Golf rangefinders: How to choose the best rangefinder
Is choosing a golf rangefinder the right solution for measuring distance in golf?
Whatever your level, choosing a golf rangefinder can be a real asset to your progress. A rangefinder tells you the distance between you and the flag, so you can target your swing more accurately. But how do you choose the best rangefinder from among the many models available?
How to choose a golf rangefinder
How does a golf rangefinder work?
The first thing you need to know is how it works. A golf rangefinder is a device that measures the distance between you and the flag.
There are different types of golf rangefinder, but most work in the same way. It consists of a laser and a receiver.
- The laser sends an invisible beam towards the flag.
- The receiver then calculates the distance based on the time it took for the beam to reach the flag.
Our advice to help you make the right choice!
How do I choose the right laser rangefinder?
There are many models of golf rangefinder on the market today, with a wide variety of features and designs. The most common golf rangefinders are laser rangefinders, but there are also ultrasonic rangefinders.
Height and weight
When choosing a golf rangefinder, it's important to consider the size and weight of the device. The lighter and smaller the device, the easier it will be to use and carry.
Range and precise distance measurement
Range is one of the most important features of a golf rangefinder. It is very useful for choosing the right club and improving your game.
The golf rangefinder determines the maximum distance you can measure accurately.
Most golf rangefinders have a range of 600 metres, which is sufficient for most golfers.
Distance display
Today's most advanced golf rangefinders offer interesting features such as distance display in yards or metres, or the ability to detect several objects at once.
Autonomy
Battery life is an important criterion to consider when choosing your rangefinder. The more powerful the device, the more battery power it consumes.
Some rangefinders can take up to 10,000 measurements, others less than 1,000.
As a future user, make sure you know which is the main power source, battery, etc.
Features and accessories
Golf rangefinders come with a range of features, such as a scope and accessories. Some models come with an integrated GPS, touchscreen or compass.
The most advanced golf rangefinders are also equipped with a ball trajectory prediction function.
The best brands of golf rangefinders
Here is a list of the top brands of golf rangefinders, listed in alphabetical order:
- Bushnell
- Garmin
- Mileseey
- Nikon...
What's the best golf rangefinder?
There are many models of golf rangefinder on the market, but not all are created equal.
To choose the best golf rangefinder, you need to take a number of criteria into account: range, accuracy, ease of use, price, etc.
Peux t'on trouver des télémètres pas cher ?
There are many models of golf rangefinder on the market, but not all are created equal.
To choose the best golf rangefinder, you need to take a number of criteria into account: range, accuracy, ease of use, price, etc.
Qu'est ce qu'un télémètre de golf avec stabilisateur ?
A golf rangefinder with stabiliser is a highly accurate piece of equipment that lets you know exactly how far your ball will be from the flag.
It is equipped with a laser that sends a beam towards the flag and a receiver that calculates the distance based on the time it takes for the beam to return.
Comparison of brands of golf rangefinders
Find out about the brands and selection criteria for choosing cheap golf binoculars
Choisir un télémètre de golf laser repose essentiellement sur son prix, plus précisément sur le rapport qualité/prix.
When the price is worth it or is excellent, the choice can be made. But this value for money cannot be determined without certain criteria such as the weight and size of the device and the extent of its field of vision. The best-known brands offering the best golf rangefinders are :
- Bushnell
- Nikon
- Garmin...
Bushnell rangefinders
The Bushnell Tour V4 golf rangefinder is one of the most accurate rangefinders on the market. It's also easy to use, with a single button to switch on and measure distance.
What's more, it's compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry in your golf bag.
Garmin rangefinders
Garmin golf rangefinders are renowned for their accuracy and reliability. They have a range of up to 1,000 metres and can measure the distance to the flag, green or hazard.
Garmin golf rangefinders are compatible with still and video cameras, allowing you to take photos and videos of your swing and shots.
Nikon rangefinders
Nikon manufactures a complete range of golf rangefinders, from the simplest and most economical to the most sophisticated and comprehensive. Nikon rangefinders are renowned for their accuracy and reliability, but they also offer excellent value for money. They are also easy to use and offer a wide range of features.
Where should I point my golf rangefinder on the course?
From the tee
On approach shots
Comment faire marcher un télémètre lorsqu'il y a une pente ?
Not all golf holes are flat. Some have a gentle slope, others a steep one.
Cela signifie que la distance parcourue par la balle varie en fonction de la pente. La plupart des télémètres de golf sont équipés d’une option permettant de calculer la distance en tenant compte de la pente.
To get an accurate reading of the distance between you and the target, position yourself parallel to your target.
