Range finders

[Skytot]

In my opinion - no. I use a GPS app which tells me front, middle and back of green. 9 times out of 10 I'm then just hitting the club that falls somewhere between middle and back. There's no benefit to me knowing the pin is 153 yards when I cannot possibly hitting it precisely to a yard anyway. If middle is 145 and back is 160 then I'm hitting my 150-155 club. That's all I need to know.

Several years ago I did trial a rangefinder for a while - one thing I noticed was that when it was a front pin, I'd get the yardage and think "oh that's closer than I thought", go down a club - then not strike it 100% and be 20 yards short of the green with a tough chip to a short-sided pin. Useless. That's why I'm always clubbing between middle & back of green now. Always better to be on the green and putting back to the front pin that short of it and chipping.

With regards to getting yardages to doglegs, hazards etc - it's a lot easier with a GPS app than it is with a rangefinder. On Hole19 I can pinpoint any landing area and get a yardage to there. It's ideal.

The trouble I have when using my watch for Doglegs , hazards ect is I can’t see them without my glasses and it’s such a faff getting in and out of my bag . For that reason I’ve purchased a cheap range finder off AliExpress £40. It gets great reviews from Gary Martin

 

[Slab]

I have a laser rangefinder and a GPS. I tend to use the laser mainly in the winter when temp greens are in play as GPS doesn't show them. Occasionally in the summer I'll use the laser on Par 3s if I cannot work out a pin position as we don't use front/middle/back coloured flags.

Off topic
I guess your GKs don't zap the Par 3 pins each morning and post the distances next to each teeing area. Very useful
(& another aid in the fight against slow play too)

 

[Albo]

I have laser, GPS on phone and Garmin watch with GPS.
I have to say that 99% of the time I use the watch, it has distance to hazards programmed in it for each course, it also links to phone to take into account wind/atmospheric conditions and also accounts for slope. I just find it easier being on my wrist to get a quick plays like number for the green, it’s a few (maybe 2 or 3) clicks to get distance to hazards and also lets me keep score.
Laser I find I use rarely if ever, it’s a faf having to get it out and zap the pin, or zap a layup when there isn’t anything to actually zap so I’m just trying to hit fairway and hope it’s close to what I want.
GPS on my phone I find better for layup numbers as I can just hold finger on the phone and move around to get a good distance, again this takes slope, wind etc into account so saves me working all that out

 

[Albo]

Off topic
I guess your GKs don't zap the Par 3 pins each morning and post the distances next to each teeing area. Very useful
(& another aid in the fight against slow play too)

And I love this idea, I’ve never seen it implemented anywhere but a simple yet excellent idea

 

[Slab]

And I love this idea, I’ve never seen it implemented anywhere but a simple yet excellent idea

Luckily our guys do it.
Either the pin &/or the tee markers move most days and they're there cutting grass etc anyway so its just a zap and change the little signs next to each tee with the distances
Assuming no mistakes then the whole field benefits regardless of which tee they use

 

[Golfnut1957]

Off topic
I guess your GKs don't zap the Par 3 pins each morning and post the distances next to each teeing area. Very useful
(& another aid in the fight against slow play too)

They would just get washed away.

 

[Neilds]

I have laser, GPS on phone and Garmin watch with GPS.
I have to say that 99% of the time I use the watch, it has distance to hazards programmed in it for each course, it also links to phone to take into account wind/atmospheric conditions and also accounts for slope. I just find it easier being on my wrist to get a quick plays like number for the green, it’s a few (maybe 2 or 3) clicks to get distance to hazards and also lets me keep score.
Laser I find I use rarely if ever, it’s a faf having to get it out and zap the pin, or zap a layup when there isn’t anything to actually zap so I’m just trying to hit fairway and hope it’s close to what I want.
GPS on my phone I find better for layup numbers as I can just hold finger on the phone and move around to get a good distance, again this takes slope, wind etc into account so saves me working all that out

I take it you don't enter competitions then with all that illegal activity going on?

 

[jim8flog]

Off topic
I guess your GKs don't zap the Par 3 pins each morning and post the distances next to each teeing area. Very useful
(& another aid in the fight against slow play too)

I am reminded of one of mates.
Sometimes I get my laser out, tell him the yardage but he will still get his laser out and measure for himself.

Mind you he is the sort of guy that all of the group are waiting for the day he takes his laser out on a green to measure the length of the putt. He never takes a shot without taking the laser out and measuring even if he has one foot on a distance marker plate.

(OCD comes to mind)

 

[Albo]

I take it you don't enter competitions then with all that illegal activity going on?

Nope I never ever enter comps
I’m sure there is a way to switch off the functions to make the things competition ready, if someone wished

 

[Springveldt]

As others have said, a range finder is great for zapping bunkers etc. I'll often use it if the pin is behind a bunker on the angle I'm coming in from so I know how much room I have between the bunker and the pin. At my old course it's no use saying aim away from the pin then and aim for the middle of the green as most greens were pretty narrow and aiming for the middle might mean you are coming in over a bunker anyway if you are not dead centre of the fairway.

Also, from 100 yards and in the range finder is really useful. Doesn't matter skill level, everyone should be able to hit a shot close to set distances if they have spent any time at all working on wedge distances. I never take a full swing from 100 yards and in, it's mostly the clock system with different clubs from that range. If I'm like 120+ yards out I'll often just use my gps watch for front, middle and back distances.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My arcoss does everything although it is a pain keep getting it out of the bag but I've a reconditioned Motocaddy M5 coming which has GPS on it so will give me distances to hazards. I will still use my Bushnell laser from 150 and in