The 10 Best Golf Rangefinders to Buy (Reviews/Buying Guide)

Tour-Trusted Compensated Distances

The Tour V5 Shift gets its name because of its ability to “shift” from slope or tournament legal with literally the flip/shift of a button. With the slope switch turned on, the Tour V5 Shift will use an upgraded algorithm to account for the hole’s incline/decline. In other words, it will consider the distance AND the slope to instantly calculate for you the true “play as” distance.

With the slope switch turned off, golfers can still use the Tour V5 Shift in a tournament as it is a completely tournament legal rangefinder so long as the switch is turned off. It’s a slope when you want it, tournament legal when you need it!

Pinseeker with Visual Jolt

Another upgrade that the Bushnell Tour V5 Shift has from the Tour V4 Shift is the visual + jolt pinseeker. As you look through the rangefinder, once the device has locked on to the pin it will give you a vibrating pulse and flashing red ring. This visual plus tactical feedback will let you instantly know you’ve locked on to your target, no more guesswork that your numbers weren’t accurately obtained! 

Improved Optics

The Tour V5 Shift can hit a flag at over 400 yards. At that kind of distance, you’ll be happy to hear that the Tour V5 Shift has 6x magnification, meaning objects will appear six times closer, making sure you can easily locate the pin through the reticle even at huge distances.

Bite Magnetic Car Mount

A surprisingly amazing upgrade from the Tour V4 Shift is the magnet found integrated to the side of the Tour V5 Shift. This allows you to “stick” it right to your golf cart bar. You’ll be surprised how often you’ll be thankful to not have to go digging in your bag every time you want to use your golf rangefinder to quickly range a target.

Other Features

The Tour V5 Shift has the best definition and color of any rangefinder with 6x magnification and a vivid LCD display. It also boasts a yardage accuracy within 1 yard, giving golfers that extra edge that can make all the difference. And if you’re tech-savvy, consider downloading the free Bushnell rangefinder app to access hole layouts and 3D course flyovers, allowing you to track detailed score and round analytics. What’s more, if you find yourself golfing in wet conditions , the Tour V5 Shiftis water resistant leaving you with one less thing to worry about.

In Conclusion

The market leading acquisition speed and accuracy combined with technology you can trust to be easy to use and reliable makes the Bushnell Tour V5 Shift the easy choice as our best golf rangefinder. See for yourself how a dependable rangefinder for golf will provide added confidence to play better and lower your score.

E is for Elements

The defining feature of the Bushnell Pro XE is its precision with distance. With the flip of a switch, you can turn on Slope with Elements. This means the Bushnell Pro XE will take into consideration distance, temperature, barometric pressure, and slope for a true “play as” distance that is the most accurate compensated distance ever. Simply flip the switch off to disable slope and you’re ready for tournament legal use, it’s just that easy. For those of you who are familiar, this is a clear upgrade from the Bushnell X2 and X.

Pinseeker With Both Visual and Tactile Feedback

The Bushnell Pro XE can acquire a flag at over 450 yards, although our testers were able to lock onto a flag that was 732 yards away! Because of these great distances, you’ll be happy to know that the Bushnell Pro XE has 7x magnification and leading clarity and resolution. Once you’ve locked onto the flag, it will display a pulsing red ring AND buzz in your hand to confirm your target is locked. From there, market leading acquisition speed will display your distance and you can select your club.

Bite Magnetic Car Mount

The Bushnell Pro XE comes with an integrated magnet as an upgrade from the X and X2. You’ll be surprised how handy it is to have your Bushnell rangefinder golf cart mounted for easy access.

Other Features

The Bushnell Pro XE is not just rain resistant, it is fully IPX7 waterproof, so go ahead and drop it in a puddle if you’d like. It also is encased in rubber-armored metal housing so you can drop it on concrete too! We highly recommend you download the free Bushnell golf app onto your smartphone to access some other great features like hole layouts and 3D flyovers (more on that at the bottom of the article).

In Conclusion

When you buy a Bushnell Pro XE, you can rest assured you’re purchasing the undisputed #1 laser rangefinder on the market. I can’t stress how helpful it is to have the +/- yards for slope and weather available instantly, easily, and reliably. If this sounds like something you’re looking for, then this is the golf rangefinder for you!

The Precision NX7 Pro has pulse vibration technology that gives a quick pulse when locked on to the target, ensuring accurate distances. There is nothing worse than thinking you locked onto the target, picking your club and sailing the green due to inaccuracy. 

This rangefinder also has Adaptive Slope technology. What this means is if you are facing a golf shot with elevation, it will automatically display the adjusted yardage for you with the slope taken into account. This is great for the amateur golfer that just wants to go out and hit accurate shots. There is also a switch to turn this off to keep the device tournament legal. 

Lastly, Precision boasts about industry-leading customer service. They provide a 2 year warranty on all rangefinders. They will also offer free lifetime battery replacements, you just need to email their customer support team and one will be sent directly to you. If you decide to upgrade to a higher end Precision rangefinder, they will give you 30% off as an upgrade discount. At this price, we definitely recommend the Precision NX7 Pro golf rangefinder.

Once you lock in your distance, the screen map will provide you with front, middle and back distances as well as a full overhead view of the hole ahead. There is a hazard view you can enter which lets you scroll through every single hazard on the hole or course. It will also tell you the wind speed and direction it is blowing in real-time to help with accuracy.

At the start of your round you can enter in your general driving distance and the rangefinder will show you on the hole map where you can expect your drives to end up. This definitely helps on courses that you’ve never played before to ensure no lost balls. It also has adaptive slope which will give you adjusted distances based on the elevation of each shot.

This is definitely the most premium golf rangefinder available on the market today. There are a couple of downsides to it though. For one, the price for many people would seem astronomical compared to other rangefinders on the market. As well, with the features it boasts it is quite difficult to navigate the first couple of times until you get the hang of it. Lastly, the battery life drains quite fast when using all of the features available.

Birdie Technology

The Callaway 300 Pro features “birdie technology.” Whereas the Bushnell devices above vibrate and flash upon target acquisition, this golf range finder will “chirp” like a bird when the laser locks onto the pin. This is a handy feature overall, however, some testers found it to be annoying. The good news is, it can be turned off in the settings if you don’t like it.

6 Modes

This golf rangefinder offers several different modes. The first is “slope,” where the angle of incline or decline is included in the distance calculation for a more precise number. The second is “P.A.T.” or Pin Acquisition Technology. With this feature, you can lock onto the pin-up to 300 yards away, even if trees or other hazards are in the way. You can scan the landscape to acquire distance to the flagstick, water, trees, or bunkers.

Other Features

This golf rangefinder offers several different modes. The first is “slope,” where the angle of incline or decline is included in the distance calculation for a more precise number. The second is “P.A.T.” or Pin Acquisition Technology. With this feature, you can lock onto the pin-up to 300 yards away, even if trees or other hazards are in the way. You can scan the landscape to acquire distance to the flagstick, water, trees, or bunkers.

Drawbacks

Our one drawback for this device is that it sometimes does not pick up the intended pin or target correctly. The good news is that when this happens, it is usually way off, for example reading 100 yards instead of 65, so you’ll be able to tell. When this happens, simply relocate the pin again and with the second try it will almost certainly pick it up correctly. Considering the price difference between the Callaway 300 Pro and other more expensive golf range finders that might not give you as much hassle, we still found this minor and infrequent inconvenience to be worth it.

Conclusion

The Callaway 300 Pro Laser Rangefinder offers everything golfers need to get accurate measurements on the golf course. With the click of a button you can try out different modes including adding slope into the distance calculation or turning it off for tournament legal play. While you might need to locate the pin twice to make sure you’re locking in on the correct target, this happens infrequently and for us was not a significant put-off, especially given the price point.

First Target Priority

This feature of the Nikon Coolshot 20 GII means that when you hold up the device, the range to the nearest target will be the first to display. Why is this important? Because typically the pin is the closest target, and as you know, there are often trees, benches, or other objects behind it that the golf rangefinder might pick up instead. With First Target Priority you can rest assured that the first measurement will be to the pin and not other objects in the distance. This is a frequent problem we hear about from golfers and we are happy that Nikon was able to find a solution!

8 Second Continuous Measurement

To access this mode of measurement you simply hold down on the power button. From there, you’ll have up to 8 seconds to scan and continuously measure various objects – bunker, fairway, dogleg corners, hazards, mounds, trees, and of course the flagstick. We found this feature very handy to be able to get multiple measurements in one go, and also to feel confident that the measurement to the pin was accurate.

Drawbacks

The Nikkon Coolshot 20 GII is the smallest and most compact of Nikon’s golf rangefinder line. While this has many upsides (easy storage, easy to clip on your belt), it can also make it hard to hold and maneuver if you have big hands. There is no auditory, visual, or vibrational feedback once you have locked on the target as other rangefinders offer, however, surprisingly this did not bother our testers. Finally, this particular device does not have slope, however the almost identical Coolshot 20i GII does indeed have it for an extra $25. 

Conclusion

The bright 6x monocular Nikon Coolshot 20 GII is eyeglass friendly, rainproof, and plenty accurate given the price point. With upgraded optics from the CoolShot 20, we found this golf rangefinder to be an excellent choice as a game improvement tool for golfers on a budget.

Pinseeker with Visual Jolt

Regardless of the conditions you’re golfing in, you can depend on the Tour V5 to be quick and effortless to use. One of the best features of this golf rangefinder is the visual jolt PLUS flashing red ring when you’ve hit the pin. No more struggling to locate the pin, the Tour V5 will both vibrate in your hand AND give a flashing red circle in the reticle. This is an upgrade from the Bushnell Tour V4 Jolt which only vibrated and left some golfers with gloves on wondering if they had actually felt the buzzing. Now with the Bushnell Tour V5 you get both visual and tactical feedback when the laser locks in.

Upgraded Clarity

Another upgrade from the Bushnell Tour V4 Jolt is an increase in magnification from 5x to 6x. This means objects seen through the Bushnell rangefinder Tour V5 will appear six times closer. And trust me, that magnification counts as this golf rangefinder can also lock in a flag at 400+ yards! The definition and vivid color seen through the scope make an unbelievable difference in your sightline.

Do I need Slope?

As I mentioned, the Bushnell Tour V5 does not account for the hole’s incline/decline when calculating distance (called “slope”). There are essentially 3 reasons why you wouldn’t want slope as an option for your Bushnell rangefinder:

1) You typically golf on courses that are fairly flat and slope won’t make a huge difference in your distances.
2) You post your scores to the Golf Handicap & Information Network (GHIN), which requires you follow the rules of golf. Using a rangefinder + slope feature is against the rules.
3) Along those same lines, you play frequently in tournaments which forbids the use of golf rangefinders with slope (please note – most rangefinders with slope have a feature to be able to turn off slope and allow 100% legal play).

Bite Magnetic Cart Mount

One unexpectedly great feature of the Tour V5 (and an upgrade from the Bushnell Tour V4 Jolt) is the integrated magnet on this Bushnell rangefinder. While a magnet might seem like a simple addition at first, the convenience of being able to stick your golf rangefinder on a bar of your golf cart for easy access to quickly range your target should not be overlooked!

Other Features

The Bushnell Rangefinder Tour V5 can measure ranges between 5-1300 yards with a yardage accuracy within 1-yard. Since a Bushnell rangefinder is the #1 laser rangefinder in professional golf, you can rest assured your yardage readings will be consistent and rapid.

In Conclusion

If you are a golfer in the market for the best golf rangefinder without slope, look no further than the Bushnell rangefinder Tour V5. With fast target acquisition, a crystal clear viewfinder, and added conveniences like the integrated BITE magnetic mount, you’ll be sure to get that extra edge to improve your game. 

Digitally Enhance Accuracy (DNA)

Leupold uses Digitally Enhance Accuracy technology. This innovation is the reason behind the golf laser’s faster and more precise recordings. It has a good display against the background colors and texture that is 1/10 yardage. This technology brings the GX series to the next level.

Club Selector

It also has a club selector that recommends you for a club. How does it work? You just need to pre-enter your average strike distance for the 8, 6 and 4 irons. The club selector will then recommend your clubs based on your hitting strength for a more fair shot.

One-touch scan and multi-coated lens system

The scan mode allows you to quickly check and move from one reading to another. The lens gives you maximum brightness and contrast. Unlike the GX5i3, this one has a black display. The yardage is clearly displayed on the screen near the top and has an audible tone.

