Best Golf Rangefinders in 2024

Having played and competed in hundreds of golf tournaments at both an amateur and professional level, I can attest to how important an accurate yardage is when playing golf.

With the new technology in golf rangefinders, players can save time on the golf course, improve their shot making skills and zero in on the proper distances.

There are many golf rangefinders out there to choose from; narrowing this down can be a bit difficult, but it is not impossible.

Here is some helpful information about choosing the best golf rangefinder in 2024.

Our Best Golf Rangefinders in 2024




Best Golf Laser Rangefinder: BUSHNELL Tour V5 Patriot Pack



PROS

  • Number one rangefinder on the PGA Tour
  • Very easy to lock in on the pin
  • One of the best golf rangefinders for accuracy
  • Magnetic for easy transport on the cart
  • Durable outer cover

CONS

  • Bushnell Golf Rangefinders are always priced a bit high

There is no question that Bushnell is the leader when it comes to a rangefinder for golfers.

The truth is, Bushnell had a pretty good start on this since they have been producing rangefinders for hunting and other sports for many years. Golf almost seems like it would be easy for them! 

Every year or so, Bushnell comes out with a new golfing range finder. One of their most recent releases is the Tour V5 Patriot. This model has everything a golfer could look for in the best golf rangefinder. 

You will notice that the Tour V5 has the BITE magnetic technology so that it simply hangs on the bar of the golf cart. This is perfect when you are headed to a green, and you need a safe place to put your rangefinder down. Leaving it on the cart or on the ground is not a great idea. 

This is the number one rangefinder used on the PGA Tour, and therefore it is known for its accuracy. With the Pinseeker and Visual JOLT Technology, you will both see and feel that you have locked onto the pin and are ready to get your yardage. 

When you purchase a Tour V5, you will also get access to the Bushnell app that will give you some GPS yardages as a backup on those days when you don’t want to use the laser.

When purchasing this Tour V5, you will know that you have a strong company warranty and policy standing behind you. 




Runner Up 1: Callaway Tour S Laser Rangefinder



PROS

  • Very accurate distance
  • Pin Acquisition Technology
  • Prism Mode for reflectors
  • High Resolution display

CONS

  • No vibrate feature when the pin is locked in

Callaway makes some surprisingly good golf technology products. If you have not looked into these products, it is undoubtedly worth your time. The features, the distance accuracy, and the ability to seek out the pin are all very impressive with the Callaway Tour S

We are impressed with the accuracy of this particular model. You will be able to get your yardages within about a half of a yard. Any golfer that needs more accuracy than that should probably be playing on the professional tour.  

Callaway has its own version of the famous Pinseeker technology. They call this the Pin Acquisition technology, and it will help you learn to lock in on the pin.

With the Tour S having 7x magnification and being able to lock in on a target more than four hundred yards away, the Pin Acquisition Technology is quite a bit of help. 

The Tour S has a very easy to read screen, and it is legal to use in golf tournaments. The on off switch for the slope is easily seen.

Although most golfers will trust one another that the slope is turned off in a tournament, it gives everyone a bit of security, knowing that it is legal for use during play.




Runner Up 2: Nikon Coolshot Pro Stabilized Golf Rangefinder



PROS

  • Fogproof
  • Rain proof
  • Very stable model
  • Long battery life
  • Can see if the slope is on or off

CONS

  • All of the features lead to a higher cost

Nikon and Bushnell are leading names when it comes to golf rangefinders. These two companies are always battling for the top spot and the newest technology.

We love the new Nikon Coolshot Pro because of the stabilization technology in place. This is one of the steadiest golf rangefinders on the market; when you are a bit nervous about your next shot, the Nikon has you covered. 

You can turn the slope on and off with the Nikon, and any of your playing competitors will be able to see the fact that the slope is turned on or off.

This is one of the most important features for a golfer that is playing in USGA sanctioned events where the slope is not allowed. 

There are several settings you can put in place when it comes to the background colors. Getting your rangefinder setup to lock in on a target is not difficult with this model. 




TecTecTec VPRO500 Golf Rangefinder

Best Budget Golf Rangefinder



PROS

  • Great pricing
  • Easy to use
  • Accurate distance
  • The durable outdoor cover will last for a long time

CONS

  • No slope
  • Not a highly recognized brand name

At some point, laser rangefinders for golf get so cheap that you are really better off not using them. They will lose their ability to give you an accurate yardage, and you will struggle to find the pin and set your rangefinder to the pin.

