What Is a Golf Rangefinder?
A golf rangefinder uses a laser beam to accurately measure distance and slope to a target on the golf course. The laser beam hits the target and is reflected back to the rangefinder, providing an accurate measurement.
As the laser beam travels at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) this all takes no discernable time.
The target is typically the pin, a hazard or simply just where you want your golf ball to end up next, such as a dog leg on the way to the pin.
When Should You Add a Golf Rangefinder to Your Kit?
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Well, not when you're first starting out in the wonderful world of golf.
Why? Because you need consistency of shot before you can take best advantage of a golf rangefinder. That is, under similar conditions, you will hit the ball the same distance (mostly) for a given club.
Once you've achieved that, get your rangefinder. You can use it to calibrate your clubs for your own individual distance performance.
Once you've done that, you'll know exactly which club to use and how hard to swing for each shot, even on a strange new course.
This really adds up over 18 holes and can shave (many) strokes off your game.
Here is my (and thousands of others) recommendation for the best golf rangefinder. Click the link to find out more:
The Best Golf Rangefinder Review
But if the Bushnell is out of your price range, these two also come with my highest recommendation:
The Best Two Budget Golf Rangefinders
Calibrate Your Clubs
This is really easy.
Go to your favorite range and hit several balls (at least 10) with a given club. After each hit, use you range finder to calculate exactly how far you've driven the ball with that club AND WRITE IT DOWN.
Do the same thing with all your drivers, hybrids and irons.
A good range will also have sand traps and a putting green, so you can do the same thing with your wedges and putter.
Write it all down and calculate your averages.
The more often you do this, the more reliable these figures will become.
One of the questions often asked of what is a golf rangefinder is but what about different slopes? Isn't that going to affect how far the ball travels?
Rangefinders and Slope
Fortunately, almost all rangefinders designed and built in the last few years can measure the slope between you and the target and take it into account.
In fact, slope measurement is considered to give the golfer such an unfair advantage (see my post Is My Mate Jim a Cheat?) that they are banned from tournament play.
For this reason, most if not all golf rangefinders with the slope feature also have the ability to turn it on or off, with the status clearly and externally displayed.
With the slope feature on, the golf rangefinder measures both the actual distance and the slope-adjusted distance. This allows you to use your club calibration measurements with confidence.
What is Jolt Technology?
Originally only on high-end golf range finders, jolt technology is a real boon to all golfers, but particularly in the early days of owning your own rangefinder or all the time for any golfer whose hands aren't as steady as they once were.
Jolt technology means that when the target is locked on accurately, the rangefinder makes a sudden jolting movement with accompanying sound effect. This reassures the golfer that they have the correct distance locked in and gives them peace of mind, increasing confidence in making the best shot possible.
How Do I Get My Golf Rangefinder?
I recommend that you buy from Amazon, as you know that you'll get exactly what you've ordered and that it will be shipped reliably, with an accurate delivery date and money-back options.
Here is my (and thousands of others) recommendation for the best golf rangefinder. Click the link to find out more:
The Best Golf Rangefinder Review
But if the Bushnell is out of your price range, these two also come with my highest recommendation: