Glossary:

Target Seek PLUS and BASIC- are features that help you hit smaller targets from further away with PLUS being technically more advanced making it even easier to hit your target.  If you need to be able to measure distances of 230 yards and over then we would recommend Target Seek PLUS.

Scan Mode – is a feature that allows real-time measurement, i.e., as you aim at different targets the distances are measured and displayed automatically as the laser hits each target.  For example, you can pan across the pin, move to the bunker in front of the green and then back to the trees behind the green, and achieve all the distances within the same measurement.  Scan Mode enables you to easily gather all the distances you require when making clubbing and shot-making decisions and is highly recommended as our customer reviews have shown us.

Smart Scan - is an extra function to normal Scan Mode.  Just as in Scan Mode you pan across the pin seeing the distances to the pin and to what lies behind the green.  Using Smart Scan you’ll be able you to instantly lock onto the shortest distance displayed, i.e., the pin with one touch of a button.  For users of normal Scan Mode it can sometimes prove difficult to instantly distinguish the actual distance of the pin from the background over a long distance.   With the Smart Scan’s one button feature this makes the job simple.

Magnification - The lenses of our rangefinders are made of optical glass and give a magnification of seven times. This means that what you see through the sight is enlarged so that it will be easier to aim.

Range - Sets the maximum distance that can be measured with rangefinders. The maximum length specified is basically what the laser is capable of under ideal lighting conditions against a big target with good reflection. Virtually all laser rangefinders that are designed for golf have a theoretical range that far exceeds what a golfer could ever need.  What distinguishes rangefinders apart is how easy or difficult it is to measure small targets at longer distances.

Our recommendations and personal opinions:

Generally, we would always recommend that you buy rangefinders which have Scan Mode.  There is a clear advantage and it speeds up the measurements significantly.  We would also recommend Target Seek Plus as it is easier to hit small targets.   An experienced user of laser rangefinders would naturally be able to achieve accurate measurements from any one of our models but it does become harder the further away you are.  However, with the additional features of Target Seek Plus, Scan Mode and Smart Scan it is much easier and quicker to gain accurate yardages, even with an unsteady hand on a windy day.  

The benefits of accuracy and certainty in getting exact distances are so great that once you have started using laser rangefinders it is difficult to imagine playing without them.  The vast majority of golfers that have both GPS and Laser almost always prefer the Laser because you get the exact distance to the pin.

Regardless of your handicap, it is often just not good enough to know approximately how far it is to the pin.  Even if you have a higher handicap, you'll discover that you actually hit the ball about the same distance each time.  Of course, you’ll also be hitting more bad shots that generate different distances, than a lower handicapper.  But it is also true that the inexperienced player with a high handicap has a great deal of other things to think about, such as course management and technical swing thoughts.  With the correct yardage at least one uncertainty can be removed.

Obtaining a laser rangefinder is one of the few purchasable benefits in golf that does not require any physical effort, complicated technique or special talent.  A laser rangefinder will give you your exact yardage which is a huge advantage both during practice and on the course.