Below is a summary of some of the differentiating features of Bushnell’s golf rangefinders on the market:

Bushnell White Medalist Rangefinder
-This is a good basic option and low in price at only $249.
-Has a 9 volt battery
-No slope or OLED lit display
-4X Magnification
-2 Yr. Warranty
-Distance in Yards
-Lightweight
-Large design
-USGA tournament legal
-300 yards to flag

Bushnell Tour V3 Slope Rangefinder
-Small compact Design
-5X Magnification
-$399
-Scan Mode
-monochrome LCD display
-Slope distance provided
-Not USGA tournament legal

Bushnell Tour V3 Rangefinder
-Small compact Design
-5X Magnification
-$399
-Scan Mode
-monochrome LCD display
-USGA tournament legal
-3-volt battery

Bushnell Pro 1m Tournament Golf Rangefinder
-Large Design and heavy
-7X Magnification
-550 yards to flag
-$499
-3-volt battery
-35% more targets captured
-OLED red lit display

Bushnell Tour Z6 Tournament Golf Rangefinder
-Measurement in tenths of a yard
-$399
-450 yards to flag measure
-Small design but a bit heavy
-OLED red lit display
-6X Magnification
-3-volt battery

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

Related Golf Rangefinder Articles

Golf Rangefinder vs. Golf GPS Watch – Which is better?

First let’s acknowledge that use of these two products are not mutually exclusive, they have different attributes. There is no reason you could not use both a GPS golf watch which will give you accurate measurements to the front, center, and back of greens and use a rangefinder…[more]

Are Golf Rangefinders Tournament Legal?

There is a very simple formula for determining whether a rangefinder is tournament legal or not, even if it is not USGA certified. It should not have distances calculated for slope. Slope is the gradient value of uphill and downhill, and many rangefinders…[more]

More Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Golf Rangefinders

Following are our choices for the top 10 golf rangefinders for the year after some testing and research. We’ve taken price, quality, and value into account when developing these ratings. Rangefinders were tested based on the following factors… [more]

Top 10 Golf Clubs

Following are some of the factors that we felt are most important in evaluating the top 10 golf club iron selections. Clubs were tested at a testing facility and loosely measured for the below quality points: 1. Comfort at Setup (Instilling Confidence), 2. Solid Feel at Impact, 3. Workable Ball Flight … [more]

Top 10 Golf Putters

Although some of selecting a putter is about “feel” there is more to it than that. We rate the best putters below on the following criteria: Appearance, “feel”, how well the ball rolls off the putter face, alignment characteristics, weighting balance and price/value. See the putter comparison … [more]

Top 10 Golf Drivers

We tested many of the drivers that are out there in the market today and came up with our top 10 list. There are a couple holdovers from last year. Testing and consideration were given based on distance and accuracy with the same neutral swing speed (110) in a controlled distance … [more]

Top 10 Golf Balls

The following list of the best top ten golf balls was determined from the authors opinion using the following criteria: Consistency in length off the tee, spin control and the ability to hold greens, “feel” of the ball around greens for chipping and putting, durability, and price/value. Combining … [more]

Top 10 Golf Wedges

A club class of its own, the wedges have high lofts, the short shafts, and the heavy clubheads. Out of all the irons wedges take all of these to the extreme. The purpose of a wedge is to aid players in making accurate short-distance “lob” shots, to get the ball onto the green and out of hazards….[more]

Top 10 Golf Bags

The following are our top 10 Golf Bag choices based on the following criteria: Durability, Price, Stability of Stand, Access and Organization, Extra Pockets for Accessories, Comfort of Harness strap… [more]

First let’s acknowledge that use of these two products are not mutually exclusive, they have different attributes. There is no reason you could not use both a GPS golf watch which will give you accurate measurements to the front, center, and back of greens and use a rangefinder as well to dial in the exact measurement to the pin. The GPS watches are tournament legal for the USGA, while slope reading rangefinders are not.

