Rangefinders & GPS
Lasers, GPS watches and the distance tech that's genuinely worth it at every budget.
Nikon Coolshot Pro II vs Precision Pro NX10: how much rangefinder do you need?
One buys you the best optics and a gyro-stabilised picture; the other gives you most of the experience for a little over half the outlay. Which is the smarter buy?
By Jordan Hale
GoGoGo Vpro vs Bushnell Tour V7 Shift: do you really need to spend 5x?
A budget-laser icon against the tour-caddie standard — one costs roughly five times the other, and only one specific golfer actually needs the expensive one.
By Jordan Hale
Garmin Approach S50 vs Shot Scope V5: slick watch or free game data?
Two very different GPS watches at two very different prices — one is the polished all-rounder, the other quietly tells you where you actually lose shots.
By Jordan Hale
Bushnell Phantom 3 review: the no-faff GPS that costs less than a wedge
No watch on your wrist, no laser to aim, no subscription — just big, glanceable yardages and slope in your pocket. For a lot of golfers that's the whole job, done, for the price of a decent round.
By Jordan Hale
Shot Scope V5 review: the golf watch that tracks your whole game for free
Most game-tracking systems hand you tour-level stats and then charge you monthly to keep them. The V5 gives you strokes gained and 100-plus stats on your own game with no subscription, ever — and that changes the maths entirely.
By Jordan Hale
Golf GPS in 2026: what's actually worth buying now
Golf GPS had a big year — laser-and-GPS hybrids, connected rangefinders and slope displays that finally earn their keep. Here's the landscape: what's worth your money now, and the new arrivals worth knowing about.
By Dan Mercer
Garmin built a GPS watch just for juniors — and it's smarter than it sounds
The Approach J1 is the first golf GPS watch designed specifically for kids. It sounds like a gimmick — it isn't. Here's what it actually does, who it's really for, and where it fits.
By Jordan Hale
The best golf GPS watch is the one you'll actually wear
Golf watches now range from a simple yardage display to a rugged solar computer that tracks every shot. The trick isn't buying the most features — it's matching the watch to how you actually play and what you'll genuinely use. Here's how to pick the right tier.
By Dan Mercer
Garmin Approach S50 review: the golf watch most people should actually buy
The S50 takes nearly everything that made Garmin's flagship special — the gorgeous AMOLED screen, slope-adjusted distances, shot tracking, wrist heart rate and Garmin Pay — and sells it for a lot less than double. For most golfers, this is the sweet spot.
By Jordan Hale
How good are cheap rangefinders now? Good enough to embarrass a Bushnell
The gap between a pocket-money laser and a flagship one has quietly collapsed. For most golfers a value rangefinder now does the whole job — here's the ladder from dirt-cheap to feature-loaded, and exactly where the extra money still buys you something real.
By Dan Mercer
Bushnell Tour V6 Shift vs Shot Scope Pro L2: do you really need the badge?
Two of the best value lasers in golf, from opposite ends of the value argument. The Shot Scope is the giant-killer on pure accuracy-per-pound; the Bushnell sells trust, optics and that famous pin-lock. Here's which one actually deserves your money.
By Jordan Hale
Precision Pro NX10 review: the laser that makes Bushnell money hard to justify
The NX10 is the first sub-flagship laser in years that genuinely rivals a top Bushnell — perfect-scoring accuracy, fast pin-lock and switchable slope for roughly half the money. Here's what you give up, and who should still spend more.
By Jordan Hale
Garmin Approach Z30 review: the connected laser, if you're already a Garmin golfer
Garmin's first new rangefinder in years beams the pin number to your watch. Whether that's worth the money depends entirely on what's on your wrist.
By Tom Whitaker
Bushnell Tour V7 Shift review: the rangefinder most golfers should buy
Fast, confident lock-on, switchable slope and Bushnell's reliability — the all-rounder that tops the lists, and the one we recommend by default.
By Jordan Hale
Is a slope rangefinder worth it? (And is it legal?)
Yes for practice and casual rounds — it makes you a smarter club-picker. No for competition, where it's illegal unless you can switch it off.
By Jordan Hale
Bushnell Pro X3+ vs Garmin Z82: which premium rangefinder wins?
Two flagship lasers, two philosophies — the purist's tool versus the do-everything device. Here's who should buy which.
By Jordan Hale
GPS watch vs laser rangefinder: which should you buy first?
They solve the distance problem in opposite ways. Most golfers only need one to start — here's how to choose.
By Jordan Hale
Bushnell Pro X3+ review: the laser other lasers are measured against
It's the rangefinder you see in more tour bags than any other. Here's whether the premium price holds up.
By Jordan Hale
Slope is the most overhyped feature on your rangefinder
It's the headline selling point on every laser — and the one feature you legally can't use when it matters most. Here's the honest take.
By Jordan Hale
Garmin Approach S70 review: the GPS watch that does almost everything
A gorgeous AMOLED screen, full course maps and a battery that lasts. Is this the only piece of distance tech most golfers need?
By Jordan Hale
The rangefinder now talks to your watch
Garmin's new laser zaps a yardage straight to your wrist — the most genuinely new idea in distance gear this year.
By Jordan Hale
How much should you spend on a rangefinder?
They all measure the same yardage. Here's what your money actually buys above the basics — and where it stops mattering.
By Jordan Hale
GPS watch vs phone app vs handheld: how should you get your distances?
Three ways to know how far it is, and they suit very different golfers. The honest pros and cons of each.
By Jordan Hale
Nikon Coolshot Pro II review: the mid-tier laser with premium glass
Nikon makes optics for a living, and it shows. The smart-money rangefinder that gives you most of the flagship for less.
By Jordan Hale