Buying guide
Laser, GPS or both? Seven distance devices for every budget
From a £179.99 GPS watch to a $599.99 tour laser, seven rangefinders and GPS devices from Shot Scope, Bushnell, Precision Pro and Blue Tees, and how to pick the right type for the way you play.
The seven distance devices below run from Bushnell’s $169.99 Phantom 3 Slope to its $599.99 Pro X3+LINK, and fall into three camps: lasers, GPS and hybrids that do both. Each price is the one on the maker’s own website at the time of writing, in that site’s currency. Buying from abroad, expect shipping, duties and stock to differ.
Laser, GPS or hybrid
A laser gives you an exact number to whatever you point it at, usually the flag. It is the precise option, but it needs a line of sight and a steady hand, and it cannot see the front of a green hidden over a rise.
A GPS (a watch or a handheld) gives you front, middle and back of the green and distances to hazards without aiming at anything. It is quicker and better on blind holes, but it does not know exactly where today’s pin is.
A hybrid puts a laser and GPS numbers in one viewfinder. It does both jobs, usually at a higher price.
Under Rule 4.3 of the Rules of Golf, distance and direction information is fine, but measuring elevation changes or wind speed at the course is not, and nor are club recommendations worked out from your current round. Every slope-equipped device here has a way to switch slope off; the clever extras need to be off in competition too.
Lasers
Precision Pro NX9 Slope, $199.99
The value pick of the lasers. Precision Pro lists flag lock out to 400 yards, 6x magnification, single-button operation and a slope mode with a tournament-legal toggle. The shell is ABS plastic, it is rated IP67 waterproof, it runs on a replaceable CR2 battery and it has a magnetic cart mount. At 10oz it is the lightest model in the brand’s line-up. If you want a reliable number to the pin and do not care for apps, this is where we would start.
Precision Pro NX9 Slope Rangefinder
Shot Scope PRO L5, £219.99
Shot Scope’s newest laser steps up the display: an OLED screen, which the brand says is the clearest it has built, alongside 7x magnification and a 1,300-yard range. Target-lock vibration confirms you have found the flag, adaptive slope can be switched off for competition, and there is a built-in cart magnet and a carry case that clips to your bag. It weighs 340g, uses a replaceable CR2 battery and comes in black or white. Buying one also unlocks aerial GPS maps in the Shot Scope app, which gives you front, middle and back numbers on your phone. As with all Shot Scope products, there is no subscription fee, and it comes with a two-year warranty.
Bushnell Pro X3+LINK, $599.99
Bushnell bills the Pro X3+LINK as its most powerful laser, with consistent readings within a yard to flags at 600-plus yards. The headline features are wind, broken down into “hurt or help” and left or right, and Slope with Elements, which factors temperature and altitude into compensated distances (you can set your home elevation). LINK pairs it with Foresight Sports or Bushnell launch monitor data through the app’s MyBag feature to suggest a club in the display. It also has a red or black dual display, a locking Slope-Switch, the BITE magnetic mount, a rubber-armoured metal housing and an IPX7 waterproof rating. The wind and club features are practice-round tools and must stay off in competition.
Photo: Bushnell Golf
Hybrids: laser plus GPS
Blue Tees Captain Pro, $299.98
Blue Tees’ new Captain Pro shows front, centre and back GPS distances in the viewfinder alongside the laser, drawing on more than 42,000 courses. It has a multi-colour OLED display, 7x magnification, a 1,200-yard range, a magnetic strip, USB-C charging and an IP67 rating. Through the GAME app it adds True Distance yardages, which Blue Tees says factor in slope, wind, elevation and temperature, plus club suggestions and “Find My” Bluetooth tracking. Blue Tees says the GPS distances are free for life with no subscription; check which of the smarter app features need its GAME membership. The cheaper sibling, the Captain Air ($249.98), keeps Bluetooth and the Blue Tees app connection with 6x magnification, an LCD screen, a 1,000-yard range and an IP65 rating.
Blue Tees Captain Pro · Blue Tees Captain Air
Precision Pro Titan Elite, $399.99
The Titan Elite puts front, centre and back GPS numbers in the viewfinder too, with a magnesium alloy shell, 6x magnification, flag lock to 400 yards and slope with a tournament toggle. It is USB-C rechargeable, with Precision Pro quoting around 50 rounds per charge, and it adds Bluetooth app connectivity and “Find My Rangefinder” tracking. At 14oz it is heavier than the NX9, the trade-off for the sturdier build.
Precision Pro Titan Elite Rangefinder
GPS
Bushnell Phantom 3 Slope, $169.99
The cheapest device in this guide, and the one for golfers who would rather not aim at anything. It is a small handheld with a touchscreen, more than 38,000 preloaded courses, front, centre and back distances, up to six hazard and layup distances per hole and GreenView with a movable pin, so you can get closer to today’s flag position. Bushnell says it is the first handheld GPS with its Slope technology. It clips to a cart with the BITE magnet, lasts up to 18 hours (typically four rounds) on a charge, weighs 78g and comes in black, green, blue or orange. The warranty is one year.
Bushnell Golf Phantom 3 Slope GPS
Shot Scope G6 GPS Watch, £179.99
The G6 shows full hole maps with an adjustable distance line for measuring to any point, front, middle and back of the green, hazard, layup and dogleg distances, and a digital scorecard. It weighs 42g, Shot Scope quotes battery life of two-plus rounds, and it comes with two interchangeable straps chosen from 12 colours. No subscription, and a two-year warranty.
Laser for your home course, GPS for travel
If you mostly play one course and know it well, a laser is the better buy, and the NX9 or PRO L5 covers the essentials for around £200 or $200. If you travel, play new courses or face a lot of blind shots, GPS is faster: the G6 for walkers, the Phantom 3 for trolley and cart players. Hybrids make the most sense for golfers who want one gadget to do everything and will use the app features. The Pro X3+LINK is a serious tool for practice and planning, but much of what you pay for has to be switched off on competition days.
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