GolfBuddy VS4 Review

The GolfBuddy VS4 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'GolfBuddy VS4'

GolfBuddy VS4
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GolfBuddy isn’t messing with a good thing. The two predecessors to the VS4, the GolfBuddy Voice and Voice+ are on the top of our rankings charts for a reason…

GolfBuddy VS4 User Rating: 4.41 Stars 4.41 out of 5 (457 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

they are small, super easy to use and get great battery life. The VS4 builds on that by adding water resistance. Voice and/or digital display provide distances to the front, middle and back of the greens. Dynamic green view shows the shape of the green from your angle of approach and shot measuring gives you direct feedback about your game. Early user reviews are terrific and the price is nice! A watchband can be purchased separately.

GolfBuddy VS4 Specifications
GolfBuddy VS4
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 10 hrs
Battery Li-Poly Recharge
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 1.76 in. x 1.78 in. x .49 in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size N/A
Resolution N/A
Display Type mono LCD
Weight 1.02 oz.
Rainproof Yes
Touch Screen No
Touch Targeting No
Manual Pin Positioning No
Stat Tracker No
Digital Scorecard No
Computer Analysis Tools No
Ground Verified Yes
Alternate Targets No
Green Rotates to your shot angle Yes
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
Notes Voice plus digital display. Optional watchband. Flip screen features makes it readable from either side (useful when clipped on belt).
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User Manual for GolfBuddy VS4

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Leupold GX-4i2 Review

The Leupold GX-4i2 (Slope) has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Leupold GX-4i2 (Slope)'

Leupold GX-4i2 (Slope)
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The Leupold GX-4i2 brings something completely new to the table in the world of laser golf rangefinders. It’s the first one to have Slope that can be legally (in the USGA sense) “turned off” with the included chrome Smartkey faceplate.

Leupold GX-4i2 (Slope) User Rating: 4.32 Stars 4.32 out of 5 (53 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

The truth is that most golfers who are likely to use a laser rangefinder, are also likely to play in events that would deem a rangefinder with Slope illegal for competition. That keeps many of us from buying a rangefinder with Slope and causes some of us to have one of each. The Leupold GX-4i2 solves the problem and throws in some extra bells and whistle that will thrill the truest of golf geeks among us.

Leupold GX-4i2Notable Features
  • True Golf Range (TGR) – Uses elevation, altitude, temperature, and other atmospheric conditions to estimate a “plays like” distance.
  • Club Selector – makes club recommendations based on the True Golf Range (TGR) of your shot and the distances you have previously entered for your 8, 6 and 4 irons.
  • Weatherproof – Not only is it durable and waterproof, it has Fog Mode that will improve accuracy when you play in foggy conditions.
  • PinHunter 2™ – filters out background images and makes zeroing-in on the target faster and easier.
  • Prism Lock – combined with PinHunter 2 makes “locking on” faster than ever before. You get an audible tone when the rangefinder finds the prism, and the distance is immediately displayed.
  • Scan Mode – provides multiple readings in one quick sweep, just hold down the Power button and the display will continuously update with accurate line-of-site measurments.
  • Chrome faceplate – disables True Golf Range and Club Selector features making the GX-4i² “legal” under the rules of golf (per USGA Rule 14-3/0.5).

There are not a huge number of reviews yet, but most users love this rangefinder. The few who did not seemed to struggle with locking onto the correct target. That is the age-old problem with laser rangefinders, while they work well for most golfers, a few will have a hard time holding it steady enough to do a good job.

Leupold GX-4i2 Specifications
Leupold GX-4i2 (Slope)
Slope both
Vibration y
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 3 in. x 1.4 in. x 4.2 in.
Weight 7.9 oz.
Battery CR2 Lithium
Battery Life 6000+ actuations
Display red OLED
Rainproof Yes
Magnification 6X
Maximum Range 800
Minimum Range N/A
Notes * as long as the yellow faceplate is not in use, this rangefinder is legal.
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes, when the silver faceplate is attached.
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Breaking 80 Max 400 Review

The Breaking 80 Max 400 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Breaking 80 Max 400'

Breaking 80 Max 400
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The Breaking 80 Max 400 gets a lot of really great reviews from users who can’t believe they get the same accuracy as other laser rangefinders for significantly less money. If there’s a down side, it’s that some users report struggling to acquire distance to the right target. It’s a low percentage, but slightly higher than on more expensive rangefinders.