When you don’t have much to spend on a great golf rangefinder, you still want to make sure you get something with good technology.

The TecTecTec is the best budget golf rangefinder on the market. You may not have heard of this brand, but they are really starting to show that they are one of the best value golf products out there.

The TecTecTec can measure up to 540 yards, and it has some Pin Seeker technology similar to the Bushnell models. This is a lightweight and durable model that will hold up over the years and give you the quality you’re looking for.

The High Quality 6x magnification monocular lens makes it very easy for you to zero in on the intended target. Without blowing your entire golf budget, you can still have a great rangefinder to help you get around the course in a few less strokes.




Blue Tees Golf Series 2 Pro Slope Laser Rangefinder

Best Golf Rangefinder With Slope



PROS

  • A simple model with slope
  • Will vibrate when on the pin
  • Accurate distances
  • Great pricing

CONS

  • Not as high quality as a Bushnell or a Nikon

As soon as you add slope technology to a rangefinder, the pricing goes way up. With the Blue Tees, you will get the best value for a model with slope.

The Blue Tees Rangefinder with slope is not the most advanced unit on the market. Still, it will certainly do the job of getting some accurate distances regardless of the elevation changes. 

When you lock in on your target, the Blue Tees will vibrate and let you know that you are on the pin. This is a smaller model that fits easily in the palm of your hand.

You won’t have to worry if it starts to rain a little while you are playing as the Blue Tees has water-resistant technology as well. 




Bushnell 201835 Hybrid Golf Laser Rangefinder + GPS

Best Golf Rangefinder for Poor Vision



PROS

  • The hybrid rangefinder has lots of great features
  • Easy to use if you have poor vision
  • Good battery life

CONS

  • Some golfers do not prefer GPS yardages

A golf rangefinder is one of the best ways to get accurate yardages on the golf course. The only real problem is that it takes a bit of skill to get an accurate yardage.

If you have trouble with your vision or a bit of a shake to your hand, getting accurate yardage can be difficult.

The Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder is a great choice to consider.

With the rangefinder, you are going to get both a laser rangefinder and a golf GPS. The two technologies are integrated, and the screen on the side panel gives golfers a great insight into the information that they need.

The PinSeeker with Jolt Technology will help golfers lock onto the flag and feel when they have the pin in place. This is a very accurate model when used as a GPS or a rangefinder.




Bushnell Pro XE Golf Laser Rangefinder

Best Premium Golf Rangefinder



PROS

  • Very durable rangefinder
  • Easy to find the pin
  • Slope and pin acquisition
  • Takes into account barometric pressure and temperature

CONS

  • One of the highest priced models on the market

Rangefinders will vary tremendously when it comes to pricing. The more expensive the rangefinder the more features that it will have. Not all golfers need these features so you will have to decide if you feel as those are going to help you to pay this extra money.

The Bushnell Pro XE has all the features that you could ask for in a rangefinder. If you are serious about the yardage that you are getting and you want to make sure you have a number that is as accurate as possible the Bushnell Pro XE is going to be a great choice.

This is a rangefinder that is equipped with slope. In addition to the slope you will also get temperature and barometric pressure added in to your numbers. Truly, the Bushnell is better than any Caddy you could ever find when it comes to getting a great yardage.

The JOLT Technology lets players know both visually and by feeling a vibration in their hands that they have locked onto the target.

The outside of this model has a metal casing that will help protect the rangefinder and also have it stick to the golf cart when you move from one hole to the next. The Bushnell is a rangefinder that is built to last and it will perform for years to come.




Golf Rangefinder Buying Guide

Now that the narrowing down is done it’s start to break down the real differences between these models, and which is best for your game.

There are several important decisions that go into choosing the best rangefinder for golf.

Here are some frequently asked questions that will hopefully help guide you a bit further in your decision making process. 

Do Professional Golfers Use Rangefinders? 

Professional golfers and their caddies use rangefinders, especially during a practice round. When a golfer plays a practice round this their time to pick up on all of the yardages around the course that matter for the day of the tournament. 

Professional golfers need many different yardages when they play. They want to get numbers to the edge of the sand traps and the different tiers on the green.

