point and zap for distance you have hit your wedges. And can check distance you need to hit easily too. Easy to use unless you have really shaky hands - or maybe glasses.

Only heard good reports for Hillman or Snooper.

PS: I was never able to hit the 7:30 properly!
 
tried Nikon laser and if you have any shake in your hands more than a neurosurgeon or wear glasses you might find an S1 or S3 watch easier.

At first I found this too, but also found a really useful solution.Just use one hand, Make a "ring" with your forefinger and thumb and put that against your face between the rangefinder and your eye, holding the rangefinder in the same hand with just 3 fingers. You can make the "ring" quite large so that it holds around the perimeter of the rangefinder if you want.This acts like a washer and steadies the hand against you rather than trying to hold the rangefinder directly against the eye, and steadies the rangefinder in your hand at the same time. Works a treat.
 
I bought a cheaper one on ebay, it worked for one round then couldn't pick anything up. I couldn't help feeling that even tho it does the same job as a Bushnell, etc. it just wasnt the same quality. Im now looking to save for getting a Bushnell or Nikon.

I personally don't think id want a gps, id rather just have the exact yardage to the pin and then pull the club.
 
I've a Bushnell rangefinder, its great it didn't cost the earth, well it didn't cost anything as i used prize money from an open to buy it.

I wear glasses and don't have the steadiest hand in the world and don't have any issues with it except maybe in 50mph winds.
 
I have the snooper from amazon. From memory it cost £140 delivered to the door pretty much the same performance as a bushnell for half the money. Highly recommended.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004X51IO0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1371796806&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

Edited to add the link

Thanks Chris, will prob go for this wee bad boy (£ vrs performance seems fair to me) I'm looking for a laser to help me from 100yds in so this fits the bill better than a GPS

ps - you played Cruit or Gweedore. Learnt the game on those we tracks - spent every Easter, Xmas & summer in Loughanure (Rosses) up till my Uni days

Cheers for the tip - and to everyone who chipped !
 
Ah DMDs. You don't need my advice as it wouldn't be very helpful :)

Good luck finding the right one for you - but please don't use it when you are closer than 50yds (or use it to check that you are less than 50yds :)). For these distance I'd advise trhat it's eye-to-hand coordination that's important and you don't need a distance figure in your head complicating matters.
 
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