The golf watch is obviously going to be easier to use and is probably sufficient for high handicap golfers. It has the added benefit of not only being more convenient, it’s almost impossible to lose. Better golfers may need the benefit of the rangefinder to dial in not only the pin, but fairway bunkers, water hazards, trees, layup areas and the like. While some GPS watches can be programmed with layup areas and doglegs, the rangefinder will be quicker and easier to use for this purpose.

The added benefit to the GPS watch of course is those special measurements to the front and back of the green. A rangefinder will not give you these. This feature is a great compliment to the pin distance as many of us know. If the green is uphill and you cant see the position it may be right at the back edge or front edge of the green which information should enter into your club selection.

So in sum, if you are serious about your golf game and want the maximum tools on the course (and money is not an issue) then I recommend both a golf watch and a rangefinder. With the added benefit of a $179 golf watch you could save some money on the rangefinder buy purchasing a $299 model since you will already have the front a back of green distances. Knowing the front and back of green distances will probably help you more than the slope distance measurements from a rangefinder with that function.

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

Related Golf Rangefinder Articles

Bushnell Rangefinder Comparison – What are the differences in Models?

Below is a summary of some of the differentiating features of Bushnell’s golf rangefinders on the market: Bushnell White Medalist Rangefinder – This is a good basic option and low in price at only $249, Has a 9 volt battery, No slope or OLED lit display, 4X Magnification, 2 Yr. Warranty, Distance in Yards, Lightweight ,Large design…[more]

Are Golf Rangefinders Tournament Legal?

There is a very simple formula for determining whether a rangefinder is tournament legal or not, even if it is not USGA certified. It should not have distances calculated for slope. Slope is the gradient value of uphill and downhill, and many rangefinders…[more]

More Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Golf Rangefinders

Following are our choices for the top 10 golf rangefinders for the year after some testing and research. We’ve taken price, quality, and value into account when developing these ratings. Rangefinders were tested based on the following factors… [more]

Top 10 Golf Putters

Although some of selecting a putter is about “feel” there is more to it than that. We rate the best putters below on the following criteria: Appearance, “feel”, how well the ball rolls off the putter face, alignment characteristics, weighting balance and price/value. See the putter comparison … [more]

Top 10 Golf Drivers

We tested many of the drivers that are out there in the market today and came up with our top 10 list. There are a couple holdovers from last year. Testing and consideration were given based on distance and accuracy with the same neutral swing speed (110) in a controlled distance … [more]

Top 10 Golf Balls

The following list of the best top ten golf balls was determined from the authors opinion using the following criteria: Consistency in length off the tee, spin control and the ability to hold greens, “feel” of the ball around greens for chipping and putting, durability, and price/value. Combining … [more]

Top 10 Golf Wedges

A club class of its own, the wedges have high lofts, the short shafts, and the heavy clubheads. Out of all the irons wedges take all of these to the extreme. The purpose of a wedge is to aid players in making accurate short-distance “lob” shots, to get the ball onto the green and out of hazards….[more]

Top 10 Golf Bags

The following are our top 10 Golf Bag choices based on the following criteria: Durability, Price, Stability of Stand, Access and Organization, Extra Pockets for Accessories, Comfort of Harness strap… [more]

What makes a rangefinder tournament Legal?

There is a very simple formula for determining whether a rangefinder is tournament legal or not, even if it is not USGA certified. It should not have distances calculated for slope. Slope is the gradient value of uphill and downhill, and many rangefinders are equipped with distances that include the slope. If you want to use it in a tournament, make sure your rangefinder does not have a slope distance reading and you will be fine.

If there is any doubt, clear it with the tournament officials prior to the tournament. The last thing you want to do is go use it on the course and then finish and be disqualified because the tournament did not allow rangefinders. It’s a good idea to just pose the question ahead of time. Rangefinders can drastically speed play and provide a very valuable information source for people unfamiliar with the course, so they should be acceptable in most circumstances as long as the slope is not included in the distance calculation.