As slope calculation is not permitted in competition, the latest models of laser golf rangefinders are fitted with a toggle switch to disable the slope calculation function.
Why buy a laser rangefinder for golf?
Pourquoi parle t'on de jumelle de golf ?
When you look through binoculars, you see an enlarged image of the object you are looking at.
This magnification is due to the distance between the two lenses of the binoculars. Golf rangefinders are equipped with binoculars and can therefore magnify the image of the flag.
Why buy a golf rangefinder?
A golf rangefinder is particularly useful on the golf course, where it can help golfers to better plan their game and make the perfect club choice.
What's more, many golf rangefinders have additional features such as the ability to measure wind speed or calculate your round time.
Quels sont les avantages de faire l'achat un télémètre laser pour le golf ?
- Improve your accuracy with a golf rangefinder (reduce the margin of error)
- Discover the key factors to take into account when using these useful aids to reduce the score.
- Knowing the exact distance between you and your target is invaluable on the golf course.
- Their elegant design and small size make them easy to carry in your golf bag.
These are recurring questions that every golfer asks before, during and after finishing a round. However, looking for a tattered distance mark in the middle of the fairway is not always the best solution. On the contrary, you can reduce your score by using a laser rangefinder to obtain more accurate distances.
There are several factors to consider when choosing the best laser rangefinder for your game. These include the functionality of a rangefinder, as well as the benefits of using one during your rounds of golf.
What are the disadvantages of a golf rangefinder?
Quelles sont vos priorités lors de l'achat d'un télémètre de golf ?
You'll need to consider ease of use when choosing a laser rangefinder.
Although their point-and-shoot nature may seem challenging, laser rangefinders are quite user-friendly. They have features designed to help you determine yardage and reduce your score. You should also be aware of the range-finding capability of your device.
This will help you to better analyse the information provided and determine how best to use it on the route.
When looking to adapt the capabilities of a rangefinder to your needs, consider the following points:
- The simplest laser models can aim at targets at medium ranges.
- More advanced models can hit a target from a greater distance...
At their maximum range, many devices (Bushnell, Garmin, etc.) are accurate to within +/- 1 metre.
Quels sont les autres facteurs à prendre en compte avant d'effectuer un achat ?
Don't forget that most of the time you'll be using your golf rangefinder for a precision distance, so most of the time you're looking at less than 200 metres.
Hybrid laser rangefinders show distances to and from the green. This can help you understand the golf course in relation to other surrounding features such as water hazards, bunkers and out-of-bounds areas.
If you are planning to play in a tournament, be sure to check the latest rules before your game. Basic telemetry functions should be legal, but only for handicap purposes.
Functions such as slope measurement, slope angle and wind speed may be illegal. Most devices allow you to disable any illegal functions before playing. By adding a laser rangefinder to your game, you'll be ready to aim for a new personal low score.
Golf rangefinder accessories
Some golf gps rangefinders come with features such as clips, bags, lens cleaners and more.
Other rangefinders come with nothing, and accessories will have to be purchased separately. Keep this in mind when making your purchase.
Battery life
On the golf course, there are various flags that define the distance to a point. However, golfers often take a long time to spot these clues.
Even when the tracks are marked, some players still try to count the number of steps separating them from these signs, which again means wasting time. With a golf rangefinder, the time saved in making this kind of calculation is considerable.
How does a laser rangefinder work and what features does it have?
There are different types of rangefinder, but the operating principle is always the same. The rangefinder sends a signal via its optical equipment to the object to be measured, then the signal is reflected by the object and picked up by the rangefinder. The rangefinder then calculates the distance between the object and the observer based on the time taken for the signal to make the round trip.
To operate a rangefinder, simply switch it on and aim at the flag. The rangefinder will automatically calculate the distance and give you the result in a few seconds.
Save time on the route
Some golf rangefinders require batteries, while others are rechargeable.
In both cases, you need to consider the life of the battery accessory when choosing a rangefinder.
Understand how your score can benefit from its contribution before choosing a golf rangefinder?
Because of the many advantages offered by golf rangefinders, you'd think that all golfers would be rangefinder professionals, but that's not always the case. If you're a purist who prefers the instinctive method, you probably won't adopt the rangefinder as easily as someone else.
It's a fact. Golf rangefinders have changed the way golfers play the course. Is that really a bad thing?
Choosing a golf rangefinder hasn't changed the essence of the game, or the game itself. If it helps you enjoy the course and have more fun playing, then there's no downside.
You could say they've replaced shopping trolleys, walking distances, perhaps made lessons irrelevant and maybe even desacralised the route by bringing advanced ways to stay connected to your phone.
