Home on the Range

2010-07-19

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By Steve Pike

One of the more popular devices on the PGA Tour today is one that most people don't see. That is the Bushnell rangefinder. According to the company, approximately 90 percent of players on the PGA Tour use a Bushnell rangefinder, more specifically the Pro 1600, which is offered in a Slope and Tournament Edition.

Even more impressive, according to the Darrell Survey, 91 percent of the field at this year's Players Championship used a Bushnell rangefinder. The rules prohibit a player from using any kind of rangefinder in competition, but caddies take a Bushnell on the course, often before each round, to measure exact distances.

One of the main reasons why Bushnell rangefinders are so popular is because they are easy to use. Basically just point and click at the target, which can be the flag, a bunker or a tree.

"You don't have to worry about`satellites or anything else,'' said John Novosel, a representative for Bushnell. "The top players want the exact number to the flap so they need to be able to get the distance to any object. That's what the Pro 1600 does.''

Indeed. The Pro 1600, which sell for around $330 in stores, is a terrific device even for those who don't particularly like rangefinders. It's compact enough to fit in almost any golf bag and works much better (and more accurately) than any in-cart distance system I have seen.

The more sophisticated of the two rangefinders is the Pro 1600 Slope Edition, which features a built-in "inclinometer'' to provide the golfer with a compensated distance based upon the degree of incline or decline. This Slope Technology means when you are aiming at an up-hill or down-hill target, the Pro 1600 with Slope will adjust the yardage reading for the angle and distance to help golfers with accurate club selection.
 
"It measures to plus or minus one year and is very quick,'' Novosel said. "There's not a Tour pro anywhere who doesn't know his exact yardages.''

Tour pros aren't the only one. Among consumers, the Tour V2 has been Bushnell's most popular model the past two years.

"There are a lot of people now who can't play without one,'' Novosel said.