Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz: Blair Reviews Newest Range Finders and GPS Devices

Range finders and GPS devices can help make the game easier and speed pace of play. In this installment of Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal takes you to PGA Tour Superstore to review the best distance measuring devices on the market. From laser range finders to handheld GPS devices, Blair showcases the latest and greatest on the market (including what she uses!). Find out which device will work best on your next Myrtle Beach golf trip.

Blair O’Neal: Hi. I'm Blair O'Neal, host of the Golf Buzz presented by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Today I'm here at the PG Tour Superstore with Greg Grotto. Today, we're going to take a look at some of the lasers and some of the GPS systems that are available. I have to tell you guys if you don't have one of these in your golf bag, you're definitely behind the game.

Greg Grotto: That is absolutely correct. Today, it's all about getting accurate yardage to the pen. You know because you play competitive golf.

Blair: Definitely. You got to have the numbers, it's really important.

Greg: Have to have the numbers. What we have here is range finders and GPS's. The range finders use laser technology to find the locations and yards from whatever target you’re trying to hit, whether it is a sand trap, a bunker, or even a flag stick. We have Bushnell, Callaway, and Leupold. I was told that you have one of these in your bag.

Blair: I do. I do have this. It's great to use when I'm getting ready for a tournament. I'm out there with my caddy. We like to take a lot of yardages and we like to have the slope. This particular laser will give you the slope as well as the yardage, which is good to jot down in your notes and to have those numbers when you’re playing in competition.

Greg: That is correct. Because a lot of times, we don't always hit the fairway, sometimes we need a device to give us the yardage from where we happen to be standing. In this case, this is the Bushnell 1600. We also have the V2 model which is a little bit smaller. It's easier to fit in your pocket. A lot of times when we play golf, it's score pads only. Instead of spending all day hunting for sprinkler heads simply put it in your pocket, pull it out, click it on your target, and you got your yardage, pull your club and move on.

Blair: Keep the pace of play going.

Greg: Exactly. We also have another brand called Leupold. We got the standard model here. This one here has infrared which is kind of nice. Then this model here is the infrared but it also has a detachment for slope.

Blair: Okay. Very cool

Greg: The slope gives you different yardages to different elevations whether the green be above you or even below you. Now, we're going to move on over here to the GPS units. This right here will give you your yardage from where your target is from where you’re standing. A lot of times it will give me yardages to a bunker or a fairway, a hazard, sometimes it will give you the green to the back. Over here we have the golf buddy. What I like most about this one, Blair, is you can simple take a tee out of your pocket, click anywhere on the fairway you want, and, it's going to give you your yardage.

Blair: Okay. Nice. Greg: It's a nice little feature. Blair: Yes. It's fun.

Greg: When you’re standing on the tee box, you say, “Well, I'm not sure I can carry that bunker.” You just simply click the tee, there, and it's going to give you your yardage.

Blair: There you go.

Greg: Last, but, not least. I'm also going to mention this little gizmo here. This is the first hybrid model. What it is, is a GPS and a range finder linked into one.

Blair: Very cool

Greg: So, you can simply hit your target line of sight, or, you can actually look at the numbers and it's going to give you front, middle, and back of the green.

Blair: That's good to have.

Greg: It's the first of its generation.

Blair: Okay, very neat. I like it. Can you tell me, what are some of the top sellers in the lasers and in the GPS systems?

Greg: Yes, I can. They are all very good, but one of my favorites is the Callaway. It's small, convenient, easy to carry in your pocket, but what I like most about it is that the number and the viewing area are really easy to see.

Blair: Okay.

Greg: So you know you’re not second guessing, you’re not squinting. You just simply click the button, hold the button down, you can pan it from left to right, and it will give you your numbers as you move across.

Blair: That's good to know.

Greg: And, in the GPS's, again, I like the Gold Buddy, because it's easy. It has most of the courses already preloaded, and, again, you don't have to mess with many buttons. It auto advances to the next hole. Again, simply just hit a spot on that fairway or that green and it gives you your yardage.

Blair: And, again, if there are courses that you’re playing that aren't already loaded, you can go online and load them. Correct?

Greg: Yes. You just go to the manufacturers’ website, you pull up your state, you pull up your town, then you find your course, hook-up the cable and download it from your PC.

Blair: Okay. Good. Sounds like a plan. Well, thanks so much for showing us these laser and GPS systems. If you guys don't have one of these, I definitely think you should stop by PGA Tours Superstore and pick one up. It's going to help your golf game. It's going to help you feel more comfortable hitting your shots into the pen. Thanks so much, again.

Greg: My pleasure.

Blair: Thanks for having us. I'm Blair O'Neal with the Golf Buzz.