Rangefinder or GPS: which one earns its place

A laser gives you the exact distance to something you can see. A GPS gives you front, middle and back of a green you may not be able to see. Both are legal in normal play. Which helps depends on the courses you play and how quickly you want the number.

What a laser does well

Point, press, and you have the flag itself to within a metre. That precision matters inside 140 metres, where ten metres is the difference between putting and chipping. Slope models add or subtract for elevation, which earns its keep on a hilly course but is banned in most competition play.

The limits are practical: clear line of sight, a steady hand and a few seconds. Over a dune or a rise, the laser has nothing to shoot at.

What a GPS does well

A watch gives front, middle and back the moment you reach the ball, with no aiming. On an unfamiliar course those three numbers plus the carry over a bunker tell you almost everything. The trade-off is precision: the GPS reads a mapped shape, not the flag.

Slope, and when it must be off

Slope-adjusted distances are not permitted in most competitions played under the Rules of Golf. Devices sold for competition have a switch or a visible faceplate that disables the function, and it is your responsibility to check before a Golf Australia qualifying round. Read the local rules on the first tee.

Which one for which golfer

If you play the same two or three courses and want the exact number to the flag, the laser is the better tool. If you travel to unfamiliar courses, walk briskly or dislike stopping to aim, a GPS watch keeps the pace and gives the numbers that shape a decision. Plenty of low markers carry both, the watch for the hole and the laser for the shot.

Where to buy

Drummond Golf stocks the main laser and GPS brands and lets you range targets in store, which is the only way to judge how quickly a device locks on. House of Golf and Golfbox carry the same brands, and The Golf Clearance Outlet is the place to look for last season’s model at a reduced price.

Your club professional will often lend a demo for a round, which tells you more than any specification sheet. Panxis Golf has no commercial relationship with any of these retailers and takes no commission on what you buy.

Before you spend

• Play a round using only front, middle and back. If your scores hold up, a GPS is enough.
• Check whether your regular competitions allow slope before paying extra for it.
• Learn your carry distances first. A precise number is useless without a club you trust.

The device does not play the shot. It removes one excuse, which is worth about a stroke a round to a golfer who already knows how far the ball goes.