Created by Bridget Clegg using images from Callaway
No matter how busy the daily grind gets, the golf course remains one of the few places where you can easily disconnect for a few hours within a few hours of home. Stepping on to the links is like going on vacation, even if you’re just playing an after-work round at the local course.
Though the game of golf has a way of feeling like it’s stuck in time, technology has infiltrated the fairways, and laser rangefinders have become the newest gadget that every golfer wants in their bag. Gone are the days of using arithmetic to calculate your shot distance. In the past, we had to search for a sprinkler-head marker with a yardage stamp, walk off the steps to our ball, then add or subtract to find the distance to the green.
Life is so much simpler now. Just pull out your rangefinder, point it at the flag, and voila — the distance to the pin magically appears in front of you. Not only is this a much easier, lazier way to play, but it also provides much more accurate measurements. And in theory, that should equate to a lower score.
When searching for the rangefinder that best fits your game, it’s important to consider functionality, maximum range, and of course, price.
Laser rangefinders function by projecting a high-frequency laser and calculating the amount of time it takes to bounce off an object and back to you. Most of them have a “pin-seeking” feature that helps your gadget locate the pin, and some will notify you with a vibration or a beep. Additionally, some have this super handy “slope” option, which accounts for slope angle to give you a more accurate “play’s like” distance for uphill and downhill shots.
Most amateur golfers max out in the low 300-yard range, so a 400-yard rangefinder should be plenty. But high-end models can measure up to 1,200 yards (just for kicks). And since most people have fixed incomes, a budget rangefinder around $150 will be just fine, but you can easily spend over $500 if you’re in the market to splurge.
These are the best golf rangefinders to add more accuracy to your game.
How We Chose
Our editors have been golfing since the early ’90s. We know the struggle of scouring the fairway to find a 100-, 150-, or 200-yard marker, and we also know how inaccurate our calculations can be. We began using a rangefinder when they first boomed in popularity a few years back. Since then, we’ve identified what features we find most important, including pin-locating technology, slope calculation, and price.
We combined our first-hand experience using laser rangefinders with an analysis of current trends and user reviews to provide you with a review of the best models currently on the market. The right golf rangefinder has significantly helped us lower our handicap over the years, and we know that an investment in one of the products below, it can do the same for you.
With the perfect combination of size, weight, speed, and price, Bushnell's Tour V5 wins our pick for the best overall rangefinder. Just hold it up to your eye and find the flag, then you'll instantly see a reading that displays how far you are from the pin with pinpoint accuracy.
It's not their top-of-the-line model, but it has plenty of functionality for most golfers and optics that rival a set of nice binoculars. And with a reputable name like Bushnell, your money will be well-spent on a long-lasting product.
If $200 is your max budget, this is one of the best values in the game. With an average of 4.7 stars from over 600 Amazon reviews, this is one of the highest-ranking golf rangefinders we've seen. Users love the shockproof design that will bounce when dropped, a built-in magnet that attaches to your cart or clubs is accurate to within one yard, and comes with a carrying case.
The Precision Pro boasts a maximum range of 400 yards, which should be plenty of distance for anyone unless you're the lost soul who banks their shot off a tree and winds up behind the tee box.
Callaway makes the only rangefinder we found from a golf-specific brand, which should give you confidence that it will help you be a true shotmaker. It's the cheapest slope-equipped option, too, which delivers a more accurate measurement on shots with an uphill or downhill slope angle.
We love the pin-locating P.A.T. with Pulse Technology — the laser will lock onto a pin-up to 300 yards away and give off a quick “pulse” to notify you that the reading is ready. It features built-in magnets, too, which allow you to stick it to the golf cart between shots, so you'll always know where to look. All that's left to do now is swing for the fences!
If golf is your life, the sticker price on the Pro XE is easy to overlook. It's Bushnell's top-of-the-line rangefinder, made for players who live at the golf course and want every detail that technology can offer to make the best decisions.
This golf rangefinder is faster, brighter, tougher, and more accurate than any other rangefinder. In addition to accounting for slope angle for uphill and downhill shots, this Bushnell accounts for temperature and barometric pressure, which gives you a dialed-in “play’s like” distance (similar to the “feels like” temperature that accounts for humidity).
No list of optics gadgets would be complete without an option from Nikon. So it's no surprise the Coolshot Pro II is loaded with technology for the modern-day golfer.
This rangefinder has a wide field of view (7.5-degree), 6x magnification that feels like you're looking through a pair of binoculars at distances of 800 to 1,200 yards, flagstick recognition that locks in on the flag for more accurate readings, and the option to turn the slope adjustment on or off, in case your competition doesn't want you getting the upper hand in the next fundraising tournament.
Garmin's Approach G10 is different from any other rangefinder in this review. Rather than looking through a lens to locate the pin, the G10 is pre-loaded with data from over 40,000 courses across the world. It uses GPS data to automatically calculate the distance from the device to the front, back, and middle of the green and even shows a rough sketch of the green with nearby hazards.
It's not as accurate as a laser rangefinder, but it's much simpler to use. Just clip it to your bag and tee off.
Nothing fancy here — just a small, reliable, and affordable laser rangefinder for this summer's rounds. It has over 7,000 reviews (yes, 7,000!) on Amazon and averages 4.4 stars, mostly because it's incredibly easy to use and won't break the bank.
One user sums it up best when saying, “I am impressed with its performance... The proof lies in its quick acquisition of target, an immediate indication of precise range, and otherwise high functional performance. I’m quite happy with this purchase!”
Andrew BettlachAndrew has been contributing to the outdoors and fitness content on BestProducts.com since 2017; he's a nature lover, peak-bagger, skier, and general good-time haver who lives in Colorado, knows where all the fresh snow is, and what gear you should be wearing for staying warm or looking fresh.
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