Laser RangefindersTop of the line: Bushnell 1600 Slope EditionPros: They provide a precise distance within one yard of a target, and do so instantly. They are more common among low-handicap golfers.Cons: It’s easy to shoot a tree behind the flagstick instead of the flagstick, and they do not provide information on unseen hazards or bunkers.GPS cevicesTop of the line: SkyCaddie SGXPros: The tools map all features of a course and holes, so distances can be measured to bunkers and hazards as well as from the woods.Cons: They do not provide exact yardage to a flagstick – just a general front, middle and back.Smartphone GPSTop of the line: ViewTi Golf GPSPros: The apps can range in price from free to $20 and can combine round statistics such as fairways and greens in regulation plus keep a record of scores.Cons: They typically use a generic satellite image that does not include details, they burn through a phone’s battery, and they’re dependent on a constant 3G signal.
Tim Cushman reached into his golf bag and pulled out two balls, a glove, a tee and the single-most expensive item in the bag – a Callaway GPS device.
“It takes tons of strokes off my game,” he joked before pushing his first tee shot Tuesday into the left rough.
More than saving strokes, Cushman’s new tool saves him time. With the push of a button, he knows how far he needs to hit to carry a front bunker and land his second shot on the green. He has no need to find a sprinkler head, read its message and step off a number of yards to his ball.
“It really helps on courses you’re not familiar with, it helps if you can’t find good markings and it helps giving distances,” said Cushman, who usually plays on Chattanooga-area public courses. “Its just kind of neat having it.