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

Related Golf Rangefinder Articles

Bushnell Rangefinder Comparison – What are the differences in Models?

Below is a summary of some of the differentiating features of Bushnell’s golf rangefinders on the market: Bushnell White Medalist Rangefinder – This is a good basic option and low in price at only $249, Has a 9 volt battery, No slope or OLED lit display, 4X Magnification, 2 Yr. Warranty, Distance in Yards, Lightweight ,Large design…[more]

Golf Rangefinder vs. Golf GPS Watch – Which is better?

First let’s acknowledge that use of these two products are not mutually exclusive, they have different attributes. There is no reason you could not use both a GPS golf watch which will give you accurate measurements to the front, center, and back of greens and use a rangefinder…[more]

More Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Golf Rangefinders

Following are our choices for the top 10 golf rangefinders for the year after some testing and research. We’ve taken price, quality, and value into account when developing these ratings. Rangefinders were tested based on the following factors… [more]

Top 10 Golf Drivers

We tested many of the drivers that are out there in the market today and came up with our top 10 list. There are a couple holdovers from last year. Testing and consideration were given based on distance and accuracy with the same neutral swing speed (110) in a controlled distance…[more]

Top 10 Golf Putters

Although some of selecting a putter is about “feel” there is more to it than that. We rate the best putters below on the following criteria: Appearance, “feel”, how well the ball rolls off the putter face, alignment characteristics, weighting balance and price/value. See the putter comparison … [more]

Top 10 Golf Wedges

A club class of its own, the wedges have high lofts, the short shafts, and the heavy clubheads. Out of all the irons wedges take all of these to the extreme. The purpose of a wedge is to aid players in making accurate short-distance “lob” shots, to get the ball onto the green and out of hazards….[more]

Top 10 Golf Balls

The following list of the best top ten golf balls was determined from the authors opinion using the following criteria: Consistency in length off the tee, spin control and the ability to hold greens, “feel” of the ball around greens for chipping and putting, durability, and price/value. Combining … [more]

Top 10 Golf Clubs

Following are some of the factors that we felt are most important in evaluating the top 10 golf club iron selections. Clubs were tested at a testing facility and loosely measured for the below quality points: 1. Comfort at Setup (Instilling Confidence), 2. Solid Feel at Impact, 3. Workable Ball Flight … [more]

Top 10 Golf Bags

The following are our top 10 Golf Bag choices based on the following criteria: Durability, Price, Stability of Stand, Access and Organization, Extra Pockets for Accessories, Comfort of Harness strap… [more]

By S. Dee Davis

Following are our choices for the top 10 golf rangefinders for the year after some testing and research. We’ve taken price, quality, and value into account when developing these ratings. Rangefinders were tested based on the following factors:

1. Weight
2. Size/portability
3. Ease of use when depressing contact
4. Battery Life
5. Speed of display response after depressing contact button (yardage)
6. Ease of viewing yardage(s) on display

Golf Rangefinder Buying Guide

Following are a few tips to help you decide which rangefinder may be right for you.

1. Consider your handicap and how precise you need to be. The lower handicap golfer may want the yardage in tenths of the yard, while the higher handicap golfer does not need this. As well, the lower handicap golfer may need the pin distance from a longer range and need more accuracy. These are factors that affect the price of the rangefinder.
2. Decide whether you need a golf watch or rangefinder. A GPS golf watch will give high handicap golfers front, middle, and back of green distances which is all they may need. This will prevent losing a rangefinder and the added time to take out the rangefinder and use it.
3. Selecting a rangefinder should have the following considerations taken into account:

• size – smaller the better
• weight- lighter the better
• accuracy
• easy ready display of distance
• easily depressed button
• fast response time in delivering the measurement
• Targeting speed – rangefinder picks up the target quickly

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

Related Golf Rangefinder Articles

Bushnell Rangefinder Comparison – What are the differences in Models?

