Golf Rangefinder – Yes Or No

A common question I here is a golf rangefinder necessary? I respond with a yes and no answer, it confuses the heck out of people it would confuse me too. Let me explain what I mean, in respect to the yes than contradicting myself in the next breath with the no.

No

I say no because it is true, you do not really need one to play or learn golf. Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Gary Player had phenomenal careers in professional golf, I am sure they never used a golf rangefinder. Not to say that finding the range of items was not being completed in other fields, I believe rangefinders in general have been around for quite a while.

I played golf for the first year or so before I used one. I like to mention that a rangefinder is very handy device but it just adds cost to an already expensive sport.

A GPS model usually takes a membership of some sort to get the satellite signal. In general, most GPS models will need you to download courses and may not have the course you are playing on. I must admit I do not use a GPS model, but that is one of the main reasons, membership it adds cost.

Laser Rangefinders are expensive at least 200 dollars or more for anything half-decent, something that will get you the distance to the pin with pinpoint accuracy. Another thing to carry and another item you can lose.

Therefore, to recap the no answer, golf has been played for generations without rangefinders. Yet still there have been outstanding golfers come out of the golden age of golf. The weekender has been playing forever without them; some people think it is cheating in a way; no, you do not need one.

Yes

The yes answer is a little more direct I think, they work and now I would not want to play without one. They will take strokes off, lower your score, just plain and simple they will make you a better player. If you play the same course all the time it may be useful more at the beginning, then you get to know the course.

Take it to practice, see what you can really hit with a seven iron or a three iron, and check out your distance off the tee. The rangefinder has the ability to travel anywhere and go anywhere, even to the driving range. I try to use mine this way, when at the driving range I can get a real feel of how far I hit with each club.

On the course when thinking of what club I should use for the distance that I have, I have a better understanding of which one to use. Of course, there are other factors to take into account when deciding which club to use.

To recap the yes answer, it does help, it is an extra piece of equipment that in reality is not needed but when you have used one, they really make a difference in your play.

Therefore, you see why I say yes and no, it really depends on what you want or can afford to use on the course. Technology is not for everyone everywhere some folks like it that way and that is ok. I like mine and enjoy using it because it works for me and I know it does for others as well.