Advantages of Laser:

• Accuracy – A laser rangefinder will give you near exact yardage to any target you can see (within several hundred yards). It’s going to be more consistent and more accurate than GPS. It also will give the yardage to the actual flag where it is on the green.
• Learning Curve – There isn’t much to learn about a laser golf rangefinder. The directions won’t take long to read and a few minutes of playing with it and you should have it down.
• Battery Life – The battery on a laser rangefinder will last many, many rounds. For most users, a year or more.
• # of Courses – laser rangefinders will work on every golf course and never need to be updated.
• Magnification – We find it surprising that laser rangefinders are allowed to have magnification. Sometimes just having binoculars on the golf course can be handy for seeing what lies ahead and with a laser, it’s built right into the device. When making a purchase, pay attention to the level of magnification. Not only do you get a better view with a higher level, it’s also easier to hit your target.

Disadvantages of Laser:

• Hills and trees – If you can’t see a target, your laser binoculars won’t help a bit. Experience tells us that this is an infrequent problem, but when it is a problem, it’s a big one. (That’s when a hybrid would come in really handy.)
• Hitting the wrong target – Today’s laser rangefinders are very good about picking of the flagstick instead of targets behind the green, but it’s still a possibility that you could accidentally get the yardage to the wrong target. The closer you get to your target, the less likely this will happen. Most users will be able to manage this without much difficulty after a little experience.
• Steadiness issues – Using a laser golf rangefinder does require moderate steadiness when shooting the target. For most people this isn’t an issue, but for some users, it’s a deal breaker.
• No front, middle and back of green distance – Although you’re getting exact distance to the pin, unless you can see it, you have no way of knowing where on the green the pin is located. (Again, a hybrid would come in handy for this.)

Advantages of GPS:

• Distance to the front, middle and back of every green – Every golf GPS provides this basic information and it’s extremely valuable. Most golfers will do just fine aiming for the middle of every green.
• No steadiness required – A GPS device will give you yardages without you having to aim it or even touch it.
• Distances to targets you cannot see – All GPS devices can give you yardage to targets that you cannot see. Most of them include hazards as well as green yardages, but pay attention because some basic models only include distances to the front, middle and back of the green.
• Hole layouts – We refer to GPS devices that offer hole layout views as “full-featured”. If you’re on a course that is unfamiliar, it’s often nice to be able to take a look at the hole layout before you play it. It’s important to note however, that these types of units have more of a learning curve and can slow you down during your round. There are some “basic” models that don’t include the layouts and in truth, that’s not always a disadvantage. On the golf course, we think it’s important to get information quickly, rather than trying to figure out your device.
• Bonus Features – Many golf GPS devices have shot-measuring features, scorecards, statistics and more. These features can be fun and useful, but it’s important to make sure they don’t consume too much of your time and attention.

Disadvantages of GPS:

• Accuracy – Although all GPS devices do a pretty good job with accuracy, they’re not likely to ever be as good as laser. Clouds, trees and whatever else can happen to interfere with satellites will be a factor. It’s not always ‘right on’ vs laser which will be right every time.
• Distance to the pin – Although some of the full-featured models allow you to tap or move the pin position, it’s still only your best guess unless you have a pin location sheet.
• Computers – Although most GPS devices now come “preloaded” with courses, many require hookup to a computer for updates and/or newly added golf courses. Some even require hookup and online registration before they will work. This is the area where we usually where we find the most complaints from users.
• Learning Curve – the more features available, the more learning required.

Hybrid – the best of both worlds

Although the Bushnell Hybrid is the only hybrid on the market as of this writing, we consider it the best golf rangefinder available, over all GPS and laser rangefinders. Although some of the advantages of GPS would be nice to have, we consider most of them extraneous to the main purpose of a golf distance measuring device. Getting the accuracy of laser combined with GPS features that eliminate ALL of the disadvantages of laser alone is hard to beat. However, in the future, we do expect to see hybrid models with GPS hole layouts and all the other bells and whistles.

Read our quick and dirty Buyer’s Guide to choose the specific model that is right for you!