Below is a summary of some of the differentiating features of Bushnell’s golf rangefinders on the market: Bushnell White Medalist Rangefinder – This is a good basic option and low in price at only $249, Has a 9 volt battery, No slope or OLED lit display, 4X Magnification, 2 Yr. Warranty, Distance in Yards, Lightweight ,Large design…[more]

Golf Rangefinder vs. Golf GPS Watch – Which is better?

First let’s acknowledge that use of these two products are not mutually exclusive, they have different attributes. There is no reason you could not use both a GPS golf watch which will give you accurate measurements to the front, center, and back of greens and use a rangefinder…[more]

Are Golf Rangefinders Tournament Legal?

There is a very simple formula for determining whether a rangefinder is tournament legal or not, even if it is not USGA certified. It should not have distances calculated for slope. Slope is the gradient value of uphill and downhill, and many rangefinders…[more]

More Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Golf Clubs

Following are some of the factors that we felt are most important in evaluating the top 10 golf club iron selections. Clubs were tested at a testing facility and loosely measured for the below quality points: 1. Comfort at Setup (Instilling Confidence), 2. Solid Feel at Impact, 3. Workable Ball Flight … [more]

Top 10 Golf Putters

Although some of selecting a putter is about “feel” there is more to it than that. We rate the best putters below on the following criteria: Appearance, “feel”, how well the ball rolls off the putter face, alignment characteristics, weighting balance and price/value. See the putter comparison … [more]

Top 10 Golf Drivers

We tested many of the drivers that are out there in the market today and came up with our top 10 list. There are a couple holdovers from last year. Testing and consideration were given based on distance and accuracy with the same neutral swing speed (110) in a controlled distance … [more]

Top 10 Golf Balls

The following list of the best top ten golf balls was determined from the authors opinion using the following criteria: Consistency in length off the tee, spin control and the ability to hold greens, “feel” of the ball around greens for chipping and putting, durability, and price/value. Combining … [more]

Top 10 Golf Wedges

A club class of its own, the wedges have high lofts, the short shafts, and the heavy clubheads. Out of all the irons wedges take all of these to the extreme. The purpose of a wedge is to aid players in making accurate short-distance “lob” shots, to get the ball onto the green and out of hazards….[more]

Top 10 Golf Bags

The following are our top 10 Golf Bag choices based on the following criteria: Durability, Price, Stability of Stand, Access and Organization, Extra Pockets for Accessories, Comfort of Harness strap… [more]

By S. Dee Davis

This top of the line model from Bushnell has more ability in distance to the flag than almost any other rangefinder out there at 550 yards and a whole mile for other measurements. It also has enhanced accuracy and displays yardages in a vivid easy to see red OLED light display. It’s a bit large and heavy though. Hope that you don’t need repair on your Bushnell. My contact button stopped working and when I sent it in for repair it took Bushnell over a month and $150 to repair the rangefinder. I felt like I was being hosed.

Quick Specs

• $499
• 7X Magnification
• 2 year warranty
• 3-volt battery

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

This rangefinder from Bushnell has lots of nice features but the button is extremely difficult to depress and hold down especially with one hand. This also causes a delay in the yardage information being displayed. The button must be held down for a second before getting the read and display. Pluses are that it is small and compact and this is Bushnell’s most exact rangefinder with measurement down to 10ths of a yard. It also has great range to the flag at 450 yards so it’s a powerful piece.

Quick Specs

• $399
• 6X Magnification
• 2 year warranty
• 3-volt battery

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

This is a smaller rangefinder from Bushnell that is more similar to the Leupolds in operation and design. I like the compact , smaller, lighter design. You must hold the button down a sec before getting the distance reading. It’s not fast. It has a nice scan mode included which allows you to scan across the course with the display changing giving you a more accurate idea of the landscape. The Slope compensation calculates and adjusts swing yardage depending on the degree of the slope so you get two measurements, one with slope and one without.