This type of information takes some time to collect. With the combination of a rangefinder and a yardage book, players can get what they need to succeed during the event. 

By the time a tournament comes around there is really no need for a rangefinder. The caddy has a good feel for the course and they can use the information collected, the pin placements for the day and their own pacing abilities to get players the exact numbers that they need. 

Who Makes The Best Golf Rangefinder? 

Like all things golf related people will have their preferences when it comes to who makes the best rangefinder. THe general consensus is that Bushnell and Nikon sit at the top of the market.

Bushnell has been making scopes and rangefinders for so many years that they have distance technology pretty much figured out. 

You will notice that many of the options on our list with the best features and best distance accuracy are the Bushnell models. The pricing may be a bit higher for these units but you will get a product that will remain in your bag for years to come. 

Should I Get A Golf Rangefinder or A Golf GPS?

Typically speaking the golf purists and the lower handicappers enjoy using the rangefinder. With a rangefinder you can still pace off some of your yardage and you can get a true number to the pin.

The GPS is very fast, easy and convenient but you are going to get a number to the center of the green, not to the pin. 

Many GPS units are now equipped to give you yardages to the front, middle and back of the green. This is very helpful but it is still not the same as getting a number directly to the pin.

With the GPS models you will have an even larger price range when it comes to choosing a product. 

For golfers just starting the game or those who want the ultimate ease of use, the GPS is a better choice. If you have vision issues or a shaky hand the GPS is also a good choice to consider. 

Do I Need A Golf Rangefinder With Slope? 

To determine if you need a rangefinder with slope you first need to understand what slope is. When you look at a golf green you will realize that it is either level with the ground you are standing on, higher than the ground you are on or lower. 

The difference in the elevation of the green will absolutely affect the yardage. If you don’t understand how this yardage is affected and how to adjust the club that you hit into the green, than you need a rangefinder with slope. 

The rangefinders that have the slope function can make adjustments for elevated greens and let you know how much more club you need. For new players this is very helpful information and it can make you much better at golf course management. 

For golfers that have been playing for a long time and know how to adjust for slope on their own, this feature is not always necessary. 

The slope function is quite expensive and normally increases the price of a rangefinder by at least $100 and sometimes more. When you are choosing the best rangefinder for you, deciding if the slope function is really worth it is an important question. 

It is also worth mentioning that slope is not legal to use in tournament play. The slope feature gives players too much of an advantage and therefore it must be turned off when you are playing in a USGA sanctioned golf tournament.

Some of the rangefinders that we have on our list have the ability to turn slope on and off. A switch on the outside of the unit will alert competitors to the fact that slope is turned off. 

How Accurate Are Golf Rangefinders? 

The accuracy of a rangefinder is going to vary depending on the model and the price range of the unit. The very expensive rangefinders are usually accurate to within half a yard. The cheaper ones are going to be accurate to within about two yards. 

Golfers get very hung up on the accuracy of a rangefinder. It is understandable to want a fair level of accuracy but players must think about how accurate these models are compared to the alternative.

When you are pacing yardages to a pin chances are you are much less accurate than your rangefinder. 

The only time that players run into major issues with the rangefinder accuracy is when they have a very shaky hand and they can’t narrow down the pin location.

If you start hitting the bush behind the pin or the edge of the bunker, instead of the flagstick, then you will have some pretty obvious accuracy issues with the yardages you get from your rangefinder. 

Are Golf Rangefinders Worth Buying? 

If you have been following our blog for quite some time you know that I try to be as honest as possible about which products make sense. There are lots of premium products on the market geared towards amateur golfers that are really not worth the money. 

The rangefinder however is a very helpful tool Most golfers will find that the addition of the rangefinder to their golf bag will help them play some of the best golf they have ever played.

Having the confidence that you have the right golf club in your hand can significantly lower your golf scores. 

Conclusion

Looking for a golf rangefinder can be exhausting. There are tons of options on the market and the price range will be from $75 to $575. Knowing a bit about the different features and what makes sense for your game is quite important. 

The Bushnell Tour V5 stands out as the best golf rangefinder on the market. The combination of magnification, slope, accuracy, and Pin Seeker Technology is what will truly make this unit stand out.

Although the Bushnell models tend to be priced slightly higher, they will absolutely hold up over time. 

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