Do you remember the days of locating a yardage marker somewhere on the fairway or cart path, if you could actually find one at all and then walking off your distance to figure out how far from the green you are.  Well those days are over thanks to a Golf Range Finder.  So just in case this is the first time you are thinking about purchasing a golf range finder, let me quickly explain the purpose of a Golf Range Finder.

Golf Range Finders or DMD (Distance-Measuring Device) are simply designed to help you with one thing and that is to tell you how far away you are from the pin, bunker, barber pole, etc. Simply put no longer searching the fairway for the elusive sprinkler head with a yardage marker on it.

So considering it has one simple purpose, it is amazing to see the difference in models and price points from range finder to range finder.

Having used many different range finders I can tell you that they are not all equal and some are much easier than others to target in on the pin and get a yardage reading back.

I put this review together to hopefully help you decide on selecting the right Golf Range Finder for you.

What Features to Consider for your Rangefinder

When thinking about purchasing a golf rangefinder, you want to keep a few things in mind. Each rangefinder will have some unique features that will set it apart from other rangefinders out there.  So what are some of these unique features you may ask.

Slope -vs- Non-Slope

The Slope feature is NOT ALLOWED in any USGA golf tournament (see the rule here) and will need to be turned off if available on your rangefinder. 

The slope feature helps determine the exact yardage needed for a shot when accounting for the elevation difference from your ball to the hole.

So the question is should I purchase a range finder with the slope feature?  This is a great question and there is no right or wrong answer to this question, it will come down, how much you want to spend on a rangefinder, how often do you play, do you play in tournaments.

Pin Locking Technology

Now in my personal experience this is one of the most important features when considering a rangefinder and the simple reason is I have found some to be very easy to lock onto the pin resulting in a quick yardage reading and others to be a huge pain trying to get a reading, leaving you frustrated with —- reading.

Most rangefinders come with good optics which will be crystal clear, like looking through a rifle scope or binoculars.

There should be no blurring, crystal clear images, making it easy to pick out your intended target. Our recommendation is at least 5x magnification with easy focus adjustment mechanism.

The last thing to consider when searching for your next rangefinder is the design of the crosshair, some rangefinders have a simple + while others have a plus with a circle in the middle making it easier to lock onto your target.

Battery

Most rangefinders will use either rechargeable batteries, AAA or CR2 batteries. Rangefinders do not use a ton of power when doing their readings, therefore, batteries should last over many rounds before you need to replace or recharge. 

Best Golf Rangefinders

Bushnell Pro XE | Best Overall Rangefinder with Slope

Pros:

• Looks and feels like a premium product
• Industry leading power and quality
• Magnification was awesome
• Very easy to lock onto target for easy yardage reading
• Screen and text were incredibly clear
• Slope with Elements was excellent
• 7x Magification

Cons:

• Expensive – Premium Golf Rangefinder technology comes at a high price tage
• One of the heavier rangefinders
• Some reviews complained of focus issues

Check Price on Amazon

Gogogo Sport Vpro Laser Rangefinder| Best Value Rangefinder

Pros:

• Under $100
•  Under $150 (Tour Option lets you turn off Slope feature)
• 1 year backed warranty
• Uses 2 AAA batteries
• Looks and feels like a premium product
• Comfortable and easy to handle
• Very easy to lock onto target for easy yardage reading
• Slope feature held up against more expensive brands
• 6x magnification

Cons:

•  Speed is a slightly slower than the more expensive brands, however, very good for price range
• AAA batteries are not supplied

Check Price on Amazon

Garmin Approach Z82 Rangefinder | Most Technologically Advanced Rangefinder

Pros:

•  Most technologically advanced rangefinder on the market
• Uses GPS technology
• Accurate to a margin of 10″
• 2D map overlay shows doglegs or hidden hazards as well as the distance to them
• Bluetooth pairing capable
• Wind speed readings
• Course mapping | pre-loaded with over 41,000 courses
• Shot tracking
• Score keeping
• Driver distance
• Tournament mode option
• Pinpoitnter technology | a compass will show you exactly where the green is
• Rechargeable battery | USB charger included
• Find my Garmin feature

Cons:

• Expensive – over $550 expensive
• A little slower that other rangefinders in the premium price range
• There is a learning curve to learning all the features and capabilities 
• Heavier than other rangefinders
• Battery life

Check Price on Amazon

Final Thoughts on The Best Golf Rangefinders

Golf rangefinders are becoming more and more common, making the days of searching for that elusive yardage marker obsolete. 

The good news is that there are a lot of options for rangefinders ranging from most technology advanced to the basic rangefinder. With price ranges from $80 to $500+ there is golf rangefinder for nearly every price range.

We hope you found out golf rangefinder review useful and if there is rangefinder you would like us to test out just let us know and we will do what we can to get our hands on one to test it our for you.

We greatly appreciate you and hope you keep The Positive Energy on and off the course.