Laser Golf Rangefinder vs GPS is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Golf Laser Rangefinder Reviews & Scores
2. Bushnell 1600 Laser Rangefinder with Pinseeker
3. Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Laser Rangefinder
4. Laser Golf Rangefinders
5. Golf Laser Range Finder Reviews

Overall Best Golf Rangefinder

1. Bushnell Hybrid

Best GPS Golf Rangefinder – Full Featured Models

1. Golf Buddy World
2. Garmin Approach G5
3. Golf Buddy World Platinum

Best GPS Golf Rangefinder – Basic Models

1. Bushnell neo+
2. Garmin S1 GPS Golf Watch
3. Izzo Swami 3000

Best Laser Golf Rangefinder

1. Bushnell 1600 (highest magnification, but also highest price)
2. Leupold GX-1
3. Callaway LR550
4. Bushnell v2
5. Bushnell Medalist (budget-friendly!)

Best Golf Rangefinder 2012 is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Golf Rangefinder Buyer’s Guide
2. 2012 Golf Predictions!
3. Golf Buddy Reviews
4. Where are the best deals on Golf Rangefinders?
5. Golf Buddy vs SkyCaddie

GPS & Laser
Best Deals of the Day

Updated 02/7/2012

Bushnell Tour V2
$210.00 +$5.39 Shipping

Bushnell Medalist
$205.92 with free shipping
Read ReviewOnce you arrive on Amazon, scroll below Featured Merchants to “New”)

Garmin Approach G5
$244.94 + $4.87 Shipping
(Once you arrive on Amazon, scroll below Featured Merchants to “New”)

Bushnell neo+
$97.30 + 4.79 shipping
(Once you arrive on Amazon, scroll below Featured Merchants to “New”)

Leupold GX-1 Laser
$244.99 with free shipping

Bushnell 1600
$310.67
Read Review

Garmin S1 Golf Watch (black)
$206 + $4.99 shipping
Read Review
(Once you arrive on Amazon, scroll below Featured Merchants to “New”)

Izzo Swami 3000
$73.49 with Free Shipping
Read Review

Bushnell XGC+ GPS
$174.98 + $5.49shipping (Once you arrive on Amazon, scroll below Featured Merchants to “New”)
Read Review

Golf Buddy World
$$222.49 with free shipping
Read Review

Callaway LR550 Laser
$229.00 with free shipping
Read Review

*Prices are subject to change without notice.

One of the questions we get asked the most is “Where are the best deals on golf rangetfinders?”. Most of the time, the answer is Amazon.com.

Of course it’s not true in every instance, but our experience tells us that it’s hard to find a lower price most of the time on most rangefinders.

What’s interesting though is that even Amazon’s prices on golf rangefinders fluctuate frequently. We try to take a look at prices on the most popular product on a daily basis to see where the great deals are, so you can bookmark this page and check back often, or we offer three ways we can make it even easier for you to find out about the best deals of the day…

1. Receive email notifications when we see a nice price drop on a top-rated product. Just fill out the form on the right side of this page. We promise to treat your mailbox and email address with respect.
2. Like us on Facebook so you’ll see our updates in your newsfeed.
3. Follow us on Twitter

Where are the best deals on Golf Rangefinders? is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Nikon / Callaway Rangefinders
2. Laser Golf Rangefinders
3. GPS Golf Rangefinders
4. Hybrid Golf Rangefinders
5. Shop for Golf Rangefinders & GPS Units

“SkyCaddie SGXw”

Regular Price $399.95
Today $395.99

Order Now

What looks good?… the accuracy of all SkyCaddie devices is supposed to be a little better than other golf GPS units because they hire people to actually go to every golf course and establish the targets, while other GPS units rely on satellite maps. Like it’s predecessor, the SkyCaddie SGX, the SGXw utilizes an Omni-Directional, High Performance GPS Antenna which purports to work well in all terrains and under trees. It has tons tons of features and the SGXw gives you the ability to download courses from any Wifi connection that doesn’t require a web-based login. If you use Wifi much, you know that many hotels and coffee shops require you to go through a website to get access to the Wifi network, so that type of connection will not work. Still, wifi is a big improvement over GPS units that require you to hook up to a computer to download golf courses.

But that is where we come to the other question…

What’s not so good?… You have to download the golf courses you want to play and you have to pay for an annual membership. Let’s face it, downloading golf courses with or without wifi, membership payments and lots of bells and whistles make it more likely that you end up experiencing a glitch somewhere along the line.

