Laser or GPS: Which golf distance

As with every other sport, golf is filled with debates. Who is the greatest of all time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Which would you rather play, Pebble Beach or Bandon Dunes? Which would you rather win, the Masters or the U.S. Open?

Another that many golfers struggle with is a more practical question: Which should you buy, a laser rangefinder or a golf GPS device?

Many players who started playing golf over the past three seasons have discovered how fun the game can be, and they are now deciding to start investing in equipment instead of relying on borrowed gear or the used equipment they picked up. That not only means clubs and balls but accessories that can help lower scores, such as a distance-measuring device.

Choosing between a laser rangefinder or a GPS device can be tricky, because both distance-measuring devices have benefits and drawbacks. Before you reach for your credit card, discover how each type of distance-measuring device works and think about a few frequent situations that can help make an intelligent purchase.

Laser rangefinders: How do they work, and what are the pros and cons?Laser rangefinders all work using the same basic principles. When a player presses the button on the unit, it sends out a beam of light that hits an object and reflects back. The device can measure the time it takes the light to bounce back, and because the speed of light is constant (at least as far as the practical use of rangefinders goes), the device can calculate precisely how far the object is from the rangefinder.

What separates one laser rangefinder from another is the speed at which a unit can do the calculations (all are reasonably quick), the clarity of images seen in the viewfinder, the level of magnification in the viewfinder and extra features such as water resistance.

Often referred to as a "slope" feature, many laser rangefinders can measure whether a target is uphill or downhill, then factor in the distance and the angle to create a playing distance that can be longer or shorter than the actual straight-line distance. Using features such as this is legal for recreational golfers, but in tournament play these features are rarely allowed. Laser rangefinders with a slope feature allow golfers to disable the feature for tournament play, often by simply sliding a button.

Most laser rangefinders are accurate within a foot or two from as far away as several hundred yards, so they are almost always the go-to distance-measuring device for elite golfers and caddies. They also typically come with a protective carrying case that can snap onto a golf bag, and many have a magnet on one side that allows players to attach them safely to a golf cart's roof supports for easy access – make sure not to forget the unit on a cart at the end of a round, an all-too-common occurrence. A few laser rangefinders even have Bluetooth technology and can tether to a smartphone to obtain weather and atmospheric conditions to make the plays-like distances even more accurate.

All of that is great, but there are two downsides to laser rangefinders to keep in mind.

First, you need a direct line of sight to your target. It sounds obvious – and on the tee box of a par 3 or in the fairway it's rarely a problem – but if you are off the fairway and can't see the flag or trees obstruct your view, a laser can't help you.

Second, obtaining accurate distance readings to bunkers, hazards and other features on the course using a laser can be challenging. Yes, you can zap the lip of a bunker or a creek, but to discover how far away a hazard is and what distance you need to hit to clear it, you will need to get several numbers, and that's not always possible.

These shortcomings are minimal for pros and accomplished players who use yardage books in tournaments and often scribble laser rangefinder notes in those yardage books. They want to-the-flag accuracy above everything else, and lasers can provide that.

Golf GPS devices: How do they work, and what are the pros and cons?Golf GPS devices come as a wearable, such as a watch, or handheld units that resemble smartphones. They work by linking with satellites that circle the earth, and after connecting with several satellites at once, GPS devices use internal software to determine what course you are playing and where you are located on that course. Map software can determine how far you are from other areas on the course such as bunkers, water features and different portions of the green.

The most basic GPS devices display the yardage to the front, middle and back of a green from where you are standing, but colorful touch screens and sophisticated software designed into some units allow them to do much more. They can display the distance to a bunker and the yardage required to clear it. They allow you to touch the screen to determine the yardage to a layup spot on par 4s and par 5s, and some let you adjust the hole location on the screen for better accuracy.

