©Garmin Golf

According to Garmin, their latest Approach Z80 laser range-finder is the most complete piece of golf-gear on the market, and that's a bold claim, regardless of whom is making it. The Garmin Approach Z80 is every golfer's dream, at least according to its tech specs. This state of the art integrated laser range finder has GPS capability and provides yardages up to 350 yards, and an accuracy of plus/minus 10 inches to the pin, which is nothing short of amazing. This baby also comes with state of the art and highly innovative technologies incorporated into its built, the likes of high-def graphical features, including course maps available on the view-finder, so golfers can see distances to layups and hazards, together with the real shape of the green. All this detailed intel is available in the new Garmin Approach Z80 for over 41,000 golf courses from all around the world. What separates the Approach Z80 laser range finder from the “crowd” is its capability of providing 2D overlays for both Green View and Course View detail through its lens. If you look through the Approach Z80's viewfinder, you'll be able to see a full color high-resolution 2D Course View map, which is displayed on the left side of the lens, that provides accurate distances to the green and hazards on the course. The new Garmin Approach Z80 laser range finder with GPS was engineered to be the most precise and accurate device in the industry today, as per Garmin Product Manager for EMEA Outdoor, Martin Resch respectively.

©Garmin Golf

This high-end laser range finder boasts Garmin's patented and industry leading GPS technology, and on top of that, overlaid 2D course mapping, which offers excellent information regarding distances to hazards and greens, thus taking out guesswork from one's game. There's also a flag-finder option, which locks on the flag, while delivering laser-accurate distances to the pin. In the same time, the Approach Z80's overlaid 2D course mapping feature will zoom in automatically, in order to indicate you the exact position of the green, everything overlaid in 2D distances to the front/back. Moreover, you'll be able to see if the pin is in the front,middle or back of the green via the Approach Z80's Laser Range Arc feature, which draws an arc on the green at the distance measured to the flag. On top of that, this high tech laser ranger finder will determine automatically the hole you're playing, and it will deliver precise par and course layout information. There's also a PlaysLike Distance feature incorporated into the Approach Z80, which modifies/adjusts distances taking into consideration elevation, i.e. uphill or downhill slope, so you can play the ideal club in every situation imaginable. If you find yourself in a blind-shot, rest assured, as the Approach Z80 will instantly deliver the exact distance and direction to the center of the green via the device's PinPointer feature. If you want to use your Garmin Approach Z80 during a competition, rest assured, as this baby comes with a tournament mode which switches off the PinPointer and PlaysLike features, thus rendering it tournament legal. Finally, the Z80 comes with 6x optical magnification and built in image stabilization, that works wonders in reducing shakiness. Albeit being compact and lightweight, Garmin threw in a convenient carrying case with a carabiner for the Approach Z80. It doesn't get any better than this folks. But everything comes at a price, and in this case, the price tag is pretty hefty. Check out the Garmin website for more intel about pricing.