Is it worth it?… It’s hard to see how it could be worth the price of the device plus the annual membership fee. If accuracy is the most important feature for you in choosing a golf rangefinder, why not get a hybrid or laser rangefinder. If you’re going to spend the money, the Bushnell Hybrid will give you EXACT yardages to any target you can see and GPS yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, plus hazards. If “pretty accurate” is good enough for you and you’re not so confident about using a laser, the Golf Buddy Platinum comes pre-loaded so you don’t have to download golf courses and it has no annual fees. By the way, the customer reviews are the highest of any full-featured GPS golf distance measuring device. For those who want to make it even simpler and less expensive, check out the Bushnell neo+ or the Izzo Swami 3000.

We applaud SkyCaddie for the ground-mapping that they do, but just don’t think they understand what most golfers want. SkyGolf obviously does a good job marketing their products, but they don’t get great reviews because their devices are more complicated than others on the market. When you’re paying top dollar plus annual fees, you don’t want hassles, you just want it to work. We think they would do well to offer a simpler device that doesn’t require membership or downloads. They could probably still charge a little more than their competitors by touting the accuracy.

SkyCaddie SGX GRS Score: 7.45 out of 10 (11 reviews)

Model	SkyCaddie SGXw
Type	GPS
Height	4.8+ in.
Width	2.48 in.
Depth	.75 in.
Screen Size	3 in.
Resolution	hi-res
Display Type	TFT-LCD
Weight	5.6 oz.
Battery	Lithium-ion Polymer
Battery Life	N/A
Rainproof	Yes*
High Sensitivity Receiver	Yes
Pre-loaded with Courses	Yes*
Course Capacity	50 Full
Touch Screen	No
Touch Targeting	Yes
Manual Pin Positioning	Yes
Stat Tracker	Yes
Digital Scorecard	Yes
Computer Analysis Tools	Yes
USGA Compliant (local rule)	Yes
Ground Verified	Yes
Alternate Targets	Yes
Aerial Hole View	Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle	Yes
Measure Shot Distance	Yes
Magnify Hole View	Yes
Slope	No
# of Available Courses	30,000+
Add Courses Manually	Yes
Compatibility	Windows/Mac*
Course Download Fees	Yes

We do our best to obtain information about product features, but make no guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.

SkyCaddie SGXw Reviews is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. SkyCaddie SGXw vs SGX vs SG5
2. Summary of SkyCaddie SG4 Reviews
3. Skygolf SkyCaddie SGX Review of Reviews
4. SkyGolf Launches SkyCaddie Membership Benefits+
5. Golf Buddy vs SkyCaddie

Click here to view this table with prices (the page loads a little slow, so please be patient)

Rank	Up to 3	GPS Golf Rangefinder Click on Model below to see Review	GRS Score	# or Reviews	Order
		Garmin Approach G6	New	N/A
1		Garmin Approach S1 Watch	9.12	311
2		SkyCaddie SG5	8.8	439
3		Bushnell Hybrid	8.76	37
4		GolfLogix	8.56	499
5		Bushnell neo+	8.53	68
6		Swami 3000	8.49	55
7		Golf Buddy World	8.47	47
8		SkyCaddie SG3.5	8.40	75
9		Bushnell neo	8.39	258
10		Garmin Approach G5	8.33	401
11		Sonocaddie V300	8.31	145
12		Izzo Swami 1500	8.26	121
13		SkyCaddie SGX	7.89	264
14		Golf Buddy World Platinum	7.81	114
15		Sonocaddie V500	7.65	30
16		SkyCaddie SGXw	7.45	11
17		Golf Buddy Plus	7.30	208
18		Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC+	7.29	17
19		Callaway uPro	7.05	196
20		SkyCaddie SG4	6.66	112
		Celestron CoursePro Elite	N/A	N/A
		Callaway uPro MX	N/A	N/A
		Callaway uPro Go	N/A	N/A
		Golf Buddy Pro	N/A	N/A
		Celestron CoursePro	N/A	N/A
	Up to 3	We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.

