Distance measuring devices have transformed the game of golf. Since they were first added to golf bags, devices like laser range finders, GPS watches, applications and other range finders have been aiding in game improvement and enjoyment for golfers around the world.
For many golfers, though, a range finder is a “nice to have,” and not necessarily a “need to have,” while on the golf course. But given their incredible benefits, we think all golfers should utilize a range finder to improve their experiences while on the golf course.
Let’s explore five reasons why you need to use a rangefinder while golfing:
1. Course management
Perhaps the most important reason for adding a range finder to your list of golf equipment is for its course-management capabilities.
Course management, of course, is the way a golfer elects to play a golf course. Using a range finder can help you optimize your course management by providing you advanced knowledge of distances to and from nearly any point on the golf course.
For instance, a range finder can provide you precise distance to a fairway bunker or water hazard. Understanding where trouble sits and the yardage you must hit your clubs to avoid such danger could transform your round. Double-bogeys become bogeys. Bogeys become pars. A bad round becomes a great one.
2. Slope
Most golf courses feature holes that offer varying degrees of slope from tee to green. A tee shot may require pinpoint accuracy and distance control but force a golfer to carry a hazard from an elevated tee. Or, golfers may face an approach shot to green that sits atop a hill with a potential false front.
Certain laser range finders will factor in the slope when providing you the true distance required to reach your intended target. Rather than guessing for change in elevation, utilize a laser range finder with scoping capabilities and watch your approach shots take dead aim at the pins.
3. Pace of play
There’s no doubting that pace-of-play is the game’s most important metric when acquiring new and lifetime golfers. Who wouldn’t want their weekly round of golf to take less time?
Adding a range finder to your bag of tricks while on the golf course will help speed up your round as you won’t have to waste time determining how far you are away from your target.
In the past, golfers would need to search for a yardage marker somewhere near their golf ball and walk off the distance, hoping it was accurate to its center-of-the-green suggestion. With a range finder, golfers have quick and easy access to precise distance readings.
4. Confidence
Without a range finder, how will a golfer know the distance from their location to their intended target? Without that information, how confident could they be with their swing? With a range finder in hand, golfers are equipped with the knowledge necessary to make an easy swing on the ball and reach their target.
There are many variables within the golf swing; there is so much room for error. Perhaps the worst thing a golfer can experience is a negative swing thought. By eliminating the need to question the true distance of any given shot, golfers can focus on their swings and their swings only. A range finder can be used to dial in precise distances so golfers can focus on positive thoughts only.
5. Additional features
In this day and age of technology, golfers don’t need to rely on laser range finders and other one-feature tools. Golfers now have seemingly countless mobile apps and products at their disposal that provide range finder functionality, in addition to their designed features.
Whether it’s a free scoring app available for download to your iPhone or Android device or a golf performance tracking system like Arccos, much of the new golf technology for mobile devices double as a range finder.
— Ben Larsen