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If you want to be up-to-date on the latest golfing technology, equipment and apparel, then you are in the right place. Today we focus on rangefinders and which options are best for you. Let’s dive in right now.
There are really two huge differences when it comes to Rangefinders. Rangefinders with slope vs Rangefinders without slope. If you play on a course with a lot of elevation changes, a rangefinder that calculates slope will give you the most precise yardages. A Rangefinder with slope takes the elevation changes into consideration and generates both the actual yardage as well as adjusted yardage. With a Rangefinder without slope, you won’t have the elevation adjusted yardages. This ultimately comes down to what your needs are. If you play tournaments or keep a handicap, then you should make sure your rangefinder with slope has the option to turn off the slope function. If you live in a region with lots of elevation change then it may be a nice feature to have. However, if you live somewhere that’s relatively flat, don’t both with a Rangefinder w/ slope. For the purposes of this video, we will be talking about both options today.
Bushnell Tour V5/ Tour V5 Shift
The Tour V5 Shift provides you the Slope adjusting technology while the Tour V5 is without this functionality. Luckily, you can disable the Slope on the Tour V5 shift so it’s really the best of both worlds. The Tour V5 Shift provides an extremely clear display and one of our favorite things about this is how quickly the yardages are displayed, and with the red circle outline & vibration of the rangefinder known as the VISUAL JOLT you will know you are locked into the correct yardage. With the Bushnell BITE technology, the Rangefinder can be magnetically mounted right on the golf cart. The Tour V5 offers a 6X Magnification, up to 1,300 yard top range, and up to 400 yard to the flag range. The Rangefinder also comes with a nice carrying case to keep the Tour V5 safe during transit. Another great perk of the Bushnell family of products is access to the Bushnell golf app which gives you access to features like the hole flyovers, scorecard, GPS Maps of the golf holes and much more. The Tour V5 comes in at $300.00 and the Tour V5 Shift w/ Slope adjusting technology will come in at $400.00.
The Golf Buddy L10V looks sleek and modern design with a device that is not too light or too heavy. The L10V offers audible distances to your target so if you don’t have the best eyesight, this is a great functionality for you. The Rangefinder comes with 3 targeting modes: Standard, Scan, and Pin: Scan mode is useful when acquiring distances to multiple targets, and Pin mode will help you when there are 2 or more targets such as trees directly behind the pin, it will still display the correct distance to the pin. The LV10 offers Slope functionality that is extremely easy to turn off/on with a simple toggle under the eyepiece. The Rangefinder vibrates for a little longer than the rest of the Rangefinders we reviewed once it locked on to the target. The package includes a carrying case, cleaning cloth for the eyepiece and a battery is included. Equipped with 6X magnification and has a range from 5 yards to 880 yards. The Golf Buddy L10V is on sale right now for $300, but is regularly $350.
One of the most premium options we review, the Nikon Coolshot Pro Stabilized provides quite a bit of technology for the price tag. With breakthrough stabilization technology designed to reduce vibrations of the image in the viewfinder caused by hand movements by approx. 80%. So in essence the Coolshot Pro will stabilize itself making it easier to shoot the correct distance. To help w/ speed, the HYPER READ feature consistently displays your measurement results in approx. 0.3 seconds – regardless of distance. The rangefinder is super accurate: Inside 700 yards it’s within ¾ of a yard and beyond 700 yards accurate within 1-¼ yards. Tons of other cool features are embedded such as automatic brightness adjustment, 8 second continuous measurement to measure multiple objects & distances, LOCKED ON Technology green circle visually tells you that the distance is to the closest subject, and finally offers slope adjusting technology. The rangefinder is also waterproof so you can use this in any weather and it’s also fogproof as they have injected nitrogen to eliminate internal condensation. As you can see, the Coolshot Pro Stabilized is packed with features, but you will pay for these at a price tag of $450.00
We couldn’t do a Rangefinder review without the Garmin Approach Z82. One of the most technologically advanced Rangefinders on the market, and Garmin packed this with features you will love. First off, the Rangefinder comes preloaded with 41,000 golf courses, so you can get a 2D overlay of the entire golf hole, where the hazards are, and the configuration of the green. Think about how helpful that is when you are playing a course for the first time, or if there is a blind tee shot. Another great feature is Pinpointer. The Z82 will display a compass on the screen and the compass will point you in the exact direction of the pin which can be super helpful if you get off the fairway, or again if you have a blind shot to the pin. When you are shooting the Z82 to the pin, you will again the 2D overlay for the green, but you will also get distances to the front, center, and back of the green. When you are shooting the rangefinder to find the exact pin distance, the Z82 will vibrate when you are locked on the exact target distance. There is also tournament mode which is a simple toggle to turn slope off, which will display an indicator light for your opponent’s piece of mind. As with other Garmin Golf Technology, you will also get access to the Garmin Golf application to get additional functionality like wind, scorecard, and if you ever misplace the rangefinder, the app can even help you locate it. The Z82 is waterproof, and the battery life is around 15 hours. All said and done, I get why this is a premium rangefinder and the price to take one home is $600.00
Finally, we will take a look at our favorite value option for Rangefinders, with the Precision Pro NX7 Pro Slope. Coming in at around $220 as of this video being made, this Rangefinder is much less than the others on our list. The Precision Pro NX7 Slope gives consistent yardage read outs, calculates slope, and has reliable clear optics and display. It vibrates when you’ve acquired your target for added assurance. Small perk here, but they also provide you with a lifetime of replacement batteries for free. You also have the ability to engrave the rangefinder to customize it to your liking. All in all, this is a really great option for the price point.
There are obviously a ton of rangefinders on the market today, and while we couldn’t review all of them, we want to hear from you on which options should be included on this list and why. We would love to hear your comments below.
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