Golf GPS Rangefinder Reviews & Scores is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Best Golf Rangefinder 2012
2. GPS Golf Rangefinders
3. Shop for Golf Rangefinders & GPS Units
4. Golf Laser Rangefinder Reviews & Scores
5. GPS Reviews and Scores with Prices

Up to 3	GPS Golf Rangefinder	GRS Score	# or Reviews	Review Summary	Buy
	Bushnell 1600 (Tournament)	9.26	185	Read It
	Bushnell 1600 (with Slope)	9.26	185	Read It
	Leupold GX-1	9.15	87	Read It
	Bushnell V2 (with Slope)	9.12	415	Read It
	Bushnell Tour V2	9.12	415	Read It
	Callaway LR550	9.08	162	Read It
	Bushnell Medalist	8.96	249	Read It
	Leupold GX-2	8.83	12	Read It
	Bushnell Hybrid	8.76	37	Read It
	Leupold GX-4	8.47	12	Read It
	Leupold GX-3	8.33	6	Read It
	Callaway Diablo Octane	N/A	N/A	Read It
	Laser Link Red Hot	N/A	N/A	Read It
	Bushnell Tour Z6 Tourn	N/A	N/A	Read It
	Bushnell Tour Z6 Slope	N/A	N/A	Read It
	Bushnell Pro 1M Tournament	N/A	N/A	Read It
	Bushnell Pro 1M Slope	N/A	N/A	Read It
Up to 3	We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.

Golf Laser Rangefinder Reviews & Scores is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Laser Golf Rangefinders
2. Golf Laser Range Finder Reviews
3. Laser Link Red Hot Review
4. Golf GPS Rangefinder Reviews & Scores
5. Laser Golf Rangefinder vs GPS

GPS Golf Rangefinders

Bushnell

• Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC+
• Bushnell neo+
• Bushnell neo

Callaway

• Callaway uPro
• Callaway uPro MX

Celestron

• Celestron CoursePro Elite

Garmin

• Garmin Approach G5
• Garmin Approach G6
• Garmin Approach S1 Watch

Golf Buddy

• Golf Buddy World Platinum
• Golf Buddy World

GolfLogix

• GolfLogix

Izzo

• Izzo Swami 1500
• Swami 3000

SkyGolf

• SkyCaddie SGXw
• SkyCaddie SGX
• SkyCaddie SG4
• SkyCaddie SG5
• SkyCaddie SG3.5

Sonocaddie

• Sonocaddie V300

Hybrid Golf Rangefinders

Bushnell

• Bushnell Hybrid

Laser Golf Rangefinders

Bushnell

• Bushnell Pro 1M Tournament
• Bushnell Tour Z6 Slope
• Bushnell Tour Z6 Tourn
• Bushnell Medalist
• Bushnell Pro 1M Slope
• Bushnell 1600 (Tournament)
• Bushnell 1600 (with Slope)
• Bushnell Tour V2
• Bushnell V2 (with Slope)

Callaway

• Callaway LR550
• Callaway Diablo Octane

Laser Link

• Laser Link Red Hot

Leupold

• Leupold GX-1
• Leupold GX-2
• Leupold GX-3
• Leupold GX-4

NoMore Golf Rangefinders

Golf Buddy

• Golf Buddy Tour

Golf Rangefinder Reviews is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Best Golf Rangefinder 2012
2. Shop for Golf Rangefinders & GPS Units
3. Rangefinder Accessories
4. Hybrid Golf Rangefinders
5. GPS Golf Rangefinders

The Nikon / Callaway Rangefinders aren’t as popular as their Bushnell counterparts, but when you put those two names together on a product, it’s worth taking a look. There are currently four models of laser rangefinders with the Nikon / Callaway label. At the moment, the one that is preferred hands down by users is the Callaway LR550. In fact, this is one of the highest, if not the highest rated laser golf rangefinders on the market and the price is very competitive. If you’re in the market for a new laser rangefinder, this one is worth serious consideration. Take a look at our Nikon / Callaway LR550 Review Summary.

The Diablo Octane rangefinder looks hot with it’s red and black casing. The specs are very similar to the LR550 and when the prices are the same, we suggest choosing your favorite color, since both get excellent review scores.