For inexperienced golfers, information such as this can be very reassuring and help simplify club selection. Plus, if you are a player who struggles to break 90 or 100, knowing the distance to the front, middle and back of the green is more valuable than knowing the precise distance to the flag, which frequently shouldn't be your target.

However, that's the shortcoming of GPS devices. They can't tell you exactly where the hole is located. For many better players, that's a deal breaker.

So which should you play?Understanding the strengths and shortcomings of laser rangefinders and golf GPS devices, and how they relate to your game, can simplify figuring out the ideal device.

If you are an accomplished golfer and typically play the same courses, a laser rangefinder will probably be a good choice because you will value precise numbers on approach shots. And even if you hit a tee shot into the woods, if you are familiar with the course you’re playing, you should be able to judge recovery shots and layup areas when necessary. The most important thing for you is knowing exactly how far the flag is from your position on par 3s and from the fairway, and a laser does that well.

If you play a wide variety of courses, want to know how far away bunkers and hazards are from the tee and don't want to do a lot of math to figure out the ideal layup shot, then a watch-style or handheld GPS can deliver what you are looking for.

Here are several models you might want to consider:

Blue Tees S3 Max (Blue Tees)

In addition to the features you would expect to find in a quality laser rangefinder, such as a slope function that easily can be disabled in tournament play, a range of up to 600 yards and a side magnet that allows you to attach the Series 3 Max to your cart, this unit does something very clever. The numbers inside the viewfinder automatically change to black or red to create the highest contrast and better legibility.

The Pro X3 has a magnet on one side, and its Slope functions can be disabled by sliding a cap over the top of the lens area. (Bushnell)

Bushnell is the most popular brand of laser rangefinders on the PGA Tour, and this model, the Pro V3, is the most-used unit. The optics through the viewfinder are crystal clear with 7X magnification, and the numbers you see can be made either red or black for increased clarity. The slope functions can be disabled by sliding a hood on the top forward, and the BITE magnet locks the Pro X3 to your cart securely. Bushnell said it is accurate to within a yard from up to 600 yards away from your target.

Garmin Approach G30 (Garmin)

With a 2.3-inch color touchscreen display, the G30 is compact, the screen is colorful and easy to read, and it comes with more than 41,000 courses pre-loaded. The flag position easily can be adjusted for increased accuracy on approach shots, and the Green Contour Data reveals slopes and undulations on the putting surface.

Precision Pro R1 laser rangefinder (Precision Pro)

This laser connects to your smartphone using Bluetooth via a free app, allowing it to utilize your phone's GPS to personalize the MYSLOPE feature, which combines the laser-measured distance to the hole with uphill and downhill angles and environmental factors such as temperature, altitude and humidity. Once connected, you will also see front, middle and back distances displayed in the viewfinder. The slope functions can be disabled in tournament play.

SkyCaddie LX5 (SkyCaddie)

SkyCaddie uses people with survey equipment to create its course maps for increased accuracy. As you walk the fairway, the yardage numbers to hazards and areas on the green not only change, but the display of the hole and the green on the LX5 adjusts to match your perspective. Touch any location in the fairway to get a yardage to that spot and see how far it is from the hole. The LX5 also counts steps, tracks your heart rate and has other fitness functions.

Shot Scope PRO L2 (Shot Scope)

Affordable, accurate and stylish are the words Shot Scope uses to describe the new Pro L2. It can measure targets up to 700 yards away and has 6X magnification to make them easily visible in the viewfinder. The slope function can be disabled by shifting a button forward, and the unit vibrates when the laser hits the flag. A magnet on the side allows you to keep the water-resistant Pro L2 handy on your cart.

Voice Caddie T9 (Voice Caddies)

Pre-loaded with more than 40,000 courses and having a battery that lasts for 10 days away from the course or for 27 holes of play, the T9 has a colorful touchscreen, can display an entire hole with distances to hazards and even has a slope feature like a laser to give you "plays-like" distances to the front, middle and back of a green. The unit even tracks your shots and putts, while its PuttView function helps you read greens.

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