Fog Mode

This mode can help you still play during rainy days. This will help cut down false reading during foggy or rainy days. However, this mode must only be turned on during the said weather conditions. If you keep it “on” even on a clear sunny day, this might interfere with the distance’s accuracy.

Pin Hunter Laser and Prism Lock Technology

With Pin Hunter Technology, it can measure distances up to 350 yards instantly. The Pin Hunter Laser and Prisms makes it easier to lock the pin with an instant result. This is indeed helpful as you don’t want you to have your golfbuddy waiting for you. This rangefinder works with different backgrounds and texture by filtering the images for a more comfortable and faster target.

TGR (True Golf Range)

True Golf Range technology allows you to adjust the different ranges with different variations like slope, altitude, and temperature. These factors are vital because it may significantly affect the striking distance.

Leupold GX2i3 is easy to use even for beginner golfers. It contains two buttons. The first is the switch on/off, while the second is for mode options located at the rangefinder’s left-side. Having the second button for mode options makes it a lot easier for switching modes.

Drawbacks

One of the drawbacks of this device is the price. Models that have a slope capability measurement have a higher price.
The temperature and altitude aren’t detected automatically. You have to turn on the TGR mode if you want to get critical information about altitude and temperature. The same with the Fog mode, leaving it on or off with inappropriate weather can affect the reading accuracy.

Conclusion

This is a rangefinder that is good for all weather. You don’t have to worry because it’s waterproof. The Fog mode will help you still perform at your best, even on a rainy or foggy day. You will be confident that you always have an accurate yardage reading of the distances. It’s light and can easily fit your pocket/golf bag pocket. This rangefinder can work for beginners or professional players.

Pin Slope Technology

In spite of a lower price point, the TecTecTec VPRO 500 S is still able to offer slope compensated distances. This means the distance to the target will be adjusted based on the uphill or downhill elevation change between you and the pin, making the calculated distance that much more reliable. You’ll be surprised how this simple tweak to the measured distance can change your club selection. It is important to note that slope compensated distances are NOT tournament legal, however, this is easy to turn off with the flip of a button.

Diopter Adjustment Functionality

If you are nearsighted or farsighted or wear glasses, you will still be able to focus your view via the diopter adjustment. The optical lens is premium, ultra-clear, and multilayered for crystal clear viewing. One thing to note, however, is that the crosshairs seen through the viewfinder are a little faint compared to the more expensive models. So if your vision is lacking, you might want to consider a different model (or a visit to your optometrist!)

Drawbacks

If you’re looking for the best golf rangefinder on a budget, we think there is nothing better than the TecTecTec VPRO 500 S. That being said, there are a few minor drawbacks. First, this is a no frills type of device, so there are only 2 buttons. This means that the first couple of times you use it you should plan on having the included instruction manual handy as it can be confusing at first. For example, a long press on the mode button will switch between meters and yards, but this is not intuitive.

Also, there is no “pinseeker” feature, meaning, no feedback from the device that the pin (or tree, hazard, etc) has been locked, you will just know because the distance will display. The more expensive models give some type of feedback, however, if this is not necessary to you we believe it can be easily skipped. 

Other Features

The TecTecTec VPRO 500 S has a rainproof body for any type of weather and comes with a free case for impact and golf bag protection. One feature we like most is a 30 day money back guarantee – if you don’t find it up to your standards you can return it hassle free! Plus the TecTecTec VPRO500 is well known for having excellent customer service so you can be sure to avoid any headaches. 

In Conclusion

We’ve tested the TecTecTec VPRO 500 against the more expensive golf rangefinder brands and have concluded that the accuracy of the TecTecTec VPRO 500 golf rangefinder more than holds up. As long as you keep your expectations reasonable about the target locking and stability, we know you will be highly satisfied with this excellent budget golf rangefinder.

The watch is comfortable on your wrist and will not impede your golf swing at all. It provides accurate distances to the front, middle and back of each green using GPS. There is also a Bushnell Golf App available to download on your phone where you can sync each round. In the app, you can look at 3D flyovers of each hole ahead of you and other cool features.

I also found that the battery life was great on this watch. You can play at least 3 rounds of golf on one charge, so you don’t have to worry about always having it charged. The watch is incredibly easy to use and quite a bit cheaper than other GPS golf watches on the market.