I’m particular to German engineering, especially cars. But cars aren’t the only great products of German engineering. Add golf laser rangefinders to the list, from GPO. GPO is an abbreviation for German Precision Optics. GPO makes the new FLAGMASTER 1800 Golf Laser Rangefinder. Let’s take a look.
Features
The FLAGMASTER 1800 features advanced optical technology which helps the unit quickly and accurately lock onto the target and deliver a solid, accurate yardage. The unit is six-power, which is massively powerful for golf applications. While it is completely overkill, the unit can measure targets as far away as 1800 yards! Think of it like that German car, say a Porsche. It will go 180 miles per hour, but realistically the driver may not need that extra 100 MPH.
The unit looks for pins equipped with reflective “flaglock” prism tape, and uses a specific flag-finding algorithm if the tape is present. If there’s no prism tape, the unit converts to a close-target distance function instead.
When the unit locks onto the flagstick, the unit makes a small vibration and a circle will appear around the flag icon in the viewfinder.
For practice rounds or times when the golfer wants to measure it, the 1800 offers slope reading. Slope reading will help the golfer adjust for elevation changes by producing a yardage number which accounts for the change. For instance, when shooting the par-3 17th at one of my home courses, the downhill shot is 155 yards. Due to the large drop, the hole plays more like it is 147 yards. To make things fair, a red LED light flashes when the 1800 is in slope mode. This allows judges and competitors to see whether the unit is in slope mode or not.
The unit is rated IPX4 rainproof.
As seen in the photo above, the 1800 comes with a nice case and also includes a CR2 battery.
On The Course
The 1800 is easy to use and very accurate. Locking onto the pin or other targets is quick. The unit does a good job of discerning the pin when there’s a background of other objects it might false positive on, like trees behind. The longest distance I shot was from the clubhouse of my home course to the pin on the par-5 first green, 685 yards. Boom. With driver technology getting more and more “long” every year, we need to shoot pins at 685 yards now. I kid, sort of.
The display is clear and easy to read, and the image clarity in the viewfinder is excellent.
Final Thoughts
GPO’s Flagmaster 1800 is a solid option in the golf laser rangefinder market. It is quick and easy to use and produces accurate yardages from ridiculously long distances!
I have not personally confirmed this, but I’ve been told that this unit has been seen for sale in Costco locations, at considerably less than the $390 retail price.
I’m now past the 12 week mark following shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, torn labrum, torn bicep tendon, and to remove bone spurs in the shoulder capsule. I’ve been suffering pain with extreme stiffness and inflammation for months now. Sleeping has been difficult. My body has over-reacted to the surgery and “healed too well,” as my physical therapist says. There is a large buildup of scar tissue which is causing pain and reducing my mobility and flexibility. This condition is known as “frozen shoulder.”
I saw the shoulder surgeon last week for my 12 week check, and we decided the best course of action for the above issues was to do a steroid shot into the shoulder capsule. This is to reduce inflammation, swelling, and stiffness, and help me progress faster in rehabilitation.
The shot hurt. It was kind of a deep, dense pain. That pain was even worse over the next 2-3 days. Fortunately that pain has gone away mostly, but I still have quite a bit of discomfort. Pain will flare up if I move the wrong way or push things too hard.
Today (12.5 weeks), I did my first rehab exercises following the shot. The doc recommended taking a break from them for a few days. I feel like I’m in the same position mobility-wise and pain wise, that I was in five weeks ago. I’m hoping the shot will do its thing and I’ll start to more quickly recover and progress.
I’m nowhere near being able to swing a golf club, which is expected but still frustrating. I’m not even at a point that I could take a club out of the golf bag with the right arm.
Not much else to say except it sucks.
Hooked on Putting. I’m serious. It’s all I can do right now since I had the shoulder surgery, so it’s going to be putter reviews galore! Fun times.
In for review is a very intriguing and very sharp looking Tour Classic putter from MLA Golf. Check it out:
MLA putters utilize “multiple line-detector activation,” a patented alignment technology. The visual on the top of the putter helps the brain process the line better, helping the golfer align properly.
In addition to the alignment technology, the Tour Classic includes a weight system (photo above) to allow the golfer to finely tune the balance, weight, and feel of the putter.
Intriguing indeed.
I will put this putter though the rigorous HOG testing battery and post a full review soon.
After a long, cold winter I’m excited to take a vacation beginning at the end of this week. I’ll be relaxing on a beach in Florida with the family. I have the perfect shirt scripting lined up with my new Puma Golf Paradise Shirt.
The Paradise shirt is part of Puma’s PLAY LOOSE collection and that’s just what I’m going to be doing. This full button-up shirt is made from 89% polyester and 11% spandex, making it lightweight and very soft.
Stay tuned for the full HOG review.
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