The ifrothgolf review
Garmin's mid-priced slope laser rangefinder, pitched squarely at golfers already living in the Garmin watch ecosystem. Reads to 400 yards, 6x zoom, IPX7 waterproof, magnetic cart mount.
What's great
The party trick is Range Relay. Fire the laser at the flag and a second or two later your paired Garmin watch (S70, S62, Epix, etc) shows the pin distance plus front and back of green. No other laser does that, and if you wear a Garmin it genuinely changes how you play. Distances came in within a yard of rival lasers in independent testing, the PlaysLike slope numbers are trustworthy, the viewfinder is crisp, and the build feels close to the pricier Z82. Waterproofing, the magnet, and Find My Garmin (so you stop leaving it on the cart) are proper nice-to-haves.
Worth knowing
Two real gripes. First, no jolt or vibration when it locks the pin, so you are squinting at the readout to trust it. Breaking Eighty reckoned reliable lock-on only happened five or six times across 18 holes, which is poor for the money. Second, half the value is locked behind owning a Garmin watch or paying for Garmin Golf, so as a standalone laser you are overpaying versus a Bushnell. Owners also report it being fragile, dying after minor knocks, and the battery is replaceable rather than rechargeable. Only 6x zoom too.
The verdict
If you already wear a Garmin watch, Range Relay makes this a no-brainer and I rate it. If you don't, I'd avoid it and buy a Bushnell, you're paying full whack for features you can't use and a lock-on that isn't reliable enough.
What reviewers say
Reviewers call it accurate, well-built and quick to lock on, with the standout 'Range Relay' feature pushing the pin location to a paired Garmin watch. It can occasionally struggle to pick the flag out of heavily wooded backgrounds, and it makes most sense if you're already in the Garmin ecosystem.
