Skycaddie SG2.5 v Rangefinder (Bushnell)

[kmdmr1]

I am currently using a Skycaddie SG2.5 unit,no problems with it does everything I want it to do,only downsides is recharging after 2 rounds or so,and yearly subscriptions,thinking about buying a rangefinder (Bushnell) never used one personally but what are the advantages/disadvantages between the two units.
Thanks

 

[swanny32]

I am currently using a Skycaddie SG2.5 unit,no problems with it does everything I want it to do,only downsides is recharging after 2 rounds or so,and yearly subscriptions,thinking about buying a rangefinder (Bushnell) never used one personally but what are the advantages/disadvantages between the two units.
Thanks

My medalist takes a square battery, the type you put in a smoke alarm. Had it for about 9 months now and still haven't changed the original battery. No subscription fee's. Like being able to laser a tree to see how far I need to carry to make a dog leg or get over the tree/obstacle. Not as easy as looking at a GPS device but miles better in my opinion. Also good for marking out yardages on the range.

 

[Imurg]

If you keep it reasonably on the right track then you can do almost everything with the Bushnell that you can with the SC. To get a carry distance to a ditch, for example, you can just ping a bush or tree or marker.

What you can't do is measure things you can't see - either line of sight (through trees) or hidden in dips...They're also crap in mist!
The Laser will give you accurate yardage to the flag, the SC only front, middle and back - not necessarily a problem.
We have several greens that are raised on approach - often you can't see the bottom of the flag and that makes it tricky to judge where on the green the pin is. That's why I changed to Laser from the SC.

It also, in my opinion, depends on what you want and the way you play. If you're happy hitting the middle of the green all day then get a GPS - if you want to hunt the flag then get a Laser...

No reason, of course, why you can't carry both.........

Also useful for telling when the slow coaches in front are finally out of range.....

 

[palindromicbob]

Just got myself a GPS to compliment my hillman range finder. Got a shotmiser in the hope that the database will continue to expand and include my local course I does cover most of the away courses I have planned to play this year and should save me buying a strokesaver.

Laser is great for quick scanning to confirm yardage etc. It is open to error if you aren't careful though as I found yesterday when I quickly took a yardage which was trees behind the green rather than the pin. Pinseeker tech on the bushnell would help reduce this risk but really all I needed to do was be more careful and take an extra 10 seconds.

It doesn't rely on course mapping or GPS signal so works anywhere but requires line of sight to target.

Can be used to check yardage to hazards, etc. Handy if new hazards are added and haven't been updated on the GPS of if your gps doesn't do hazards.

GPS are a little different. Depending on features offered. I was considering a simple F/M/B of green model but the lazer is better for that for me as my home course is pretty flat. Something with a full hole view so you can see what's ahead is a lot better than a simple GPS. The reason I choose laser over GPS is because the cost was significantly less for a range finder compared to a GPS that offered the features I wanted. Thanks to this forum I have managed to get a bargain for the Shotmiser though.

Why not consider the Bushnell hybrid? Best of both worlds! If not intrested in the hybrid and still wanting a laser then you really should consider the Hillman. Half the cost of the Bushnell and if you actually take care the pinseeker tech is redundant.

 

[duncan mackie]

you know what the SG2.5 does so there's no point repeating.

if you constantly play courses with elevated greens that have no pin sheets or pin pattern (FMB etc) or marker (little flag) and need to know the exact yardage to the flag then get a lazer, better still get one and keep the GPS.

I find the lazer takes too long to establish a picture in my mind of the green dimensions, shape etc ie by the time I have the flag and the front, then the back I've forgotten the flag, then the front etc!!!

Most courses I play have either a daily flag pattern such as middle/front/back repeated 6 times, or an indicator on the flagstick telling me it's position or a pin sheet. Combine this with the intelligreen data on the 2.5 and I have an instant no memory required picture of the shot required against which I can factor in the other elements - wind/slope/danger - select a club and fire.

I do get fed up with the annual cost (I know there are other solutions and have some) but in the bigger scheme of things it's not huge.

If I was to change anything it would be to get one with a larger colour picture, in the same vein as the strokesaver overview.