But you can't deny that there's no better or more accurate way of getting that distance to the hole than with a rangefinder.
Or that there aren't many other advantages to golf rangefinders. You don't give up the quality of your game by using a rangefinder, you improve your game by using it.
To understand how choosing a golf rangefinder can help you in this sport, let's take a look at some of its advantages:
- Their small size makes them easy to use.
- You can take them with you anywhere on the course.
- They tend to speed up the game and avoid wasting unnecessary time.
- They are fast and accurate, reliable measurement products.
- You can use the right club to get the best ball trajectory for the distance.
- You can avoid hazards by the exact distance.
- This equipment is extremely precise
- GPS rangefinders (Bushnell, Nikon, etc.) make it easier to get out of blind spots.
You can find out the distance to any target or landmark, not just the flag, on any point of the green and the course as a whole.
With advantages like that, why make such a fuss? Well, let's remember what we love about this game and, ultimately, how you could have a problem with such little things
Quel télémètre de golf un golfeur professionnel utilise-t-il ?
Bushnell is the most widely used brand on the PGA Tours and LPGA Tours. Bushnell has made some of the best rangefinders in golf. However, it's fair to say that most major brands offer the same level of accuracy.
Bushnell Golf is a leading manufacturer, as are Ping, Cobra, TaylorMade and Callaway Golf.
Although rangefinders are not permitted during tournaments, caddies use them when preparing for tournaments.
What are the three types of golf rangefinder and how do they work?
Laser rangefinder
Laser rangefinders are the most popular and accurate rangefinders. It uses laser beam technology to read the distance to your target.
The laser beam focuses on the target and measures the time it takes a beam to bounce off the target. Accuracy depends on how much of the beam is reflected off the target flag, so a reflective surface will reflect more of the beam for greater accuracy.
The larger the reflective surface on the target, the better the target acquisition and the more accurate the reading. For greater accuracy, many golf courses attach small reflective pieces to the top of each flag.
Some laser rangefinders require the addition of a prism-mounted reflector on the target for better laser efficiency. This may limit the number of golf courses you can use your laser rangefinder on.
However, ambient temperature can affect the rangefinder diode and lead to inaccurate readings. The advice is to wait about 40 minutes after powering up the sensor until it reaches temperature stability, and the internal temperature is the same as during calibration.
Aiming the rangefinder can be difficult at first, but once you've learned how to aim the rangefinder, it's not difficult at all.
You'll see the total distance to the target, even if it takes a while to calculate.
GPS rangefinder
Golf GPS rangefinders use pin search technology. This technology locks onto a target when you point your rangefinder at the flag to determine the distance to the target object and other obstacles in the GPS rangefinder's field of view.
GPS rangefinders require a map of the golf course to be loaded onto the device before you can use it.
Many brands have up to 41,000 golf courses pre-loaded and these can be updated regularly. Updates take into account changes to the golf course and new courses added.
Updating the course before you start will update the location of the pins. This requires access to the Internet. If you are playing on a golf course that has not been mapped or is not available in the specific database, the GPS rangefinder will be of no use to you.
If the golf course is loaded into the database and you have downloaded the latest version, the rangefinder will need to acquire a signal from 4 GPS satellites to determine your position.
The golf course map contains the GPS coordinates of the various hazards and pin locations. The distance calculations use these coordinates and your current coordinates to calculate the distance to the target.
The accuracy of the rangefinder depends on the GPS signal and the number of satellites it can connect to at any one time.
Optical rangefinder
Although the devices in this category are the least popular, they are quite effective at measuring distances.
Optical rangefinders can locate the target, but they are not as accurate as laser rangefinders.
With an optical rangefinder, you simply look through the viewfinder and adjust the focus to get the clearest view of your target. You need to focus on the target with one eye on the distance.
Optical rangefinders use the height of the rod to convert it into a distance reading.
Because golf for us is synonymous with meeting and sharing, at The Belvédère Annecy Golf Club, you won't just find a beautiful training facility,you'll also find a soul, an atmosphere...
In other words, an ever-smiling welcome that will make you want to extend your sporting experience with a moment of relaxation.
At The Belvédère Golf Course, just outside d'Annecy, you can enjoy a meal with a breathtaking view of the Aravis massif.
You will also find at your disposal some very nice infrastructures such as :
- A 230-metre multi-storey driving range
- A putting green
- An approach area
- The Annecy Golf Academy with two instructors
- Adapted golf clinics In summer and weekend
- Adapted golf courses for children during school holidays
- A 9-hole golf course to put your training into practice
- A proshop for the purchase of loan of equipment