Quick Specs

• 5X Magnification
• 300yds to pin measure
• Pinseeker Tech
• $399

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

This is my favorite from best runner up in the price category. One of the best features about this rangefinder and the reason it made our top 10 list is the price at $249 and the weight, it’s nice and light. It has an easy to replace 9 volt battery, solid construction, and is rainproof. The pinseeker technology is also included. It will measure up to 300 yards to the flag which is pretty strong for this price point. Pinseeker technology is also included for those courses that participate. I will note that I had one of these and was disappointed when the contact button stopped working. Sending to Bushnell was also a disappointment, it took over a month and $149 for them to repair and send back.

Quick Specs

• Accurate to 1 yard
• 4X magnification
• 2 year warranty
• $249

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

Another great option from Leupold the GX3i combines some great features with a small, tough, heavy compact design. It has the bright red LED lit display to separate it from the GX2i and also works very fast to display yardage. The included Pinhunter prism lock technology gives exact distance on those participating courses. It has a fog mode to cut through fog or rain and provide accurate measurement. Leupold’s lenses are the best on the market, more exact and better quality than the competition. When you want multiple readings in one quick sweep there is an optional scan mode on this rangefinder. Just hold down the Power button and the display will continuously update with accurate line-of-site measurements.

Quick Specs

• Tournament Legal
• Scan Mode
• Red LED display
• 2 year warranty
• Magnification 6X
• $399

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

Another Leupold this model is similar to the model listed above but is less customizable. It has 3 selectable aiming reticles: Plus Point, Bracket Circle, Bracket Circle Duplex and its Fog mode can screen out false readings from rain drops or other atmospheric interference in foggy/ rainy conditions. It also has the TGR function which is an adjusted range that will compensate for uphill/ downhill shots. Though the battery life is slightly less than the GX2i mentioned above that’s because it has a brightly lit red display you cant miss. The fast operation and wide lens display is easy to work with.

Quick Specs

• Dimensions: 2.9 inches high x 1.3 inches wide x 4.1 inches deep
• Battery 4K actuations
• Yards or Meters measurement
• 800 yard range on reflective target
• $499
• 2 year warranty

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

One of the added benefits to the S3 golf watch over the S1 is that this watch can give you yardages to doglegs and layups in addition to the front, middle, and back of green measurements. It’s also much better looking than the S1. Add international courses as well to the U.S. And Canada as far as available courses over 27,000 worldwide. The screen is also touchscreen operational for added ease of use. The shot distance measurement option is easier to use on the S3 as well.

Quick Specs

• $350
• Touchscreen
• Battery: Lithium Ion
• Life: 8 hours on GPS rechargeable
• 2.06 oz.

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

This little gem will run around $179 and give you yardages to the back, middle, and front of the green on thousands of participating courses in the U.S. And Canada. There is no subscription necessary, just purchase the watch and you are ready to go. It beats the heck out of all those annoying Apps on the iPhone/Smartphone that require subscription and are always trying to tap your wallet or password you to death. Basically this watch is inexpensive, light and easy to use and is a huge seller. It ha a rechargeable lithium ion battery with only 8 hours of GPS use before recharge. Added benefits are that you can measure distances of individual shots.

Quick Specs

• GPS
• $179
• Battery: Lithium Ion
• Monochrome LCD display

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis

By S. Dee Davis

This is a very nice new rangefinder from Leupold which gives the golfer fast feedback and has lots of options and versatility like customizable adjustments for slope, altitude, termperature, and a proprietary feature called TGR – true golf range. It also has Pinhunter technology for those courses participating. I dont think I would ever use the individual hitting strength feature as we all know that we have days we are hitting it longer and shorter. But it’s there if you want to program in your yardages for clubs and use the rangefinder for club selection.

Quick Specs

• $349
• Wide Lens Display
• Magnification 6X
• Weatherproof
• Display Black LCD
• Battery Life over 6K actuations
• Dimensions 4×2.75×1.5 in
• 1 year warranty

Prices

As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis