Bushnell Laser Rangefinder Review and Field Tests

I received the rangefinder as a Christmas present (I asked my wife for it) and have used it during several recent rounds. I have read mixed reviews, but I really like it. The rangefinder is a binocular that contains a cross-hair sight. You place your target in the cross-hairs and press the button to get the LCD readout of the distance.

The most important information to any golfer is the distance from your ball to the hole. In my opinion, global positioning devices are the ultimate tools for informing players of that most important information. The Yardage Pro from Bushnell is a great option for any player who is looking for a leg up on the competition thanks to the deadly accurate yardages that GPS rangefinders offer. Bushnell makes three levels of Yardage Pros and also a smaller, more basic GPS called the Neo. The Yardage Pro XGC is the top end system that they offer. It has many of the same characteristics as the XG model, except that they XGC model has a color display. The entry level Yardage Pro is the one that I will be reviewing.

The display on the Yardage Pro is pretty basic. There is no layout of the hole or any way to choose the distances that you want to measure. It simply shows you the distance to the front, middle, and back of the green. This is typical of most entry-level GPS rangefinders. You can jump to another screen to calculate drive distances, but that requires a little effort and navigation. The display also requires you to manually change the hole number as you play. In other words, when you drive to the next tee, the GPS will continue to tell you the distance to the previous green until you push a button to go to the next hole. I found this inconvenient at first, but as IGÇÖve gotten used to it, it really is not that big of a deal.

This handy rangefinder has a lot of good points and only one real failing as far as I can tell. So, if you are in the market for a medium priced laser rangefinder, you may indeed want to memorize the lengthy oficial nomenclature.

There are three modes of operation: “standard,” “scan,” and “>150″ (greater than 150 yards).

Yes, I find it gets a bit more tricky to hit the flag from about 220 and beyond, but I’ve found tricks to get better at that and you will too. Plus, if I’m over 200, I just make sure that I have some clue where I am as a sanity check. If Bushnell figures out how to incorporate optical image stabalization into these units, that’ll make them even better. But for now this is just fine.

The Sport 450 is compact and light weight. It is easy to carry and the battery life of the 9 volt battery that powers it is excellent. I have been using mine for over a year without having to change the battery yet. I have noticed that as the battery gets lower the effective range does begin to shorten. TheSport 450 is easy to use and can be operated in either a horizontal or verticle orientation. I have tried both orientations and got the same readings each time. the one button to activate the laser on the top (if held horizontal) of theSport 450 is large enough to be easy to find quickly without having to look away from your target to find the trigger. The 4X20 optics gives enough magnification to easily locate your target and still give alarge enough field of view to quickly pick up targets even at close range.

Check out more laser range finders advice at opticalrangefindes.com. You can also read some great reviews on the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 there as well.