A key piece of equipment that many golfers lack is a proper rangefinder. Why does a golfer need a rangefinder? A golfer doesn’t technically “need” a rangefinder, but without one, the player will generally rely on instinct and perhaps past experience on a course to know how far away he or she is from a hazard or the pin. Fortunately, there are numerous great golf rangefinders that give pinpoint accuracy to take away the guesswork.
Let’s run down the best golf rangefinders on the market.
Bushnell Pro XE
The Pro XE from Bushnell has the best optics and rates tops for accuracy among all golf rangefinders. It has almost any feature you could think of or want. For players who want not only exact distances, the Pro XE takes into consideration slope and weather conditions for the yardage a shot plays at, which is often not the exact yardage on the card.
Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized
For players with shaky hands, it doesn’t get any better than the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized. In past eras, those with unsteady hands due to nerves couldn’t get much benefits from a rangefinder. The Coolshot Pro II Stabilized used top Nikon camera technology to smooth out the image which creates a clear target that the rangefinder can focus. While other rangefinders might have more versatility, for those with unsteady hands, this is the best on the market.
Precision Pro R1 Smart
Any golf rangefinder can give you an exact yardage, but if you don’t know what club to hit, the information doesn’t do you much good. Knowing what club to pull is a particular problem for players that are not low handicappers. The Precision Pro R1 Smart adjusts all distances for the slope and climate and suggests a club to hit based off of data you entered. For players that often have issues determining what club to hit, the Precision Pro R1 Smart is the perfect rangefinder.
Bushnell Tour V5 Shift
For those that cannot afford the most expensive golf rangefinders, but don’t want a cheap one, the Bushnell Tour V5 Shift is for you. It is accurate with great optics, accounts for slopes and gives a pretty accurate real playing distance. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the most expensive models, it’s a solid rangefinder that won’t disappoint the average player.
Best Budget Rangefinders
Precision Pro NX7 Slope
There’s no question that golf technology is expensive and some golf rangefinders are just too expensive for the average person. However, there are some great budget friendly options. One if the Precision Pro NX7 Slope. It’s simple to use, gives consistent distances, and calculates the slope which is immensely valuable to the average player. A great feature is free replacement batteries for life. This rangefinder is really the best value for your money.
GolfBuddy Laser Lite
While not a very well-known brand in the golfing industry, their rangefinders are very nice and compare well to the more common brands. This one sells for under $200 and was still accurate at 99.5 percent at 200 yards away. The GolfBuddy Laser Lite features a slope function, scan mode, pin seeker mode and has 6x magnification. Although the pin seeker function doesn’t work as well as other more expensive models, it’s a great rangefinder for the budget conscious consumer.