Breaking 80 Max 400 User Rating: 4.02 Stars 4.02 out of 5 (59 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

Breaking 80 Max 400
Slope No
Vibration n
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 3 in. x 1.75 in. x 4 in.
Weight 6.5 oz.
Battery CR-2 Lithium
Battery Life N/A
Display N/A
Rainproof Yes
Magnification 6x
Maximum Range 440
Minimum Range 5
Notes -
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
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SkyCaddie Touch Review

The SkyCaddie TOUCH has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'SkyCaddie TOUCH'

SkyCaddie TOUCH
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SkyGolf is rolling out a new full-featured handheld golf GPS. Our SkyCaddie Touch Review will be up soon, but for now let’s take a look at how the features measure up to the competition.

SkyCaddie TOUCH User Rating: 3.80 Stars 3.80 out of 5 (58 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.
  • Bluetooth updates through your phone – Using an iPhone or Android smartphone app, you will have the ability to update your course maps whenever your phone is connected to the Internet. We haven’t seen this with any other brand and give a thumbs up for the idea.
  • Preloaded with 35,000 courses – this is the same as it’s competitors, except for the fact that SkyGolf charges you an annual fee to access those preloaded courses and other brands do not. SkyGolf claims to have better maps because they are “ground verified”, but to our knowledge there is no hard data that suggests that SkyCaddie maps are truly better.
  • 3″ high-resolution glove-friendly touchscreen – This is a nice size screen for a golf GPS with full hole views. It’s the same size as the latest Garmin models.
  • Interactive HoleVue™ – A fancy name for being able to get the full layout of the hole and allowing touch targeting to any point on the hole.
  • Patented IntelliGreen® Technology – The green view on the SkyCaddie TOUCH changes with your angle of approach. It is also quite detailed, showing bunker carries and green depth information. We’re not sure this isn’t information overload for most golfers, but we’ll have to wait and see.
  • Dynamic RangeVue™ – SkyCaddie will display multiple arcs on the screen showing possible layup distances and their locations. This handy feature will save you the time of touch targeting in some instances.
  • Auto Course Select – As with pretty much every golf GPS today, the SkyCaddie TOUCH will figure out where you are and show you the nearest golf courses.
  • Auto Hole Select– Another feature present on most units that moves to the next hole presumably while you are on your way there.
  • Auto Zoom – As you move forward on the hole, the hole view zooms with you.
  • Digital scorecard and stat tracking – The unit will store up to 20 rounds and the information can also be uploaded SkyGolf 360 for storage and interesting analysis.
  • Measure shot distance – Another feature found on most golf GPS devices, the SkyCaddie TOUCH allows you to measure any shot.

Although quite popular due to a big marketing budget, recent SkyCaddie models get only mediocre reviews. Hopefully the SkyCaddie TOUCH will be the model that breaks that trend. If the Bluetooth connectivity works well, it should be a big help, but we still don’t like the annual fees when there are other devices on the market with great ratings and no fees. Check out Garmin’s line of full featured golf GPS devices, for a no-fee solution.

SkyCaddie TOUCH Specifications
SkyCaddie TOUCH
Slope No
Vibration n
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 4 in. x 2.3 in. x .7 in.
Weight 3.8 oz.
Battery rechargeable Li-ion
Battery Life N/A
Display color
Rainproof N/A
Magnification N/A
Maximum Range N/A
Minimum Range N/A
Notes Bluetooth connectivity to smartphone app that allows for course updates and round uploads for analysis.
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes
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Garmin S6 Review

The Garmin Approach S6 has been retired. Check out our current recommendations for today's best golf rangefinders..

'Garmin Approach S6'

Garmin Approach S6
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Just when we thought the Garmin Approach series had reached the peak of potential in a golf GPS watch with the Garmin S4, they introduced one with even more features. In our testing for the Garmin S6 Review, we found some pros and some cons, but we can definitely recommend this golf watch for some golfers. Keep reading to see if it’s for you.

Garmin Approach S6 User Rating: 3.75 Stars 3.75 out of 5 (290 reviews)

Score compiled from multiple sources.

First of all, let’s take a look at the features that set Garmin S6 apart from the Garmin S4:

  • Dedicated CourseView button. We love the dedicated GreenView button on the S4 that made it easy to see the green shape and adjust the pin location to get more precise distance. The S6 replaces that button with a CourseView button. The first press of the CourseView button shows a graphic view of your landing area. This is pretty cool and important when you are playing unfamiliar courses. You can manually pinpoint and get distance a target, but remember this is a small screen, so not quite as easy as doing it on a handheld unit. A tap on the top of the screen will take you to the GreenView which shows the shape of the green and surrounding hazards. It also allows for manual pin positioning for getting a more precise distance. Although it is only one extra button press to get to the GreenView, we found it a little annoying on approach shots that the green view didn’t come up immediately.
  • PinPointer blind shot assistance tells you where the pin is, even if you can’t see it. It’s not as good as having your caddie run to the top of the hill to show you the line, but it’s way better than nothing if you can’t see where you need to be aiming. Since this isn’t a feature that you will use often, the trick is remembering how to get to it! (Tap the screen until it shows up.)
  • SwingTempo™ and TempoTraining™. Although some users like this feature, we weren’t sold. We had a five-handicapper with a decent swing test this and the swing tempo didn’t even remotely match with the “average pro” tempo. Do we think our test subject should spend hours on the range trying to create a swing that matches this watch… No! If you happen to be working with an instructor on Tempo, it’s possible that this tool could be useful, but it’s definitely not a feature the would convince us to buy this watch.
  • SwingStrength™. We had high hopes for the SwingStrength aspect of the Garmin S6, but in our testing, we just couldn’t get readings that made sense. To set it up, you choose what type of club you are using… for instance “short iron”. Then you hit a shot and if you think it was a great shot, the watch will use that as the baseline swing. For our tests, we used wedges, hoping to learn how hard to swing for those shots closer to the green that don’t require a full swing. Unfortunately, most of our half swings registered over 100% on the SwingStrength meter even though they clearly weren’t going as far as our baseline shot. As much as we like idea of this feature, we’re hoping Garmin will put some more work into developing this technology.

Like the Garmin S4, the Garmin S6 has a glove-friendly, high-resolution touchscreen. Distance to the front, middle and back of every green, plus par and hole number shows on the main screen. In addition to the doglegs and layups already included with the course maps, you can save custom points for future reference. As with most GPS devices, you can measure your shots.

We think the scorecard and stat-tracking features are super easy to use and it can also utilize handicap information. The Garmin S6 can connect via bluetooth to your iPhone and get notifications but we didn’t always stay connected. It comes preloaded 38,000 international courses and never have any subscriptions or fees.

We like the Garmin Connect website and seeing our rounds and stats broken down in different ways, but we do wish that the site provided a way to edit your round information. If you simply forgot to record the last hole of your last round before uploading, you can’t really do anything except delete the round or your stats will be off.

In conclusion, we don’t think the Garmin Approach S6 is for everyone, but if you have the budget for it and frequently play unfamiliar courses, it’s definitely worth considering. The trade off is whether having the convenience of a watch is worth the sacrifice of the larger screen on a Garmin handheld. We lean toward the convenience of the watch and S6 definitely brings something new to the table with the CourseView screen.

If you don’t play many unfamiliar courses or if the S6 stretches your budget a little too tight, you should take a look at our latest picks for the best golf watches currently on the market to see which one suits your style of play.

What users of the Garmin Approach S6 are saying…

  • Many users liked the special features on this watch… SwingStrength, TempoTraining, PinPointer and fairwary touch targeting.
  • As expected, with all those features, this watch didn’t get the best feedback with regards to ease of use and intuitiveness.
  • Many users struggled with getting enough precision with manual targeting. Using a stylus or golf tee was suggested by several users.
  • Some users complained about battery life. Although it should get two rounds before needing a charge, we recommend charging it every time.
  • A number of users were disappointed in the brightness of the display, but just as many were happy with the high resolution color display.
  • Several users felt the swing metrics were worthless.
  • The sound for TempoTraining isn’t loud enough for some users to hear under normal range conditions.
  • Quite a few users felt that this watch was not worth price.
Garmin Approach S6 Golf Watch Specifications
Garmin Approach S6
Course Download Fees No
Pre-loaded with Courses Yes
Full Hole Views Yes
Slope / Elevation No
Battery Life 10 hrs GPS / 20 wk
Battery rechargeable Li-ion
Size (Width x Height x Depth) 1.8 in. x 1.8 in. x .56 in.
Measure Shot Distance Yes
Screen Size 1"
Resolution 180x180
Display Type hi-res color touch
Weight 1.6 oz.
Rainproof Yes (50 meters)
Touch Screen Yes
Touch Targeting N/A
Manual Pin Positioning Yes
Stat Tracker Yes
Digital Scorecard Yes
Computer Analysis Tools Yes
Ground Verified N/A
Alternate Targets Yes
Green Rotates to your shot angle Yes
USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes, providing Pin Pointer, Tempo Training, and Swing Strength are not used
Notes Swing tempo trainer and swing strength measurements. Notifications from iPhone available via bluetooth.
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GolfRangefinderShop.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you buy anything after clicking through, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep the site up and running, so thank you! 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.
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