Ever wondered why that #6 iron to the green last week was 15 yards over even though the breeze was still and the shot was solid? Maybe the yardage marker on the fairway was off. Among the benefits of using a laser rangefinder is the certainty that mismarked yardage signs will never cost a stroke again. Faster play is another benefit since getting the yardage to the flagstick is as simple as pointing and shooting.

Bushnell has been producing optical products since 1948 and their laser rangefinders are the clear choice with PGA Tour professionals, in fact 97% use Bushnell. Accuracy is easily the most important feature and the new Tour V4 model is accurate to within one yard. Finding the flagstick can occasionally be tricky with a rangefinder and the Tour V4 simplifies the task with 5x magnification and JOLT technology. When the pin is locked on to the rangefinder’s viewer, the unit vibrates with a series of jolts signaling that the flag has been measured. The Tour V4 comes in at only 6.6 ounces and is 30% more compact than the previous model.

A second version of the Tour V4 is the “Slope” which measures flagstick distances including slope. The rangefinder calculates the elevation change with raw distance for an adjusted yardage to the pin. This feature is disallowed under the rules of golf, however, turning the feature off as required for tournament play is possible. The extra technology of the Tour V4 Slope does come at a price with the Tour V4 Slope selling at a 33% premium to the Tour V4 version.