Rangefinders & GPS
Lasers, GPS watches and the distance tech that's genuinely worth it at every budget.
Garmin Approach S72 vs S70: sapphire, titanium and an ECG come in the box, the new green reading needs a Garmin Golf membership
Garmin's new flagship is lighter and tougher, and adds a speaker, a flashlight and swing metrics. The 47mm screen and the battery rating aren't any different from the S70's, and its two headline golf features, green reading and aerial imagery, sit behind the subscription.
By Jordan Hale
Garmin Approach S70 vs S44: the extra money buys Virtual Caddie and a health watch, not better yardages
Same course database, same AMOLED idea, same front-middle-back numbers. The S70 costs more than double, and almost everything it adds happens either off the course or inside a club suggestion.
By Dan Mercer
Garmin Approach G82 vs Shot Scope H50: the built-in launch monitor only earns its price if you practise on a range
Two big-screen handhelds, more than twice apart on price. The difference is a radar launch monitor in the Garmin, and whether you need one comes down to how often you hit balls away from the course.
By Tom Whitaker
Garmin Z82 vs Bushnell Tour V7 Shift: one puts the hole in the viewfinder, the other puts your own carry numbers in it
Both fold a second layer of information into a laser, and both sit in the same bracket. One layer is 41,000 mapped courses laid over the hole you are standing on. The other is your own launch monitor carry numbers, and it is the one the Rules of Golf switch off in anything played to a card.
By Jordan Hale
Mileseey GenePro G1 vs Bushnell Tour Hybrid: the screen or the viewfinder decides it
Two devices, one idea: put the laser and the GPS in the same hand. One hangs a touchscreen off the side of the barrel, the other hides the yardages inside the eyepiece. They cost about the same, which means this comes down to where you want to be looking.
By Ben Marsden
Garmin Approach S44 vs Instinct Crossover Solar: hole maps against a battery measured in months
Same maker, same course database, same phone app. One draws the hole for you and charges every four rounds. The other survives anything, runs on sunlight and shows you three numbers.
By Jordan Hale
Blue Tees Captain Pro vs SkyCaddie LX5: the subscription brand is the one with nothing to pay for three years
A challenger laser that also does GPS against the watch from the brand everyone associates with annual fees. Run both bills to year three and the labels swap over.
By Jordan Hale
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 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
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