The Also Ran Nikon / Callaway Rangefinders:

• iQ with Brightness Control
• idTech
• idTech with Slope

Nikon / Callaway Rangefinders is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Callaway / Nikon
2. Laser Golf Rangefinders
3. Callaway Diablo Octane Rangefinder Review
4. Shop for Golf Rangefinders & GPS Units
5. Where are the best deals on Golf Rangefinders?

Golf Rangefinder News on March 4, 2010 is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Leupold GX-3i Golf Rangefinder
2. Best Golf Rangefinder 2012
3. Golf Rangefinder Buyer’s Guide
4. Leupold GX Rangefinder Series
5. Leupold GX1 Review

Rank	Up to 3	GPS Golf Rangefinder Click on Model below to see Review	GRS Score	# or Reviews	Click Price to Order
		Garmin Approach G6	New	N/A	Regular Price $299.99 Today $299.99
1		Garmin Approach S1 Watch	9.12	311	Regular Price $249.99 Today $206.00
2		SkyCaddie SG5	8.8	439	Regular Price $459.95 Today $169.98
3		GolfLogix	8.56	499	Regular Price $299.95 Today $184.99
4		Bushnell neo+	8.53	68	Regular Price $199.99 Today $97.30
5		Swami 3000	8.49	55	Regular Price $99.99 Today $73.49
6		Golf Buddy World	8.47	47	Regular Price $329.99 Today $214.99
7		SkyCaddie SG3.5	8.40	75	Regular Price $329.95 Today $84.99
8		Bushnell neo	8.39	258	Regular Price $249.95 Today $83.95
9		Garmin Approach G5	8.33	401	Regular Price $499.99 Today $259.99
10		Sonocaddie V300	8.31	145	Regular Price $399.99 Today $255.00
11		Izzo Swami 1500	8.26	121	Regular Price $99.99 Today $58.41
12		SkyCaddie SGX	7.89	264	Regular Price $429.95 Today $238.98
13		Golf Buddy World Platinum	7.81	114	Regular Price $399.99 Today $239.99
14		Sonocaddie V500	7.65	30	Regular Price $399.99 Today $266.97
15		SkyCaddie SGXw	7.45	11	Regular Price $399.95 Today $395.99
16		Golf Buddy Plus	7.30	208	Regular Price $369.99 Today $285.08
17		Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC+	7.29	17	Regular Price $279.95 Today $149.99
18		Callaway uPro	7.05	196	Regular Price $399.99 Today $199.00
19		SkyCaddie SG4	6.66	112	Regular Price $349.95 Today $109.98
		Callaway uPro MX	N/A	N/A	Regular Price Today Click Here to View Sale Price
		Celestron CoursePro Elite	N/A	N/A	Regular Price Today Click Here to View Sale Price
		Celestron CoursePro	N/A	N/A	Regular Price $99.95 Today $94.90
		Golf Buddy Pro	N/A	N/A	Regular Price $379.99 Today $189.98
		Callaway uPro Go	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Up to 3	We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.

GPS Reviews and Scores with Prices is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Garmin Approach S1 GPS Golf Watch
2. Golf Laser Comparison Results
3. Golf GPS Comparison Results
4. Garmin G6 Approach Reviews
5. Golf Buddy Reviews

Using a GPS or Laser Golf Rangefinder may be the fastest and easiest way to lower your scores, but with so many different devices available, how do you choose the one that is right for you? At the Golf Rangefinder Shop, we hope to help make your decision-making and shopping experience easier by doing the research for you and offering low prices on all the best models. We do our research as if we were making a purchase ourselves, combing through mounds of user reviews on each product, searching for common themes, good or bad. We then make a list of pros and cons about issues we see mentioned in multiple reviews for each particular product and put them in a product Review Summary. Additionally, we compile user ratings from multiple websites and use our own formula to give each product our GRS Score.

Please feel free to use our Golf Rangefinder Review Summary and GRS Score list and shop our wide selection of laser rangefinders, GPS devices and accessories. Also, if you need more help, check out our Buying Guides and Tips.

The Golf Rangefinder Shop is a post from: The Golf Rangefinder Shop

Related Golf Rangefinder posts:

1. Shop for Golf Rangefinders & GPS Units
2. Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Laser Rangefinder
3. Best Golf Rangefinder 2012
4. Golf GPS Rangefinder Reviews & Scores
5. Golf Laser Rangefinder Reviews & Scores