What are the best golf rangefinders for the year 2024?
Between all the different makes and models (laser, GPS, watch) there are literally hundreds of distance finders to pick from. That being said, which one do you pick? We haven’t tested them all but definitely a good number and we’ve picked our favorite of each version. In short, here they are:
Those are our 3 favorites. You can check out the full blog post for a more in-depth review of each of the rangefinders and the cheapest place to pick them up.
Do You Even Need A Rangefinder?
I don’t know about you but I got really sick and tired of constantly missing the green because I had too much or too little club. The majority of the time I have a great drive and then I’d always struggle picking the right club for my second shot. It was the biggest killer in my game.
Not only that but I’m sure you’ve probably hit the fairway wood of your dreams on a par 5 only to find the ball at the bottom of a creek. If only there were a way to find out how far away it was before…
I know it’s probably hard to believe, but getting a rangefinder was something that really improved my game almost overnight. I had to confidence to pick the right club and take my shot.
Some of them even track your score, fairways and greens hit, and some other cool stats.
So to answer the question…yes, I believe having a rangefinder is an absolute must on the course.
But which one…
There are 3 different options:
- A laser rangefinder.
- A handheld GPS.
- A GPS watch.
A laser rangefinder pretty much uses a laser to bounce off different targets and give you a distance. They’re probably the most reliable one but most of them do that, and that only.
A handheld GPS uses satellites to give you a 2D image of the course which shows distances to greens, bunkers, creeks, etc. Most of them keep score of your round and some of them even give you additional data which is pretty cool.
A GPS watch is pretty similar to the handheld except (you probably guessed it) goes on your wrist. It’s pretty cool but it’s a much smaller screen so it can be harder to use.
Anyways, all 3 of them work well and I’ll go into my favorite for each.
Bushnell Tour V4 Laser Rangefinder
Bushnell is my favorite rangefinder company and I’ve been using them for years for hunting. They’ve always come out with a solid product and this is exactly the same.
I’ve tested multiple different lasers and this one, in my opinion, is the best.
Extremely well made, durable, easy to use, and is super accurate.
The only downside to laser distance finders is that you need a clear line of sight on the target for it to work and a lot of the time they don’t work that great when it’s foggy. Here’s a demo video:
Check the current price on Amazon | Bushnell Tour V4: See our full review here.
Garmin Approach G6 GPS
My next favorite device is the Garmin G6 handheld. Just like the laser, I’ve tested multiple different GPS units and this one is definitely near the top of the list.
Garmin has always been a quality company and this unit is no different.
It was fairly easy to use, it was preloaded with a bunch of courses, and the accuracy was spot on.
The only downside to this unit is that it needs clear satellite reception so depending on where you are you might not get good reception. It also takes a bit longer to learn how to use it compared to the laser. Here’s a demo video:
Check the current price on Amazon | Garmin Approach G8: See our full review here.
Garmin Approach S20 GPS Watch
I’m not a huge fan of watches, but a lot of people prefer it than a handheld and the S20 would probably be my favorite model. It’s quality made, it’s pretty simple to use, it keeps track of all your data, and it’s surprisingly accurate.
Again, like the handheld, it has the same disadvantages and I’ll also add, it’s a much smaller screen and a lot of people aren’t a big fan of that (myself included). Here’s a demo video:
Check the current price on Amazon | Garmin Approach S20: Read our full review here.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
Looking to get some new golf gear? Click here to check out our recommended gear page to see the stuff we’re recommending and the cheapest place to get them.
Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API