Long-Distance Operators

My very first encounter with non-leg-based yardage measurement was at a resort course years ago. Each cart had a monitor depicting the cart's place on the pit along with its distance from the flag, and my buddies and I concurred the system created our shot-planning more precise. Then, a couple holes into the circular, our carts ended up side-by-side, and someone noticed that the readings over the 2 screens differed by a dozen yards. That raised questions not just about the condition of the technology but also about how much precision our shot-planning actually required.

Since then, electronic yardage measurement is now, if not necessarily more essential, at least more common. It may even be lawful under the Rules of Golf (in case a local ruler is enactedsee the rule book). As with most modern doodads, however, there is no single-best choice for most users.

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The main decision nowadays is involving laser-based devices, which measure space with an infrared ray, and GPS devices, which monitor data from the Department of Defense's Global Positioning System. For anybody who was a kid in the'60s, the option seems too good to be true: pocket column gun or outer-space communicator? Perhaps inevitably, each system's fans have a tendency to scorn another, such as PC versus Mac owners. As a representative of one company told me,"You're either a laser man or a GPS man"

A laser range finder is straightforward. You aim it at a flag, a hazard bet, the lip of a fairway bunker, or the rear end of the dawdling fat guy in the group beforehand; press on a button; read your number; select exactly the ideal club; and make your ordinary, crummy swing. A number of the better models (generally $250$400) have nominal ranges of a thousand yards or longer. That might look like overkill to anybody who does not reach the ball six-tenths of a mile, but the premium devices tend to be better at picking up shorter goals, too, and, in my estimation, are worth the additional $50 or $100. (Prevent any laser using a"slope" or"incline/decline" feature, however; it's against the rules, even if the device has the term"tour" in its own name or on its bundle.)

GPS units are more varied. Many popular models also allow you to do things like keeping score for your foursome, tracking your club selection, and measuring your own drives (you do not wish to know). This past fall, I used a Callaway uPro (now deeply discounted to about $200). It allow me to begin each hole using a TV-style flyover and gave me the option of seeing my yardages on aerial photos. Some apparatus out of market leader SkyCaddie (roughly $150 to $400) have a smart feature that permits you to transfer the flag around the green and may track the clubs you strike from various yardagesalthough, as is always the case with GPS, there is still guesswork included. Additionally, I turned my Android smartphone into a passable GPS apparatus, by downloading the most favorite apps GolfCard ($10.99) and SkyDroid ($1.99).

how to choose the best laser golf rangefinder

Each technology has advantages and disadvantages. Any laser is much more accurate than any GPSwhich includes a margin of error of at least several yardsbut it can't see through solid obstacles, like that barn you merely sliced your driveway behind. GPS devices tend to be cheaper, but most require ongoing investments, either in annual fees or class downloads. They also demand varying amounts of setup. A laser, unlike a GPS, requires a fairly stable hand, but it lets you shoot whatever you are able to see, including goals on an assortment. Flagsticks on some courses have little mirrors, which may make them easier to hit from further away. A GPS can warn you about hidden hazards, but monitoring satellites is barbarous on batteries, especially a cellphone's.

Preferences divide across the handicap scale: Better players prefer lasers. I find yardage helps me the most interior 150 yards using the flag in viewand for those shots a laser is obviously exceptional. However, I've got a foot at another camp, too, because, in addition to my Bushnell PinSeeker 1500 (no longer made)I own a new Garmin Approach S1 Golf GPS wristwatch (approximately $250), that can be useful not just in supplying ballpark yardages at a glance but also in opening conversations.

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