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Re: GPS vs. Rangefinder

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwags I've always been intriqued by the differing opinions on whether a GPS or rangefinder devise is better. IMO, a rangefinder is hands down the better choice. From what I've heard from playing partners, GPS's can be off by as much as 10 yds sometimes. My Leupold rangefinder will tell me, within 1 yd, how far I am from the hole. Based on whether the hole location is front, middle, or back, I know EXACTLY how far I need to hit the shot. I can point and shoot ANY target and see how far it is (sand trap, water, tree, etc.). Also, the only expense I've ever incurred since I bought my Leupold Rangefinder is a replacement battery once every two years. I don't need to worry about downloading courses or paying a subscription. Please help me understand why anyone would go with a GPS. I just don't get it...

I can give several reasons for having a GPS, though few of them have to do with me personally.
If you play on a hilly course with blind shots (or a course with severe mounding), including into greens, GPS will get you yardages from your spot - with rangefinders, you'd have to go to where you can see the flag/green/hazard, shoot it and then guesstimate from where you actually are the actual yardage. Also if you want the yardage to the flag, you shoot that; then if you want the yardage to the hazard, you shoot that; then if you want a carry yardage, you shoot that... that's 3 separate readings you may need on one hole. All of that is right on the screen of a GPS, all you do is scroll.
One negative of rangefinders that is getting better with newer models is missing the target - the flag or pin is a small target to hit from 185, and even tougher if there is a breeze blowing and trees or a fence beyond the green. Even the big boys aren't pin hunting from 185 anyway, but I digress... A GPS will get you the yardage to the front, middle and back of the green. You'll know from the pin sheet where the flag is. For me that's close enough.
I'm not good enough to really "need" a rangefinder. I'm not accurate enough and if it's off 5 yards, that's close enough for me - I'm not going to do much better than that anyway. They are rarely off that much - the technology is getting better. I've never seen my Skycaddie SG2.5 off by more than 3-4 yards. I play with a guy regularly who has a rangefinder and it's annoying... I pull up to my ball, look at the GPS get my yardage, check hazards and yardage, pull a stick and hit. He pulls up to the ball, pulls his rangefinder out of the protective case, takes at least 10 seconds to actually find and shoot the flag, another few seconds to shoot the lip of a bunker, then puts the rangefinder back in it's case, comes back to the cart, selects his club and plays. My routine never takes more than a minute, usually no more than 30 seconds. His is never less than a minute - and he doesn't take a lot of time over the ball; it's the rangefinder stuff that gets me...

I can see the argument for both, and we've had threads here about that in the past. I can't get a 100% accurate yardage on the flag with my GPS (I don't need it, but that's not the point) and for some guys, being 3-4 yards off is an issue. I like that I know my yardage to the middle and then yardage to the back of the green, so that I know how much club I can safely hit without going over. Just knowing the number to the flag isn't enough sometimes...

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