Guide to Buying Golf Range Finders

For many golf enthusiasts these days, using golf range finders may not be a necessity; but it sure speeds up the game by a long shot - figuratively speaking, of course. A growing number of amateur players do get some satisfaction in getting a shot lined up right, especially in tricky corner shots. For others, it’s all about the sheer convenience of knowing what club to use in order to place a ball on the green.

For some golfers, these golf range finders are no more than affirmations that their guesses were right in the first place. Whatever the reason may be, more and more subscribers to the sport are getting their hands on their own golf range finders. If you find yourself with a little extra cash on the side, and you are thinking of getting such a gadget, here is a list of things to consider. <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->

1. There are range finders and then there are golf range finders. If you are not particularly sure which is which, it would be best to ask for one specifically from the sports store, or you could do your own shopping online. When you do shop online, look at specifics carefully and compare these with the others. Not because one model is “newer” than the other necessarily means that these would work better. Also, there are many types of range finders in the market that is used for other sports. Some of them may work for golf, but it would be best if you could get one that is pre-programmed to the needs of the game. In other words, instead of making the device work for your game, get one that is already set for golf. It would give you less headaches down the road.

Additionally, golf range finders are very different from gps range finders. The former is more binocular like, which can help you measure distances via a laser beam. The latter relies more on its software, where you need to upload a map of the golf course you are playing on, you need to establish location and then you are given a GPS map that also calculates distances. Both, however, can give you the same results.

2. Size does matter; and in this case, the smaller the device, the better. More and more compact models are coming out, so there really is no need to lug around a heavier-than-golf-club device around your neck. Although most golf players do not really play the game with these devices all throughout (say) the 18-hole; it would still be better to get the devices that are easy to carry, and is light enough to use when needed. However, that does not mean you sacrifice quality for compactness.

3. Speaking of which, some of the best quality range finders these days have wide angle viewing lenses. These can give you the longest possible range at an apparent 6.3° or 50+°; or viewing distances of about 300 feet at 1,000 yards. Translation in English: these new models can give you accurate readings if you want to hit the pin at 10 meters or 400 meters with a leeway of ½ yards. Other specifics you may want to look into are: scanning ability and exactly how powerful the lenses are.