Best Golf Rangefinders
Best Overall Golf Rangefinder
Best Laser Rangefinder
Best GPS Rangefinder
Best Rangefinder Watch
Best Digital 6x Rangefinder
Rangefinders can be extremely beneficial and can be helpful in lowering your golf scores. The best golf rangefinders nowadays will paint a much more accurate picture for each shot during your round than your normal eye could see. While most models achieve the same end goal, there are a variety of aspects to keep in mind when searching for the best golf rangefinder.
Rangefinder Features
Accuracy
Your rangefinder should be giving you the clearest, most accurate yardage reading — it’s its overall primary function. Cheaply made or old rangefinders that give you shoddy readings are essentially the same as just guessing the yardage. Ideally, you want to find a model that can give you accuracy within a yard of your target. It’s also important to consistently test your rangefinder and make sure its readings stay accurate over time.
Slope
The slope function really comes in handy when you’re playing on a course with hills. It takes elevation difference between the fairway and the green into account to tell you whether your shot is uphill or downhill to give you a more precise reading and get you closer to the hole.
The rangefinder models that come with a slope feature are usually a bit pricier. They’re also illegal to use during a tournament, so make sure it’s turned off during competition.
Optics
Rangefinders need to have quality optics to look through to determine your yardage. This is usually shown as “magnification”, with most models on the market today having 6x magnification or higher. The better the magnification, the closer you’ll be able to see your target.
Most high-quality rangefinders will give you a magnification range around 1,000 yards, and most can give you a distance to the flag when inside around 400 yards.
Battery
Most rangefinders use either store-bought batteries (if they aren’t included in the package) or rechargeable batteries. Rangefinders don’t use a lot of power when in use, so their batteries should last many rounds before they need to be changed or recharged. Some models can last anywhere from six months to a year.
Scan Speed
The scan speed is the time it takes for your rangefinder to find and read the target. The higher quality the rangefinder, the faster the scan speed will be thanks to a higher processing speed. Even with the slowest models, you can usually expect to hold down the trigger button for around ten seconds for the device to thoroughly scan the target.
Waterproofing
If you’re playing a lot of winter golf or in the rain, you want to make sure that your rangefinder is, at the least, water resistant and can withstand any weather conditions —and while water resistant is fine, the best golf rangefinders are completely waterproof.
It’s important to remember that even if the model is waterproof, you need to thoroughly dry it between uses so any residual water isn’t left behind.
Best Overall Golf Rangefinder
This high-quality golf rangefinder by Gogogo is cost-effective, yet powerful enough to provide you with everything you need for yardage readings. It has a built-in slope function for precision distance measurement with a physical switch to toggle it on or off, making it legal for tournaments. It measures up to 650 yards with -/+ 1 meter accuracy and 6x magnification so you can feel confident in the yardage. This rangefinder also comes with a convenient flagpole locking function that locks on to the flag up to 250 yards for even more precise readings.
Best Laser Rangefinder
The Callaway laser rangefinder is designed with precision slope measurement that accounts for elevation changes through the golf course. It’s also equipped with 6x magnification with up to a 1000 yard measurement range and -/+1 yard accuracy. The pin-locking technology precisely measures the yardage to the hole by locking on to the flag up to 300 yards away — the rangefinder will even buzz to let you know when it’s locked and the distance is correct. You’ll love the easy on/off slope switch so you can carry this with you during tournaments and the carry case for easy travel and storage.
Best GPS Rangefinder
Use the GolfBuddy GPS rangefinder to conveniently check your distances either through audio and visually on the screen. This rangefinder uses accurate GPS reception to give you the distance to the front, middle, and back of the green from any position on the course. Choose from over 40,000 courses in 170 countries already established on the rangefinder and keep up to date when new courses are added with USB updates. Just hook it to your hat or your belt as you play and wait for audible shot-by-shot updates throughout your game.
Best Rangefinder Watch
Enjoy the convenience of having a smartwatch and a golf rangefinder all in one with this Garmin Approach rangefinder. It’s lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear and is designed with an easy-to-use display that’s readable even on the brightest days. This rangefinder gives you yardages to the front, middle, and back of the green — plus those pesky hazards — for more than 41,000 preloaded courses worldwide. Easily keep your scores, distanced played, and time played on your watch and upload them to the Garmin Express to keep track of your rounds.
Best Digital 6x Rangefinder
The Gogogo laser rangefinder is built with the top technology for all your golf needs. You can choose from three modes: normal scan mode (measure all items within scope up to 900 yards), golf mode (specific to golf with pin-seek and flag-lock features), and speed mode (measure the speed up to 300km/h). When in golf mode, you’ll feel a vibration that tells you you’ve locked on to the pin and can feel sure about the correct yardage. It also uses a slope function to give you the most accurate distance, even through the hills and hazards of the hole. You’ll love the ease of using this 6x rangefinder to help improve your golf skills and have your best rounds yet.