The leading makers of range finders (Bushnell) and GPS systems for golf courses (Sky Caddie) are heavily promoting their respective products to a golf audience that has grown significantly since my last blog on this subject (May 14, 2006). Recent articles in the trade publications trumpet the growing use of and demand for both types of devices despite the price.
Our experience has been that a rangefinder is better suited for the golfer who has steady hands, likes the flexibility of a mechanical device and can take advantage of accurate yardages. The GPS units work best for golfers who find holding up binoculars are too difficult or time consuming (rangefinders require some adjustment for viewing properly), are comfortable with electronic gadgets and more variability in distance measurement.
Someone using a GPS and another person using a rangefinder on the same course at the same spot will get different yardage readings for reasons that are not clear to me. The variability, however, is small and the majority of golfers cannot hit their clubs within three yards of their target most of the time anyway.
